I'm really looking forward to tonight's (Fri) show out at the Iowa Lakes. It's been a couple of years since we've had the chance to be part of ReMax Weekend in Okoboji, so I can't wait to reconnect with northwest Iowans. And there'll be some added treats on the bandstand! California guitar player (and native Iowa Lakes resident) Joe Cuttell will join us for the evening, Blue Band alum Bobby Thompson will be part of the horn section, and (got my fingers crossed) I told Nashville trumpet player Steve Smartt at last Sunday's duo gig (wasn't that a great time? I just LOVE the vibe at The Tabor Winery and had loads of fun sittin' behind the drum kit again) (but I digress) I just happened to mention to Steve that Okoboji isn't very far off the route he's taking out to Sioux Center for the start of RAGBRAI on Sunday, so maybe we'll have a full, world class, 3-piece horn section also! That would be so cool that we won't even notice the heat (actually, we play right adjacent to the Lake and there's usually a cooling breeze) We play about two blocks from the Iowa Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame, so get there early to check out the museum, (we were inducted with the class of 2007) we play three 50-minute sets starting at 7:30p. Bring your swimming suit and go jump in the lake on breaks...
We have Saturday/Sunday off and start playing again on Monday (7/23) (I just realized that we have more Monday gigs this month than we have gigs on Saturday) (Supwitdat?) Monday is our second year for being included in the annual Wayne McCracken Memorial Concert series. Wayne was a huge local/regional music fan in Des Moines and when he passed, a small fund was established to stage a music performance on the lawn of his church every year. It's an honor to be included in this remembrance show. We play on the lawn of Grace United Methodist Church, 3700 Cottage Grove, Des Moines, 7-8:30p...
Wednesday (7/25) will be a first in our 31 year history. Every year, for about the last 10 years, we have allowed an arts organization to auction off a night with The Blue Band as a fundraising tool for that organization. For many years it was the Friends of KUNI, last year it was the Friends of Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. This year The Independence Music In Our Schools Foundation approached us about doing the auction for them. What a concept: funding for music classes is cut, so parents mobilize to raise money to keep it going! A group of teachers won the auction and instead of having us play a party in their back yard, they thought it would be even more beneficial to the music students to have us do a show, WITH THE KIDS SITTIN' IN!! So the Independence Schools summer jazz camp concert will run from 7-8pm and The Blue Band with high school jazz students sitting in happens from 8:15-9:15p. Al will join us to help direct the kids through the horn charts and we're told that high school piano players and guitar players may be part of the show as well. We play the "Heartland Acres Event Center". Take the 1st Independence exit off of Hwy 20, Head north and take the 1st left on Swan Lake Blvd. Follow that road until you run right into the Heartland Acres. I'm really gassed that this year's auction will benefit young musicians directly. That makes me smile...
Next Friday (7/27) marks our return to Ottumwa's Live After 5 celebration. Since the band has a history in "O" Town of 31 years, (and I played there before that in The Little Red Rooster Band days and Jeff played there with The Headstone Band for many years) it's always a fun, reunion type atmosphere at this TGIF party. We play 5-8pm in Central Park (right next to the historic Hotel Ottumwa)...
And next Saturday brings us back to The Bix/Downtown Davenport Street Dance. Talk about yer reunion atmosphere. I went to Davenport Central High School (just a few blocks north of where we play) (yes, I graduated just a few years after the dinosaurs died out) I love tradin' high school sports stories (ya should seen me throw that ball) with my old classmates and can't wait to see if Wayne Lyons, the bass player in my Jr High/High School band Tortoise & The Hair (1967 band picture: http://www.theblueband.com/iablues.html) shows up. Please be aware that earlier this year, the Street Fest folks scheduled us for a late afternoon show (real Geeezer hours) but now have moved us back to our usual spot of 7:30-9:30p on the Main Stage, 2nd & Main, in Davenport...
Carolyn took another step forward (get it?) in her recovery from a hairline fracture in her foot and shattering her pinky finger. She's out of the walking boot and into more of a wrap kind of support bandage and the hand is out of the cast with the broken finger in a removable splint. This comes just in time for the BIG Prins Family gathering on Saturday afternoon. We're celebrating Carolyn's parents 60th Wedding anniversary and her niece's engagement. Carolyn's mom is from a family of 10 kids so this will be quite the reunion. Congrats Bob & Ruth Prins! I'm sure there will be CAKE...
Now that Carolyn is out of the boot, we decided to see if she could try and get back into a walking routine, so we did a couple laps in the local mall this evening. This is fortunate because otherwise I would not have known that Vicky's Place (Victoria's Secret) was offering a FREE "Seamless Little Panty" with the purchase of some wonder bra that "adds up to two sizes" in appearance. First off, I was unaware that women's panties sometimes come with seams (why?) and secondly, isn't a bra that adds up to two sizes in appearance really false advertising? (or in this case falsie advertising)...
After this nine day run, we have no work until Aug. 10th (unless you need entertainment for that deck party at your mansion on the outskirts of town) (that Bob & Jeff duo was a lot of fun) so I don't anticipate there being another Blue Note for a couple of weeks. See yas on the Blue Highway, rub yer washboard to the tune of Hot Time In The Old Town Tonight, support your local schools' music program (don't make 'em resort to bake sales) (unless CAKE is involved) and always know that we love you. Bob Dorr & The Blue Band
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