Cheap Thrills Vol. 8: Mighty Mississippi Acoustic Blues

Fans of true American roots music played in its purest form can check out a live local performance of acoustic blues at the Oak City Bar and Grill in Menlo Park tomorrow night.

Mighty Mississippi, a trio of local musicians, will play their unique brand of unplugged classic blues tunes, while interpolating jazz, folk, rock and some rockabilly into their performance.

For those who are not familiar with what acoustic blues may sound like, allow the band's lead singer Allen Capeloto to explain.

"This is the original American music," said Capeloto, who also plays acoustic guitar. "It evokes great emotion and appeal."

Relying on the original sound of an instrument, such as an upright bass and and acoustic guitar, Capeloto said the band plays in a more precise and staccato style than electric blues.

Mighty Mississippi takes the production of the music from its popular, amplified form, and "reverse engineers" them back into its original form as acoustic roots music, Capeloto said.

The band is comprised of Capeloto, Alan Adelman, who also sings and plays harmonica, and Joel Wilson, who plays the upright bass.

Capeloto said during performances, the band plays a blend of original compositions and covers of artists such as Muddy Waters, BB King, Howling Wolf, Elvis Presley, Sunny Boy Williamson, Mississippi Fred McDowell and many others.

In all, the band has about 60 songs in its repertoire, which can lend itself to performances up to six hours long, said Capeloto.

He said Mighty Mississippi is able to play a variety of different kinds of sets, and plans to cater its performance Friday night in Menlo Park to the mood of the crowd.

As the band begins its set at 8 p.m., Capeloto said the trio will likely perform slower songs that serve as a comfortable background for people at the restaurant to enjoy while they eat dinner.

And once meal time comes to an end, and folks begin to get a little livelier and ready to dance and swing, the band plans to kick it up a notch, said Capeloto.

"We're going to play more of a mid-tempo set early in the night, so that no one gets indigestion," said Capeloto. "And then when more folks start hanging out at the bar, they will hear a good variety of classic blues and jazz."

This will be the first time the band performs at the Oak City Bar and Grill, and is the first time in a long time they've played in Menlo Park, said Capeloto.

He said that the band likes to be spontaneous, and put its own bluesy twist on more popular songs from outside the genre, such as "Tiki Bar," by John Hiatt.

Capeloto even compared the band's live show to that of perhaps the most famous improvisational rockers ever.

"We're like the Grateful Dead because no two concerts are the same," said Capeloto. "A person might even hear the same song two nights in a row, but they'll be different."

The members of Mighty Mississippi are all residents local to the Peninsula, who hold down day jobs, and preserve a forgotten style of music on the nights and weekends, said Capeloto.

"This is our love," said Capeloto, of the band's passion for acoustic blues. "We put as much into our day jobs as we do our music."

And Mighty Mississippi strives to put on a performance that appeals as much to blues aficionados as it does to those who are hearing the songs and genre for the first time.

"We love to play for people that love it, and to introduce people who haven't heard it yet," said Capeloto.

Mighty Mississippi will perform its brand of acoustic blues Friday night at the Oak City Bar and Grill, located at 1029 El Camino Real in Menlo Park. The show begins at 8 p.m. Admission is free.