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Blues Traveler heads down the main highway

 
Published April 21, 1995|Updated Oct. 3, 2005

Among the sturdier acts to come along in the realm of new music, Blues Traveler has steered over to the passing lane since the release last year of its fourth LP (appropriately titled four).

For the first time the quartet has been getting legitimate Top-40 airplay _ amazing when one considers that since its formation in 1987, Blues Traveler has slipped into the airwaves almost exclusively through college and alternative stations.

Yet four was carefully planned to gain the band accessibility in the commercial realm, with radio-friendly fare such as Hook and Run-around.

"Eventually, all of our songs will be on radio," Blues Traveler harp blower John Popper told Billboard last year. "As soon as classic rock decides that we're classic."

The quartet, which made its trademark by hammering out a driving, highly danceable blues-rock sound, didn't exactly fit into the current of contemporary popsters like Sheryl Crow, Green Day and Counting Crows. Yet, even through modest media exposure (save for an astounding 11 appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman), the band has consistently racked up formidable sales figures, all the while building a strong fan base through constant touring.

"Some people think being in a band is like having a business," offered Popper. "But I'd say it's like being pirates on a ship. Blues Traveler is more than something we just care about, it's our entire life."

Blues Traveler, along with special guests Jono Manson and the Mighty Revelators, will perform Saturday night at 8 p.m. at the USF Special Events Center. Advance tickets are $12.75 and $14.75 day of show; USF students: $5.75 advance, $7.75 day of show. Call 974-5202 or Ticketmaster.