That line from the 1980 film, The Blues Brothers, sums up Jake (Jim Belushi) and Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) Blues, the music-obsessed Chicago brothers on a mission from God.

For those who missed it, here's a quick recap: Blues-loving orphan Jake Blues is released from a Chicago prison after doing time and is picked up by his also blues-loving brother Elwood in an ex-police car (traded for a microphone). The two are asked to raise money to save the orphanage they grew up in, but, under orders from the Penguin, aka Sister Stigmata, without resorting (overtly) to crime. They pick up their old band the Blues Brothers and play a fundraising concert. Along the way they make enemies of Illinois Nazis, a country band called the Good Ole Boys, the owner of a venue, Bob's Country Bunker (Elwood Blues: what kind of music do you usually have here? Claire: Oh, we got both kinds – country and western.) the state police, the National Guard, a SWAT team, and Jake's ex-fiancee, played by Carrie Fisher, who has been waiting for his release to kill him. After the concert they are hotly pursued to the office where the orphanage money must be paid on time.

The Blues Brothers were created for a Saturday Night Live skit in 1978 when Belushi and Aykroyd first got the band together for TV and then hit the road for a series of acclaimed shows. It is around this point where The Blues Brothers Revue, which plays Canberra this week , picks up the story.

The long-running Blues Brothers Revue was devised by Paul Shaffer, famed musical director on the Late Show With David Letterman and original Blues Brothers arranger. Featuring Canadians Wayne Catania and Kieron Lafferty as Jake and Elwood and a six-piece band, it is sanctioned by Aykroyd and Belushi's estate ( Belushi died of a drug overdose in 1982). Belushi's widow, Judy, who is now married to writer/producer Victor Pisano, is involved in the revue.

"This show is meant to reflect the Blues Brothers before the movie, when it was all about a live touring show," says Catania, who bears a striking resemblance to Belushi.

"It's not a play, There is some dialogue and banter and humour, but it's about the music.

"We have some wonderful musicians touring with us – including some Aussies – I love the energy they bring."

Do the shiny black shoes of Aykroyd and Belushi seem hard to fill? "No, I'm not daunted," says Catania.

"I look at the role as a gift. I understand who this character is and have fun with it.

"I enjoy being Jake Blues. I don't feel like I'm filling anyone's shoes. It has become second nature to me."

One possible offshoot of the revue is the development of a TV series. While not willing to give away any of the storyline, Catania says it may be a long-term prospect. "We're going in so many directions," he says.

"For the pilot we are writing and rewriting, talking to networks, writing and rewriting. But I like the creative process of it, but if it happens fine, if not … it's too early to let anything out of the bag."

Catania is an established and respected musician, actor, and creative writer with a career spanning four decades. Lafferty was influenced by the great acts that played at his father's nightclub, The Electric Circus. Legends like Sam & Dave, Credence Clearwater Revival, and The Doors were the wellspring of his youth. Following the footsteps of his mentors, he began a career as a musician, playing in the Toronto blues/rock circuit where he gained a solid reputation.

The revue's set list is studded with classics, including Shake A Tail Feather, Minnie The Moocher, Sweet Home Chicago, Rubber Biscuit, Rawhide, Gimme Some Lovin' and Soul Man.

The Official Blues Brothers Revue, Canberra Southern Cross Club, Woden, May 7. Dinner and show $70 (6.30pm), show $40, 8pm. Book at Ticketek.