Lee Boys bring musical gumbo to hall

Holley Hall has been host to a wide range of musical styles over the years. The intimate venue in the shadow of Sarasota’s Exhibition Hall has showcased everything from the refined classical fare of the Sarasota Orchestra to the off-beat rock and roll flight of fancy of Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, the troupe that performed a memorable Christmas show there last December. But the venerable hall is about to have its musical horizons stretched yet again as The Lee Boys and special guest Ben Prestage take the stage Saturday. The show has two goals: a portion of the proceeds will help support locally owned and operated WSLR radio, but it will also serve as a kick-off party for the Sarasota Bluesfest, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. It was at the 2005 Bluesfest that Sarasota audiences got their first taste of The Lee Boys and their down-home, southern rock/revival sound. The music follows in the tradition of groups like the Robert Randolph Family Band and the Hill Country Review, which have made national names for themselves recently with their unique melding of traditional rural blues, gospel and rock and roll. The flavor is a musical gumbo that gets folks moving, regardless of where it’s performed: smoky roadside bar, huge outdoor festival like Bonnaroo (or Florida’s own Wanee Festival held each spring near Live Oak) or a more traditional setting like Sarasota’s Holley Hall. It’s definitely blues, but it’s an up-tempo variety; call it “feel-good” blues, cathartic and liberating both in intent and effect. “I think they’re terrific,” says Bluesfest promoter Barbara Strauss. “I never get to hear or see stuff at the (Bluesfest). But the feedback was great. Then I saw them at the Wanee Festival and they blew me away.” Special guest Ben Prestage also brings a unique sound, style and look to the stage. Much of his musical education came from working as a street musician along Beale Street in Memphis. There, he developed into a one-man-band of sorts. He plays a homemade cigar box guitar that combines elements of a bass and six-string guitar while simultaneously using his feet to kick and tap out an assortment of drum parts to anchor his performance. The result is as visually arresting as it is musically appealing. And as with The Lee Boys, it is altogether original. Early arrivals to Saturday’s show can check out the Bluesfest memorabilia Strauss has on display throughout the lobby. It provides an entertaining retrospective of 20 years of festival memories. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 day of the show. Beyond the $5 savings, another incentive to order tickets in advance is Holley Hall’s limited seating.