Fred Maytag Bowl
Newton, Iowa
With the exception of a
slight sprinkle, the weather held up quite nicely yesterday for the Bowlful
of Blues Festival at Maytag Park in Newton, Iowa. This is one
of the things I look forward to each Labor Day Weekend. Presented by The South
Skunk Blues Society this event marks the end of Summer for many of us in
the Iowa blues tribe.
Kicking off the festival this year was Omaha-based blues man Hector Anchondo who won first prize of the Solo/Duo division of the 2020 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. It is always great to hear him play. It’s hard to believe it has been nine years since I last saw him perform at the 2016 Tommy Bolin Festival in Sioux City, Iowa. Next was Mandalyn & The Hunters. This was the first time I had heard of this band, and they were very impressive. I look forward to hearing their upcoming debut album. I was very excited to finally see Sean Chambers & Savoy Brown Rhythm Section. I’ve featured several of Sean’s albums, as well as several Savoy Brown’s albums here in my PhillyCheeze blog over the years. They played a fabulous set and gave a touching tribute to the late Kim Simmonds who passed away in December of 2022. I found it interesting that it was on these Bowlful of Blues festival grounds in 2019 where Chambers first met and became friends with Simmonds, Garnet Grimm and Pat De Salvo. Headlining the festival was one of my favorite bands Ghost Town Blues Band. On saxophone with GTBB was Des Moines-based Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Heath Alan. This marked the third time this summer I saw them live, and they each time, they have a high-octane, audience-engaging show. There’s no band out there like them. In between sets, a duo comprised of Jeni Grouws (Avey Grouws Band) and Dave DuCharme-Jones kept the music flowing. I enjoyed their performances very much.
Special thanks go out to The South Skunk Blues Society and all the volunteers and sponsors who makes this wonderful event happen every year.
· All Photos by Phillip Smith
Jeni Grouws with Dave DuCharme - Jones
Hector Anchondo Band
Mandalyn & The Headhunters
Sean Chambers & Savoy Brown Rhythm Section
Ghost Town Blues Band
* All Photos by Phillip Smith
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