UPPER LAKE >> The Blue Reptiles have been around for the last quarter century, but front man T.C. Culp has been performing twice as long.
The band will be performing at the Blue Wing come this Monday night, and it’s one of Culp’s favorite venues, as evidenced by his numerous performances there every year for the past six years. “I love the Blue Wing, it’s one of my favorite places,” he said. “It’s kinda intimate and small Everybody gets dancing and has fun at that place.”
Culp also appreciates the venue’s great variety. “They have a lot of different bands from all over They have a lot of different kinds of music.”
Their performance Monday night will be a joint effort between the band and the audience, as Culp explains it. “What I enjoy most is the interaction between all of us,” he said. “I enjoy the playing and I look up and I notice that a lot of people in the room are part of the song. They’re making it, it’s not just me playing. Everybody in the room is part of it.”
Culp gives much of the credit of a successful performance to the crowd. “The audience makes the song just as much as I make the song. I’m kinda like a conduit just to get the good energy going on,” he explained.
“It’s just the moment. It’s hard to explain,” he added.
Appreciation of the moment started long ago, when Culp was a kid attending his Uncle’s church services. All of Culp’s cousins sang at the Church, so it was only natural for the young man to pick up performing as well.
“It’s a family thing,” he explained.
While he dabbled in singing during high school, his determination to make a career out of it began when he turned 18. “I started playing coffee houses and playing out in the northwest, Colorado, Chicago. I traveled a lot, playing for a meal, for a gig,” said Culp. “For 45, 50 years, I’ve been performing in some kind of way.”
Culp explained that performing was something that had a constant presence in his life, which meant he was always going to pursue it as a career. “I’ve been around it my whole life. It’s a part of me, I can’t explain it,” said Culp. “There’s nothing like it.”
Seven years ago Culp moved up north from San Francisco and brought his band with him. “I played til like 2007 and I came up this way and started playing up here,” he said. Now he plays a few times a month around Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties, as well as traveling back down to San Francisco for some gigs.
Culp used to be much more active in the music scene, but when he got sick everything changed. “I used to do really a lot [of shows], then I got cancer,” he revealed. “And I’m a survivor from that. I’m working my way back from that. It’s not like before. I used to do 10, 15, 20 gigs a month.” Thankfully, since his health has improved, Culp gets to perform regularly with his band.
When The Blue Reptiles first came together, they were a San Francisco based band and Culp only played a harmonica. But after a quarter of a century during which Culp learned the guitar, the band still has a signature style. “We’re just a good, fun band,” said Culp.
Muddy Waters, Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie and Jimmy Reed — these are just a few of the old blues musicians Culp sites as his inspiration. However, not one to limit himself, Culp enjoys other genres as well. “I really love soul and I really love funk too,” he said. “I’m kinda a funky blues guy.”
Despite his definite love affair with blues, Culp is adamant that there will be no sad faces at any of The Blue Reptiles performances. “We’re blues, but we’re not like sappy sad. We’re up tempo and happy It’s the blues, there’s always a couple sad stories but I look for the happy ones,” he explained.
About half of the group’s songs are covers while the other half are original, but since they put their own spin on everything, Culp insists that even the covers sound unique. “We do songs by other people, but we do it our own way,” he said. “The songs never ever are exactly the same.”
The show on Monday is from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Blue Wing Saloon’s weekly Blue Wing Monday Blues. There is no cover charge, reservations are suggested and $15 per person food and drink purchases are requested for table seating. Call 707-275-2233 for reservations.
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
