Low-reen & Harpdog’s Firehouse Blues lean heavily into Chicago Blues, with a dose of Roots, Rock, & Americana. Available as a full 4-5 piece Band or a Trio, this in demand musical group will provide the entertainment you desire, whether as center stage or as the backdrop to your event!
Low-reen & Harpdog’s Firehouse Blues is available for your public or private events: Festivals, Concert series, Music in the park, Corporate event, Lounge, Restaurant, Brew pub, Art gallery, Wedding, Birthday, Anniversary, House party, Cocktail hour. No event too big or small. Contact us to discuss!
Low-reen & Harpdog’s Firehouse Blues originally formed in 2016 as a few musician friends coming together to play a fundraiser at Carmel High School Street Scenes, but after a couple appearances were chosen from 50 acts to play the main stage! Crowd excitement & engagement convinced the band to take the next step & make this a permanent thang…
Low-reen & Harpdog’s Firehouse Blues has evolved to feature Chicago Blues veterans Low-reen on guitar, bass, & vocals; Jim Harpdog Hellen on harp, guitar, & vocals; Jimmy Upstairs on keys, bass, guitar, & vocals; and Steve Bass on drums & bass. All multi-instrumentalists, the band members switching off instruments during the show is a sure-fire crowd pleaser!
Low-reen & Harpdog’s Firehouse Blues brings sizzling hot classic covers along with originals, Chicago Blues, Roots, Rock, & Americana. The band credits influences from Chicago’s own Robert Nighthawk, Muddy, Wolf, Little Walter, Jimmy Reed, Woody Guthrie, Dylan, Dead, Chuck Berry, and the music keeps on rolling. Time to shake it & have a little fun!
Low-reen, Harpdog, & Jimmy Upstairs, all vocalists, front the band. Low-reen brings her sizzling hot Chicago Blues to entertain, with a voice carefully curated by smokes & whiskey 🙂 that has been compared to Janis. Low-reen picked up guitar influenced by her friendship with David Honeyboy Edwards. Low-reen honed her skills as a musician and vocalist, as well as an entertainer, sitting in with and playing alongside legendary Chicago Blues musicians such as Tail Dragger, Elmore James Jr, Little Scotty, Tony Brown, Charles Delta Blues Hog Hayes, Peewee Hayes, Bobby Too Tuff, Paul Petraitis, Rockin’ Johnny, Eddie Taylor Jr, Willie Buck, Killer Ray Allison, & LT McGee. All that good mojo has rubbed off!
Harpdog hung out at the blues clubs in Chicago before he was old enough to even get in, sneaking time & learning a few riffs from Junior Wells. Later he played with Tawl Paul & the popular Tin Pan Alley while in Carbondale, and has played extensively in the Lake County area in Blues and Dead bands including Voodoo Cadillac. Harpdog is one of the best Blues Harmonica players around!
Jimmy Upstairs began his Blues journey down at the old Checkerboard Lounge with the who’s who of Chicago Blues, then continued with the Blues crew in the early days of Smoke Daddy, where everybody who was anybody in Chicago Blues dropped in to sit in. He then toured briefly with Nate Turner, before going on the road extensively with Muddy Waters alum Willie Big Eyes Smith. It was with Willie that Jimmy honed his chops as a traditional style Chicago Blues player. He played in Tail Dragger’s band for 30 years. In more recent times he has become a regular in Billy Flynn’s band.
Steve Bass lays down the groove- and does he ever! He’s been laying down the groove for years with some of Chicago’s best Blues Masters. Steve played with and toured extensively with Eddy Clearwater for 10 years. He has also played regularly with Willie Buck & Mud Morganfield. Steve has toured with Anson Funderburg, Mark Hummel, and Bob Corritore. He has been featured on several prominent recordings. He is one of the most in-demand Chicago Blues Drummers.
When these four join forces, you have a BLUES POWERHOUSE that just won’t quit! Low-reen & Harpdog’s Firehouse Blues are READY to BRING IT!