“A little light looks through her bedroom window
She dances and I dream, she’s not so far as she seems
Her hair blowing in the breeze and she can’t see me watching And I’m thinking Love
Love,
Love,
Love.”
“Bittersweet”
– Lead single, Song went Platinum in ’93
On a humid night in August the soulful voices of Big Head Todd and the Monsters reverberated through 6th street the way thunder wakes up a dark night sky. Conveying soulful harmonies and rhythms that run every bit as deep as their lyrics. For example, “Hell is the shadow cast from a soul on fire,” lyrics from their hit song ‘Sister Sweetly.’ Meanwhile, locals gathered for the annual Blues and Barbecue festival enjoying the nostalgic sounds of Saturday nights past.
I was lucky enough to spend a little time with the band before they went on stage and the phrase down to earth is the best way to describe them. Meeting Todd Park Mohr, the band’s Lead Singer and Guitarist, was even better than I had imagined it would be. I found his laid back manner and overall chill to be disarming. He made interviewing him too easy.
I had nearly forgotten that I was a journalist on assignment but rather chatting it up with an old classmate. He made the interview situation feel seamless, even suggesting we just stand in silence for a while and wait for the opening band to finish up. Despite the stifling humidity, I found him to be kind and even silly at times.
Big Head Todd and Journalist Maria Libri-Sigle
INTERVIEW
Maria- “When you guys started in ’86 in college, did you think you would still be going strong 35 years later?”
Todd- “No, Of course not. It was a long shot.
Maria- “Most bands fizzle out after 5 years. What do you contribute your staying power to?”
Todd- “We like each other and we enjoy each other, so that makes a big difference. It’s also nice to have fans who support what we do. So, those 2 things just didn’t go away and we love it.”
Maria- “You’ve recorded over a dozen or so albums, there are 2 significant Blues Albums. ‘100 years of Robert Johnson’ and ‘Way down inside’, is there one song in particular that is your favorite?”
Todd- “I like, ‘Sitting here, Crying the Blues’, by Willie Dixon, I’ll sing it tonight, and it’ll be really good!” (Enter ‘silly’ Todd)
Maria- “Hmm..any chance you’ll sing, ‘Brandy’ by The Looking Glass?”
Todd- “Not tonight! There was one time when people went nuts and forced us to do it. But I don’t think it’ll happen.
Maria- “Some say Jazz and Blues have faded away from mainstream. Have you seen a decline in fan base and what does the future hold for the blues?”
Todd- “No, I’ve never sensed that. For us, its a building interest in jazz and blues. Maybe just because I am more interested and blues. I feel that there are many young people that are interested in Jazz and Blues. So, I don’t know about that..I think it will always be with us.”
Maria- “I would agree with you. I know you guys started out as a jazz and blues, my personal favorite genre. You guys do such a good job bleeding Jazz into all of your music.”
According to multiple sources, the band is always friendly and usually can be caught hanging out with fans post show. When BHT&M recently played at the legendary Tipitina’s club in Uptown, New Orleans, a close friend of mine was there. He described how the band stayed long after the show was over, hanging with fans.
For those of you who are not familiar with this uber talented band, it consists of 4 members. Todd Park Mohr, Brian Nevin, Rob Squires and Jeremy Lawson. The original band members all hail from the Boulder Colorado. They all attended Columbine High School and the University of Colorado together. Most popular in the ‘mountain towns’, they play everything from Rock, Folk, Alt Rock and Country Rock with an overall dominating Jazz and Blues pulse. And if you have never heard Park-Mohr’s voice, it is the perfect blend of powerful and haunting.
The Old Capitol Blues and Barbecue is the brain child of Barry Friedman. His partners include; Bernie Segatto, Kevin Stapleton and Matt Farrell. This group puts on the festival every year, combining prominent musicians with local barbecue and alcohol vendors. Friedman says its a lot of work but yields a far greater reward and credits his wife Amy as essential to the event happening each year.
A special Thank you to Barry Friedman of ‘The Alamo’. Thank you for introducing me to the band and for bringing Blues and Barbecue to the streets of Springfield every year.
I can be contacted at authormariasigle@gmail.com or check out my blog, books and videos at www.mariasigle.com, www.facebook.com/maria.librisigle
