Joanna Connor & Big James & the Chicago Playboys, Kingston Mines, Chicago, Illinois

Kingston Mines is one of Chicago's oldest, largest and most famous blues joints. Opening in 1968 in a former machine shop, the venue started as coffeehouse featuring mostly plays rather than blues. However, it soon morphed into all Chicago-style blues format. Though it has moved a few times in the interim, by 1982, Kingston Mines found it current home at the corner of North Halsted and West Wrightwood.

Today, Kingston Mines attracts visitors of all types: locals, tourists, regulars, one-off visitors, old, young, black, and white. It features two rooms, each with a stage with a backdrop reminiscent of the front porch of a shanty in the Mississippi Delta. The rooms are decorated with southern influenced artworks included murals depicting New Orleans street scenes. Seating is available on a first-come, first-serve basis at long, narrow wooden tables.

The first band of the evening typically begins about 9:30pm in the main room, with alternating sets between the main and second stages all night, often till 4 or 5am. Most of the bands are part of the local Chicago blues scene. This particular Saturday night would feature Big James & the Chicago Playboys on the main stage and Joanna Connor on the second stage. Big James & the Chicago Playboys featured half a dozen blues musicians playing mostly original music including Big James on vocals and trombone and additional musicians on trumpet, guitar, bass, keyboard, and drums. Guitarist and singer Joanna Connor performed with a backing back of three additional musicians on rhythm guitar, bass, and drums. She was a very talented guitarist playing some of her own songs and some covers, including what I considered an ambitious cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Ramble On.” An single guy emceed for both stages, hocked overpriced CD’s during the shows ($20 for a local band’s CD?), and even performed a few songs with Joanna Conner.

The whole even was a lot of fun. Lots of high quality, high energy live music at reasonable prices. We resolved that we would make visits to Kingston Mines a more regular activity in 2015.