The Gospel of Gumbo

"The Sauce Boss" @ Madam's Organ
December 1

Recommended beverage: a mug of Sierra Nevada

Bluesman Bill Wharton came through town on Saturday night to serve up a spicy mix of blues, but that's not all he served. He's nicknamed the Sauce Boss because, at every show, he cooks up a big pot of gumbo on stage and dishes it out to the hungry crowd at the end of the night. And, it's delicious.

The crowd takes turns stirring the gumbo as Wharton intermittently adds ingredients throughout the night. The okra and zucchini goes in early on, then the chicken, then the shrimp and crawfish last. He also markets his own hot sauce and sells it, along with cds, at the show. All the more heartwarming is that he travels to homeless shelters to perform and to feed the hungry. The biggest one he's entertained and cooked gumbo for is right here in DC, where some 1,200 people reside.

Stirrin' up the gumbo and rockin' out to the guitar-driven blues of the Sauce Boss is a truly fun experience. If you can hold out until he serves the gumbo, at about 2:30 a.m., it's worth it.