This 30th Anniversary Summer has been so great, I wish it'd never end. But if it's gotta go (those 30mph winds out of the north that we had on Thursday are really gonna be wicked in a couple of months) the best way to say good bye to the summer is at the annual Tabor Home Winery Harvest/Anniversary Celebration, on the vineyard grounds in Baldwin IA on Saturday afternoon. The fact that it's less than an hour from Cedar Rapids, less than an hour from the Quad Cities, and less than an hour from Dubuque makes the event kind of an end of summer reunion for Blue People from all over eastern Iowa. Food, wine, good company, wine, cheese, wine, vineyard tours and a little more wine and all of a sudden everybody's dancin! (the drunker you get, the better we sound) (the one constant of 30 years of Blue Band shows) The weather is predicted to be calm, sunny, and in the mid 60s and Rena Sheehy says she's bringin' cookies. What more do you need??? It's the Tabor Winery's 15th Anniversary. It's the Blue Band's 30th Anniversary. Somebody should definitely bring CAKE! The event runs 1-6pm, the band plays 2-5:30pm. Directions/info on the vineyard: http://www.taborhomewinery.com/
And then, another personal favorite part of the Tabor Gig, I get to listen to myself on the radio on the way home! (well yes, I AM a self indulgent only child, thank you) Most of this Saturday night's Backtracks show is comprised of 45 rpm REKKIDS that someone left for me at the vineyard gig we did over Labor Day weekend (yes, I can make radio shows out of just about anything) (speaking of making radio shows, Sunday, Oct. 2 is the 39th anniversary of the first time any public radio station in Iowa aired a rock'n'roll music program. I was the host) more info on Backtracks: http://iowapublicradio.org/studio-one/backtracks/ More info on the Sunday Blue Avenue show (it's the blues, baby) try: http://iowapublicradio.org/studio-one/blue-avenue/
While I'm on the subject of public broadcasting appearances, I was just made aware that the performance of Wayfaring Stranger that Jeff and I did for IPTV's Iowa Remembers 9/11 program is now posted on IPTV's website. Our song comes about 10 minutes, 15 seconds into the show at: http://www.iptv.org/video/detail.cfm/22108/irm_20110911_iowans_remember_911
Saturday Oct. 8 The Blue Band is volunteering it's services to be part of a multi-band, 24 hour, bicycle extravaganza called BikeStock, a fundraising event for breast cancer awareness and medical services for breast cancer patients that could not otherwise afford care. My mother died from this disease. My sincere thanks to the boys in the band for going along with me on playing this benefit. Be part of the cure. Hawkeye Downs fairgrounds/raceway Cedar Rapids. Great entertainment and bicycle events all day, we play 6-8pm. More info/registration for this event can be found at: http://www.bikestockiowa.com/index.cfm
And speaking of Geeezer Gigs, the ORIGINAL Geeezer Gig, our once a month Friday night at The Hub, 4th and Main, Sparkle City USA, starts on Oct. 14. Remember, we've moved to the SECOND Friday of the month this season, so mark the calendar for Oct. 14, Nov. 11, Dec. 9, Jan. 13 (my hometown celebration of a VERY big (number) birthday for me) Feb. 10, Mar. 9, April 13 and May 11...
There are only 93 days til New Year's Eve! Monday, tickets and room packages go on sale for this year's extravaganza at The Hilton Garden Hotel in Johnston (suburban Des Moines). For a complete list of entertainment and a link to the hotel try: http://www.theblueband.com/newyear.htm
We really haven't been getting any offers for work for the coming months. Combine that with I've become really bad at trying to hustle up places to play, plus the economy not really in the position that people can afford a 6-piece band like ours and it's starting to look like a long cold winter! Please continue to tell entertainment buyers/committees about us and don't forget that Jeff and I can do a duo (see that video) we can add Mark or Eddie to do a trio, we can add The Chief and do the small quartet version of The Blue Band. Certainly we prefer the whole band with horn section, but we're lookin' for anything we can do to keep it goin'. I've got to be able to afford CAKE every once in awhile!...
See ya on the Blue Highway, use yer damn turn signals (yes, I'm talking to YOU, Shameless James) rub yer washboard tie to the tune of old Siegel-Schwall band song I Think It Was The Wine and always know that we love you. Bob Dorr & The Blue Band
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