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| July 10, 2009 |
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Volume 4 Issue 25 (now with 20,000+ subscribers)
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WHY OUR SUBSCRIBERS RECEIVE THESE "OTHER" EMAILS
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You've probably noticed The Blues Festival E-guide sending our subscribers email blasts for "other" purposes; such as promoting an individual festival, or an individual artist.
For example, the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, or Big Bill Morganfield.
Why do we do it?
It's simply a matter of revenue generation for us. Keep in mind, we produce a FREE magazine, a FREE website directory of festivals, and this FREE weekly newsletter.
We have costs, and we have employees. So please understand and cut us a little slack.
And you know what! Based on the number of opens, clicks, listens and purchases...a lot of you like these emails and find the information of interest.
There is a rumor circulating that we sell our list of email addresses. Not True! We never let our subscriber list "out of our control". These emails are generated from us so that our customers can't have access to the list. Your email address is not being circulated around the world for our financial gain.
So there it is...the whys and the how's behind these extra emails.
Thanks for your understanding, patience and of course...continued support of Blues.
Your friends at The Blues Festival Guide |
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| STORMCELLAR : : Spacejunk |
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STORMCELLAR – MISSION SC3-EP1 – ‘SPACEJUNK’
AVAILABLE ONLINE 15th JULY 2009
IN SPACE, NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU BOOGIE!
<< TRANSMISSION BEGINS>>
Back in the 60’s, Canned Heat celebrated the Golden Age of Space Exploration with their album ‘Future Blues’.
As humanity prepares once more to return to space, only one band is peculiar enough to risk the perils of an All-Analogue Blues Exploration recorded on Vintage Gear
by Vintage Engineers (no kiddin!) using a combination of the latest technology (circa 1969) of ‘2 track tape’ and ‘Dolby’ (ooh! High tech!), Stormcellar is going Back To…. Future Blues!
I’m reporting from Skipbinfilla Southern Tracking Station in Sydney, Australia, on the imminent touch down of Stormcellar’s Mission SC3-EP1, ‘Spacejunk’ at the Basement Nightclub Wednesday 15th July.
Yes, that’s right, while working on our second album, we decided to make an All-Analogue EP. Why? We say, Why not! (Actually, we also say ‘why?’ but we can’t explain it either)
Recorded live to 2 track ¼” and 8 track ½” analogue tape on location at Mangrove Mountain and Goose Studios, mixed and mastered on obscure equipment, ‘Spacejunk’ is live, raw Blues, Roots & Boogie.
If you are in the Southern Hemisphere you’ll be able to see the re-entry of Mission SC3-EP1 at the Basement Nightclub July 15th 2009, featuring the Midnight Ramblers, rOn.KnOb and a presentation by the National Space Society’s Anthony Wicht!
Tune your telescopes, polish your spacesuits and prepare for landing!
Michael ‘MJEB’ Barry
Mission Specialist – SC3-EP1
www.stormcellar.com.au
PS: If you’re down south, come to the launch!
<<<< TRANSMISSION ENDS >>>>>
[paid advertisment]
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| IZZY & CHRIS : : PREACHIN THE BLUES VOL.1 |
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"Blues is our Business And Business is Good!"
Izzy & Chris were united at an open stage in the summer of 2006. The duo performed a few songs together and got a standing ovation from the crowd. From that moment forward, it was evident the chemistry, the love of the blues, and playing from the heart, will keep the two together "Preachin The Blues" for many years to come. Only a few weeks after meeting they were main stage performers at the 2006 West Virginia Blues Festival.
Izzy, born in Weirton, West Virginia, began playing guitar at the age of nine. At the age of 17 while visiting New Orleans LA everything changed for Izzy when he purchased a Robert Johnson album at a flea market off of Bourbon Street. Since that moment Izzy has dedicated his life and music to the blues.
Chris, born in St. Louis, Missouri, began playing piano at the age of seven. It was not until later in life he began playing harmonica. After playing open stages for a couple of years, Chris got a break. He became the harmonica player for the late, great Pittsburgh guitarist "Smokin' Joe" Bisgella. After Joe's death in 2002, Chris committed himself to playing music.
Izzy's journey with the blues continued as he played countless blues clubs and bars from Pittsburgh to Memphis, and throughout the Southeast. Highlighting this point in Izzy's journey was winning best solo acoustic act at the Western Pennsylvania Blues Society Competition in 2006 and then becoming a finalist at the International Blues Competition held in Memphis.
Although Chris' first love is the blues, it's his ability to play many styles of music that's made him the hardest working harmonica player in the Pittsburgh area. Past endeavors include performing with harmonica legend Greg "Fingers" Taylor and playing full time harmonica for two successful local bands, the honky tonk band 706 Union and Ms. Fredi and the Blue Faze Band. Chris is also an official endorser for Seydel Harmonicas
In May of 2007, Izzy & Chris signed a recording contract with 80/20 Music Entertainment and have finished recording their first release together titled "Preachin The Blues...Vol 1" at Grammy Award winning studio Audible Images. Since signing with 80/20 Entertainment, Izzy & Chris have been main stage performers at numerous major festivals and also have been the supporting act for lsuch legends as Buckwheat Zydeco, Watermelon Slim, Keb' Mo, The Robert Cray Band, The Gibson Brothers, Dale Watson, Shemeika Copeland, Sonny Landreth, Hubert Sumlin & The Nighthawks, The Hackensaw Boys, Charlie Musslewhite, Indigenous, Johnny Winter and Buddy Guy.
Izzy & Chris have been winning over many fans with their AMAZING live performances. They most recently won over the West Virginia Blues Society judges taking first place honors among the solo/duo acts at the Appalachian Blues Competition in Charleston WV which earned them a spot in the 2008 International Blues Competition in Memphis TN.
Izzy and Chris are have been nominated for a 2009 United States Artists Fellowship.
Blues Revue Magazine has selected the Izzy and Chis' cd Preachin' The Blues Vol 1 as one of the best new releases. Their song Steady Rollin' Daddy will be included on the Oct 2009 Blues Revue sampler cd which is sent to all their subscribers.
For more: CLICK
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| BIG BILL MORGANFIELD : : BORN LOVER |
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William "Big Bill" Morganfield, born June 19, 1956, Chicago, Illinois, is an American blues singer and guitarist. Morganfield was raised by his grandmother, Verdell Clark, in Southern Florida. He came to music later in life, having first worked as a teacher after earning bachelors degrees in English from Tuskegee University and Communications from Auburn University.
Many men try to fill their father's shoes when they join the family business. Few, however, must prove they are up to the task in front of an audience as large as the one that watched Big Bill Morganfield. Morganfield didn't take up the challenge until several years after his dad passed away in 1983. The blues world mourned the passing of Muddy Waters. Muddy leaves not only a gaping hole on the blues scene but also a grief-stricken son who is contemplating how to handle the loss. Bill buys himself a guitar and retreats into a private world, intending to teach himself how to play and then pay homage to his famous father. Indeed, this was the beginning of Big Bill Morganfield as a Bluesman and the start of his blues journey.
That tribute was six long years in coming; years that Morganfield spent teaching himself how to play the instrument. He studies the blues styles of the past. Says Bill, "I learned the old traditional blues, songs written in the 1930's to the 1950's." An evening spent playing harp at Center Stage in Atlanta with Lonnie Mack followed. The audience, which numbered 1000, went wild over the performance and set the novice musician's spirit afire.
William "Big Bill" Morganfield is the son of McKinley Morganfield (Muddy Waters) and has emerged in the past few years as one of the top young blues talents in America. Bill has played all over the world in the past 11 years, bringing pure joy to those who have had the pleasure of seeing his live performance.
Bill's new CD, BORN LOVER (co-produced by Bob Margolin, Muddy Waters band alumnus) was released on July 7, 2009.
For more: CLICK
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Enter this contest and win!
ENTER TO BE ON ELWOOD'S GUEST LIST
AND ENJOY LIVE SUMMERTIME BLUES
Elwood Blues (aka Dan Aykroyd), The BluesMobile.com, and The Blues Festival Guide want to get you into a local Blues music festival FOR FREE! We're giving away tickets to over 50 Blues festivals all across the continent, all summer long. 40 Blues fans will each win a pair of tickets to a Blues festival in their area.
The festivals range from small, unique gatherings to large, multiple-stage events. Each festival has its own character. Enter for your chance to win a pair of tickets and choose a festival in your region. 10 winners will be chosen each month in May, June, July, and August, 2009.
There is nothing to purchase, and we'll never sell your information. Entrants must be 18 or older. One winner per household, prizes do not include transportation, accommodations, food, drink, etc. unless otherwise specified. Void where prohibited.
For your chance to get on Elwood's Guest List visit TheBluesMobile.com.
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WHY MUSIC MOVES US
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Key Concepts
Some scientists conclude that music’s influence over us may be a chance event, arising from its ability to hijack brain systems built for other purposes such as language, emotion and movement.
Music seems to offer a novel method of communication rooted in emotions rather than in meaning. Research shows that what we feel when we hear a piece of music is remarkably similar to what everybody else in the room is experiencing.
Songs facilitate emotional bonding and even physical interactions such as marching or dancing together and thus may help cement ties that underlie the formation of human societies. In addition, tunes may work to our benefit on an individual level, manipulating mood and even human physiology more effectively than words can.
New research explains music's power over human emotions and its benefits to our mental and physical well-being
(Karen Schrock/Scientific American) As a recreational vocalist, I have spent some of the most moving moments of my life engaged in song. As a college student, my eyes would often well up with tears during my twice-a-week choir rehearsals. I would feel relaxed and at peace yet excited and joyful, and I occasionally experienced a thrill so powerful that it sent shivers down my spine. I also felt connected with fellow musicians in a way I did not with friends who did not sing with me.
I have often wondered what it is about music that elicits such emotions. Philosophers and biologists have asked the question for centuries, noting that humans are universally drawn to music. It consoles us when we are sad, pumps us up in happier times and bonds us to others, even though listening to an iPod or singing “Happy Birthday” does not seem necessary for survival or reproduction.
Some scientists conclude that music’s influence may be a chance event, arising from its ability to hijack brain systems built for other purposes such as language, emotion and movement. As Harvard University psychologist Steven Pinker famously put it in his 1997 book How the Mind Works (W. W. Norton), music is “auditory cheesecake,” a confection crafted to tickle the areas of the mind that evolved for more important functions. But as a result of that serendipity, music seems to offer a novel system of communication rooted in emotions rather than in meaning. Recent data show, for example, that music reliably conveys certain sentiments: what we feel when we hear a piece of music is remarkably similar to what everybody else in the room is experiencing.
Emerging evidence also indicates that music brings out predictable responses across cultures and among people of widely varying musical or cognitive abilities. Even newborn infants and people who cannot discern pitch enjoy music’s emotional effect. “Certainly music seems to be the most direct form of emotional communication,” opines renowned neurologist Oliver Sacks of Columbia University, author of the recent book Musicophilia (Knopf, 2007). “It really seems to be as important a part of human life and communication as language and gesture.”
Such dialogue provides a way for people to connect emotionally and thus may reinforce the ties that underlie the formation of human societies, which have clear survival advantages. Musical rhythms may have even facilitated certain physical interactions such as marching or dancing together, further cementing our social ties. In addition, tunes may work to our benefit on an individual level, manipulating mood and even human physiology more effectively than words can—to excite, energize, calm or promote physical fitness. All these benefits are causing people to reconsider whether music is truly as frivolous as it seems.
Mosaic in the Mind
Throughout recorded history, people have attempted to explain music’s sway over the human spirit. Music has been labeled everything from a gift of the heavens to a tool of the Devil, from an extension of mathematics to a side effect of language processing. Charles Darwin was famously stumped by music’s ubiquitous presence around the world: man’s predilection for music, he wrote in 1871 in The Descent of Man, “must be ranked among the most mysterious with which he is endowed.”
Since the 1950s many psychologists have attempted to explain music’s power by comparing music appreciation with speech. After all, an understanding of both music and speech requires, at its most primitive level, the ability to detect sounds. The brain’s auditory cortex, an area dedicated to hearing, is now known to process basic musical elements such as pitch (a note’s frequency) and volume; the neighboring secondary auditory areas digest more complex musical patterns such as harmony and rhythm.
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DELTA BLUES MUSEUM
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Don't Miss the Opening Reception for "Nathan Miller: Notes From the Mississippi Delta" Tuesday, July 14th, 5 til 7 p.m.
The Delta Blues Museum invites the public to attend the opening reception for Notes from the Mississippi Delta -- featuring photographs by Nathan Miller, who will be signing his book of the same name (available for purchase in the museum gift shop). The exhibit opened at Monash Gallery in Melbourne and then traveled to Clarksdale for its American debut.
Photographed between 2002 and 2007, images of legendary bluesmen, local barbershops, Sunday church gatherings, roadside memorials and elegant natural vistas in Notes from the Mississippi Delta portray a community and culture that Miller has deep respect and affinity with. Miller records his experiences in a range of extraordinary images that he describes as "visual notes of a traveler with a camera passing through."
The exhibit opening is Tuesday from 5 til 7 p.m. and is sponsored by the Mississippi Arts Commission, Shack Up Inn and Cotton Gin Inn and the Friends of the Delta Blues Museum.
For more: CLICK
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STACY BROOKS
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| Stacy Brooks started singing at the age of five on an Army Base in Zweibruken, Germany and after her first standing ovation she was hooked on connecting with the audience.. Stacy continued to cultivate her craft, by singing with other bands, and doing radio jingles. As a solo artist, Stacy Brooks stepped out into the front in February 2007, and Stacy was nominated for "New Artist of the Year" by The Washington Area Music Association that year. Fast Forward to 2009, in her short span as a solo artist on the blues circuit, she has shared the stage with blues legends Bobby Parker, The Nighthawks, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Kenny Neal, Memphis Gold and Lil Dave Thompson just to name a few. Her highly anticipated debut CD, Love Peace & The Blues is coming soon in which Stacy wrote 8 of the songs and is the executive producer. The CD features a duet with legendary Bluesman Kenny Neal who is also a co-producer along with Memphis Gold. |
July 11 2009 2:00P
Sedalia Blues Festival Big Island, Virginia
Jul 12 2009 4:00P
Private Event Washington DC, Washington DC
Jul 16 2009 8:30P
Flanagan’s Harp & Fiddle Bethesda, Maryland
Jul 22 2009 5:00P
University Town Center/Independence Plaza Hyattsville, Maryland
Aug 7 2009 8:00P
Performing on Bandwagon Stage-Riverfront Blues Festival Wilmington, Delaware
Sep 11 2009 10:00P
Tribute to 9-11-Bangkok Blues Falls Church, Virginia
Oct 3 2009 2:00P
Big Lick Blues Festival Roanoke, Virginia
Oct 29 2009 8:30P
Flanagan’s Harp & Fiddle Bethesda, Maryland
Love...Peace & The Blues, the CD is coming! Stacy Brooks
www.stacysmusic.org
www.myspace.com/stacybrooksmusic www.deltaboogie.com/stacybrooks www.sonicbids.com/stacybrooks
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INTERNET RADIO SITES AND MUSIC INDUSTRY REACH AGREEMENT ON ROYALTIES
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Deal with SoundExchange allows large webcasters such as Pandora to pay lower per-song royalties or 25% of their total revenue.
The music won't stop for Internet radio after a group of webcasters struck an agreement with SoundExchange, the organization that collects royalties for musicians and record companies, over payments for playing music online.
The settlement ends a 2 1/2 -year-old dispute that had threatened to silence the nascent Internet radio business and had forced some people who started online stations as a hobby to quit for fear of accruing expensive royalty bills.
The deal is part of a series of agreements made this year that cover various sectors of the industry, including small webcasters and conventional radio stations that simulcast their broadcasts online, and have resolved much of the controversy.
Tuesday's settlement allows websites that stream music to avoid per-song royalty payments that were set in 2007 by a special federal court and that many Internet radio sites said would force them out of business. Instead, Pandora Media Inc. and other large webcasters can choose an alternative rate structure that allows them to pay lower per-song royalties or 25% of their revenue -- a major break, given that many webcasters don't make much money yet. "If the rates weren't resolved, we were sunk. So this is a huge relief," said Tim Westergren, co-founder of Pandora, the Oakland, Calif., webcaster that has about 30 million registered users. The company forecasts $40 million in revenue this year and hopes to become profitable next year, he said.
The new per-song rates start at 0.08 of a cent per listener for each song played and rise to 0.14 of a cent in 2015, when the agreement ends. The rates set in 2007 by the Copyright Royalty Board started at 0.0762 of a cent but were to more than double to 0.19 of a cent by 2010. Under the new agreement, large webcasters pay whichever is greater, the per-song fee or 25% of their revenue. Smaller commercial webcasters -- those with $1.25 million or less in total revenue -- would pay between 10% and 14% of their sales or 7% of their expenses, whichever is greater.
"It's a substantial reduction in the per-song streaming fee, and that was really the crux of the problem for us," said Westergren, who has been a leading voice in the fight against the royalty rates. The Copyright Royalty Board allows SoundExchange to negotiate different rates on behalf of the musicians and record labels. And legislation passed by Congress allows a deal struck with one webcaster to apply to any others that want to accept it.
Tuesday's deal was struck with three webcasters -- AccuRadio, Radio IO and Digitally Imported, said John Simson, executive director of SoundExchange. The Digital Media Assn., which represents webcasters and other online media providers, said it was pleased with the agreement and expected some of its members to opt for the deal. The agreement will help Internet radio grow, said Paul Krasinski, chief executiveof Ando Media, an Internet radio tracking company.
SoundExchange came to agreements this year with the National Assn. of Broadcasters, which represents over-the-air radio stations, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which represents public radio stations. It also struck a deal with small webcasters. But rates for large ones, such as Pandora, were unresolved until Tuesday. The deal is retroactive to 2006 and extends through 2015. "We were able to come up with an interesting, experimental approach," said Simson, whose organization includes major record labels such as Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group as well as independent labels. "We're still in a developing business, so we said, 'Let's try something that gives us a really nice upside if they're successful.' "
The agreement works for "pureplay" webcasters -- those that simply play music, often supported by advertisements. Those sites may have very low revenue while the Internet radio model continues to evolve. Websites that stream music but also sell other products won't find the deal so appealing because they must pay a percentage of all their revenue, Simson said.
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JOHN'S CARPET HOUSE IS A PIECE OF "DETROIT SOUL"
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Detnews.com/Story by Louis Aguilar
The corner of St. Aubin and Frederick in east Detroit is a well-manicured patch of land amid streets where tall, unruly weeds grow in the places homes used to be. The corner is called John's Carpet House, but there is no home there, either. The only carpet is a small, stained piece next to a portable toilet. And John died five years ago.
But every Sunday from May to October, John's Carpet House becomes vivid testimony Detroit still burns with raw creativity. From 3 p.m. to sunset, a live jam takes place featuring Detroit's blues royalty, who perform for as many as 500 people. There's no real advertising, no seats except the lawn chairs people bring, and no cover. It's so grassroots it feels like it happens of its own accord, but Albert "Big Pete" Barrow, a retired auto worker and deejay, keeps a tight rein on things.
Artists such as Harmonica Shah, Howard Glazer and Kenny Miller show up and wait their turn to play on the patch of carpet, their instruments powered by a generator. "We can play Europe, we can play in big festivals, but, in Detroit, this is where it's at," says Glazer.
Many here know the story of John's Carpet House. John Estes was a junk man and drummer and sometimes singer who lived across the street. Twenty years ago, he built a wooden shack, decorated it with scraps of carpet, and invited blues musicians to play every Sunday.
"John died about five years ago, his house burned down about two years ago, so we brought it over here," to the empty field, Barrow says. He met Estes about a decade ago through a singer named Pretty Paul. He and singer Kenny Miller are the driving forces behind the Sunday jams. They cut the lawn, clean the Porta-John and occasionally ask the crowd to donate some money to cut the grass, put gas in the generator.
"Detroit is the blues, man. Everybody knows that. We just do it because it's seems a way to give back to the neighborhood. You can see how people connect to the songs." Barrow says. They are songs of haunting loss and raunchy humor. Tales of mean women and unfaithful men. Too much drinking and not nearly enough money or work. Occasionally, the mercy of Jesus is sought.
People of all ages and sizes dance unabashedly. Some drink freely. If anyone gets too rowdy, members of motorcycle gangs who are devoted fans step in and keep the peace, organizers said. But people here seem intent on forgetting about their troubles instead of starting any.
"John used to say if you didn't like blues, you had a hole in your soul," Barrow says. "This is Detroit soul."
Click for Video
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SUMMERTIME BLUES FOR A CURE
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Sean Carney's Blues For A Cure and Northstar Golf Club are teaming up to bring the first annual "Summertime Blues For A Cure" golf outing and Blues concert to central Ohio. This two-day event will benefit the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research at Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC - James) and the IMPEDE (Importance of Prevention and Early Detection) Program at Grady Memorial Hospital. Presenting sponsor for this event is The Robert Weiler Company Realtors.
The fun kicks off Friday night at 8pm, July 24, at the home of Blues For A Cure.....Whiskey Dick's, 2690 E. Dublin Granville Rd., Columbus, Ohio, featuring the 2006 Guitar Center Guitarmageddon "King of the Blues" National Champion Matt O'Ree Band, from New Jersey. Another young guitar phenom, Scotty Bratcher, will open the evening with his three-piece rockin' blues band from Cincinnati. Friday night's concert is being organized and presented by Tony's Treasures and Bear In The Chair. Tickets for Friday's show are a $15 donation.
On Saturday, Northstar Golf Club, 1150 Wilson Road, Sunbury, Ohio, will host a golf scramble with a 1 pm shotgun start. Following the golf event, all participants will be served a southern style barbeque dinner in the clubhouse. There will be a silent auction to further support the cause.
At 7:30 that evening, the music will crank up again with a killer lineup of guitar centric Blues and some of the best Blues guitar slingers in the country. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets for an evening under the stars with delicious southern barbeque vittles from Shane's Rib Shack and all your favorite beverages available for purchase.
Kicking things off will be Hurricane Jerry and Stormfront, featuring Gene "King Saxe" Walker. Jerry Loos was named Ohio's "KING OF THE BLUES" in 2007. This was a national competition sponsored by Guitar Center and Gibson Guitars.
After the first band, Dr. Michael Caligiuri, Director, Ohio State's Comprehensive Cancer Center, and CEO, James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, will provide some exciting news on research being done by the Spielman Fund (www.spielmanfund.com). Lisa Pettrey, Vice President of Operations, C.N.O. and Dr. Kay Rothman from Grady Memorial Hospital, will provide information on IMPEDE (Importance of Prevention and Early Detection) Program and how it benefits the community.
A live auction will be held between acts. It will feature an Eric Clapton autographed guitar and a Worthington Industries donated corporate suite for 12 at the new Columbus Clippers stadium.
Next up is one of the Blues For A Cure partner bands from Kansas City, the 2008 International Blues Challenge champions Trampled Under Foot, featuring 2008 International Blues Challenge Albert King most promising guitar player and Category 5 Amplification endorsed Nick Schlebelen.
Closing out the evening will be Columbus's own International Star and 2007 International Blues Challenge champions Sean Carney Band, featuring 2007 International Blues Challenge Albert King most promising guitar player and Category 5 Amplification endorsed Sean Carney. There will be a host of special guests being featured during that set ending with an All-Star Jam. Current featured guests include John Popovich, Jim Godin and Chuck Moore.
Founder of Blues For A Cure, Sean Carney wrote, "Following the tremendous success of our 2008 Blues For A Cure event that featured the legendary Hubert Sumlin and raised $12,000, we are delighted that Northstar Golf Club is enthusiastic about our concept. Summertime Blues For A Cure is the next step and Northstar is a beautiful location for a summer golf and blues outing celebrating American music and raising money to support cancer related causes in our community."
Northstar Golf Club General Manager Bill Gallant released this statement: "I am pleased to announce that we will be hosting the 1st annual Summertime Blues for a Cure Golf Outing and Blues Concert on July 25. This event represents an important milestone for The Northstar Golf Club and the surrounding community in that it is a charity event that benefits many, gives us a chance to celebrate with the survivors and is dedicated in the memory of our own Mark Schell."
Pricing for individual golf packages start at $125, including lawn seat tickets for the evening Blues Concert. Concert only tickets are $25 for lawn seats and $50 for a limited number of VIP table seats available on a first-come, first-served basis. For golf signup, contact Cindy Blake at 614-766-2246 or cblake2246@columbus.rr.com. For concert only tickets, visit our website at www.bluesforacure.org.
Several sponsorship levels are still available and hole sponsorships are $200, with a $50 tribute option to recognize a cancer survivor or loved one lost.
For questions regarding sponsorships, please contact Mark Puskarich (mark@achristmastocurecancer.org or 614-620-6786) or Steve Mack (smackoh@yahoo.com or 614-256-6728). Any questions regarding the press release should also be directed to Mark Puskarich.
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BUSTED GUITAR BLUES IS SWEET YOU TUBE REVENGE
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(The Star.com) Dave Carroll's ode to a broken guitar has turned into an Internet tempest and become a cause célèbre for any musician who has ever had a maddening flight experience.
The Halifax-based singer-songwriter's music video "United Breaks Guitars" – an overnight hit on YouTube – chronicles his year-long battle for compensation after a United Airlines baggage handler broke his guitar.
But there's one woman who isn't tapping her toes to the 4 1/2-minute folk ballad – and that's because she is named in the second verse. "I am not pleased with that. I did my job and upheld company policy," the now notorious Ms. Irlweg said from an airline office in Illinois. (She asked that her first name not to be used for fear she might be bombarded with hostile calls.) "I know Mr. Carroll wasn't happy with the outcome, but that wasn't the way (to go about it)," she said.
It's about to get a whole lot more unpleasant for her. Carroll has already written and recorded the song's sequel, which takes a closer look at the exchanges between him and the baggage claims representative. A music video is in the works. "One day I'd like to meet her. I have a feeling she's a funny person," he said. "She was a worthy adversary."
The pair's battle began in the spring of 2008 when his band, Sons of Maxwell, flew to Nebraska for a one-week tour. As the aircraft sat on the tarmac in Chicago, a fellow passenger spotted a baggage handler tossing instruments.
Carroll later discovered the neck of his $3,500 Taylor guitar had been snapped. He was bounced from one employee to the next until reaching Irlweg, who eventually told him he would not be compensated.
He promised her he would write songs about his experience with the airline and share it with the world.
And did he ever. The video has gone viral, racking up more than 466,000 views since it was posted on YouTube on Monday. Since then, Carroll has appeared on CNN, ABC and a handful of radio stations. In fact, the Timmins-born performer's life is now managed by a public relations agent. The Star was initially given 10 minutes to talk to him. Then five minutes. The PR guy cut it off after four.
It all comes as a surprise to Carroll's mother.
"He's becoming quite the star but he deserves it," Sharon Carroll said from her home in Halifax. "When I heard this one, I sat there and my toe was tapping. I said to him, `This one is a goody.'"
Carroll has been slugging it out as a musician alongside his brother, Don, since they moved to Nova Scotia in the mid-1990s. Their extensive touring and brand of pop-folk music has carved out a dedicated fan base. In 2006, the band was nominated for Group of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards.
All that pales in comparison to the online following their video has attracted.
Their YouTube page is filled with comments, many applauding Carroll's gall in knocking a big corporation. Scores of people are flocking to anti-United Airlines groups on Facebook.
Meanwhile, the Canadian local of the American Federation of Musicians is using the performer as a flag-bearer in its efforts to make it easier for musicians to travel with their instruments. James Norrie, associate dean of the Ted Rogers School of Management, feels Carroll's success has little to with his musical talents. "This is really more about creativity," he said. "He got the video picked up early by the crowd that really matters, people in their late teens to early 30s." Norrie warns if Carroll's next two songs employ the same formula, viewers will grow bored and his online fame will fizzle.
But in many ways, the video has already completed its intended purpose, the songwriter said. A United Airlines spokesperson said the company is reviewing its policies and will use the video to train staff. I'm not really looking for compensation anymore," said Carroll. "I just wanted change. I thought: what would Michael Moore do if he was a singer-songwriter? And wrote the song."
To see the video: CLICK
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BBQ & BLUES FIRES UP FOR ONE LAST TIME
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(Michael Kirby/Auburn Journal file photo) Great weather and excellent blues music brought out a great crowd to the Placer SPCA’s 19th annual blues bash, a major fundraiser for the organization that provides services for Placer County’s animals.
20-year fundraiser to end Saturday
For 19 years one county event has been cooking up soulful live music and tasty barbecue meals. But now, in its 20th year, the annual BBQ & Blues will take the stage at the Gold Country Fairgrounds for one final performance.
The long-standing community event and fundraiser for the Placer Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will end after its celebration this weekend, which will feature blues music great Curtis Salgado as its headliner. “We have been talking for a while about reinventing the event,” said Leilani Vierra, Placer SPCA CEO. “This will be our 20th great year and before it ends up not being great, we want to go out with a bang and kick off with something new.”
Vierra said Placer SPCA officials are still in the brainstorming phase of what event will replace their 20-year success, but she said it will have a four-legged element to it.
She explained that BBQ & Blues is not a good environment for companion animals. While the event has been a successful fundraiser for the organization, she said often times people don’t connect the music and barbecue with the SPCA. That will change next year. However, this year officials are planning a memorable event starting with their headliner.
Salgado fronted a Grammy-wining group between 1984 and 1986 but perhaps he is better known for inspiring John Belushi for the Blues Brothers act he collaborated on with Dan Akroyd. Salgado has toured with Steve Miller and The Doobie Brothers and was a lead vocalist with Santana during the 1990s. “For many years we’ve been trying to get him as one of our performers and he’s always been on tour,” Vierra said. “We really feel fortunate in this final year to finally be able to bring Curtis Salgado in as our main stage headliner.” Two other blues bands — Café R&B and Mr. December — will take the main stage prior to Salgado’s performance.
“Every one of us is a pet owner and we all value pets as a part of the family,” said Dana Moret, lead singer of Mr. December. “Any chance we have to give back and create awareness for other animal lovers is very important to us. We’re honored to be asked to do this.” Also, several other blues bands will play on the Constable Jack’s Stage in the fairgrounds starting at 1 p.m.
Perhaps one of the biggest draws to the event this year, Vierra said, is the low $20 ticket price. Vierra said officials lowered the normal cost of entry to celebrate the event’s 20 years.
“This really allows everyone accessibility to this event be it to support the cause or, like we all do, to deserve a fun day out that’s affordable and enjoyable,” Vierra said. “You just can’t beat that $20 anniversary price.”
In addition to music, attendees can shop items offered by more than 40 vendors. Local nonprofit clubs including the Auburn 49er Lions and Sierra Family Service and the Capital Edge Beasts little league team, will be on site selling food.
“One of the reasons why BBQ & Blues is so successful for us is because of the support from both businesses and individuals in the community,” Vierra said. “We know as we transition into a new fundraising event we’ll receive the same support.”
Kathleen Harris, president of Harris Industrial Gases and eight-year sponsor of BBQ & Blues, agreed. “I’m a lifelong Auburn resident and my heart will always be with the animals,” Harris said. “They (the SPCA) do a wonderful job of finding homes.” Harris, who owns two dogs, said she has mixed emotions about this being the final year for BBQ & Blues. “Of course I will miss it but I really look forward to a new format for their main fundraiser,” Harris said. “One that would include people bringing their dogs and a more family-friendly event.”
BBQ & Blues
What: 20th anniversary of Placer SPCA fundraiser BBQ & Blues
When: 1 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Gold Country Fairgrounds, 1273 High St., Auburn
Cost: $20 in advance, $30 at the door. Food, beverages and parking not included
Performers: Headliner Curtis Salgado takes the main stage at 8 p.m. Others include Café R&B and Mr. December
For more: CLICK
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The Blues: Alabama's music city closes music festival due to hard times
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MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. (AP) - Alabama's music city, Muscle Shoals, is canceling its CityFest music festival for this year due to the economy's blues.
Mayor David Bradford cited a lack of corporate sponsorships as the reason for calling off the October event, which had been held for six years.
Bradford said the city hated to ask companies for funding at the same time they were laying off employees.
CityFest was created to celebrate Muscle Shoals' music history. This year's event would have coincided with the 50th anniversary of FAME Recording Studios, where Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and Percy Sledge recorded hits.
The Shoals area is known worldwide for its music recording industry, as the birthplace of W. C. Handy, Father of the Blues.
Bradford said the city hopes to bring back the festival when the economy improves.
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Blues Music Education Needs Your Vote
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[Courtesy of The Blues Founcation www.blues.org]
BONTAJ COLLECTIVE ACTION FUND
In conjunction with ticketing agencies like Ticketmaster, Live Nation Ticketing and Musictoday, and some venues and promoters, the concertgoers and artists are all coming together to raise money for charity with every ticket sold on The BonTaj Roulet Tour. With 25 cents taken directly from the ticket price, matched by 25 cents from Bonnie and Taj, and with Ticketmaster. Live Nation Ticketing and Musictoday stepping up to the plate to match the contributions, we hope to reach our goal of raising $1 for charity for every ticket sold on the thirty date BonTaj Roulet tour! Get involved and vote on what the ACTION FUND will support.
Blues Music Education Needs Your Vote
Help Bonnie and Taj decide--Vote for Blues music education early and often.
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The Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival To Charge Admission
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The Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival in Helena-West Helena will charge admission for its main stage shows for the first time.
Bubba Sullivan, a member of the Sonny Boy Blues Society board which organizes the event, says hard economic times and loss of some sponsors led organizers to institute a fee.
For 24 years, the annual festival has drawn people from around the world to soak up the music on the banks of the Mississippi River.
The fee for access to the grassy area and levee in front of the main stage will be $10 a day, or $25 for a 3-day pass. 3-day passes will be sold for $20 through Sept. 30 on the festival Web site.
The festival is Oct. 8, 9 and 10.
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CORRECTION:
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On Wednesday, July 8th we sent out an email blast for BackRoads Booking Agency, the agency that handles Big Bill Morganfield.
The mailing address we provided was incorrect.
The corrrect contact information is:
Marie Walker
BackRoads Booking Agency
2841 S. Locust St.
Denver, CO 80222
brbagency@gmail.com
(303) 757-1949 - office
(248) 275-3959 - cell
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JAM NIGHT OF THE WEEK/ CONNECTICUT BLUES JAMS
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Weekly Blues Events
Strykers Café Invitational Jam w/ "Joes Bluz Band" (Saturday)
The Hungry Tiger Blues Jam w/ (Monday)
Black Eyed Sally’s Open Blues Jam w/ (Wednesday)
The Crossroads Cantina Eran Troy Danner Jam (Tuesday)
Acoustic Café Open Mic (Tuesday)
Monster B's Bar & Grille Open Mic Blues Jam (Thursday)
Spill the Beans Coffee House Acoustic Open Mic w/Johnny I (Thursday)
C J Sparrow Pub & Eatery Ken Safety's Open Mic Show (Thursdays)
Sully’s Pete Scheips Jam (Sunday)
Café 9 Sunday Jam
(Thursday)Blues Jam w/Roxy Perry and Otis & the Hurricanes - The Georgetown Saloon (8:30pm) - Georgetown, CT
For more info: CLICK
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ALLIGATOR RECORDS
ALLIGATOR RECORDS SETS AN AUGUST 11 STREET DATE FOR
TOMMY CASTRO'S HARD BELIEVER
Alligator Records has set an August 11 street date for Hard Believer, the label debut from blues, rock and R&B singer, songwriter and guitarist Tommy Castro. Castro, winner of the 2008 Blues Music Award for Entertainer Of The Year, is famed not only for his hard-hitting, impassioned vocals, soaring guitar work and his blues-infused, rocking R&B sound, but also for his striking, original songwriting and exhilarating stage show. According to The San Francisco Chronicle, “Castro navigates seriously funky Southern soul, gritty big city blues and scorching rock…his silvery guitar licks simultaneously sound familiar and fresh.” Castro, booked by the famed Rosebud Agency, will be hitting the road hard -- kicking off his Hard Believer tour on August 9 in Duluth at the Bayfront Blues Festival -- playing festivals and clubs all across the U.S. and Canada.
Hard Believer was produced by John Porter (B.B. King, Elvis Costello, Buddy Guy, Keb Mo, The Smiths, Otis Rush, Billy Bragg, Roxy Music) and recorded in Castro’s hometown of San Rafael, CA. The album is anchored by Castro’s soul-baring songs, filled with profound emotion and fueled by Castro’s soulful vocals, powerful guitar, and propulsive rhythms. But what really drives the songs home is Castro’s telepathic interaction with his band. The group operates as a single engine, firing on all cylinders, sometimes pushing the pedal to the floor, other times slowing things down for a simmering ballad.
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MISSOURI BLUES ASSOCIATION
There was a time in American pop culture where blues music transcended generational gaps, socioeconomic slumps and races. Names like B.B. King, John Hurt and Muddy Waters are some of the blues icons who dominated the charts. The same music that is parent to many of the sounds we hear today is trying to make a comeback -- especially in schools.
As part of the non-profit Missouri Blues Association, a program was created to teach and retain blues music in the ears and hearts of young children -- Blues in the Schools (BITS).
BITS is part of a coalition of enthusiasts who are adamant that blues music, its history and future, are presented to students in a way they can remember. In order to do so, the "Blue Sunday" fundraiser was created and implemented. The money that is raised from donations will help local area school children interact with blues musicians who will not only perform, but instruct them on how to play certain instruments.
Chairman Peg Dzicek says in fundamental to education and American history and wishes that it could extend beyond the realms of schoolaged children. "Kids are exposed to music that can not only teach them about this country's history, but also about social studies, language and building a creative outlet," she said.
For more: CLICK
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ROY ROGERS:
 
Slide guitar master Roy Rogers is back with his band, the Delta Rhythm Kings, and his first studio album in seven years, SPLIT DECISION. Roy hunkers down with Elwood to chat about that. And also the differences between recording albums with John Lee Hooker (Grammy-winning THE HEALER), and himself. And what it is like to swap slide solos with Bonnie Raitt. Roy also gives us a live performance in the Radio Hour studios. To wrap things up, Tower of Power has a new record, putting their distinctive funky spin on some soul classics. We play a track from THE AMERICAN SOUL BOOK. This week’s contest offers a few lucky listeners a chance to win - thanks to Delmark Records - the brand new CD from Chicago bluesman, Eddie C. Campbell.
visit www.TheBluesMobile.com
for times and stations in your area.
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| Click on festival name to click through to festival website. |
VISIT THE BLUES FESTIVAL GUIDE WEBSITE FOR ALL THE FESTIVALS
Over 500 festivals are listed on the website www.BluesFestivalGuide.com
Festival Promoters got a festival you'd like to include?
It's FREE, just go to the website to post your information |
Kalamazoo Blues Festival
Thursday-Saturday, July 9-11, 2009
Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S.
www.kvba.org
269-381-6514
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Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest
Thursday-Sunday, July 9-19, 2009
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
www.ottawabluesfest.ca
866-258-3748 ext. 2 |
The Johnnie Johnson Blues and Jazz Festival
Friday-Sunday, July 10-12, 2009
Fairmont, West Virginia, Canada
www.johnniejohnsonbluesandjazz.com
304-363-5377 |
Briggs Farm Blues Festival
Friday-Saturday, July 10-11, 2009
Nescopeck, Pennsylvania, U.S.
www.briggsfarm.com
570-379-2003 |
South Loup River Blues Festival
Friday-Saturday, July 10-11, 2009
Arnold, Nebraska, U.S.
www.southloupbluesfest.com
800-584-9336 |
The Louisville Blues-n-BBQ Festival
Friday-Sunday, July 10-12, 2009
Louisville, KY, U.S.
www.bisig.com
502-583-0333 |
Anglesea Blues Festival
Friday-Sunday, July 10-12, 2009
North Wildwood, New Jersey, U.S.
www.angleseablues.com
609-523-6565 |
Frankford Island Blues Festival
Friday-Sunday, July 10-12, 2009
Quinte West (Frankford), Ontario, Canada
www.loyalblues.ca
613-392-1025
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7th Annual Groovin' in The Grove Summer Concerts 9 WK Saturday Series
Saturday, July 11, 2009
This Week: Shane Dwight Band
Lodi, California, U.S.
www.jessiesgrovewinery.com
209-368-0880
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Placer SPCA BBQ & Blues Festival
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Auburn, California, U.S.
www.placerspca.org
782-SPCA
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Animas River Blues Fest
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Aztec, New Mexico, U.S.
www.animasriverblues.com
505-330-4616 |
Annual Grassroots Blues Festival
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Duck Hill, Mississippi, U.S.
www.grassrootsblues.com
662-565-2478 |
Historical Legendary Blues Fest.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Bessemer, Alabama, U.S.
www.purplemoonentertainment.com
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North Atlantic Blues Festival
Saturday-Sunday, July 11-12, 2009
Rockland, Maine, U.S.
www.northatlanticbluesfestival.com
207-593-1189 |
New York State Blues Festival
Saturday-Sunday, July 11-12, 2009
Syracuse, New York, U.S.
www.nysbluesfest.com
315-475.4400 |
Deep Blues Festival
Wednesday-Sunday, July 15-19, 2009
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
www.deepbluesfestival.com
715-410-1116
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California WorldFest
Thursday-Sunday, July 16-19, 2009
Fairgrounds, Grass Valley, Calfiornia, U.S.
http://worldfest.net
530-891-4098 |
Bluesfest International
Thursday-Sunday, July 16-19, 2009
Windsor, Ontario, Canada, U.S.
www.thebluesfest.com
518-259-4316 |
Quincy Area Blues Fest
Friday-Saturday, July 17-18, 2009
Quincy, Illinois, U.S.
www.quincyblues.com
217-224-4393
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Master Musicians Festival
Friday-Saturday, July 17-18, 2009
Somerset, Kentucky, U.S..
www.mastermusiciansfestival.com
606-677-2933 |
Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Festival - JazzFest
Friday-Saturday, July 17-18, 2009
Sioux Falls, South Dakota, U.S..
www.jazzfestsiouxfalls.com
605-335-6101 |
Nothin But The Blues Festival
Friday-Saturday, July 17-18, 2009
Bloomington, Illinois, U.S..
www.nothinbutthebluesfestival.com
309-820-0099 |
Burlington Jazz'n Blues Festival
Friday-Sunday, July 17-19, 2009
Burlington, Ontario, Canada
www.jazznblues.ca
416-479-0110 |
Bluesfest London
Friday-Sunday, July 17-19, 2009
London, Ontario, Canada
www.thebluesfest.com
888-869-0506
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22nd Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival
Friday-Sunday, July 17-19, 2009
Winthrop, Washington, U.S.
www.winthropbluesfestival.org
800-422-3048
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Ocean View Crab and Blues
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Norfolk, VA, U.S.
www.natchelblues.org
757-456-1675
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Blue Ridge Blues & BBQ Festival
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Roanoke, VA, U.S.
www.blueridgeblues.org
540-529-8502
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Playing with Fire
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
www.playingwithfireomaha.net
402-960-1001 |
Blues N BBQ for Better Housing
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Arvada, Colorado, U.S.
www.bluesnbbq.com
720-261-0860 |
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RBA Publishing Inc is based in Reno, NV with a satellite office in Beverly Hills, Florida. We produce the annual Blues Festival Guide magazine (now in its 7th year), the top-ranking website: www.BluesFestivalGuide.com, and this weekly blues newsletter: The Blues Festival E-Guide with approximately 20,000 weekly subscribers. We look forward to your suggestions, critiques, questions, etc.
Reach the E-Guide editor, Gordon Bulcock, gordon@bluesfestivalguide.com
or contact our home office at 775-337-8626, eguide@bluesfestivalguide.com
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| Information - both editorial and advertising - in the Blues Festival E-Guide - is believed to be correct but not guaranteed - so check it carefully before you attend any event or send money for anything. We do not write the news... just report it. |
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