Hotel Blotto 2020

Hotel Blotto is the best cure for a case of cabin fever. Hotel Blotto is Mr. Blotto’s annual indoor music festival hosted at the LaPorte Hotel and Conference Center in Laporte Indiana around the 3rd weekend in February. This year’s theme was The Blues Brothers in honor of the 40th anniversary of the movie. Music started about 6 PM on Friday night as Blotopians settled in and moved between 3 stages in the hotel.

FridaySaturday
Mace Hathaway (Atrium)
Mr. Blotto (Ballroom)
Chester Brown (Bar)
Fuzzlove (Atrium)		Lovers of the Sea (Atrium)
Miles Over Mountains (Bar)
Alias Hillman (Atrium)
Chester Brown (Bar)
Mr. Blotto (Ballroom)
EGi (Bar)
Alabaster (Atrium)
Hotel Bloto 2020 Lineup

Mace Hathaway

Mace Hathaway
Gallery collection courtesy of Dustin Figert

Mr. Blotto – Night 1

Video courtesy of Karen Freitag
Video courtesy of Karen Freitag
Friday
2.21.20		Set 1Set 2
High Five
On the Tracks
Tipsy Tuesday
Kelly Marie
Triolet
Let It Bleed
Solomon’s Gold
Got Nothin’ ->
Corner of My Eye		Can’t Go Back
Peter Today
People In The Middle
Southern Woman
She Said, She Said
Time in Texas
Stormy Monday
Rattle My Cage
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
Mr. Blotto setlists provided by K.C. Willis.
Mr. Blotto in the ballroom – Friday Night
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Hotel Blotto – Night 1 Recap

Hotel Blotto opened Friday night to Mace Hathaway in the Atrium as Blottonians registered and settled in for a weekend of music.

Mace Hathaway

A little after 9, Blotto time, Mr. Blotto took the stage for 2 sets.

Mr. Blotto in the main concert area of Hotel Blotto.

Hotel Blotto Friday 2.21.20

High Five
On the Tracks
Tipsy Tuesday
Kelly Marie
Triolet
Let It Bleed
Solomon’s Gold
Got Nothin’ ->
Corner of My Eye

Can’t Go Back
Peter Today
People In The Middle
Southern Woman
? (Stepped out, missed it)
Time in Texas
Stormy Monday
Rattle My Cage
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

Set list caught by K.C. Willis.

Chester Brown took over festivities in the bar after midnight.

Chester Brown playing the bar.

Finishing the morning in the Atrium, Fuzzlove took the stage.

Fuzzlove

If you didn’t make it last night you can still come today (starts around noon) and purchase a wrist band at the hotel. Today’s lineup is jam packed. More information can be found through following the NWI Jam calendar or through the event link for today: https://www.facebook.com/events/881516745584675/

NWI Jam is looking forward to the final story where we are going to crowd source many more photos and videos from the fans. Stay Tuned!

Kofi Baker honors his dad with Eric Clapton and Friends

NWI Jam found footage of Kofi Baker in London honoring his dad with Eric Clapton and Friends at the Hammersmith Apollo Theatre in London.

The tribute to Ginger Baker was arranged by Eric Clapton with all proceeds going to the Leonard Cheshire Disability, a charitable organisation close to the Baker family. https://www.leonardcheshire.org.

Kofi Baker’s drum solo.
Eric Clapton Crossroads Encore and Finale

If you have more footage to add to the story, please email us at nwijams@gmail.com.

Weekend Update – Hotel Blotto Edition

The weekend is almost here, the countdown is almost zero to Hotel Blotto. While we know a lot of us will be there, for those that do not make it to Hotel Blotto there are a few other shows to pick up in the area and we encourage you to support all of our local musicians.

Tonight you can catch Fresh Hops and Friends hosting the Jam at Beer Geeks in Highland at 8 PM.

Thursday is the Acoustic Jam and Open Table Potluck at Paul Henry’s Art Gallery.

Hotel Blotto starts Friday and runs through early Sunday Morning. Mr. Blotto, Chester Brown, Fuzzlove, Mace Hathaway, EGi, Alabaster, Alias Hillman, Miles Over Mountains, and more. Tickets are available at the show for either night if you still want to come and check out the festivities (you really should). The hotel is booked and rumors the one across the street is too, but there are more around.

If you just can’t make it to Hotel Blotto, Friday night Cat Man Dog is taking the stage at Region Ale in Schererville, and in Porter County, Dead to Rights (Unplugged) will be at Tommy B’s Clubhouse in Valparaiso.

Saturday Tommy Thompson II is back at the (219) Taproom. The food is always great and the music is always jamming.

As always, follow the NWI Jam calendar for updates and more information. Location along with links to the event in the description are contained in the calendar you can link to your own Google calendar.

Be sure to catch us at Hotel Blotto where we’ll have window stickers!

Cognitive Blue

After a set at Zorn brewing earlier in the day Saturday, Cognitive Blue came to Martini’s for an entertaining second set.

Cognitive Blue consists of Michael Schaffer-Murray, Nick Evans on Drums, Matt Kusbel on guitar, and Kyle Hoogeveen on bass. A few of these names may look familiar from Planetary Blues, but this is Michael’s main originals project and not a spin off of Planetary Blues.

Michael says of the formation of Cognitive Blue “It’s difficult to say about Cognitive. We formed late 2016 but didn’t become a 4 piece and start recording, practicing, and gigging regularly till late 2018/early 2019. I’ve been writing songs since 2009 but had no vehicle to get them out. Nick and I have been consistently working on them since 2014, but it wasn’t until the last few years since finding a bassist and guitarist that ball has really started rolling. It took a while, but the plus side is that after all these years, we have upwards of 60 originals ready to go for the band to learn. As things stand we are doing probably about 20 of them live.” Throughout the set, they do throw in some covers to keep the audience engaged, but the originals by themselves are entertaining and catchy including a spaghetti western called Slow Down that could easily be in a Quentin Tarantino movie.

Greer Brown sitting in and covering Courtney Barnett’s “Depreston”

Currently they have 8 singles on Spotify, Apple Music and most of the other major streaming sources with an album planned in the future.

To keep up on Cognitive Blue’s whereabouts, follow their Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/CognitiveBlue/.

Weekend Update – Valentines Edition…

Curious where to take your significant other for the weekend? Of course music is always the answer.

Friday:

  • Reggae Express is at the IWLA Miller Chapter’s Valentine’s party (open to the public) at 7 PM.
  • Cat Man Dog’s Valentine’s party is at Wildrose Brewing Company in Griffith starting at 8 PM.

Saturday:

  • Cognitive Blue for their first of 2 for the day will be at Zorn Brewing at 4 PM.
  • The Sideshow returns to the (219) Taproom at 7 PM
  • Cognitive Blue resurfaces in Valpo at Martini’s at 9 PM.

If you’re looking at some of the above bands and wondering the relation. Cognitive Blue comes out of the Planetary Blues, The Sideshow is some of Phantom Zone, and Cat Man Dog comes out of the Fresh Hops crew. This should be an interesting weekend of music.

And if you have forgotten (if you have, shame) next weekend is Hotel Blotto, be sure to get your tickets. The hotel is fully booked, but that doesn’t prevent you from still going. There is a hotel across the street available too for booking rooms if you are looking to crash the nights.

As always, follow the NWI Jam calendar for updates and more information. Location along with links to the event in the description are contained in the calendar you can link to your own Google calendar.

Upcoming Events – Jan 29, 2020

The weekend can start on humpday and roll down from here.

Tonight!

  • Tonight Pete Calacci joins Greg Ashby at Finnegan’s Pub in Dyer Indiana from 8-10 PM.
  • If you’re looking to sit in somewhere yourself, Fresh Hops and Friends host The Jam at Beer Geeks from 8 PM until 1 AM.
  • Also Joe Marcinek – Jack Whittle Open Mic – Bottom’s Up in Lansing, Il. from 8 to 11 PM.

Thursday

  • Steve Ball wasn’t able to play at Elements Wine Bar last Saturday with the weather and will be there Thursday from 7-10 PM.
  • Joe Marcinek has one last ‘pop-up’ show in the area before heading to Florida to jam out with Melvin Seals and then Funk Fest. Catch him solo on the acoustic at Finnegan’s Pub from 9-12 PM.
  • Open Mic – we have an Acoustic Jam and Open Table Pot Luck @ Paul Henry’s Art Gallery.

Friday

  • Dead to Rights (Unplugged) will be at the Craft House in Chesterton from 8-11 PM

Saturday

  • Stay home in your pajamas and tune in online to the Lazy Lightning Band’s Online Barn Dance. Check the calendar item for a link to the details to tune in.

SUNDAY…SUNDAY…SUNDAY!

  • Just picked up on the radar this week is an Artist Series (Chapter 1) being hosted at the Goblin and the Grocer in Pines, their first guests are Tommy Thompson II, Jim Chaddock, and John Derado from 12-3 PM.

Do you have your tickets yet?

Fresh Hops with Dartanyan Kane – Replay

Last Saturday Fresh Hops was in Indy at the Mousetrap with Dartanyan Kane.
Weren’t able to make it? Were you out locally supporting live music and couldn’t tune in? (Ok, we’ll excuse you for that.)
Here’s a replay from their YouTube channel with Poppa Stompa opening!

Dead to Rights @ Cubby Bear – Post Show Photos

Dead to Rights played at the Cubby Bear Wednesday night with Michael Coleone, keyboardist of Terrapin Flyer, sitting in. Don Thompson, NWI Jam’s graphic artist, brought back some photos to share.

Photo Gallery credit to Don Thompson
Set ISet II
Jack Straw> Deal> Promised Land
Sugaree
Tennessee Jed
Me and My Uncle
Brown-Eyed Women
Mama Tried
Music Never Stopped		Scarlet Begonias> Fire on the Mountain
He’s Gone> Truckin’> Bird Song>
Terrapin Station

If you have photos or video (YouTube links work fine) you’d like to share and add to the story please comment below and we’ll get them added with credit to you.