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

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Bob Dorr And The Blue Band Update

In a town the size of Sparkle City, you really have only 3 choices of something to do after midnight. You can go to bars, you can go to WalMart, or you can go to HyVee. Since I'm STILL drying out from my 80s and 90s adventures while living inside of bourbon bottles (how do they get that man inside of the bottle?) and (apparently) some people are TIRED of my WalMart escapades, that must mean it's time to talk about HyVee...
But(t) FIRST (?) Memorial Day weekend always marks the beginning of the summer festival season and The Blue Band's got some cool stuff coming up in the next 10 days, starting Sunday (SUNDAY!!) (FUNNY CARS with Arnie "the farmer" Beswick) (don't tell me you're too young to remember those screaming, reverb loaded, commercials on WLS radio) I am really looking forward to being part of the North Liberty Centre Blues and BBQ Festival in suburban Iowa City. We're one of FIVE bands starting at noon, Blue Band plays 6-7:30p. More info and a complete lineup can be found at: www.northlibertyiowa.org/bluesandbbq/activities.html One of the many cool aspects of this festival is that all the bands are from Iowa (Thank you North Liberty for buying local!) Another cool aspect is that there is NO admission charge. Couple that with great BBQ and kid friendly activities and it's a multi-generational fabulous way to kick off summer in Iowa. I bet they even have CAKE!...
But(t) wait, there's more! Tickets are selling fast for next Friday's (6/4) annual Blues Cruise on the Spirit of Dubuque Riverboat. We cruise the Mississippi 7:30-10:30. Proceeds go toward Iowa Public Radio. I'm told you'll have the opportunity to meet and talk with many IPR program hosts. There's only 300 tickets. They're only $15 (advance) ($20 day of show, if there are any left) all info and ticketing is being handled directly by IPR at www.iowapublicradio.org...
But WAIT! There's STILL more! Next Saturday (6/5) We're part of the Grand Opening party for a cool winery in Traer (about 20 miles south of Sparkle City) named Fox Ridge winery (http://foxridgewine.com/) We play 6-9pm. It's a rain or shine date, plenty of wining (but no whining)...
But WAIT! How are we gonna top that, you ask? Well, we're topping off that weekend (my wife's birthday weekend) (that's a warning, she's been known to dance on the bar and tables on her birthday) with a visit to The Troll Capitol of THE WORLD!! for Mt. Horeb Wisconsin's Summer Frolic. This is our annual opportunity to hear Mark Webber sing Not Me. This year, we'll try and get some kind of YouTube video going of his performance. We play 5-8pm. More info on this four day event can be found at http://www.trollway.com/default.asp...
Let's keep this between you and me, ok? (I'd hate to spoil my "image") I'm actually LIKING getting up in the morning! (this week's construction centered around cutting and affixing the sheet rock to the walls) (ya gotta love that dust first thing at 8:05 in the morning) It's amazing what you can get done before noon if you get up before 11:30!! My new found activities include going to HyVee when WAY more people are there! I have been pleasantly approached with compliments on my radio shows and The Blue Band while shopping for MANGOS in the middle of the day!! However, I warn you, DO NOT follow me in line because I seem to be a problem magnet every time I start unloading the cart (this seems to be an affliction no matter when I go there) This week I got behind a man that was obviously shopping for three different people, all whom were not there, but had written out a check to HyVee to cover the cost of their food and sending it along with this fellow to pay for their groceries. WHAT? And the check was made out for LESS than their order? I could see this fellow was obviously heading toward a fate worse than REASON 88, so I moved to the next line, where a nice little old lady was trying to use two coupons for the same product and was ready to fight for that extra 50 cents off. So I moved to one more register where upon seeing me, the cash register ribbon ran out. Stuff like this ALWAYS happens to me. And it doesn't seem to matter where or when I'm shopping! It's the deadly Check Out Counter Curse of 2010. (or is that, deadly cursing at the check out counter?)...
Speaking of the radio shows, I've got some Memorial Day specials, remembering those music makers who have passed on, on the Backtracks show, Sat. 7-10p, and on the Blue Avenue blues show Sun. 5-6:30p. These programs are heard on a number of Iowa Public Radio broadcast frequencies around the state. Find your local frequency or listen via streamed audio, anywhere on the planet, at www.iowapublicradio.org...
I'm REALLY looking forward to a fabulous summer festival schedule (we've still got a few prime weekend dates open for that deck party at your mansion on the outskirts of town) (or your basement or garage if you live in a neighborhood more like mine) I'm looking forward to seeing you on The Blue Highway (or the isles of the late night grocery stores around the state) Bring your washboard tie and rub it. Rub it good. Please keep in mind the reason for this holiday is to remember the people who have given the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedoms that we have, Keep your eye on the lookout for that elusive summer delight, MANGO flavored CAKE, and always remember, we love you. Bob Dorr & The Blue Band
PS: we're still experiencing some problems with delivery of these notes. Let me know if you didn't get this...errrr, ask your friends if they got theirs...errr, you know what I mean

No comments: