Bobby "Blue" Bland stepped onto the stage, took a few unhurried steps and began to sing in a soft, aching voice that shook the crowd with a resonance as deep as any instrument.
Legendary blues vocalist Bland -- a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award honoree -- graced the International House stage as part of the Annual Greater Philadelphia Blues Fest.
"I've been listening to the blues since I was in high school," said Blane Stoddart, a Wharton alumnus and co-founder of the West Philadelphia Partnership's Community Development Corporation.
Stoddart "dreamt up" the idea of holding a fundraising project featuring the blues.
The eighth annual Blues Fest, featuring Bland and Mighty Sam McClain, took place at the Philadelphia International House on Friday and Saturday nights.
"We are at 50 percent of our goal," Stoddart said after Bland's performance. Stoddart hopes to raise $50,000 from the festival, which will then be committed to CDC initiatives in developing affordable housing for low-income families in West Philadelphia.
Tom Rasz -- a senior vice president at Commerce Bank, who was the presenting sponsor -- congratulated the CDC for its dedication to the needs of the West Philadelphia community.
Stoddart then pumped up the audience for Bland's performance, asking the crowd, "Do you love the blues? And are you gonna dance? ... Because dancing's good for arthritis."
His questions were met with a loud, "Yeah!" and pumping fists, from an audience of veteran blues fans.
For an hour and a half, backed by his six-piece band, Bland sang a collection of songs including jazz classics such as St. James Infirmary to a rollicking crowd.
Continually engaging, Bland playfully instructed his audience for a sing-along to Ain't No Sunshine.
"There are some rules, if you're gonna sing," Bland said, inducing loud laughter from the crowd. "Please be in tune ... and if you're gonna clap your hands, please be on time."
At the end of his set, Bland received a standing ovation.
Many who attended were older fans, like Pennsylvania resident Tom McGee.
"I've been listening to Bobby 'Blue' Bland for 30 years or more," said McGee, who traveled to the corner of 37th and Chestnut streets from Wynnewood, Pa., excited to hear a favorite musician live.
A few students and younger couples ventured out to the Blues Fest after seeing flyers posted around the International House.
Takaaki Nakahara, a student from Japan attending Penn's English as a Second Language program, dropped in on the concert simply "to hear the blues."
