Photos and story by Tim Van Schmidt
I'm very thankful for the Blues Blast. A couple of issues ago, I read about a show by Phoenix blues guitarist Carvin Jones- the "King of Strings." I thought that sounded pretty good but the thing that sold me was the venue- Club Tico, located in Fort Collins in City Park. That's right in my neighborhood and I couldn't resist.
Club Tico is a venerable multi-purpose facility that has been the site for area events for decades- from wedding receptions and ballroom dancing to, well, raucous blues shows.
When I arrived I thought it was strange that the vocal mike was down on the floor rather than on the bandstand- and I found out why as soon as Jones began his set. Jones is an in-your-face performer- quite literally. Throughout the show, Jones left the mike often and stepped right into the midst of the audience, his fingers flying up and down the fret board, all the while grinning and engaging everybody in his path.
Jones is a seasoned showman who knows that even more than owning his guitar like a pro, owning the audience with a positive attitude seals the deal.
Speaking of "owning his guitar," Jones owned his set list completely- from Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan tunes to John Lee Hooker and Chuck Berry classics and more. And here's the part I liked most of all- there was no fooling around in between songs. When one tune was done, Jones plowed into the next one without hardly skipping a beat.
I've been to countless concerts over the decades and one of my pet peeves is musicians who waste valuable performing time by talking about what they had for breakfast. Not Jones- apparently when that man plays, he plays hard. I appreciate that as a live music fan.
And thanks to the Blues Blast, I am now a brand new Carvin Jones fan.
Make sure when you receive the Blues Blast each week from the High Plains Blues Society that you check it out in full- it's a comprehensive digest of everything blues and your key to very cool events that you might not hear about anywhere else- like the Carvin Jones concert.
Here's a video I posted from the show- Jones performing John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom."
Carvin Jones Live in Colorado 2026 (Boom Boom) https://youtu.be/yY8Ppv1i_is