Streamline: 2022

Monday, August 15, 2022

Oh, Wait! There's More! 2023 Tour Announced!!

Announcing: The National Steel, JoJo Man Blues Tour, Dec 2022- Oct 2023

What's it going to be? A couple hundred shows across how many countries? But mostly, the heart is in South Africa: naming some streets and witching for some water: twinning and looking for the cool shadows in the twighlight. And listening: for the voices of the ancestors. Solo, songs and stories. Old school on the Blues Highway. No stop too large, too small, too grand or too humble.

Here's the rough and tumble plan today. Once the anchor dates are in, specifics will be published.

South Africa: late December thru March, to include dates in Namibia and Botswana

Ireland: May/June

United Kingdom: June/July

Europe: July/Aug

Western Canada: Sept/ Oct.

A dedicated "JoJo Man Blues Tour" website will appear in the weeks ahead. Meanwhile, the media sidebar to the right will continue to provide bookers with current links to authorized Doc MacLean materials- the bios, docs, videos, etc. If you are new to the Tour, this is the 49th year of the touring roadshow, and the 17th year under the registered trademark banner "National Steel Blues Tour." This will be the 8th comprehensive, 60- 90 show tour of South Africa, the first trip to Ireland... Book now now now. Real deal.

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

It's A Wrap: Tour End: Blog End

More pics and text to follow... the Blog has not been useful since the schedule could not be updated, so most of the posts have gone to other social media. As usual, I'll update and write a conclusion/summary to these last few months of travel. Check back!

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streamline blues...

Letting go. How fast the year. Dreamlines smeared on the map. Songlines in the margins. Dealers. And healers. Bruises. This thing we call Blues. I've rolled the bones again. One hundred mostly solo shows: they rip out over the Great Lakes, across Canada, and then return to shadow South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe. No place too large, too small, too grand or too humble. When you roll the bones you can lose your heart, or find it somewhere.

Dust in my blood, I'm pushing back out into the desert. The Great Karoo is calling: and the Kalahari: and then the rest of it. It's healing music, these Blues. But the Blues is also this journey: close to the wire. The hot wire. A journey through life. This place where all things are possible. Or should be. Where stories hang like dust in the air: drawn to the heart by the rattle of the Bones: places where witches still sit by candlelight and chant: "streamline, streamline."

download artist statement...

streamline blues tour...

Telling songs and singing stories. This blues came from the Mississippi delta. But before that, it came from Africa. Passed down from mouth to mouth. More than music. A placement of the human spirit. Doc's early mentors were the grandchildren of slaves. And now: this continuing journey between the dreamscapes and the songlines: between the blurs of the Highway and the sounds of the wheels: Streamline.

Doc MacLean's fifth African tour finds him returning to many of the places visited on previous adventures. Travelling over 20 thousand km by land, the "World's Biggest Little Blues Tour" will include some 60 shows across South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe. A warm-up run of forty shows will first weave across western Canada.

The Tour will continue to feature occasional, pop-up collaborations with well known South African blues, roots and traditional artists. Again, it offers free shows in Township areas, and workshops for aspiring artists. Much of Doc's new CD, "Streamline," was recorded in his "home away from home," Cape Town, where he has recently signed with Robin Auld's Shoreline Songs. Witness a unique and mature artist at the height of his powers.

download tour description...

where it went 2022... until plain language updates became impossible...

Proposed & Developing Schedule

The National Steel Streamline Blues Tour

Western Canada

Sept 11 Villa Vida Loca, Sunderland, ON

Sept 16 Lavigne Tavern, Lavigne, ON

Sept 17 House Concert, Wawa, ON

Sept 18 Beyond the Giant, Pass Lake, ON

Sept 21 Midtown Stage, Dryden, ON

Sept 22, Private Event, Winnipeg, MB

Sept 23 The Bassment, Saskatoon, SK

Sept 24 Sinsac Studios, Edmonton, AB

Sept 25 Olive Bistro, Jasper, AB

Sept 29 Bacchus Books, Golden, BC

Sept 30 Bozinni's, Chilliwack, BC

Oct 1 House Concert, Vancouver, BC

Oct 2 TBA, Vancouver, BC

Oct 3 Leon's Lounge, Vancouver, BC

Oct 6 Private Event, Vancouver Island, BC

Oct 7 Duncan Showroom, Duncan, BC

Oct 8 Com. Centre, Qualicum Beach, BC

Oct 9 Olsen House, Courtenay, BC

Oct 14 Hermann's Jazz Club, Victoria, BC

Oct 15 House Concert, Salt Spring Isl, BC

Oct 16 Yellow House, Galiano Isl, BC

Oct 22 TBC Spences Bridge, BC

Oct 23 TBC Kelowna, BC

Oct 24 Cawston Hall, Cawston, BC

Oct 27 TBA, Cranbrook BC

Oct 28 Blues Can, Calgary, AB

Oct 29 The Slice, Lethbridge, AB

Oct 30 General Store, Twin Butte, AB

Nov 3 TBA, Regina, SK

Nov 4 TBA, Winnipeg, MB

Nov 5 TBC Kenora, ON

Nov 6 TBC Thunder Bay, ON

Nov 7 TBC Wawa, ON

Nov 11 The Garnet, Peterborough, ON

Nov 12 RCHA Legion Hall, Kingston, ON

Nov 13 Old Church Theatre, Trenton, ON

Nov 19 TBA Ottawa

Nov 20 TBC Ottawa, ON

South Africa

Jan 5 Arrival, Cape Town

Jan 7 Alma Cafe, Cape Town

Jan 8 Camel Rock, Scarborough

Jan 9 Barleycorn, Cape Town

Jan 10 TBC

Jan 11 TBA

Jan 12 TBA

Jan 13 TBC Die Boer Theatre, Durbanville

Jan 14 Daisy Jones Bar, Stellenbosch

Jan 15 Courtyard, McGregor

Jan 16 Brass Bell, Kalk Bay

Jan 17

Jan 18

Jan 19 TBA Swellendam

Jan 20 La Dolce Vita, Oudtshoorn

Jan 21 Karoo Saloon, Barrydale

Jan 22 TBA

Jan 23 Outsiders, Nieu-Bethesda

Jan 26 Karoo Artist's Cafe, Philippolis

Jan 27 Cafe Barcelona, Pretoria

Jan 28 Jar Bar, Pretoria

Jan 29 Sinkshack, Bronkhorstspruit

Jan 30 Otter Lake German, Pretoria

Feb 2 TBA

Feb 3 TBC Reception, CDN High Com, Pretoria

Feb 4 TBA Gauteng

Feb 5 TBC Vintage Guitar, Johannesburg

Feb 6 TBC Taste of Tennessee, Centurion

Feb 9 Start Eastern Cape, TBA Cradock

Feb 10 TBC St. Francis Brewing, St. Francis

Feb 11 TBC Music Kitchen, Port Elizabeth

Feb 12 TBC The Goat Shed, Kenton-on-Sea

Feb 13 TBC Village Bistro, Bathurst

Feb 14 TBA

Feb 15 TBA

Feb 16 TBA

Feb 17 TBA Cintsa

Feb 18 TBA East London

Feb 19 TBA East London

Feb 20 TBA Mthatha

Feb 21 TBC Coffee Shack, Coffee Bay

Feb 22 TBC Jungle Monkey, Port St. Johns

Feb 23 TBC Rocky Ridge, Ramsgate

Feb 24 TBC St. Clements, Durban

Feb 25 TBC Kwadumikhanda, Eshowe

Feb 26 TBC The Knoll, Howick

Feb 27 TBC Crusaders, North Durban

Mar 1 Start Free State

Mar 2 TBA Clarens

Mar 3 TBA Bloemfontein

Mar 4 TBA Bloemfontein

Mar 5 TBC Franks Wild Years, Johannesburg

Botswana/Zambia/Zimbabwe

Mar 7 Start Botswana

Mar 8 TBA

Mar 9 Gaborone

Mar 10 TBC Botswana Craft, Gaborone

Mar 11 TBA Francistown

Mar 12 TBA Maun

Mar 17 TBA Kasane

Mar 18 TBA Livingstone, Zambia

Mar 19 TBA Livingstone

Mar 22 TBA Lusaka

Mar 23 TBA Lusaka

Mar 25 TBA Harare, Zimbabwe

Mar 26 TBA Harare

Mar 29 Re-enter SA

Apr 6 Start Garden Route, TBA, George

Apr 7 TBC Bloo Bistro, Knysna

Apr 8 TBC Gecko, Hermanus

Apr 9 TBC Ecolodge, Greyton

Apr 10 TBA

Apr 13 Start Western Cape, TBA

Apr 14 TBC Jagger Room, Cape Town

Apr 15 TBC Karoo Saloon, Barrydale

Apr 16 TBC Show Room Theatre, Prince Albert

Apr 17 TBC Balboa, Stellenbosch

Apr 20 TBA

Apr 21 TBA

Apr 22 TBC Villa Pascal, Durbanville

Apr 24 TBC Theatre Evita se Perron, Darling

Dates and Route: At this early point, all routes, dates and places are subject to change. TBA’s, TBC's and any non-listed dates may still be available. "Ask." V24Jul.

about the artist...

Forty-five years ago Doc MacLean was playing Charlie Patton songs in Son House's living room. From back porch to big porch. The storyteller. An emotional remapping of contemporary delta blues. At one time Blues Revue Magazine called him the "Prince of Darkness." There's redemption here beyond the simple, acoustic medium– and an appeal that reaches well beyond the Crossroads.

Doc MacLean has performed and recorded with a who's who of first and second generation blues, roots and gospel artists such as Sam Chatmon, Peg Leg Sam, and Blind John Davis. Among many others, he supported Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter, and BB King. With Grammy winning producer Colin Linden and members of the Canned Heat and Mavis Staples bands he went on to record the groundbreaking, "Narrow House" album. Now best known as a songwriter and storyteller, MacLean has more recently recorded in Africa with contemporary and traditional players such as Albert Frost and Lungiswa Plaatjies. This real deal, old school troubadour still self drives to hundreds of shows every year— sometimes busking the places in between. But North America is now seen more often in the rear view mirror...

Over the last few years MacLean has driven over 100 thousand km across South Africa, taking it for his own. Named as one of the top sets at the massive, 2017 OppiKoppi festival, he's now played most of the largest festivals, smallest juke joints, coolest theatres, and best regarded presentation stages in the country. The thing that has been carried is again returned. "No venue too large, too small, too grand or too humble." Even places lost in the folds of the map.

Writing from the dark side of the road, Doc MacLean remains a songster from the delta tradition. A traveler. Gifted by the grandchildren of slaves, MacLean now sings his own stories and tells his own songs in his own voice. His mostly resophonic, finger style slide guitar pays sonic homage to Patton, House, and Big Joe Williams, while moving forward in a roots based, yet contemporary context.

To MacLean, the Blues is not a genre: it is a condition of the human spirit, a healing music, a journey of the soul, a container of past, present, and future. N'ganga. Streamline surfs the space between the dreamlines and the songlines: not practised, not learned: but channeled and told in the moment.

Choose from print ready concise, medium, or detailed artist bios in the Links section below. Or...

download this About the Artist...

shared promo links...

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In the interests of effectively branding and marketing this Tour, please DO NOT use random materials harvested from the internet to promote shows or appearances. If you can't find what you need– please ASK.

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