Bob Dorr And The Blue Band Update

For those who don't know Bob is based in Ceder Falls Iowa, which is one of the many Iowa towns affected by the Flood of 08. Those of us who follow the Blue Band are glad that Bob survived the storm.

If the old saying is true: It gets slippery when it's wet, then the entire state of Iowa must be advanced formula WD-40, cuz baby, it's wet...

Because you regularly read the message board (don't you?) you already know that Thursday's appearance at the Sturgis On The River festival in Davenport (which was moved from the riverfront because of the flooding) was cancelled because of the massive flooding not allowing us to get there! At 8pm, one of the nation's busiest cross country highways, I-80, was shut down for a 30 mile stretch. They don't know when it will reopen...

Tonight's (6/13) Fridayloo/Blue Band birthday party in Waterloo has been rescheduled for next Friday, June 20 (hold on to that CAKE) It's odd that the party was postponed, not because Lincoln Park was flooded, but because flooding has closed all the bridges leading to that park, so no one can get there!...

Saturday night's show at Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino is still on. Providing we can get there. Hwys 21/63/14/330, south to Des Moines from Sparkle City are all closed because of the flooding. If the Hwy 20 to I-35 route stays open, we'll see you in the Finish Line Lounge right after the horse races (about 10pm)...

I must say, that in light of the total devastation of thousands of homes and families, I will never complain about a few inches of water in my basement ever again. (altho' I reserve the right to mention the malfunctioning of a certain sump pump every once in a while) The most incredible and awe inspiring volunteer and city government effort I have ever seen, featuring round the clock sandbagging, saved Sparkle City's downtown area from destruction. Unfortunately, the North Cedar area was not spared Mother Nature's latest wrath. MANY houses were completely under water. Cedar Falls Utilities entire first floor was totally submerged in what looks to be about 8 feet (yes FEET, not inches) of water. Somehow CFU employees managed to keep the power on and the water uncontaminated. I LOVE the fact that Sparkle City owns it's own utilities company! When I walked the levee of sandbags the night of the crest, ducks were literally swimming in the tree tops! Then the water moved on to Waterloo, where it's still residing on many downtown streets and making a normally 15 minute trip across town into a two hour ordeal of finding an unflooded route where the bridge across the river is not underwater itself. In the last 40 hours, here in the Cedar Valley, the water has dropped over 6 feet. That means that it's down to levels that are regularly called "severe flooding". It's also because all that water moved into Cedar Rapids, causing more flooding, damage, and destruction than I have seen since Katrina. Dennis, our stage manager, said that at 11am Thursday morning, there was about four FEET of water around his house. The water in Cedar Rapids has risen 2-3 inches EVERY HOUR since then. It's predicted to crest tonight at over 32 feet. The previous record in Cedar Rapids was in 1929 at 19 feet. I feel awful for all those people and businesses. I have not yet heard from our friend Pinkstuff. CHECK IN GIRL! We's worried 'boutchya. The good news is that the Cedar Rapids crest is s'posed to be overnight tonight. The bad news is that all that water is headed toward Iowa City, which is already experiencing MAJOR flooding problems. YIKES!! Mother Nature, I'm cryin' UNCLE!! Enough of this year long rage. Iowans are good people who do not deserve this unrelenting tirade. QUIT IT, MOM!!...

On a COMPLETELY different subject, I have been asked by the producer of Iowa Public Radio's morning talk show The Exchange, to be a guest host of that show one day a week thru July! I'm thrilled and apprehensive at the same time. I'm a talk show junkie, but I've never actually tried to host an entire hour of talk with someone I've never met before. Should be "interesting". I'll be on every Tuesday in July, starting July 1. The show runs 10-11am. DOUBLE YIKES! Be the host of a talk show BEFORE noon??!! Listen anywhere on the planet at www.iowapublicradio.org...

Because most of the gigs next week are private parties (except for the aforementioned rescheduled Fridayloo/Blue Birthday Party, in Lincoln Park-Waterloo, next Friday, 5:30-9:30pm) (remember the CAKE) there probably won't be a Blue Note next week. Maybe we'll dry out so it won't be so slippery on that wet Blue Highway! USE YER DAMN TURN SIGNALS while boating in the streets. Pray for drought. Invest in corn futures. And always remember, we love you, rain or shine... Bob Dorr & The Blue Band