Mississippi Blues – Ben Prestage
Some might say that Ben Prestage has the muddy waters of the mighty Mississippi Delta coursing through his veins in order for him to suck the pain right out of that guitar and play the blues the way they were meant to be played — from the depths of the soul.
It could be genetic, inherited from his sharecropper grandfather who picked cotton under the hazy Mississippi sky.
Whatever “it” is, Prestage, 27 years young, has a much older soul and it makes its presence known when he plays. The emotion of the music is painted on the face of his audience, who range in age from teens to people well in to their sixty’s. They sit at full attention, drawn to him, coming up to greet him, to introduce themselves, to talk about music and shake hands during his breaks.
Not many area musicians can say that they actually earn a living playing. Most know better than to quit their day job and make their passion their full time gig.
“I love to play for people, it makes me happy…I’m lucky enough that it can be a full time job and I have the freedom to travel around and meet tons of people from all over the country…I get to play little places like this to big blues festivals.”
Tonight Prestage is playing to the hometown crowd at the Exodus Café in Port St. Lucie, it’s standing room only and the atmosphere is comfy. The crowd knows him and he knows his audience.
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