Just about anybody with any knowledge of Tampa roots music is familiar with young bluesmaster Damon Fowler; since his first public appearance at age 14, Fowler has been a staple on local and national stages for the last decade. He can deliver contemporary blues-rock as well as anyone, but it's his facility with eclectic styles, from acoustic folk-blues to lap-steel slide to southern rock, that truly sets him, and his trio the Damon Fowler Band, apart.
On Dec. 11, en route to play a private party, the trio was involved in a serious accident, one that put Fowler in the hospital for 10 days. He's now resting at home, but will be unable to play guitar for an as-yet undetermined period of time. (Fellow local Ed Wright will be filling in with the DFB rhythm section of Don Stahl and Chuck Riley, for some upcoming shows.)
This Sunday, Fowler's friends and peers will gather at Skipper's Smokehouse to raise some scratch for his medical expenses. The Damon Fowler Band won't be performing, but you can catch fellow bluesman Sean Chambers, as well as rhythm 'n' groove from Freight Train Annie, 4 On The Floor and Sawgrass Flats. Several other acts are sure to be added to this eight-hour shindig.
A Benefit for Damon Fowler, Sunday, Jan. 8 @ Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa. 2 p.m.; $10.
This article appears in Jan 4-10, 2006.
