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Friday, March 28, 2008

Bob Dorr And The Blue Band Update


By Bob Dorr




ALRIGHT!! Thursday's snow here in Sparkle City moved our total up to the 4th snowiest winter OF ALL TIME! I've decided to pray for 14" of snow on Saturday April 5 just so I can say that I lived thru THE SNOWIEST winter of all time! (hey, we've endured so much of this #*%! stuff that we might as well go for the record) Why April 5? 1) it's the start of a 2 week stretch of no Blue Band gigs, so we wouldn't have to travel in it and 2) bad weather usually equals good public radio fundraising! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! (most of you who know me must be thinking-Bob's finally gone over the edge)...

Saturday night The Blue Band returns to The Riverside Casino and Hotel, south of Iowa City, in Riverside IA. We play the Show Lounge 8:30-midnight. "Uncle Al" will join Heath in the horn section. The General Manager of the casino is Dan Kehl. He used to be a deck hand on the Riverboats we used to play in the 80s out of Dubuque and The Quad Cities. Now he's THE MAN at a multi-million dollar casino and I'm still hoping to make $100 singin' my songs! Maybe I'll hit the jackpot! We'll also be celebrating Pinkstuff's anniversary. PARTY IN YOUR ROOM! Bring cake!...

This Sunday night's Beatles Medley (8:06pm) on Iowa Public Radio's Studio One Network (formerly known as KUNI) will be a half hour of the Fab Four playing live, with performances from 1962-1966. I still can't get over how those guys could hit those 3 part harmonies with all the screaming going on and such primative sound systems to work with. The set includes Lennon's famous line delivered in front of the Royal Family: "those of you in the cheap seats, clap your hands, the rest of you rattle your jewelry!" Find your local frequency or listen on line at www.iowapublicradio.org...

Next Friday (April 4) is the monthly TGIF party at The Hub, 4th & Main, here in Seedy Falls. We play 5:45-9pm. I'm told that there will again be pizza by the slice. Remember, CAKE is good dessert after pizza...

Right after playing the last note next Friday, I'll zoom up to the radio station to beg for money (aka Fundraise). Actually, the first 45 minutes of the Down On The Corner show, which starts at 9pm, I'll be fundraising on tape. In theeeeory, I could be trading fundraising pitches with myself as co-host! IPR fundraising runs Apr. 4-11. Please make a pledge during my shows (Fri. 9-11pm, Sat. 7-10pm and Sun. 6-10pm) I REALLY need that job!...

I am told that I will be the subject of the cover story of the statewide Art Scene magazine in April. They even sent the editor of the magazine to do the story, interviewing me while I did my Backtracks show live last Saturday night on KUNI, errrrr The Studio One Network, I hope I don't sound too stupid! Their website is www.artsceneiowa.com...

Many people on this list have sent encouraging emails recently. It must be (embarrassingly) apparent that I'm struggling to hang in there. Like every small business owner, rapidly rising gas costs and a shrinking worker pool (good help is hard to find, especially for the wage I can afford to pay) combining with the fact that we have not been able to raise our fee (and still get gigs) has me thinking too much. The fact that we only have two gigs in April doesn't help! I'm sure that better weather and the summer festival season will draw me out of this funk. Luckily I have people like you still coming to the gigs, playing your zydeco ties, doin' the Boogaloo, and bringing CAKE!...

There probably won't be a Blue Note for a couple weeks now (The Hub on 4/4 and Prairie Meadows Casino 4/18 are the two April shows that are on the books) See yas at the casinos, drive carefully in any April snowstorms, be generous at the tip jar, good luck with the NCAA office pool (Drake and Duke REALLY messed up that bracket for me!) don't forget that CAKE is a wonderful mood enhancer, and always remember we love you...Bob Dorr & The Blue Band

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