Second Cup Cafe: Blues Traveler

When Blues Traveler's John Popper plays the harmonica, there is no question that the sound coming out of the other end is filled with heart and soul.

With over 20 years of bringing their folksy, bluesy sound to small venues, then taking mainstream radio by storm, Blues Traveler has lived up to their name - by traveling long and far for their love of the blues.

They have played more than 2,000 live shows for more than 3 million people.

Blues Traveler, made up of John Popper (vocals, harmonica),Chandler Kinchla (guitar), Ben Wilson (keyboards), Tad Kinchla (bass) and Brendan Hill (drums percussion), stopped by the The Early Show's "Second Cup Café" Saturday to perform songs from their lastest album, "North Hollywood Shootout."

The gang is back at it again, but this time around, Blues Traveler is experimenting more with their God-given talents and genuine love of music.

With less emphasis on production, Blues Traveler is going to back to their roots as a jam band with more of a "live spontaneity," for which they were first known.

"We're still trying to reconcile the different things we do, and cultivate what we're individually good at into something that's bigger than the sum of its parts," said frontman Popper on the band's official Web Site. "When we're all playing and it's working, it becomes this separate entity, and that's still the thing that we're chasing."

Although the band faced some hardships along the way, with the sudden death of their bassist, Bobby Sheehan, at the age of 31, Ben Wilson and Chandler's brother Tad Kinchla jumped on board to keep the momentum going and the dream alive.

Blues Traveler is best known for their hit, "Run-Around."
By Melissa Castellanos