Raisin a Ruckus With Roomful of Blues

For a little state, Rhode Island is big on the blues, and the best example of that is Roomful of Blues. BSRR caught with them last weekend at Chan's in Woonsocket for a sold out show, and spent a few minutes talking to lead guitarist Chris Vachon:

BSRR:
It's been a rough year for you guys. Can you tell us what happened and how the benefit went a couple of weeks ago?

CHRIS VACHON:
Most people know that Bob Enos passed away on the road with us. He had been in the band for 28 years. It was a big shock to us. It really took a lot out of us. We still haven't really gotten over it. We just had a benefit for him at Rhodes-on-the-Pawtuxet in Providence, Rhode Island. It went over really well. About 850 people showed up. It was to benefit his family. We're proud about that.

BSRR:
How's the response so far to "Raising a Ruckus"?

CHRIS VACHON:
It's been very good. We've been on the Billboard charts since it came out. We've charted every week.

BSRR:
How long ago and how did you guys form originally?

CHRIS VACHON:
It was Duke Robillard and Al Copley that started the band. That was around 1971. Just kind of a straight up Chicago blues band without horns. They added horns a couple of years later. It's been going on ever since, so I guess it's probably 39 years now, something like that.

BSRR:
All the years you guys have played and now, finally, fame's catching up with you.

CHRIS VACHON:
Yeah, right.

BSRR:
I wanted to ask you about the song "While I Can". Tell me a little bit about that song.

CHRIS VACHON:
That's my wife's song. She wrote that. She wrote the words and I had an idea what to do with it. I helped her out with music and the band chipped in and that's how that came about.

BSRR:
What are some of your favorite cuts on "Raising a Ruckus"?

CHRIS VACHON:
"While I Can." No, seriously, I like everything on it. That's why we recorded these songs. We like them all. So I don't really have a particular favorite.

BSRR:
I'm a big fan of your break on "The Love You Lost Along the Way" (from Roomful's CD "Standing Room Only"). What guitarists would you say influenced you growing up?

CHRIS VACHON:
I started with B.B. King when I was about 12. Just went through Guitar Slim, Albert King, Albert Collins, all of those guys, there's way too many to name. I guess that's how I came up with what I do - whatever that is.

BSRR:
How many nights are you out on the road now?

CHRIS VACHON:
200 a year. We're still at it. That's what we do.

BSRR:
What do you have coming up for the future?

CHRIS VACHON:
We're building a schedule for the summer. We've got a framework of some festivals so we'll be out in the Midwest, go to California and do the same stuff we always do when we tour to support a CD.

Roomful played two sold out shows at Chan's with its solid mix of tight horns, flawless guitar and vocals, and rocking keyboards , the band's trademark R & B with an emphasis on the "B". But don't just take my word for it - pick up a copy of "Raising a Ruckus" on Alligator Records and see what the ruckus is all about. (http://www.alligator.com/)