Brian Blade and Friends will perform a Mama Rosa session on Fri, Jan 30, at Bears Fairfield. In 2010 Blade performed that show at Naked Bean Cafe, Line Ave. In the audience was a performer, Maggie Koerner, on the cusp of a singing and song writing career. A Shreveport girl (Loyola Prep, LSUS), she has since migrated to New Orleans. Her recent record, Neutral Ground, is a highly-evolved, poetic and organic blues rock song cycle. Meanwhile, she has begun touring as a singer with Galactic.
"I was fresh out of LSUS at 22, and my new path (same old dream) was to pursue a music career instead of the easier, natural continuance of school for a masters in counseling psychology. I had just met Brady Blade a few weeks back & that gave me some hope for the future. He told me that I should come hear his brother Brian play some songs at this little cafe on Kings Hwy.
When the day came, I showed up 15 minutes early & the place was packed like sardines. I saw a few familiar faces including Brady who was, as always, busy talking to a million different people at once. I came solo & quickly found 1 lonesome seat on the front row so that's where I parked it until the show started. When it did, I knew instantly that I was in for a real and rare treat of a performance.
Intimate and educating, Brian and the band blew my mind right open to a place I had never been to before with music. Little did I know that I was sitting there 2 feet away watching a living legend play, but that probably helped me experience the show in its purest form. The 2 things I remember most about the set was 1) the guitar player freaking me out with his talent, especially during his solo on "You'll Always Be My Baby" & 2) when they played "Second Home," I unexpectedly teared up. I felt such a strange and visceral connection to that song. It wasn't until I had been living in New Orleans for a year & a half & coming back home from a gig with my band, all huge fans of Brian, that I realized why I teared up. My guitar player, Chris, put on the Mama Rosa album in the van. When "Second Home" started to play and I understood every thing Brian was talking about through the lyrics, they had resonated in me because I had to get to my second home of New Orleans.
I feel honored and grateful that I was able to meet Brian & Mama Rosa after the show. Such a special night that I have not nor will ever forget."
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