The cloudy autumn afternoon was almost enough to give someone the blues.
On this November day, the blues came not from the weather, but from Sean Apple, a longtime Clarksdale blues musician. It was only three in the afternoon, but for Apple, that means it’s time to party and play the blues. Within five minutes, the empty blues joint suddenly had nine people ready for live entertainment.
The genius of Clarksdale tourism is the commitment to have live performances seven nights per week. And if tourists or locals want to begin their blues nights in the middle of the afternoon, that’s where the Bad Apple himself takes the stage. Sean Apple plays at 3, on Wednesdays through Saturdays, launching the blues celebration in the middle of the afternoons.
On most days, Apple is the only live blues act performing at 3, but he has always been one to make his own path. He grew up in Pennsylvania, but followed his heart and soul to the home of the blues. Ultimately, he founded the Bad Apple Blues Club to fully pursue his passion for music.
This overcast afternoon brought the perfect audience for Sean Apple. Like him, each of them had traveled from a far away land. It was the blues that had brought them together this afternoon. It was also their shared willingness to travel a long distance for the authentic sounds of the Mississippi Delta.
Before beginning the performance, Apple had met each person in the audience and learned parts of their personal stories. On a seemingly average day with average weather, outside the tourism season, Apple treated his customers as personal guests
Shaun and Adrienne DeSantis have traveled all the way from Boston to enjoy the blues scene and live music. They are gradually visiting all 50 of the United States, and Mississippi made number 35. They researched the state and chose Clarksdale for their primary stop, with a secondary stop in Oxford on the way out.
Larry Kalisky and Nina McDonald came from San Antonio, where a friend had told them that they had to visit Clarksdale if they travel to the Deep South. “We were driving around town and we passed the Bad Apple,” (she) said. Sean saw us and did a guitar motion with his hands, so we knew that was where we would hear some live blues. We turned around and here we are.”
Norfolk, Virginia was the home of Josh and Karen Priest, big blues fans who were already knowledgeable about Clarksdale. They met friends from Meridian, Matt and Diane Griffin, to travel to Clarksdale and Memphis.
The fans were ready, and Apple was ready. He didn’t just perform for them; he partied with them.
So, in the middle of this weekday afternoon, Apple and his fans celebrated their shared love for the blues. They celebrated life. It was just another afternoon in Clarksdale.
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