Blues fans are in for a treat Sunday afternoon as the Powerhouse of Blues brings another great act Historic Folsom’s Powerhouse Pub. The weekly series will feature a the Delta Wires Band, a multi-member regional favorite known for their high-energy shows and brass-driven sound.
The Delta Wires, a prominent harmonica and horns blues band from the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area, have a storied history. They were finalists in the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, and were voted “Best Live Band” in Oakland Magazine’s annual readers’ poll, as well as by the East Bay Express. In December 2012, the Delta Wires were inducted into the California Blues Hall of Fame.
The band has recorded eight albums, with their latest release, “If Somebody Told Me…,” receiving rave reviews and gaining national and international airplay since its January release. They have performed at notable events such as the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy, the San Francisco Blues Festival, the Russian River Blues Festival, and the Monterey Bay Blues Festival, where they have appeared eight times. Their resume also includes headlining the Shasta Blues Society’s Redding Blues by the River Festival, as well as playing at the Crescent City Blues Festival, Central Valley Blues Festival, Oakland Blues and Heritage Festival, Sacramento Jazz Festival and Jubilee, among many others.
The Delta Wires have shared the stage with numerous renowned artists, including Van Morrison, John Lee Hooker, Freddie King, the Neville Brothers, Dr. John, the Doobie Brothers, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, John Mayall, Charlie Musselwhite, Boz Scaggs, Bad Company, the James Gang, and Elvin Bishop.
The band’s journey began with band leader Ernie Pinata, a blues lover and collector, who created a band for a college project to perform an anthology of the evolution of blues from its origins in field hollers to its electrified form in cities like Chicago. Starting in Oakland clubs such as Esther’s Orbit Room and the Continental Club, and in Berkeley venues like Mandrake’s and the New Orleans House, the band quickly gained recognition. Notable moments include Lowell Fulson sitting in with the Delta Wires at the New Orleans House and Ernie joining the Freddie King Band at Mandrake’s. These experiences paved the way for opening shows for blues greats, further solidifying the Delta Wires’ reputation.
The Delta Wires name symbolizes the electrified style born in the Mississippi Delta’s field hollers, which evolved into the blues and ultimately led to the migration of Delta bluesmen to Chicago. What began as a college project evolved into a band celebrated for its originality, versatility, and crisp, tight, exciting sound.
The Sunday show kicks off at 3 p.m. Tickets for the Powerhouse of Blues event are priced at $10 and are available for purchase online at Powerhouse Pub’s website or at the door on Sunday. For more information on all shows and events at Powerhouse Pub, visit their website.
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