Showing posts with label Iowa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iowa. Show all posts

Sunday, January 14, 2018

#314 : Bob Dorr and the Blue Band - “The Last Goodbye” Tour


Bob Dorr and the Blue Band - “The Last Goodbye” Tour
w/ opening act Duke Tumatoe
Live @ Riverside Casino & Resort Show Lounge
Jan 13, 2018
Riverside, Iowa
By Phillip Smith; Jan. 14, 2018


Saturday, January 13th, Bob Dorr and the Blue Band performed their “Last Goodbye” show at Riverside Casino.  Following a couple of terrific sets from the wonderful Duke Tumatoe, who captivated the crowd with “Give Me Back My Wig”, “You Don’t Drink Enough” and “Tie You Up”, Bob Door and the Blue Band tore through three exhilarating sets of music to the largest audience I have ever seen at the Show Lounge. 

Bob Dorr kicked the first set off with the swinging “Don’t Sting, Bite or Bug Me” which was followed by slough of sweet tunes of which included “3 AM Backdoor Baby” and “Bottle in the Kitchen”.  To commemorate Bob’s sixty-sixth birthday which fell on January 12, the band played “Happy Birthday Blues” before working their way down the set list to hammer out splendid covers of Sam and Dave’s “Soul Man”, and Van Morrison’s “Domino”.

The second set broke open with a fabulous jam on “Not Fade Away”.  Cathy Henry gave a captivating performance singing Etta James’s “Blues is My Business”. One of the biggest highlights for me was hearing “Elvis in Paraguay”.  It was fabulous.  Ralph Stephens joined in on washboard and Bob broke out the zydeco tie for a rousing jamboree on “They All Asked For You”, which melted quite nicely into a medley of “Iko Iko” and “Jambalya”.  The set closed out with a riveting delivery of “Mustang Sally”. It was an instant crowd pleaser.


Set number three included fun songs like “Drugs Drugs Drugs” and the high energy horn-heavy ska tune “Arc Welded”.  It was absolutely wonderful.  Also included in this final set was “Nadine”, which was immediately followed by “The Last Goodbye”.  The performance was outstanding.   Bob Dorr and the Blue Band kept the electricity going through the night, winding down with “Bobby’s Blues”, and landing on “Mojo and the Say So” for a grand ending.  For the encore, they returned to play “Any Ordinary Man”, which brought the show to its final close.  It was a magical evening indeed.

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all photos by Phillip Smith


Duke Tumatoe

Duke Tumatoe

Duke Tumatoe


Bob Dorr and the Blue Band

Bob Dorr

Jeff Petersen

Cathy Henry, Doug Norton

Jeff Petersen

Jeff Petersen

Bob Dorr

Doug Norton

Doug Norton

Bob, Cathy, Doug, Jeff

Bob, Cathy, Doug

Nolan Schroeder, Bob Dorr

Bob Dorr, Doug Norton

Jeff Petersen

John Rohlf

Bob Dorr

Jeff Petersen

Bob Dorr

Bob Dorr

Ralph Stephens



Ralph Stephens




Thursday, November 9, 2017

#301 : Crystal Bowersox live at CSPS


Nov. 8, 2017
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
By Phillip Smith; Nov. 9, 2017


Crystal Bowersox blessed CSPS with her third appearance on November 8th.  With an acoustic guitar strapped around her shoulder, the songstress was joined by drummer Derek Louis, and bassist Lucas Morton.  It was a perfect evening for music, as Bowersox belted out two fabulous sets, much of which can be found on her new Alive album. 

The Season 9 American Idol finalist initiated her show with a stellar cover of Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance”.  It was fantastic.  “Broken Wing” was s such a lovely song, being sung from the heart as effortlessly as Bowersox makes it seem.   She gave a terrific performance on “Staycation”, which teased Steve Miller’s “Fly Like an Eagle“, and suavely segued into Bob Marley’s “Everything Gonna Be Alright”.  Laying out a roadmap to her heart in song, Bowersox beautifully sung “He Calls Me Angel”.   “The Ride”, a tale of a gonzo off-the-cuff trip with a bad news scoundrel, co-written with Lance Carpenter, kept the audience in the palm of her hands.  In closing, she delivered a bodacious finale with a couple of striking covers, The Eagles’ “Desperado”, and Janis Joplin’s “Bobby McGee”.          
     


All photos by Phillip Smith








Monday, September 4, 2017

25th Annual Bowlful of Blues - Sep. 3, 2017


The Fred Maytag Bowl
Maytag Park
Newton, Iowa 
All photos by Phillip Smith; Sep 03, 2017


I don't think I could have picked a better place to spend the day before Labor Day, than being immersed in the blues at Maytag Park in Newton, Iowa.  This was my first visit to the Bowlful of Blues Festival, and I hope to attend many more times in the future.  Unfortunately, I missed the opening act, Juliana and a Soul Purpose, but I did arrive just in time to catch the spectacular ninety minute set from The Norman Jackson Band in its entirety.   Having just reviewed his recent album, It's the Drummers Fault,  I was most excited to see this band from Springfield, Missouri perform live.  (click here to check out that review).   







Keeping the momentum going between the main acts,  Iowa Blues Hall of Fame member, Rob Lumbard entertained the audience on acoustic guitar with a treasure-trove of songs. 

Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers took the stage for a captivating performance, bringing a small taste of Mardi Gras to the middle of Iowa.  Following them, the great Mato Nanji and Indigenous graced the stage and gobsmacked me with his guitar prowess.  (click here to check out my 2013 review for Otis Taylor's My World is Gone album, which features Mato Nanji).      Closing out the evening, was  New York's Jane Lee Hooker, who played an amazing set of blues-rock.  They were definitely a force to be reckoned with.



The Norman Jackson Band


Norman Jackson

Norman Jackson, Danny Williams,
and Rick Shortt

Norman Jackson

Rick Shortt

Norman Jackson

Danny Williams

Norman Jackson and Rick Shortt

Rick Shortt

Norman Jackson, Rick Shortt, and
Danny Williams

Norman Jackson

Rick Shortt

Norman Jackson and Rick Shortt

Rick Shortt

Rick Shortt

Norman Jackson and Rick Shortt

Norman Jackson, Ron Brown, and
Rick Shortt

Ron Brown, Norman Jackson, Rick Shortt, and
Danny Williams

Ron Brown

Ron Brown and Rick Shortt

Norman Jackson

   

Rob Lumbard


Rob Lumbard

Rob Lumbard

Rob Lumbard


Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers


Paul LaFleur and Dee Fleming

Paul LaFleur , Dee Fleming
and Dwayne Dopsie

Dwayne Dopsie

Dwayne Dopsie

Dwayne Dopsie

Dwayne Dopsie

Paul LaFleur and Dwayne Dopsie

Dee Fleming

Dwayne Dopsie, Dion Pierre, and Damon Sonnier

Michael Doherty

Michael Doherty

Damon Sonnier

Dee Fleming

Dwayne Dopsie



Mato Nanji and Indigenious

Mato Nanji



Douglas Platero

Bronson Begay


Mato Nanji

Mato Nanji


Douglas Platero

Mato Nanji

Mato Nanji

Mato Nanji

Mato Nanji

Mato Nanji

Mato Nanji

Mato Nanji

Douglas Platero

Bronson Begay

Mato Nanji and Douglas Platero

Mato Nanji



Jane Lee Hooker


Dana “Danger” Athens

Tracy Hightop

Dana “Danger” Athens

Tina "T-Bone" Gorin

Tracy Hightop

Melissa "Cool Whip" Houston

Hail Mary Z,  Dana “Danger” Athens, and
Tracy Hightop

Dana “Danger” Athens, Melissa "Cool Whip" Houston
and Tracy Hightop

Jane Lee Hooker

Dana “Danger” Athens and Tracy Hightop

Tina "T-Bone" Gorin and Dana “Danger” Athens

Tina "T-Bone Gorin

Melissa "Cool Whip" Houston

Tracy Hightop

Tracy Hightop and Hail Mary Z