Published Sept. 24, 2004, in the Kirksville Daily Express

Story by Matthew Webber

KIRKSVILLE - Blue Voodoo is not a band that will sit on stage and play "old Mississippi blues with an acoustic guitar," singer B.J. Allen said.

The Kirksville blues band claims to be more raucous than that and promises to bring its brand of self-described "electric blues" to the Round Barn Blues Festival on Saturday.

The band will be the local act on a bill that features James "Jimbo" Mathus and Magic Slim and the Teardrops.

Allen said she and the other band members -- Dave Daniels, drums; Jerry Fuller, guitar and vocals; and Jon Hurd, bass and vocals -- are excited to share the stage with these other musicians.

Mathus and Magic Slim have toured extensively and played with numerous blues legends. Magic Slim has even played with the rock band Pearl Jam, and Mathus' group the Squirrel Nut Zippers had videos on MTV in the '90s.

"I think it's going to be a great opportunity for us," Allen said. "We don't know what to expect."

Listeners at the festival should expect a fun, energetic show, Allen said -- especially if the audience is as engerized as the band.

"I think the coolest part of [performing] is when you get a great audience and they enjoy what you do," Allen said. "There's sort of an energy that grows there. If you have a great audience that appreciates what you do, that energy comes back to us and recycles back to the crowd."

Even in clubs where there are only 25 people, Allen said the band has been able to inspire that energy.

"It doesn't have to do with the number of people there," she said.

Blue Voodoo's current lineup and musical direction have only existed for about a year or two, Allen said. Although the members had always listened to blues music, they sometimes tried to play music that other people wanted to hear.

But they found success when they finally decided to focus on the music they loved. Blue Voodoo's live show was vibrant enough for the band to win first place in the Tri-States Blues Challenge this May in Quincy, Ill.

The band will represent the region at the 21st annual International Blues Challenge in February in Memphis, Tenn.

About 100 unsigned bands will vie for the chance to win cash, professional assistance and gigs around the country, according to Blues.org.

"The talent level has just escalated to a phenomenal level," Allen said. "It's going to be cool to listen to a lot of really great bands.

"We are just really, really excited about [the challenge]. It ought to be a lot of fun."