PhillyCheeze's Rock & Blues Reviews: Search results for Craig Erickson

The Olympic Southside Theater

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

February 18, 2023

By Phillip Smith; Mar. 11, 2023

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

Last year, KCCK Jazz 88.3 celebrated thirty years of playing ‘da Blues over the airwaves, and marked the occasion by producing a well-oiled blues event in Cedar Rapids called ‘daBluesapalooza. This five-hour long live blues show honored radio show hosts Bob DeForest and John ‘Big Mo’ Heim and featured many local and regional artists. The event was such a success, another gathering of the blues tribe was warranted, and daBluesapalooza 2023 was held at Olympic Southside Theater in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on February 18.

Ship of Fools, a band from the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy in Cedar Rapids, kicked the evening off in a big way. These young musicians sounded like seasoned artists as they lit up the stage with a most impressive cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child”. The lineup for the rest of the evening included outstanding sets from Craig Erickson Band, Dennis “Daddy-O” McMurrin, Homebrewed, Charlie Morgan, Tanya English Band, Johnny Kilowatt, Kevin Burt, Saul Lubaroff, Matt Panek, Wonderful Smiths, and Evan Stock Band. With the blues gushing out of every performance, the evening flew by way too fast. Seeing the artists sit in with each other for musical collaborations was extra special and made for a unique experience. I really hope this event keeps going. I absolutely love it.

· All photos by Phillip Smith

Ship of Fools

Blake Shaw w/ Craig Erickson Band

Craig Erickson Band

Dennis "Daddy O" McMurrin, Rob Haskell, Craig Erickson

Dennis "Daddy O" McMurrin & Craig Erickson

Dennis "Daddy O" McMurrin, Rob Haskell, Craig Erickson

Dennis "Daddy O" McMurrin & Craig Erickson

Dennis McMurrin, Eric Douglas, Dan Johnson

Homebrewed

Charlie Morgan

Charlie Morgan, Matt Panek, Kevin Burt

Tanya English Band w/ Saul Lubaroff

Rob Haskell

Tanya English, Ed English, Saul Lubaroff

Bill Peterson

Tanya English & Johnny Kilowatt

Saul Lubaroff & Ed English

Johnny Kilowatt

Kevin Burt & Saul Lubaroff

Kevin Burt

Johnny Kilowatt

Matt Panek

Kevin Burt & Dan Johnson

Craig Erickson & Matt Panek

Craig Erickson, Matt Panek, Dan Johnson, Kevin Burt

Kevin Burt

Wonderful Smiths

Evan Stock Band

Craig Erickson & Evan Stock

Evan Stock Band

Craig Erickson

Craig Erickson & Evan Stock

Evan Stock Band

Czech Village

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

All photos by Phillip Smith; Aug 13, 2017

I am more than thrilled to see the return of an annual blues festival here in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It has been a long journey to get one going again since the final Bluesmore in 2013. This year the Linn County Blues Society joined forces with the Friends of the Czech Village to bring the blues back to our city. The result was a phenomenal evening of music performed by The LCBS Allstars featuring eight Iowa Blues Hall of Fame inductees, along with headlining act, Joanna Connor.