Brian Lupo - Snowing in Chicago

Brian Lupo, born on Chicago’s northwest side, didn’t pick up a guitar until age twenty while attending Eastern Illinois University. After buying his first instrument at a pawn shop and practicing up to eight hours a day, he quickly found his calling. Influenced by Blues greats like Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Albert Collins, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Albert King, and Freddy King—as well as Funk, Soul, Jazz, Jam-band, and Latin music—Lupo developed a versatile, rhythm-driven style. His real musical education began back home in the West Side clubs, where he landed a steady gig with Willie D. and The All Stars at the 290 Sport & Juice Bar and later toured and recorded with vocalist Nora Jean Wallace.

After years on the Chicago scene, Lupo stepped away in 2006 and moved to Las Vegas to pursue professional poker, returning home in 2014. In 2022, he released his debut solo album Into The Sun, an upbeat, funk-leaning Blues record centered on positivity and hope. Over his career, he has performed or shared the stage with Koko Taylor, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Johnson, Toronzo Cannon, Omar Coleman, Eddie Shaw, and many others, even appearing at the Chicago Blues Festival. Today, you can find him playing at Kingston Mines, Fitzgerald’s, Buddy Guy’s Legends, Rosa’s Lounge, and other Chicago venues, usually with his Gibson 339 plugged into a Peavey Special 112.

What inspired you to write Snowing in Chicago?

When I was living in Las Vegas, we would visit sometimes in the winter or the spring and it always seemed like it was snowing. Once you live somewhere where it doesn’t snow or isn’t super cold, you start to realize that it’s not like this everywhere. That statement is pretty obvious, but it wasn’t anything I ever really considered until I no longer lived in Chicago. I just found myself thinking why would I ever want to subject myself to this type of weather? That said, I’m back living in the Chicagoland area and it is snowing very lightly as I write this, so there’s some irony here.

Who played on the track and where was it recorded?

It was recorded at Joyride Studios. I played guitar and sang, Dionte Skinner played drums, Vic Jackson was on the bass, and Neil Francis played Organ. 

Do you have a favorite memory of Christmas or the holidays in Chicago?

My favorite Christmas memories have been since moving home about 11 years ago. I have three kids aged 17, 15, and 12. Watching their excitement when opening presents when they still believed in Santa, is definitely my favorite memory.  

Did your time as a professional poker player in Las Vegas influence your songwriting in any way?

I’ve written a song about gambling, which is definitely a result of living in Vegas. I’ve never recorded it though. Most of the songs are just about life in general. So, I don’t think living in Vegas playing Texas hold ’em for a living necessarily influenced my songwriting other than giving me one other topic to potentially write a song about.

Do you think you will ever do an all Blues based Christmas album?

I don’t know if I’ll ever do another album of any kind ever again. I have enough original music already written for another album. But the amount of time, work, and effort that goes into a new record… I’m not sure that there’s enough upside in my case to warrant a new album of original music or Christmas songs. There’s no money to be made in streaming. Also, with the rise of AI, it’s just been depressing to me as you don’t know how much help an artist is getting now from that tool whereas before you always knew the album was coming straight from the heart. I just don’t see the point.

Chicago has a very specific winter vibe — what’s the most “Chicago winter moment” you’ve ever had?

This is a moment I don’t even remember, but I’ve been told multiple times throughout my life. I was born in 1976 and there was a huge blizzard in 1979. As my mom and my dad have told me, my dad walked me out onto the porch. The porch was about 5 feet tall. I was in a full snowsuit and my dad just threw me off the porch and I disappeared into the snow and he went scrambling to dig me out. There are pictures somewhere of that day and me in the snow.