Iowa Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?

Photo by Blues Historian

This is the best shot I could get of the amazing Dartanyan Brown.  Unfortunately my 30 dollar ticket wouldn't let me get close enough to get his picture.  I must admit that I have never been a fan of the Iowa Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.  I have been to a couple of these cluster F*(&^s and they are generally long boring sets of mediocre cover tune bands who were never very good in the first place.  Apparently artistic talent, creativity, or originality are not part of the criteria for getting in the hall.  Of course Dart has that and more.  After all he is in the Iowa Blues Hall of fame. Dartanyan Brown blew the doors off the old ballroom.  Granted he did do a couple of covers to appease the crowd, but he ended with a cool song some students in Des Moines wrote during a summer music camp that he ran. It was about how they were denied access to Youtube, which certainly hampered the kids in searching for video of some of the great blues and jazz musicians that Dart was teaching the kids about.  I also wish I knew who the guitar player was, because Dart brought in a kid that was channeling Jimi Hendrix.  Holy cow did this guy shred.  He was right handed, but he had his guitar neck inversed so that the lower strings were on the bottom much like how Jimi played left handed.  I had never seen a right handed guitarist play with the string inverted before, but he certainly sounded like Hendrix when he covered Purple Haze.  I left after Dart finished, because I really couldn't stand anymore cover bands.

This is why I don't understand the IRRHF, a few years ago I was there when Richie Valens was inducted into the hall because he had the mistfortune to die with Buddy Holly, and the Big Bopper in an Iowa Cornfield.  I mean I love Richie Valens, but geez why is he in the IRRHF because he died here???  It is obvious that it is all about the money with the IRRHF.  The high ticket prices, the select seating, extra if you want to dance and watch it on the big screen.  Crappy bands from 20 years ago, that only claim to fame is that they were the local band that everyone danced to before DJs came around and put us out of business.  I must admit that it is sometime funny watching some of these guys relieve their glory days from high school when being in a band was a big deal.  I also got a kick out of one band whos lead singer yelled "Rock and Roll!" at the top of his lungs, and then launched into one of the most putrid versions of Red House I have heard.

To be honest I don't see a reason to go to another one of these shows.  Most of my friends who would get in it were put in a few years ago.  Luckily for me The Blue Band, Patrick Hazel, and the Hawks all got in the same night.  That was a long night too, especially waiting for the Hawks.  That was cover band hell part one.  Just imagine going to the Holiday Inn back in the 70s and sitting through five different lounge acts before you saw the band you really wanted to see.  That is what I went through a few years ago from when the Blue Band got off the stage and the Hawks showed up.  That was painful indeed.  Tonight was a little better.  Dart came on early, and I only had to sit through three bands.  

I must admit that I have had better nights, but the nice thing about coming home.  Is my old record player is warming up right now getting ready to rock out on some 78s. Nothing like good old tube powered 1950s technology to play that great warm analog sound to ease ones mind after a night like tonight.

Photo By Greg Overton

UPDATE:  Dartanyan sent me a better photo  from the hall of fame night at Arnolds Park.