Still travelling

They said the hook brings you back and after almost 25 years it’s the hook of the stage that’s kept Blues Traveler together.

Through the death of their original bassist Bobby Sheehan in 1999 to the arrest of leader John Popper, keeping their focus on the love of live music is what kept the band together and it’s what will bring the Princeton, NJ high school friends to the Thunder Bay Bluesfest this weekend.

"The love of live music is what keeps us doing it," said guitarist Chan Kinchla on tour last week. "If you really think about it most bands if they last more than a couple of years are still around 25 years later even if they break up at some point… why would I want to retire?"

Kinchla said the longer the band stays together the more he appreciates the gift Blues Traveler has been given. And, as time goes on, Kinchla thinks the band is getting better. Adding keyboardist Ben Wilson and Kinchla’s brother Tad on bass has helped the band progress over the last decade.

"It’s just been the last couple of years that we’ve really hit our stride I think with the lineup," Kinchla said.

Although the band has blues in their name, Kinchla said they are really a rock band with blues in their "ancient history."

Blues Traveler are playing a diversity of festivals from Bonnaroo to Lollapalooza this year alone on top of several blues festivals.

"Once people get over the fact that we’re really loud and jamming all over the place they seem to enjoy it. It’s not our intent to be loud but we like to let it rip."

The sound comes from cutting their teeth with such jam bands as the Dave Matthews Band and Phish. Kinchla said in those days, bands had to identify with each other more to get noticed.

While he champions the exchange of ideas through the advent of the Internet, Kinchla said when Blues Traveler was coming up, bands with similar sounds had to stick together to be heard.

The bands would meet at shows and create a scene. The Grateful Dead were also an inspiration he added.

"I’m not sure if it was just the place in time but it was it was really fun." "It was before the Internet and cell phones and everything…we just seemed to be doing it at the same time."

After tour, the band plans on cutting a new album in time for their 25th anniversary in 2012. Kinchla said looking back, Blues Traveler had a feeling they would last.

"We were just full speed ahead but I guess with the naivete if youth we were always pretty confident that something was going to happen."