Singer Bland Turns It On at Long Beach Blues Fest

Walking onstage Saturday at the Cal State Long Beach Athletic Field, legendary blues singer Bobby Blue Bland looked out over the sea of faces and smiled.

Hooting and hollering, the crowd acted as if it was honored to be in his presence. After 44 years of recording, Bland is only starting to get the kind of accolades he deserves, and he basked in the attention before singing his heart out for 80 minutes.

The opening day of the 17th annual Long Beach Blues Festival was filled with moments like this. For seven hours, veteran blues artists delivered music to an age-spanning, multiracial crowd of nearly 8,000 that enjoyed a trouble-free afternoon of blues, booze and barbecue.

Though headliner Bland is from Tennessee, the theme of this year’s three-day event is Texas blues--a hard-rocking, electric guitar-driven strain popularized by the likes of the late Lightnin’ Hopkins, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Albert Collins and, more recently, Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Johnny Copeland, the “Texas Twister,” played one of the afternoon’s more entertaining sets, wowing the crowd with his meaty yet melodic guitar work and expressive vocals.

His 17-year-old daughter, Shameika Copeland, with a soulful voice that blended gospel and blues, closed the set with a version of “There Comes a Time” that brought the crowd to its feet.

Smokin’ Joe Kubek, Carol Fran & Clarence Holliman, Texas Johnny Brown, Sonny Rhodes, Long John Hunter and Charles Brown also performed, but the day belonged to Bland, who was backed by a group of players every bit as entertaining as he was.

Known for his mix of modern blues and urban soul, Bland was joined in a guest appearance by Guns N’ Roses’ guitarist Slash. Bland put him on the spot, ordering him to play the blues in G, and the rock star responded.

It took him a minute to find his groove, but suddenly something clicked, and he impressed the crowd with his melodic soloing.

* The Long Beach Blues Festival with Little Richard, Grady Gaines & the Texas Upsetters, Asleep at the Wheel, Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets and others, today at the Cal State Long Beach Athletic Field, 11 a.m. $28. (310) 985-1686.