“For the Love of the Blues: A Backyard Tribute to an original BluesAholic”

Written by Mercedez Cruz

Bluesaholic (n.): A devoted lover of the blues who can’t get enough—whether it’s playing, listening, supporting, or spreading the music. 

What comes to mind when I hear the word “bluesaholic?” It would have to be Brian Batchley, the frontman for the PDX Preachers. This bluesman lives and breathes the blues. He’s the kind of person who organizes a backyard gig just to keep the blues alive for someone he cares about.

Recently, he threw a surprise backyard blowout for blues devotee Kate Bolson, one of the co-founders of the BluesAholic club. Kate’s been sidelined by illness and hasn’t been able to make it out to live shows. So Brian did what any true blues brother would do—he brought the show to her.

The setting? Towering trees offered a canopy of shade in a deeply woodsy backyard that felt like nature’s own juke joint. There was plenty of good food, cold drinks, and that undeniable feeling of community that only comes when the music is real.

But let’s talk about the sound. Brian makes the harp talk, cry, and testify—just like a preacher man would. The ever-fiery frontman of the PDX Preachers didn’t need a stage; the ground itself was his platform, laying down some seriously righteous blues tunes.

A surprise guest player was none other than Muddy Award winner Kivett Bednar, whose tone could strip bark off a tree one minute and hit you with gritty, Texas-soaked heartache the next. And of course, Brian had his band to back him up. Holding it down on guitar and vocals was Rose City rootsman John Wesson, smooth-driving bassist Chuck Carey, also a fixture in Portland’s blues scene, and a transplant with thunder in his hands drummer Joey Sullivan.

And keep your ears open for Laura Cozzi—a fresh face on the Portland scene. Though not a member of the band, she was invited to step up and sing a couple of tunes, and she made every note count. She lit up the backyard with a fiery rendition of Aretha Franklin’s Chain of Fools. You’ll be seeing her at some of local jams soon—she’s the real deal.

It was a perfect day in Tigard: trees whispering overhead, guitars wailing, voices lifting, and the blues doing what it does best—bringing people together. When the PDX Preachers take the stage, it’s not just a show—it’s a blues revival, and you’re in the front pew, even if that pew happens to be in someone’s backyard.

Visit the CBA Calendar to find the PDX Preachers’ upcoming shows.