The Olympic Southside Theater
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
All Photos by Phillip Smith; Oct. 09, 2021
The Olympic Southside Theater in Cedar Rapids, Iowa was definitely the place to be the evening of Friday, October 8, 2021. This music venue, previously known as Spotlights, Big Dogs, and 3rd Street Live since I've lived in town, has hosted countless musical acts over the years. In 1992, I set foot in this place for my first time and saw Kevin Burt with his band The Blues Instigators. Over the years, I was fortunate to catch acts like John Mayall, Warren Zevon, Buddy Guy, Little Feat, Black Oak Arkansas, George Clinton, and Days of the New. After several years of non-occupation, this sacred space for music has been restored and revitalized to give it a new life as a place for people to congregate and enjoy live music.
The evening started off with a captivating solo performance from Iowa City artist James Tutson (James Tutson and the Rollback) who appeared on NBC's The Voice, earlier this year. I really hope to hear more from him in the future.
Avey Grouws Band took the stage next, engaging the audience to the max. Their setlist included favorites such as "Two Days Off (and a Little Bit of Liquor)", "Come and Get This Love", and "Dirty Little Secret" off their 2020 album The Devil May Care and tracks from their brand new album Tell Tale Heart such as "Love Raining Down", and the intoxicating instrumental "Mariana". I loved every bit of it.
Immediately following was Chicago's Queen of Blues Rock guitar Joanna Connor. Watching and hearing her play is an absolute treat. Her fearless approach to her music, ranks her among the top of the list.
The jam session at the end was extraordinary, as guitarist
Billy Satterfield joined
Joanna,
Chris Avey,
Jeni Grouws, and
James Tutson for the grand finale. After going so long without seeing a show of this caliber in Cedar Rapids, this was exactly what I needed.
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· All photos by Phillip SmithJames Tutson
Avey Grouws Band
Joanna Connor
All-Star Jam
* all photos by Phillip Smith
