Australian blues musician Anni Piper to perform at Bert’s Bar
Australian blues musician Anni Piper will make a stop at Bert’s Bar and Grill this weekend during her first tour in the United States, as well as her first trip to Florida.
She arrived in the United States on June 1 and began her tour on June 10 with her backing band, JP Blues, featuring John Pagano on guitar and Shiloh Bloodworth on drums, from Atlanta, Ga. The tour will conclude in Canada on July 29.
“A lot of hours in the car and late nights,” Piper said as she was driving through the Keys last week.
Although this is her first tour in the states, she said she was in the United States last year reordering her latest CD “Split Second.”
“That was my most recent time in the U.S. as an adult,” Piper said, adding that she lived in Illinois and California as a young child.
The blues musician began playing the electric guitar at the age of 12, before she switched to the instrument she always wanted to play – the base guitar – two years later.
Piper has a bachelor’s degree in contemporary music and spent a number of years as a high school music teacher while playing in bands on the side. She said she then became pregnant with her son 11 years ago. Piper continued to play until she was eight months pregnant when her stomach became too round to play the guitar.
After taking some time off to spend with her son, Piper said it was almost impossible to get back into the industry again.
“I am going to have to record a good quality demo CD,” she said of getting back into the industry. “What was meant to be a demo CD was picked up by a very well respected blues label in Australia.”
“Jailbait” her demo received the Best New Talent at the 2005 Australian Blues Music Awards.
Those who stop by Bert’s Bar on Saturday at 7 p.m. can expect blues music with a little bit of a rock edge.
“It’s a really energetic stage,” she said, adding that they have been known to destroy furniture wherever they go because they jump off the stage to the nearest table.
She said Pagano and Bloodworth are amazing musicians and really stand up guys.
Piper said she hopes individuals leave Bert’s Bar with lighter wallets from not being able to resist the merchandise table, which will feature four of her CDs.
For more information, visit her website at www.annipiper.com.