Quaker Steak and Lube, Sharon, PA

5/16/2011

This isn't Harper but another gentleman playing a didgeridoo.

    Most people in this area seem unaware of it but the original Quaker Steak and Lube hosts blues bands every Monday night. Actually the bands usually play in the faux Irish bar Tulley's which is across the parking lot from the actual Lube. Generally they have local or regional bands play but on occasion they will book a national act that happens to be wandering through the region. I suspect even national acts are happy to get a gig on a Monday night which is probably one reason why the Lube has chosen this night.
    Last night Blind Pig recording artist Harper stopped by the Lube and put on a great show in the Thunder Alley section of the main restaurant (Tulley's was hosting a private function). Harper is probably the most unusual blues artist I have ever seen. First, he is Australian. Second, his primary instrument is a didgeridoo. According to Wikipedia, the most reliable source on the earth, a didgeridoo "is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia at least 1,500 years ago and is still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe".
    I actually ran into Harper at the bar before the first set began and had an interesting discussion with him. He currently lives in Michigan and his entire band is from the Detroit or Flint areas of that state. He had a gig in Del Ray Beach, Florida the night before and had spent the night and most of the day driving up to Pennsylvania. This annoyed him primarily because he had recently been arrested for a DUI in Michigan and he wasn't quite sure if he could drive his van legally. He was also annoyed with the United States' obsession about drinking and driving because apparently drinking and driving is a common occurrence in Australia. His final statement to me before chugging his 32 ounce beer and finishing his setup was, "If you want to be poor. Be a musician." Probably true.
    As entertaining as Harper's conversation was, his music was even better. In addition to his expertise on the didgeridoo he is also an excellent harmonica player and a very smooth and soulful singer-his singing voice sounding nothing like his speaking voice. This first clip is an example of his harmonica playing and singing. (Harper is singing in this clip. It is hard to see because he tends to cup the harmonica in front of his mouth.)

This second clip features Harper on the infamous didgeridoo. I like the way he incorporates the instrument into the overall blues sound of the song. It is not an instrument that I would like to hear every night but I enjoyed hearing Harper play it and I thought the band in general was excellent.