A Beach Party in Franklin, Ohio?

Blues Traveler performed recently at J.D. Legends in Franklin, Ohio. First, the venue: I like it. It's weird, but so am I. You walk into a bowling alley which also contains a bar and a restaurant. There's a side exit, though, which opens onto a very large sunken sand area - probably three volleyball courts worth of nice, soft sand. At one end is a stage, pictured here at left. The entrance side of the sand area is a massive deck with a couple of bars and a VIP lounge. It has the effect of transporting one to Myrtle Beach or Fort Lauderdale.

Now, the band: Blues Traveler hit the top of the charts with their 1994 LP Four. The singles "Run Around" and "Hook" stayed on the charts throughout 1995. Lead singer John Popper had some serious health issues in 1999 and the band also lost its original bass player, Bobby Sheehan, to a drug overdose that year. Popper also got popped for pot possession in 2003. Despite this off-stage turmoil, Blues Traveler has released a steady stream of studio albums since their 1994 breakthrough and their latest record, North Holloywood Shootout is at the library along with others such as Truth Be Told and Straight on Till Morning. The band put on a very solid show on a Saturday night at Legends. They played a long set with all their early hits, some new material, and a lot of extended jamming, during which John Popper turned his back to the crowd and hot-boxed cigarettes. Fun times for all.

-- Steve, Main Library