Every now and then, a musical pairing makes you think to yourself, “What?” Such was my reaction upon finding out that pop icon Cyndi Lauper and New Orleans rhythm and blues legend Dr. John are joining forces at Kleinhans tonight as part of their “From Memphis to Mardi Gras” tour. As it turns out, I’m actually just out of touch with Cyndi Lauper’s career trajectory. Having Dr. John on the bill makes sense when you learn that Lauper’s 11th album is titled Memphis Blues.

Lauper released Memphis Blues in June of 2010 to much critical acclaim. Billboard named it the #1 Blues Album of the Year, and it was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Traditional Blues Album category.  For his part, Dr. John has won 5 Grammy awards, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Girls, boys… we all just wanna have fun, right? If you’re looking to shake your blues away and have some fun tonight, check out Cyndi Lauper and Dr. John at Kleinhans music hall.

Dr. John - Desitively Bonnaroo by bonnaroo