It’s been 20 years since the Chenango Blues Festival first rolled into town, two decades of great music and good times, not to mention that traditional first brewski of the day; a time-honored spectacle which takes place at an undisclosed, nearby location with a truly special group of friends (who will not be named here).

Sorry guys (and gals), but I had to sneak that one in there.

Moving on, however, I’m amazed at the way that time has flown by, and it’s hard to believe I was all of sixteen years old for the first-ever Blues Fest. Headlining that year? The incomparable Anson Funderburgh and blues legend Sam Meyers, who just happened to borrow my beloved 70s-era Fender Twin Reverb for the event (how I miss that amplifier).

Pretty heady stuff for a kid who’d been playing the guitar for a little more than a year at the time, especially for one who was as infatuated with the blues as I was. An infatuation, I might add, that has only grown over the years.

I have a lot of memories tied up with Blues Fest, as I’m sure many do; from that first, relatively small gathering to the last three years, spent covering the event for our hometown daily. Not to mention all the years in between. I’ve performed on the main stage (with Badweather Blues in 2005); shaken hands with blues legends such as James Cotton (a true gentleman), Kenny Neal (thanks for letting me play that Telecaster), Joe Louis Walker and Lucky Peterson (among others); hung out with Eric Lindell, the Honey Island Swamp Band, J.J. Grey (and Mofro), Bernard Allison and Mark May; and swapped guitar licks with the aforementioned Allison, May, Neal and too many other to name here.

What can I say? Blues Fest is like Christmas, New Year’s Eve and my birthday all wrapped up in one. And in 20 years, I’ve missed the annual event all of three times, due primarily to the fact that I was living out of state (there’s no excuse for missing the best fest there is, though). My only regret? Failing to make it home for Luther Allison (Bernard’s dad) in 1996, may he rest in peace.

And then there’s the social aspect, as big a part of Blues Fest as the music will ever be, in my opinion. My family goes to Blues Fest (a great opportunity for the three of us to spend some time together), I have friends that I only see once a year thanks to Eric Larsen and company (otherwise known as the Chenango Blues Association) and I’ve shared some of the best times of my life wandering the Chenango County Fairgrounds come mid-to-late August when the big stage goes up, the vendors roll in (Dinosaur Barbecue!) and the music begins.