With his recent endeavor, "Playing With Fire," a series of five free blues concerts in Omaha, Davis brings a piece of Port Townsend back to his native Midwest. Port Townsend's Gypsy Joy Ride performs as the opening act to a crowd of 2,000 to 3,000 people Aug. 21 at Lewis and Clark landing, a site on the banks of the Mississippi River. Also on the bill are Walter Trout and the Radicals, Deborah Coleman and the Thrillseekers, and John Crews Blues.

When Davis saw the band Gypsy Joy Ride led by Steve Grandinetti, he was struck by the quality of its music and the clear cooperation of all the band members. Given that Gypsy Joy Ride is made up of Grandinetti's teenage students – Conor Sisk on drums, Lora White on bass and Ezekial Wakefield on guitar – plus himself, Davis was all the more impressed. "Grandinetti has developed a respectful relationship with them that I admire," says Davis. "I know how hard it is, because that's what I do for a living. From the drummer to the roadie, everyone was working together."

The owner of eight Midwest businesses working with cranes and steel erection for bridges and high-rises, Davis says his work consists of putting teams of people together to accomplish a task, and he recognized teamwork when he saw it.

Grandinetti adds that the show Davis came to at the Port Townsend Community Center featured mostly punk and rock bands. When his rhythm and blues-based group started to play, the audience started to drift away, which was disheartening to his band. "I always tell the kids that even if there's only two people, you have to play like there's a full audience. You have to play with all you've got," says Grandinetti.

So they did, and that's when Davis saw them.

Davis says he has always loved the blues – especially of the "pyro-technic guitar maniac" variety. When he moved from a farm in Iowa to a loft in downtown Omaha, he lived near an area called The Old Market, which he felt needed some live music in the square. After talking to some friends, his idea grew larger. They were convinced that the event should be free to the community, and it became a series of five concerts with 15 bands at Lewis and Clark Landing. With crowds of up to 7,000 people, Davis' event has turned into the largest free blues concert series in the United States.

The first "Playing With Fire" concert was in May, and Davis says it has created a new benchmark for city events in Omaha. He and his wife donated all the musicians' fees, and more than 100 other people have donated time and energy. Davis did all the booking and scheduling.

"Omaha is a very philanthropic city," notes Davis. "What we're doing is just one of many things there."

Davis is also connected with the Omaha Blues Society, which has a youth education component that set up a few more gigs for Gypsy Joy Ride in Nebraska.

"We leave on the 19th, get there, they take us to the hotel, we grab something real quick and go play," says Grandinetti. The Omaha Blues Society Youth Band opens for them at McKenna's Barbecue. The next day, the same group opens for them at the Village Point Mall amphitheater. Saturday they go to Council Bluffs, Iowa, and play a rib fest at the Mid-America Center, then return to Omaha to open the Playing with Fire concert.
(see www.catalyst2.info).

Gypsy Joy Ride with Deborah Coleman at "Playing with Fire" Blues Festival
left to right: Zeke Wakefield, Steve Grandinetti, Deborah Coleman, Lora White and Connor Sisk

"We have four gigs in three days," says Grandinetti, adding that it's just like the schedule a professional musician has on tour. Band members also look forward to meeting their contemporaries in Omaha and seeing what they can do.

For the first three shows, Gypsy Joy Ride plays one and a half to two hours; at the big festival it performs a 45-minute set. Grandinetti describes the group as a blues-based jam band, with each player having the chops to take a solo and switch off, and to play a variety of grooves from blues to Latin and reggae. "I always give the kids a lot of space to play; everyone is growing and getting better," adds Grandinetti.

The band travels to Omaha with groupies too. "Ten or 12 people have already bought their tickets to fly back and see the band," says Davis. "Everyone from Port Townsend gets a VIP pass to come backstage and meet the bands."

Before they head to Omaha, hometown folks have a chance to give Gypsy Joy Ride a good sendoff when it plays on Saturday, Aug. 14 at The Upstage. Any money earned supports their travels.

The Upstage is located at 923 Washington St. Call 385-2216.