Bisbee Bikes and Blues
Bisbee is not only cooler in the summer; it is way cool all the time! This time it was the 5th annual Bisbee Blues Fest. Not only is Cochise County a great place to ride, it's a great place to party. And what a party it was. It was held at the Warren Ballpark in Bisbee to celebrate the park's 100th birthday. A huge stage was built around home plate, and the infield section was dancing, burnouts(more on that later), and lawn chairs. The tent section was just behind the infield, while all the vendors and motorcycle shops had their tents set up along the outfield fence. The bikes were allowed inside if you wanted to enter into the Bike Show, and there was secure parking for hundreds of bikes outside.
The Bisbee Blues Fest was hosted by Old Bisbee Music. Promoters Rob and Mike Page, and Bret Austin put together a Blues line up that couldn't be beat. Beginning at 11:00am and ending well after dark, Blues fans were treated to the likes of The King Bees, The Sugar Thieves, Train Wreck, The Rhythm Room All-Stars, the legendary Pinetop Perkins, and the amazing Tommy Castro Band, and much more. Old Bisbee Music and the Southern Arizona Heritage Foundation presented a Living Legend award to Perkins for his impact on the Blues. The Mississippi Blues pianist has been playing since 1927.
If that wasn't enough for Bikers and Blues fans alike, there was a drive-in bike show judged by some of the biggest custom bike builders in the world. These included world-renowned Jim Nasi of Jim Nasi Custom Cycles, John Shope of Ssinister Industries Inc. (winner of Discovery Channel's Biker Build-off), Jay Allen (owner of the Broken Spoke Saloon, the biggest biker bar in the world), plus Wink Eller (59-time land speed record holder and custom bike builder), and last but not least, Mark Bradshaw (owner of Arizona's own Hideaway Bar). Thanks to Mark for bringing out his new Hideaway Custom Bagger.
Between music sets Jay Allen hosted an old fashioned wheel to wheel burnout contest. In the first heat, Jay's panhead smoked it out with Wink's record holding Harley. Later on Cochise County Choppers took on Wink's bike, and when the smoke finally cleared, Cochise County was declared the winner. Other bike builders present were Fast Lane Choppers out of Tucson, who brought some kick ass bikes and provided entertainment for the crowd, Tombstone Choppers, and Cochise Motorsports. Thunder Roads gives a special thanks to the Cochise County Choppers crew for letting us set up in their tent. We had a great time the whole day. Scott & Lori Arndt (owners) and Matt Romero build some real cool bikes, and work on all makes and models. When in Bisbee, be sure to stop in and say hello.
Hungry? Well no worries here! Bar-B-Q, funnel cakes, Thai food, sausage, hot dogs, roasted corn and anything else you could think of to eat was available. My good friend Buddy Weiser had their booth set up and there were plenty of suds flowing. There was also fresh squeezed lemonade for the kiddies. The outfield was lined with many craft tents selling biker jewelry, riding accessories, and other cool stuff. Tents and lawn chairs were welcomed, but no coolers allowed and no camping. A big Thunder Roads thanks to Dan Simonis and his crew, who did a great job on the ground coordinating the event which ran as smooth as my old '58.
If you weren't at the Bisbee Blues Fest 2009, you missed something very special. But the good news is you can plan on spending a few days in Bisbee next year and join the fun. The Old Bisbee Music folks have big plans. Don't miss it!
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Visit our contact us page to book your Cochise County motorcycle tour today.