Music on the Side

For those expecting to see the enigmatic John Popper walk into the State Theatre on Thursday night at 8:30 looking and sounding like his usual self, you may be in for a surprise.

For one thing, the harmonica extraordinaire/lead vocalist of Blues Traveler has slimmed down considerably since his early years. The other—he’s not playing with his legendary band.

Last year, Popper decided to head to the mountains of New Mexico with long-time friend Jono Manson to work on songs and record with some other great musicians in bassist Steve Lindsay, drummer Mark Clark and guitarists Kevin Trainor and Aaron Beavers.

The side project, known as John Popper & the Duskray Troubadours, released its first album in March and it quickly became a hit on the charts.

“I love Blues Traveler and always will, but the music is always manic. I wanted to do something that was a little more slowed down,” Popper says. “[Mason] and I were looking to do something together for a long time. Back in the ’80s, he was the house band at the place where we started our gigs. He took us under his wing and I felt really comfortable with him. I just knew we could work together.”

By writing with Mason and the others, Popper experienced something he never really had before, as he wrote almost all of the songs in Blues Traveler’s 24-year history.

“What I love about this album is that I’m playing differently, and not because I tried to, either. The music led me there, which is the best way to do it, really. On this album, melody is what drove everything,” Popper says. “Duskray Troubadours songs end more naturally and there’s a pause when you wait to see what the response is going to be. I love that. I love not knowing the outcome.”

Popper’s one-of-a-kind harmonica style is still very prevalent on his new songs with the Duskray Troubadours and he calls the group “a liberating, scrappy roots-rock alter ego of Blues Traveler.” 

It’s been a very successful career for the many who once idolized the Blues Brothers so much that he wanted to become famous as a comedian, and not a musician. But his ear for music was spot-on and he quickly became known throughout the world for his harmonica playing.

He formed Blues Traveler in 1987 and a few years later, the band had a record deal and a hit song in “Run-around.” Over the years, Popper has sold millions of albums, won a Grammy Award, founded the H.O.R.D.E. tour and recorded several genre bending solo projects.

“When I took a break from Blues Traveler to do this, they thought I was nuts. I think they were kind of hoping it would all go away,” he says. “What's cool is that this co-writing process, I took it back to Blues Traveler and it was a very different experience and quite a positive one. It’s been a luxury we’ve denied ourselves. We’re getting ready for our 25th anniversary—there’s going to be an album in 2012—and we started a co-writing process with people we’ve never worked with before.”

For those fans of Blues Traveler coming out to the State Theatre, Popper promises the Duskray Troubadours will be performing some Blues Traveler songs.

“I want everyone to come out and have a good time, because we certainly are,” Popper says. “I don’t think anyone who is a fan of mine—whether it’s from Blues Traveler or my solo stuff—is going to be disappointed.”