Bob Dorr And The Blue Band Update

Ho Ho Hope you can stop by the Blue Christmas Party, TONIGHT (Fri) at The Hub, 4th & Main, Sparkle City USA! (Cedar Falls) Food (pizza by the slice) fun, dancing, adult beverages, Christmas songs, Santa hats, and a cavalcade of stars including my friend Phil Watson, who is promising to play his once a year rendition of Sleep Walk with the band; Bob Guthart (who's appearance has not been confirmed as of press time) (but it wouldn't be an official Blue Christmas without that Green guitar, would it, Avis?); my wife promises to sing that song about her husband; and my longtime friend John Rohlf will be sitting in for The Chief on drums. I stopped by John's record store last Saturday and gave him a bunch of CDs, saying "well, these 30 songs are the tunes we'll probably play" (ok, I admit it, I often deviate from the scheduled song list) He showed up at a short rehearsal on Tuesday and stunned all of us as to how well he had already prepared the material! It's been a few years since we've done a whole night without the Chief. I hope I don't throw John off by changing the arrangement IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SONG as I have been (more and more) prone to do. (yes, I have become the Ozzy of small-time Iowa blues) We'll have some Christmas giveaways and some merch specials to help with stocking stuffers (Stuff 'er? YOU stuff 'er, you brought 'er) (was that naughty or nice?) all this and it's GEEEZER gig hours too, 6-9:30-ish. You bring the CAKE and the mistletoe...
Then we have no gigs until the New Year's Eve gala (there's still time to book that Holiday House Party in your basement) I'm told tickets are selling better than last year and room reservations are up too. Make it a weekend, join us the eve of new year's eve for set up/sound check night and entertainment from one of Iowa's musical treasures Rob Lumbard. Entertainment on Saturday/New Year's Eve will include Iowa Blues Historian and piano player Tom Gary during the late afternoon/early evening in the hotel lobby while people check in and appearances by Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Tony Brown, Iowa R & R and Blues Hall of Famer Joe Price (with his beautiful and talented wife, Vickie), the slide guitar playing farmer from Fort Dodge, Erick Hovey, two time Iowa Blues Challenge winners Matt Woods & The Thunderbolts, and, back by popular demand, the surprise hit of last year's party, Six Ways To Sunday. The Blue Band will include a three piece horn section which will include Blue Alum Bobby Thompson on one of the saxes. The only ticket outlet is directly from the hotel. Get started on joining us at http://www.theblueband.com/newyear.htm
The radio shows this week have part two of the reprise of the Warner Brothers Records Samplers Special that originally aired last summer on Saturday night's Backtracks show and the final new Blue Avenue show of the year (Sun. 5-6:30p) will have more of my personal favorite blues releases of 2011 plus a bunch of Christmas blues tunes. I was on Iowa Public Radio's Talk of Iowa show last Tuesday morning talking about some of my favorites of 2011, if you missed the show, it's archived at http://iowapublicradio.org/news/talk-of-iowa/past-shows.html I'm on during the second half of the program. Still no signed hard copy contract offer from IPR to continue to produce those programs in the new year...
The plan is to audition drummers that have voiced interest in playing with the band during the next few weeks (I'd MUCH rather play that Holiday House Party at your place!) Keep letting everyone know that we're looking, mostly for someone who might want to share the drum chair with The Chief as we head into The NEXT 30 Years Tour. As you can imagine, it is important for whomever we get to like CAKE! (but not fruitcake)...
Unless we get a last minute gig, I'm going to be taking next week off from The Blue Note. See ya on The Blue Highway (all 1.2 miles from my house to The Hub) rub yer washboard tie to the tune of Give Me Some Soul For Xmas, I'm told that he sees you when you're sleeping and he knows when you're awake (does this mean Santa is a stalker?) Give love for Christmas, you've already got ours! Happy BLUE Year! Bob Dorr & The Blue Band