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VBK/NOBS President Kerry Poche

Catfish Carol posted on July 27, 2011 09:10

If you’re a regular on the New Orleans blues scene, you will undoubtedly recognize Voodoo Blues Krewe/New Orleans Blues Society President Kerry Poche Sr. as one of New Orleans’ most ubiquitous fans. He’s the one with the big smile, tapping his toes—just about the friendliest guy you’d ever meet. Musicians love it when he comes to a show, often with a small entourage of friends who he is introducing to some down home New Orleans Blues.

Kerry began his tenure as VBK/NOBS president earlier this year and has big plans for his term in office. “Where I started was improving communications between the board and the membership to try to make the board more accessible to the membership,” he says.

Blues music has always been a part of his life, ever since he was a child. “In the ’50s, everyone was into that lovey-dovey stuff, but I never was,” he admits. Kerry was at all the best concerts and dances growing up, including attending a Ray Charles’ concert at McAllister Auditorium back in the early ’60s, and actually driving Ernie K-Doe to a gig as well as regularly attending dances at Sacred Heart, Germania Hall, St. Dominics, St. Anthonys and Sunday jams at the Masque Lounge and frequenting the Sands & Safari Lounges. He remembers seeing a teenage Mac Rebennack playing at the Woodmen of the World late-’50s or early 60s with his band Mac Rebennack & the Rockets. Kerry says he likes to “collect, listen to, preserve, promote and educate” people about the Blues. “I have a strong love of music and, even though I don’t drink and I’m in a different bar every night, because of good music, good food and good people—it doesn’t get any better than that,” he says.

He still gets together with old friends from the St. Roch neighborhood weekly, listening to those great old songs, and reminiscing. In fact, he’s been introducing friends to music for quite a while now. He had a radio, and every evening he would go into the back yard and listen to the popular DJ Poppa Stoppa’s top 10 on WNNR/AM with his neighbors. “I’m a music addict, you could say,” he admits. “We live and love music, and it’s good therapy. I recommend it highly and I’m always trying to get other people to come out.”

He first started getting involved with the group that started VBK/NOBS when he used to go to a popular club called The Locks, where he became a big fan of the Danny Alexander Blues Jam. After Hurricane Katrina, a friend took him to see Oscar & The Blues Cats at the River Shack. He loved him and found out they were the house band at the Deckbar, where he has been going for years. “We’d go to the blues jam on the East Bank on Wednesdays and on the West Bank on Thursdays and we met a whole bunch of the blues society people. I’m just a people person and we have made many good friends through the Blues over the years,” he says. “When the sun goes down it’s like, ‘What band am I gonna listen to tonight?’ I love to volunteer at festivals. It keeps me going and keeps me young. I have some time on my hands, and what better way than to give my time to something you love?” he asks.

So far, the membership has grown during his tenure, and the VBK/NOBS has created a new website and is scheduling new events to get people involved. “We’ll have some fun and listen to some good music being played. … I want to keep a bond within the Blues community. Come one, come all we’re one big happy family, Blues To The Bone,” he says.

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VBK/NOBS President Kerry Poche

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