Baton Rouge Blues Festival - Baton Rouge, LA - 4/25/09

RED STICK RISING: Just caught the final act of the Baton Rouge Blues Festival -- an impressive blues harp performance by Charlie Musselwhite. In the first year back on an outdoors stage in quite some time, the festival relied too heavily on oldies and would benefit from some new blood. But downtown Baton Rouge is becoming a phenomenon. At the same time Musselwhite performed, there were at least nine other downtown venues hopping with live music and the Red Stick Animation Festival wrapping. This after a Live After Five concert Friday and a blues-rock Sunday in the Park event tomorrow. All this, and the River City Jazz Master Series, jazz listening room concerts, Chris Botti and the Symphony recently. Dare I say it? You heard it here first: In five years (likely sooner), Baton Rouge's Third Street Arts District will rival Austin and New Orleans for entertainment vibrancy. Red Stick is becoming an honest-to-Huey cultural phenomenon.