Slather Some Sauce On My Blues

I’m not sure why the blues and barbecue go together so well. A big ol’ pile of smoky meat makes us so happy that you’d think it would pair better with something uptempo. But no. Those 12-bar progressions in 4/4 time really stoke the flames of the meat lover’s soul...

By Jennifer Davis-Lamm

August 30, 2012

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18855504",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17105533",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105532",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105535",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

I’m not sure why the blues and barbecue go together so well. A big ol’ pile of smoky meat makes us so happy that you’d think it would pair better with something uptempo. But no. Those 12-bar progressions in 4/4 time really stoke the flames of the meat lover’s soul. It’s the soundtrack of curling smoke coming off oak, and it sustains the patience needed for a perfectly cooked slab of brisket. The Bedford Blues and BBQ Festival doesn’t blow smoke when it comes to the intersection of those sounds and tastes. You can spend your afternoon tasting samples from Battle of the BBQ contestants while the sounds of Rusty Burns & BIG WAMPUM or Guitar Shorty or Jimmy James Arnold drift through the air. Other artists include White Hot Soul, Sweet Jones, Texas Cotton Kings, Buddy Whittington, C.J. Cheiner and the Red Hot Louisiana Band, and Keb’ Mo’. Festival gates open at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 1951 L. Don Dodson Drive in Bedford. General admission tickets are $5 and is free for kids ages 5 and younger. On-site parking is $15 and food tickets are $10 for 10 samples. Visit bedfordbluesbbq.com.
Sept. 1-2, 2012

KEEP THE OBSERVER FREE... Since we started the Dallas Observer, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.