Search The Blues Historian Website With Google

Google
 

Send Me Your Blues News

Contact me at
tgary62@gmail.com


Link Exchange

If you have a website, and would like to exchange links just email me at the above address.

The Iowa Blues Showcase is on the AIR

Download the latest podcast on ITUNES

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Even North Platte NE Has The Blues

The 14th Annual South Loup Blues Fest takes place Friday in Arnold Nebraska. It sounds like an interesting show. Here are the particulars from the festival website. This is one of the cool small fests that can be a lot of fun. Much like Newton Iowa's Bowlful Of Blues. What is nice is that you have small crowds, lots of friendly people, great music, and usually pretty good eats! Plus you get to spend the day in a small Midwestern town, with some of the friendliest people you have ever met.

Here is the line up from the South Loup Blues Fest website:



FRIDAY, JULY 13TH -- 8:00-10:00 p.m.       FRIDAY, JULY 13TH -- 8:00-10:00 p.m.

The Resonators, a Lincoln-based band with roots in R & B and blues, will be performing for our Friday night free show thanks to KBBN 95.3 FM "The Thunderbird."

The members are all veterans of southeast Nebraska's music scene and possess a varied repertoire that focuses on great songwriters like Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, Los Lobos, and Bonnie Raitt. They all like music with deep roots in blues! The Resonators are Sharon Kreimer, vocals; Randy Barger, guitar; Russ Zierke, keyboards and guitar; Dell Darling, drums; and, David Morris on bass. Friday night's show featuring the Resonators will be just the right warm-up for Saturday.

14TH ANNUAL SOUTH LOUP RIVER BLUES FESTIVAL-- SATURDAY, JULY 14TH



12:00 noon -- THE USUAL SUSPECTS 12:00 noon -- THE USUAL SUSPECTS

As you can see, this band is quite busy getting ready to open for the 14th Annual South Loup Blues Festival!! We have yet to receive their detailed bio but you might remember that they were part of our free Friday night show a couple of years ago and were great crowd-pleasers. The band members are based in the Lincoln and Omaha area, but one member, Rod Armstrong, grew up in Broken Bow, Nebraska -- a mere 35 miles from Arnold. And, Ben Armstrong, Rod's son, is also now part of this opening band. More information will be posted soon about our opening act, but until then, we can guarantee you that this year's line-up may be our strongest yet. See you at Old Mill Park on Saturday, July 14th!

2:00 p.m. -- THE TABLEROCKERS featuring EARL CATE of the CATE BROTHERS 2:00 p.m. -- THE TABLEROCKERS featuring EARL CATE of the CATE BROTHERS

Okay, we promoted Baby Jason coming back with new "Spankers" and now we are announcing one more change! It seems that after coming to Arnold the last several years, the festival has grown on Larry Boehmer and David Watson...the other two members The Tablerockers, the band Jason had been performing with at the South Loup River Blues Festival. When we contacted Jason earlier this year, he said that Larry and David were tired of the road and the band was dissolving. As any of you are are musicians know, hanging up your instruments is nearly impossible and this spring, Jason received a call from Larry Boehmer who had been in contact with David Watson and they were ready to start playing once more. And, it is our good fortune that one of the gigs they wanted to do was our festival!

As an extra bonus, The Tablerockers will be bringing with them a legend of rock and soul music for over 20 years---Earl Cate of the famous "Cate Brothers." We have always wanted to get the Cate Brothers on stage at Arnold so having one of these legendary brothers here this July is a dream-come-true. For those of you not familiar with them, the Cate Brothers, through many years of writing and performing, have developed a sound that is truly their own, both soulful and unique. From 1975 to 1980, the Cate Brothers released three LP's on Electra-Asylum Records and one LP on Atlantic Records. In 1980, the Cate Brothers Band reunited with longtime friend, Levon Helm of "The Band," and tourned the U.S. and Canada for two years. In 1983, the Cate Brothers Band joined Helm, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, and Richard Manuel as "The Band" reunited and tourned the U.S., Canada, and Japan. The Cates filled in for Robbie Robertson who declined to join the reunion of "The Band." The Cates have also toured with Crosby, Stills and Nash.

Earl is good friends with the members of The Tablerockers, as well as with The Bel Airs, so who knows what kind of jam session might transpire. You won't want to miss one minute so get to the festival early!

4:30 p.m. --            THE BEL AIRS 4:30 p.m. -- THE BEL AIRS

Living on the road and playing clubs from “Austin to Boston,” the Bel Airs carry on the tradition of American rhythm and blues. Brothers Dick and Dave Pruitt on bass and electric guitars front the band and since they grew up on country-soul and rock ‘n’ roll, the Pruitt brothers have developed a harmony and vocal style all their own. They have been performing for more than 25 years, wowing audiences with their unique brand of music – leading one reviewer to refer to them as the “Everly Brothers of Blues.” Drummer Michael Cherry hails from the Indianapolis music scene and is a veteran of the Paladins and the James Harmon Band. Based in Columbia, Missouri, the Bel Airs are one of the hottest and most entertaining bands in the United States that has now found appreciative fans in Europe as well. Their musical approach and superbly crafted showmanship make for memorable shows wherever they go and we know their time on stage at this year’s South Loup River Blues Festival will be no exception. It is a dream-come-true for us to finally get the Bel Airs in Arnold! Visit their site at www.belairs.com and read about them before July....

7:00 p.m. -- BILL LUPKIN AND THE CHICAGO BLUES COALTION 7:00 p.m. -- BILL LUPKIN AND THE CHICAGO BLUES COALTION

Do you like your blues rough and ready? Do you like it live and edgy? This is how blues is played in Chicago and Bill Lupkin has had experience in that venue for the last thirty plus years. Born and raised in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Lupkin made his move to Chicago at the end of the 1960s, when blues was still mainly heard in the ghetto clubs on the South and West sides of the Windy City, and most of the great names of the post-war era were active. One of the great charms of that scene was how approachable the musicians were and Lupkin wasted no time falling in with The Aces, former backing band for Little Walter, Junior Wells, and many other greats. From there, often in collaboration with pianist Bob Riedy, he went on to rub shoulders with the likes of Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and eventually to his most memorable association…Jimmy Rogers who was just out of retirement after a few fallow years. Jimmy’s Chess recordings and tastes did a lot to define the place of the harmonica in Chicago blues and for Lupkin, the gig was both a thrill and a school. Lupkin is one savvy harp player and a true talent. If you love harp players and good Chicago blues, you’ll love the energy and strength Bill Lupkin and the Chicago Blues Coalition will bring to our festival this summer. You’ll walk away wondering why you hadn’t heard more about this incredible performer before now!!! You can find out more about Lupkin by visiting his website www.billlupkin.com

9:30 p.m. -- COREY STEVENS 9:30 p.m. -- COREY STEVENS

Corey Stevens was born in the small town of Centralia, Illinois where his earliest musical influences were Chuck Berry and other early rock-and-rollers. However, it was the lyrics of the British Invasion musicians that moved him and inspired him to be a songwriter as well as a guitar player. In college, Stevens studied classical music and classical guitar, choices that taught him discipline and shaped who he is now. Living in Hollywood, by the 1980s, Stevens began to focus seriously on his songwriting. He set up a four-track studio in a walk-in closet in his one bedroom apartment, writing such songs as “Blue Drops of Rain” and “Lessons of Love” and he started getting attention from record companies. He dedicated himself to becoming the best songwriter he could be while juggling a teaching career and raising a daughter. He started his own band and turned to guitar with the same passion he approached songwriting. Eventually he converted his songwriting studio into a guitar workshop and threw himself into learning blues guitar. An independent label signed Stevens in 1995 and released Blue Drops of Rain. In 1997, after quitting teaching, Stevens recorded his second album—one that yielded a top ten radio hit “One More Time.” He hit the road in support of the album and toured nine months, including a summer tour with Paul Rodgers and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Stevens’ fan base grew as word how he captivated an audience with his live performances spread. His third album, Getaway, was released in 2000, followed in 2003 by his fourth album, Bring On the Blues, a combination of the contemporary blues concept of his first album with the classic rock of his second album. In early 2005, Stevens returned to the studio for an album that was a departure from the electric blues-rock template he had followed for ten years. Alone At Last, an acoustic offering, demonstrated his passion for trying new things and still being able to maintain his ability to write quality songs. In 2006, Stevens began pursuing an album idea he’d kept on the back burner for a few years…a collection of Albert King covers. Albertville was just released this February and has received critical acclaim. There are really no words to express how thrilled we are to have Corey Stevens as our late-night headliner at this year’s South Loup River Blues Festival. Trust us, you won’t want to leave until the last note is played! Check out this incredible musician by visiting his website: www.coreystevens.com

No comments: