Bone Walker and The Allman Brothers, local band The Blue Review sounds like a group of nostalgic, aged musicians. On the contrary, all the members are OU underclassmen.

Lead guitarist and vocalist Grant Gage, drummer Bert Snider and bass guitarist Andy Tims are all University College freshmen, while organist and guitarist Hunter Hoelscher is an undecided sophomore. The four Norman residents started their band from a love for blues and rock.

"To me, blues is actual music; It's such a pure form of every beat and rhythm," Grant Gage said.

Growing up to the sounds of blues, Hoelscher said he and Grant had families who fed and raised them on the genre's all-time greats.

Blues brothers



o The Blue Review credits bikers as one of their most enthusiastic crowds.

o Their first album was released under local label Studio Seven this summer.

o The quartet will play a show tonight at the Deli, 309 White St.

Source: Gary Gage

"We [I and Grant], influenced the other two," Hoelscher said.

Grant's father, Gary, who acts as the band's manager, said through all the music he has exposed his son to, he really got into the blues and other music with roots in blues styling.

"A lot of kids play hard rock and head-banging music, and it's nice to see them [The Blue Review] doing something different," Gary Gage said.

Another aspect that influences their blues basis is the personality and musical goals of preceding blues artists.

"Musicians like Rob Johnson didn't care about commercial stuff," Grant Gage said. "And we're not in it for fame and fortune, we just do it. We like it."

Though they'd give anything to see something happen in regards to fame, Hoelscher said as long as there's a bar and a crowd, they just want to play.

The group does a lot of improvisational jamming, but they also write music and lyrics that stray from the blues vibe.

"Me and Grant went to Bonnaroo, and we wrote a song about that. It sums up our whole experience," Hoelscher said. "And it's so clich?d, but many songs are about love and life."

Practicing for hours on end and finding venues at which to perform, Gary Gage said the guys would play every night of the week if they could. One of the groups' most ardent and enthusiastic crowds are the bar-frequenting bikers.

"The bikers are a good crowd," Hoelscher said. "They got us going."

Snider added that the quality of the biker crowd is dependent on whether they're "wasted or not." Crowds have consisted of all sorts of people and have come in all sorts of sizes.

"You've all got to pay your dues [as a band starting out]. We've played for ten people, and we've played for 300," Grant Gage said.

Playing together for almost two and half years, Hoelscher said they're continually expanding the scope of their fan base and playing at more local venues.
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