Sunday, August 3, 2025

#762- > Bluesmore Festival 2025 - Cedar Rapids, Iowa~ PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com

Bluesmore Festival 2025
Brucemore Mansion
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
August 2, 2025

By Phillip Smith; August 3, 2025

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

It has been twelve years since the Linn County Blues Society from Cedar Rapids, Iowa has produced an event on the front lawn of the historic Brucemore Mansion. It felt really good to be back where our blues festivals began in 1994. The weather was perfect, and the tribe of blues fans which made the pilgrimage was a most impressive one. Three amazing bands played yesterday for a total of over six hours, making for an extraordinary music-event. The first act was Buckmiller/Schwager Band from Des Moines, Iowa comprised of Tom Buckmiller, Brian Schwager, bassist Eric Smidt drummer Drew Salim, and special guest Tom ‘T-Bone’ Giblin on keys. Next was Quad-Cities-based Avey Grouws Band with Chris Avey, Jeni Grouws, bassist Randy Leasman, and drummer Bryan West. Des Moines-based multi-instrumentalist Heath Alan made an appearance to perform with the band toward the end of their set, before playing the rest of the evening with the headliners Ghost Town Blues Band. Fronted by guitarist/vocalist Matt Isbell, this Memphis-based band is comprised of bassist Matt Karner, Grayson Smith on keys, and Garrett Marshall on drums. Heath Alan and Michael Peloquin both performed on sax. I could not have asked for a better evening of music. It was an absolute blast.

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· *All photos by Phillip Smith

Buckmiller/Schwager Band

Avey Grouws Band

Ghost Town Blues Band

*All photos by Phillip Smith

For more info on Buckmiller/Schwager Band, visit their website at https://www.buckmillerschwager.com/

For more info on Avey Grouws Band, visit their website at https://www.aveygrouwsband.com/

For more info on Ghost Town Blues Band, visit their website at https://www.ghosttownbluesband.com/

For more info on Linn County Blues Society, visit their website at https://www.lcbs.org

Read my previous reviews for Buckmiller/Schwager Band > https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=Buckmiller+Schwager

Read my previous reviews for Avey Grouws Band > https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=Avey+Grouws

Read my previous reviews for Ghost Town Blues Band > https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=Ghost+Town+Blues+Band

Sunday, September 22, 2024

#705 > Avey Grouws Band + KAT Blue & the True Believers - Live Sep. 21, 2024 (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

Avey Grouws Band + KAT Blue & the True Believers – Sep 21, 2024
Olympic South Side Theater
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 22, 2024

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

It was great to see Avey Grouws Band return to Cedar Rapids to play the Olympic South Side Theater. With KAT Blue & the True Believers opening up, it made for quite a night of music. It was much needed. KAT Blue took the stage and played a cool set-list full of blues, including The Shangri-Las' "Walking in the Sand", Etta James' "Blues is my Business", Muddy Waters' "Got My Mojo Working", Beth Hart's "Bad Woman Blues", and Johnny Lang's "Lie to Me". Avey Grouws played a lot of my favorite originals like "Hanging Around", "You Need Love", and "Hard Times", "Two Days Off (and a Little Bit of Liquor)", "I Dig What You Do" and "Love Reigning Down". Before the evening ended, Avey Grouws Band brought KAT Blue up on stage for a grand finale of "Sweet Home Chicago". It was a great night indeed.