Tad Robinson solos on the harmonica.
AUSTIN CANDOR / THE DEPAUW

Singer Tad Robinson prefers to play where blues is known and appreciated, pure and simple. On Friday night, that place wasn’t Chicago, Detroit or Memphis. It was The Inn at DePauw in Greencastle, Indiana.

Robinson and other acclaimed blues musicians combined their different styles to put on a performance that confirmed blues was alive and well amidst the growing genres of rap, pop and country music of today.

"The whole time I was grooving with the music and everyone seemed really into it," said first-year Alex Bushkin. "And Tad's singing is so soulful, it reminded me of Otis Redding."

“I was very pleased with the show,” said English professor Ron Dye, who helped plan the event with Robinson. “Sometimes even well planned events don’t come off the way you hope they will, but to me this concert was all I envisioned it to be…. It was a great, enthusiastic audience.”

Guest musicians included guitarists Dave Specter and 86 year-old Jimmy Johnson, who has been previously nominated for a Grammy.

“The music that we play is… is more feeling than technique,” said Johnson, who sang and played lead guitar for the first half Friday’s performance. “If you have technique and no feeling with it, it’s not that great.”

 Robinsons’ set included songs such as “If You Go To Vegas” and “Lonely Talking” from his upcoming album, “Day into Night,” which is set to for an official release on April 21st.

Although Robinson was only onstage for half of the performance, he made his presence felt. He not only sung, he dazzled the audience with his harmonica playing and strong leadership. At the end of each song, Robinson became a conductor, holding his fist in the air to make sure the musicians around him, who would occasionally wander into worlds of their own, ended as a band.

But despite the success of Friday’s show, Dye noticed that there was something lacking.

“I only wish more DePauw students had come to see this fine music,” said Dye. “The Performance Arts Series presents a range of music and other performances which might seem slightly strange or foreign to college age students, but…soul and blues…are vital living music forms that make up a big part of our musical culture.”

Look for upcoming music events at The Inn on DePauw’s website.