Industry Profile: Bubba Mac
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— By Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen Herb Birch aka Bubba Mac is a late-comer to the music business. He is a blues guitarist/vocalist/songwriter with four indie albums; an owner of the Bubba Mac Shack, a BBQ restaurant and club in Somers, N.J., and co-creator and co-presenter of the first Mid-Atlantic Blues and Music Festival to be held Sept. 29-30 at Bernie Robbins Stadium in Atlantic City, N.J. The festival is a celebration of summer's end with hopes of building a new tradition by throwing the largest blues party in South Jersey Shore history. More than 18 hours of music will benefit the community through United Way. |
"With the Miss America Pageant gone, we're establishing the Mid-Atlantic Blues and Music Festival as the last big blast of the summer," says Bubba, "and at the same time, we're able to give back to the community."
Paul Benjamin, co-founder of the North Atlantic Blues Festival in Rockland, Maine, came on board as a senior advisor to the festival. "Bubba Mac Enterprises was a sponsor of the NABF for three years," says Bubba, "and the Bubba Mac Blues Band played at the festival three times. The NABF is in its 15th year."
The festival lineup includes Tab Benoit, Bobby Rush, Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials, Eddie Shaw and the Wolfgang, Hubert Sumlin, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Rooster and the Chicken Hawks, the Detroit Women and the Bubba Mac Blues Band on the first day.
The second day is subtitled "Children of Blues Legends … The Next Generation" as all six acts are offspring of some of the blues' greatest legends: Big Bill Morganfield (Muddy Waters), Johnny Lee Hooker Jr. (John Lee Hooker), Shemekia Copeland (Johnny Copeland), Bernard Allison (Luther Allison), Kenny Neal (Raful Neal) and Ronnie Baker Brooks (Lonnie Brooks). Local group, the Teri Showers Band, will join them.
Tickets are reasonable at $30 a day; $55 for the entire weekend. Saturday and full weekend ticket holders also gain free admission to an exclusive Saturday night after-party at the House of Blues featuring The Radiators and an all-star jam with surprise special guests, led by Rooster & the Chicken Hawks.
The festival is timed to coincide with ChopperXPO 2007, the East Coast's largest indoor custom motorcycle and sports bike show, revving up those same two days across town at the Atlantic City Convention Center. Festival ticket holders will receive discount admission to the motor/sports bike show.
The community will benefit through "Blues for Good," a new benefit program established by Bubba to support United Way. Through the program, a portion of all festival proceeds go to United Way, an organization Bubba has long supported. "They have a real good pulse of the community's needs," he says, "and they're able to distribute funds to a number of community organizations."
The festival is sponsored by Gibson Guitars with additional support from United Way of Atlantic County, United Way of the Delaware Valley, the Blues Foundation, Blues Festival Guide, Forman Mills and Ocean City Home Bank.
Bubba spent most of his working life as a health care management service contractor. In 1976 he and his partner, Willie Davis, formed Birch and Davis Holdings Inc., which serviced clients in all 50 states and in every department of the federal government involved in health care. In February 2000 the company was sold for $75 million to Affiliated Computer Services Inc.
A passionate musician, Bubba decided to form a blues band: Bubba Mac Blues Band. To help showcase the band, be bought a restaurant in Somers Point, N.J., and named it the Bubba Mack Shack in early 2000. The band has released four albums: Roadkill Cafe - -2000 (Bubba Mac Productions); Just Life 2001 -- (Treasure Records); Happy Blues 2003 (Bubba Mac Productions); and Bubba Mac Attack--2005 (Bubba Mac Productions).
As a musician, Bubba has traveled to many of the hallowed blues halls around the world. This influence is palpable in the flavor of the Shack's food, entertainment lineup and décor. Bubba and Mac's goal was to create a restaurant that was New Orleans meets South Jersey, upscale but down-home. The original Shack was built for musicians around the five bars and three stages to enhance the quality of music and entertainment/ ambiance. Hundreds of nationally recorded blues acts including James Cotton, Levon Helm and the Barnburners, Bob Margolin's Rolling Fork Review, and the Radiators among others, rocked the Shack day and night. A TV show was also created in early 2002 called "Live at the Bubba Mac Shack" to showcase the shack's unique blend of auditory and culinary delights. The show featured clips of acts performing live as well as cooking segments. It went off the air in 2005 and will be revived on WMCN-TV/Atlantic City as Live with Bubba Mac on the Road, to celebrate the festival's arrival. These days, Bubba can be found greeting customers at the new Bubba Mack Shack on the Ocean City, N.J. boardwalk.
The original shack closed in the fall of 2005. Without missing a beat, Bubba and Mac opened the second Bubba Mac Shack located between 9th and 10th St on the Ocean City Boardwalk. The popularity of the Bubba Mac Shack is reflected in the returning customers showcasing their favorite Bubba Mac tee shirt. The new restaurant resembles the old Somers Point location with the red-and-white striped awnings, Blues Brothers statues, stuffed alligators and, and of course, local artist Nancy Palermo's famous murals spicing up the Shack's exterior.
Experience & Advice
Don't try to do too many things at once instead of doing a few things well and maintaining focus.
How did you get the name Bubba Mac?
I made it up when I was traveling around as an executive in health care and used it when I sat in with bands in New Orleans and other places. It was my blues cover.
Why did you move restaurant locations and decide not to have a performing space?
We moved because it is only viable as a seasonal business … We perform on the Boardwalk to 50,000 weekly.. Great exposure and a whole lot of fun.. Plus, Ocean City is a dry town.
Why did you start a restaurant?
I wanted to bring the sounds and feel and food of New Orleans and the South to one spot. To create a place where people and families can come and listen to great original music, eat great food and feel like home.
What are the differences between the two Bubba Mac Shacks?
The first Bubba Mac Shack was a year round entertainment venue, banquet hall and restaurant that housed five bars, three stages and four dining areas. The second Bubba Mac Shack is more a cafe that is seasonally opened and is just a food outlet.
Why did you relocate and decide not to have a performing space?
We moved because it's only viable as a seasonal business. We perform on the Boardwalk to 50,000 weekly; get great exposure and a whole lot of fun. Plus Ocean City is a dry town.
Why did you get into the music business after all these years?
I've always loved entertaining and playing the blues, and once I retired from health care I was able to move onto my second career - entertaining.
Do you perform original music or covers?
Our music is mostly originals. We do add some covers to please the audience and get them energized. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band played on our Happy Blues album and brought a great deal of New Orleans life, sound/and feel to some of our songs. We have four albums, and they're all a good reflection of our three key song writers: myself, Ritchie Baker and Teri Showers.
Where do you perform?
We perform mostly in South Jersey and have performed numerous times in New Orleans, various blues festivals in Colorado, all over Florida, Pennsylvania and New York, and the North Atlantic Blues Festival Orleans and Angel Sea Blues and BBQ Festival. In Colorado, we've played at Club Med, and Copper Mountain in Steamboat. In Florida, Hogs Breath in Key West, Tobacco Co. in Miami, Hard Rock Seminole Casino in Hollywood, and the Bamboo Room in Lake Worth. In New York, Tribeca Blues Club, Stanhope House; and in Pennsylvania - Manyunk Brewery.
How did the Mid-Atlantic Blues and Music Festival come about?
I wanted to bring together all the great talents of the blues to one place and make it sort of a reunion and just a great big ole party. The festival will be held at Bernie Robbins Stadium in Atlantic City, NJ. It's a large outdoor venue that was available, great location, centralized and plenty of parking.
What happened with the TV show?
It aired all over the Mid-Atlantic region in over 200,000 households on WMCN-TV. It showed live clips from the original Bubba Mac Shack. Guest stars on it were Levon Helm, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Bob Margolins Rollin' Fork Tour, The Rooster and the Chicken Hawks, Big Bill Morganfield, Laughing Colors, The Sauce Boss "Bill Wharton," Nappy Brown, The Original Comets, Kenny Vance, the Planotones, and more
First concert attended
Kingston Trio, University of Marlyand Coliseum, 1960.
First concert worked
North Atlantic Blues Festival in 2001 as band leader singer for the Bubba Mac Blues Band.
First industry job
Bubba Mac Blues Band - Hardshell Cafe, Somers Point, N.J.
Career highlights
Turning pro ten 10 years ago and starting the Bubba Mac Blues Band.
Career disappointment
None -- so far so good.
Greatest challenge
Keeping the band together. For having a band exist for 10 years, it's hard to keep all the original members together when everyone goes through different obstacles in life and their own families.
Best business decision
Selling my old company and getting into the entertainment field.
Best advice you received
Remember, you might just get what you ask for.
Most memorable industry experience
Playing guitar to a song I wrote,"I've Been Here Before and I'm Glad to be Back Again," with the Jerry Garcia Band in 2004.
What friends would be surprised to learn about you?
I'm an accountant.
Industry pet peeve
Centralized play lists.
If I wasn't doing this, I would be...
...health care consultant.
Industry mentor
Rooster and the Chicken Hawks.
Bubba can be reached at: 609-398-0909; email: bubba@bubbamac.com