In Chicago for the first-ever LION Publishers Conference at Columbia University and I realized that this was my seventh visit to Chicago (if I’m counting right) and I’ve never been to a blues club. What brought this to my attention is that Buddy Guy’s Legends club is near my hotel.  Last night, a group of us LIONs went out to dinner and and then to Legends.

Dinner was at Quartino Ristorante. Good food, but perhaps the highlight of the night was the bathroom attendant.  When I walked in the men’s room, the smartly dressed attended was dancing to the some blues music.  I told him that we were going to Buddy Guy’s place later.  He told me he grew up with Buddy Guy’s kids.  He told me he knew Greg Guy really well and said that if I told Greg I knew Theop, I wouldn’t have to pay the cover charge.

Naturally, I took that with a grain of salt.

But when I mentioned my little encounter with Theop to the security guy who was standing next to the mixing booth, he said, “this is Greg right here.”  So I met Greg Guy.  He is in fact long-time friends with Theop.   Greg was really nice — we spoke a little bit more through the course of the evening.  Near the end of the night, Greg jammed with the Kinsey Report.  (I didn’t ask to waive the cover charge — I was very happy that they let me bring my camera in with me.  The only restriction was, no long lens.  But by the end of the night, they were letting me use my 70-200mm lens).

The Kinsey Report was an outstanding band.  Super tight. Great chops all the way around.  The band is from Gary, Ind., and is comprised of Donald Kinsey, Ralph Kinsey, Kenneth Kinsey and Nic Byrd.