I originally saw Stacy Mitchhart on a visit to Nashville, Tennessee in 2005 while visiting, my older brother Michael. Michael was in the music industry years earlier and pointed out a guitar player I had to see. Later that night we ventured to the Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar on Printers Alley in downtown Nashville. We arrived at The Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar about an hour before the show and the joint was packed. We settled into a table in the balcony overlooking the stage and ordered some authentic Cajun beans and rice. The food arrived and we ate waiting for the show. Soon after the band took the stage. Two saxaphone players, a trumpeter, a bass player and a drummer. I don’t remember the first song but it had the New Orleans bounce to it. At the completion of the first song, Stacy Mitchhard was introduced and he entered the stage. I was mesmerized for the next two hours by the skill Mitchhart possessed effortlessly playing his epiphone guitar. Who is this guy I questioned myself and why have I never heard of him? I posses those questions to my brother and his reply was simple, “without radio play, blues artists don’t get the recognition they deserve.”
I haven’t been back to Nashville since, but I’ve been lucky as The Stacy Mitchhard Band takes a week once a year to visit the Sunshine State since 2007 to play a few gigs. The past three years they haven’t made the trip due to Covid and an occasional hurricane. I think I have seen all their performances, with possibly missing one or two the past 14 years. Sunday, October 17, 2021 they graced the stage of Earl’s Hideaway Lounge in Sebastian Inlet, Florida. Earl’s is an outdoor venue in the sand which is surrounded on two sides with bamboo, The Indian River to the East, and on the North side the tiki bar. Earl’s usually books national blues acts on Sundays. It was a very casual and relaxing Sunday afternoon with the band mingling between sets in the crowd.
The day was special as it was the birthday of drummer Darin “D-Rock” James and the band was just on fire. They mixed blues songs with rock tunes, even throwing in a cover by Chicago, “25 Or 6 To 4″ sung by bass player Michael Dearing. The horn section of Corey Distefano and Jules Caldarera is always impressive and mark the signature sound of the band. I was pleased as I was able to catchup with Corey and Jules. I first met them in 2007 then were in their 20’s, they are now both married and fathers.
The star of the band as always is Stacy Mitchhart. Stacy has a way with the audience. Everyone he meets is treated as if he has known them for years. Stacy loves to interact with the crowd and on two occasions this show he led the horn players off the stage and through the crowd while in the middle of a song. The last trip through the crowd had fans dropping in single file behind him as he weaved between the seats around the tiki bar. This is a party atmosphere and everyone was getting involved. With all this charisma and showmanship, a Stacy Mitchhart show converts the audience into fans for life. Stacy is a tremendous musician and the rest is just a bonus, although being part of the complete show. I have seen 10 Stacy Mitchhard concerts and they all have been similar. The set list remains practically the same with a wrinkle or two. But each show is tremendously entertaining. If they moved and stayed in Florida or I for some reason relocated to Nashville, I would go see them multiple times a month, if not multiple times a week!
Band:
Stacy Mitchhart – Guitar/Vocals
Darin “D-Rock” James – Drums
Michael Dearing – Bass/Vocals
Jules Caldarera – Sax/Vocals
Corey Distefano – Trumpet/Keyboards/Vocals
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Photographer and Editor/Founder of AllMusicMagazine.com. My love of live music has taken me to incredible experiences with the top bands of all time in stadium shows to the smallest venues with equally inspiring musicians. Using the medium of photography and my publication, these memories will last forever.
