Travelin’ men

Blues Traveler brings its hard-rockin’ blues jams to Lake Tahoe this weekend. Lead singer/harmonica player John Popper founded the group in New Jersey with drummer Brendan Hill, guitarist Chan Kinchla and bassist Bobby Sheehan. The band played the Jersey and New York City club circuit during the late 1980s, but soon the quartet set its sights on the open road. Popper’s powerful harmonica riffs and the band’s rock and blues jams, as well as their near-constant touring, were gaining them a grassroots fanbase across the country. The band released its first album in 1990, but it wasn’t until its 1994 album, four, that Blues Traveler made its mark on the national music scene. The singles “Run-Around” and “Hook” were hits, and the album became a multi-platinum success. But the good times were followed by some tough knocks. In 1999, Popper had an emergency angioplasty and, later that year, bassist Sheehan died from an accidental drug overdose. The band soldiered on despite the blows and gained keyboardist Ben Wilson and Tad Kinchla, Chan’s brother, on bass. Blues Traveler’s latest album is Truth Be Told. The band performs 9 p.m. April 3 at Caesars Tahoe, 55 Highway 50 at Stateline. Tickets are $30-$40. Call (800) 648-3353.—Kelley Lang