#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

 

#336 : Ghost Town Blues Band - Backstage Pass

2018 – Ghost Town Blues Band

By Phillip Smith; June 9, 2018

Ghost Town Blues Band’s Backstage Pass is one of the best live albums I’ve heard all year.  With every listen, I fall head over heels for its long soulful jams heavily steeped in American blues and roots.  From the beloved city of Memphis, Tennessee, Ghost Town Blues Band is composed of lead vocalist/guitarist Matt Isbell, guitarist Taylor Orr, Suavo Jones on trombone, Kevin Houston on sax, Tim Stanek on the Hammond B3, piano and keys, bassist Matt Karner, and drummer Preston McEwen.  Produced by McEwen, Backstage Pass consists of nine splendid tracks recorded live at Lafayette’s Music Room in Memphis on July 29, 2017.

The album breaks out with a smashing cover of The Beatles’ “Come Together”.  This sounds fabulous with slide guitar and horns.  I love the way they weave bits of “Norwegian Wood” and Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” into the fabric of the tune.   I will be sadly disappointed if this song does not make it on the next Fried Glass Onion compilation series (a tribute to the music of The Beatles, performed by Memphis bands).  They take on the Allman Brothers’ signature song “Whippin’ Post” with true justice and a truck load of responsibility, bestowing the listener with a beautiful and amazing sixteen minute jam.  Isbell’s guitar performance is stellar.  Their cover of George Porter Jr’s (The Meters) “I Get High” is a bouncy and funky treat loaded with contagious horn riffs and more head-turning guitar.  McEwen is a bodacious drummer, and keeps everything in check. 

“Shine”, drenched in that good ol’ Memphis soul greets the listener like an old friend whose face has not been seen in a long time.  The Stax sound is definitely represented here with the swirling organ and those cool little blasts of horns led by Isbell’s wonderful and gravelly vocals.  From their Dust to Dust album, GTBB revisits “One More Whiskey” a blues-soaked ode to drinking which Isbell tops with a tasty side of harmonica.  This is a fun tune indeed. 

   

I had the privilege of catching the band in Memphis earlier this spring at the Beale Street Music Festival.  With cigar box guitar in hand, stretching as high as Isbell could raise it, Jones proceeded to extend his trombone to its outer limits, to use the far-most edge as a guitar slide until that cigar box just plumb gave out.  After several attempts at reviving that guitar with no luck, Isbell put his own creation out of misery with a mighty rock-and-roll Pete Townsend style bashing.  They outshined every act I saw that day, and quite frankly, most of the other acts I saw that whole weekend.  They were truly amazing, as is this album.  It’s ridiculously good.

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Ghost Town Blues Band live in Memphis, Tennessee at
Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival 2018
Photo by Phillip Smith

#574 > Bowlful of Blues Festival - 2022 (PhillyCheezeBlues.Blogspot.com)

 

Bowlful of Blues Festival – Sep 4, 2022

Fred Maytag Bowl

Newton, Iowa

 

By Phillip Smith; Sep. 5, 2022

 

Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com

 

Enjoying the Blues in Newton, Iowa at the Bowlful of Blues Festival is at the top of my list of things to do on Labor Day weekend.  There’s s not many better ways to spend the holiday.  The clouds dissipated and the sun came out, making for beautiful day to listen to music in Newton’s historic Maytag Park.

 

Presented by The South Skunk Blues Society, the Bowlful of Blues Festival celebrated its thirtieth year.  The lineup was absolutely terrific and featured Muddy Walter Band, Matt Woods Band, Ghost Town Blues Band, Kent Burnside, and Popa Chubby.  Playing between sets, were local blues artists Rob Lumbard, Bob Dorr and Jeff Peterson, Buckmiller Schwager, and The Jury.

 

I arrived just in time to catch local blue legends Bob Dorr and Jeff Petersen, aka The Blue Two.  I was so glad to be able to hear them again.  On a side note, they also performed at the very first Bowlful of Blues Festival.  Following Bob and Jeff, The Ghost Town Blues Band took the stage.  This was my fifth time this year to see this six-piece ensemble from Memphis.  Their Stax-meets-Muscle Shoals approach always means a fantastic show.  They are truly one of my favorites.     

I had reviewed Buckmiller Schwager’s debut album To Memphis and Back earlier this year, and was quite taken by it.  Meeting Brian Schwager and Tom Buckmiller in person and hearing them play live really made my day.  I was very excited to see Kent Burnside.  Bringing a big batch of real-deal Mississippi blues with him, he absolutely commandeered the stage.  I’ve been a fan of Burnside since reviewing his 2013 debut album My World is So Cold.  

The Jury, a band who I was not familiar with, stepped up next to play a thirty-minute set of all-original songs.  They were tight and sounded good.  New York bluesman Poppa Chubby headlined the show, filling in for Carolyn Wonderland who had to cancel due to health reasons.  I had seen him several times over the years, and he’s such a phenomenal guitarist. 

Special thanks go out to The South Skunk Blues Society and all the volunteers who makes this wonderful event happen every year. 

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  * All photos by Phillip Smith

Bob Dorr and Jeff Petersen

Ghost Town Blues Band

Buckmiller Schwager

Kent Burnside

The Jury

Popa Chubby

   * All Photos by Phillip Smitb