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[The "Too Rock for the Blues, Too Blues for the Rock" Problem—Eric Johanson Unleashes His Angry and Soulful New Album The Open Bayou] Sipping a glass of cheap whiskey in my study late at night, I sometimes find myself wondering. Why on earth are people in this world so obsessed with neatly labeling everything? "You're a bluesman," "You're a rocker," "You're just a middle-aged guy who drinks too much." That last one is a personal tragedy declared upon me just last week by the landlady of my neighborhood izakaya, but there is a man facing a similar—no, far more serious—identity crisis. That man is Eric Johanson, who channels the gritty spirit of Louisiana into his guitar. When I came across the lament he recently vented on social media, I couldn't help but slap my knee in agreement. He revealed that promoters and music industry folks have been hitting him with the exact same line for years. …