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Bluesmore: Party at the Big House

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Bluesmore

Blues fans will be rocking and rolling in green when hot bands turn Brucemore into Bluesmore for Saturday’s annual celebration on the front lawn.

Thousands typically tote their blankets and chairs for the party in the parklike setting along First Avenue SE. But when the music cranks up around 4 p.m., revelers will kick off their shoes and boogie to the beats in their favorite shades of blue.

The Linn County Blues Society has been teaming up with Brucemore for 18 years for a day of non-stop stompin’ on the lawn. Food and beverage vendors and the Jaycees beer tent provide refueling stations throughout the event, which features local, regional and national bands performing until 9:30 p.m.

Find more on Bluesmore in Hoopla Music.

This year’s lineup begins with Perry & The Pumpers, an all-star band of blues brothers from Cedar Rapids and Marion. You’ll find them in the Iowa Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame and the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame, so they’re tried and true-blue: Perry Welsch on harp and vocals; Tom Giblin, keyboards; Bryce Janey, guitar and vocals; Troy Harper, drums; and Dave Bader, bass and vocals. Check out their stellar career snapshots at http://lcbs.org/bluesmore/perry-and-the-pumpers-2

Next up is New Jersey native John Lisi of Louisiana and his band Delta Funk, with a sound that can cry the blues one minute, then burst into funky blaze of glory.

Headliner is Grammy-winning zydeco junkie Chubby Carrier and The Bayou Swamp Band, making another of many sweeps through Eastern Iowa with a hot gumbo of Cajun sounds.

– Diana Nollen

 

GET OUT

  • WHAT: Bluesmore
  • WHEN: 4 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6
  • WHERE: First Avenue lawn at Brucemore, 2160 Linden Dr. SE, Cedar Rapids
  • TICKETS: In advance by Friday: $13 adults, $12 students or Brucemore/Linn County Blues Society members; $15 at the gate; free ages 10 and under accompanied by adult. Advance tickets: (319) 362-7375, Brucemore store or Brewed Awakenings, Shuey’s Restaurant and Lounge, Music Loft, Stars Guitars, J.M. O’Malley’s, Chappy’s Safari, West Music (Cedar Rapids), The Longbranch Hotel, Checkers Tavern, Music-Go-Round, Brewed Awakenings and Parlor City Pub and Eatery; tickets non-refundable
  • EXTRAS: Gates open at 3 p.m.; only handicapped parking on-site via Dows Lane; no pets, coolers or outside food; food and beverage vendors on-site, including Jaycees beer tent
  • DETAILS: www.brucemore.org, www.lcbs.org, (319) 362-7375 or (319) 399-5105

Grammy puts smile on Zydeco junkie’s face

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Chubby Carrier will be carrying his prized possession — his Grammy award — to Bluesmore on Saturday.

He’s flying high on this year’s win for his latest disc, “Zydeco Junkie,” basking in the glow before heading back to the recording studio.

“I’m going to ride this one for a little bit and enjoy the moment,” Carrier, 44, says by phone from his home in Lafayette, La. “My 10th album won the Grammy, so I’m going to take it for a ride and enjoy it before I start planning what’s next. In the meantime, I’ve been all over this summer and I’m going to bring the Grammy with me to Cedar Rapids so people can take pictures. Fans have been loving it, loving it, loving it.”

His other big surprise came just recently, when his video hit the MTV.com homepage.

“It’s funny to see my video on their website,” he says. “It’s a big step — a big break for zydeco music. ”

Carrier and his group, The Bayou Swamp Band, have been bringing their brand of “happy music” to Eastern Iowa for years, most often to the Cajun fest in Amana. They’ve also played the area bar scene and festival circuit and will be right at home at the Linn County Blues Society’s Saturday shindig.

“Zydeco translates to blues played with accordion and washboard,” he says. “It’s had a lot of updates, with blues, R&B, soul and rock ’n’ roll all rolled into one.”

Zydeco comes from the same part of the country as Cajun music, but Carrier says that style “has more of a twist of country, bluegrass, two-steps and waltzes.”

The Bluesmore audience will hear lots of music from Carrier’s winning album. It sports mostly original songs, along with zydeco spins on other artists’ hits, like Bad Company’s “Feel Like Makin’ Love” and “Movin’ On Up,” the theme song from popular retro television sitcom, “The Jeffersons.”

“We add a little bit of spice” to cover tunes, he says. “Whatever we got, we throw it into the pot for a good gumbo.”

Carrier is genetically wired for zydeco. It’s been the family business for several generations, beginning with his cousins in the ’40s and ’50s, his father in the ’60s and ’70s and his own career, since the ’80s and ’90s.

Born Roy Carrier Jr. in Churchpoint, La., west of New Orleans, he tipped the scales at nearly 10 pounds and was dubbed “Chubby” after one of the “Our Gang/Little Rascals” actors.

“Nobody knows me as ‘Roy.’ Everybody knows me as ‘Chubby,’” he says.

He cut his teeth listening to Clifton Chenier, B.B. King and “all that good ’70s funk like Earth, Wind and Fire.”

He says he “started messing around” with instruments at age 8, first with guitar, then bass, drums and accordion.

“I learned by listening to my ancestors. … I learned basically by ear,” he says.

Before long, he was following in their footsteps. The only way he could get into the clubs was with his father, and by age 14, he had his first gig on accordion. That remains his primary instrument with his band, where he also adds lead vocals.

He loves the way an accordion keeps audiences a little off-balance at home and abroad, where they think they might be hearing a polka or Irish music. Then he cranks up his “happy music” and the dancing begins.

“We’re definitely going to put a smile on your face,” Carrier says. “You’re going to forget about the long week you had, after hearing this band.”

— Diana Nollen

Summer concert preview

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Starting this weekend, Eastern Iowa is spreading out a seemingly endless musical potluck picnic with outdoor music to suit every musical taste, through September.

This list just scratches the surface of outdoor events that can draw thousands of people to parks, streets, city squares and county fairs.

Community bands have been sending their sounds through the summer breeze in Cedar Rapids since the 1890s. A summer outdoor series is a recent addition to the Riverside Casino table. And the grandstands fill up quickly at the Great Jones County Fair in Monticello, where blankets and lawn chairs create a patchwork crazy quilt on the surrounding hillsides.

But when heat, humidity and bugs threaten to crash the parties, why do we keep flocking to these events?

“Our outdoor summer music season is so short, while we do complain about the heat and humidity and insist we’re not going to stir out of our air-conditioned cocoons, we know if we don’t do it now, we won’t have the chance. And if we don’t stir ourselves and go to them, they will go away,” says Dennis Green, general manager of KCCK-FM. The Cedar Rapids radio station has been staging Jazz Under the Stars for 24 years at Noelridge Park, drawing upward of 3,000 people on beautiful August nights.

“It’s worth it to put up with a few mosquitoes to have these opportunities,” Green says.

— Diana Nollen

MAY

Uptown Friday Nights, Cedar Rapids

Fridays, May 27 to July 29: 5 to 8 p.m., Greene Square Park, downtown Cedar Rapids. Live music by popular regional bands, food and adult beverages, presented by the Cedar Rapids Jaycees; $5 admission includes first drink for first 500 people; must be ages 21 and older with photo ID. First up: The Swing Crew, May 27. www.uptownfridaynights.com

Friday Night Concert Series, Iowa City

Fridays, May 20 to Sept. 2: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Ped Mall, downtown. Rain location: Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp, 460 E. Washington St. Local talent; free admission. www.summerofthearts.org/festival-menu/concert-series/about.aspx

Downtown Saturday Night, Iowa City

Saturday, May 21 to Sept. 3: 6:30 to 9 p.m., Weatherdance Fountain Stage by the Sheraton Hotel, downtown. Rain location: Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp, 460 E. Washington St. Local and regional bands; free admission. www.summerofthearts.org/festival-menu/downtown-saturday-night/about.aspx

Thursday Night Live, Washington

Thursdays, May 26 to Aug. 18: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Central Square Park, downtown Washington, Iowa. Local music, entertainment.

Liberty Centre Blues & BBQ, North Liberty

May 29: Noon to 10 p.m., north side of the pond at Liberty Centre, just off Penn Street. Free family event with food, beverage garden; barbecue contest, 4:30 p.m.; music by Kevin B.F. Burt and the Instigators, Bob Dorr and the Blue Band, The Avey Brothers, Ernie Peniston and Dave Zollo; kids’ activities; fishing; fireworks. http://northlibertyiowa.org/bluesandbbq

JUNE

Marion by Moonlight

Thursdays, June 2 to 23: 6 to 9:30 p.m., City Square Park. Rain date: June 30. www.marioncc.org

Beckster Fest Amana

June 3 to 5: Amana Colonies RV Park and Event Center, 3890 C St. Polka fest with nine bands, food. Friday: 6 p.m. to midnight, $10. Saturday: noon to midnight, $12. Sunday: noon to 6 p.m., $10. Three-day pass: $25. www.barefootbecky.com

Iowa City Community Band

June 5 to July 10: Various times, dates and locations in Iowa City and Coralville. http://iccband.org

Cedar Rapids Municipal Band

June 8 to Aug. 7: Various parks and other sites around Cedar Rapids, beginning 7:30 p.m. June 8 in Greene Square Park. Most concerts start at 7:30 p.m., except 10 a.m. July 2 at the Downtown Farmers Market and 8 p.m. July 4 north of the Police Station. Free admission. www.crmuniband.org/schedule.html

Washington Municipal Band

Thursdays, June 9 to Aug. 11: 8 to 9 p.m., Central park bandstand, downtown Washington, Iowa. www.washingtoniowachamber.com/Performing%20Arts.htm

Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival

Various outdoor concerts, www.freedomfestival.com

June 12: 6 to 9:30 p.m., Glenn Miller Orchestra, Guaranty Bank parking lot, 302 Third Ave. SE; admission free with 2011 Freedom Festival button.

June 18: 6 p.m., Classic Rock Concert Night with Loverboy and fireworks, Johnson Hall parking lot, Kirkwood Community College; $20 preferred seating; $15 ages 13 and up; $5 ages 6 to 12; Freedom Festival button required.

June 19: 6 p.m., Patriotic Pops Concert with Orchestra Iowa, Harmony Hawks and fireworks, Kirkwood Community College; $20 preferred seating; $15 ages 13 and up; $5 ages 6 to 12; Freedom Festival button required.

July 4: 8 p.m., Fanfare to the Fireworks, with the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band, north of the police station; free.

Marion Community Band

June 14 and 28: 7 p.m., City Square Park, Seventh Avenue and 10th Street, Marion. Concert Band and Jazz Band. http://marioncommunitybands.us

Outdoor Beach Party, Cedar Rapids

June 17: 6:30 p.m., Chrome Horse Saloon parking lot, 1202 Third St. SE. Cedar Island Band. Free admission; ages 21 and over; gates open at 6 p.m. http://chromehorsesaloon.net

Summer Outdoor Concert Series, Riverside

June 18, July 30, Aug. 27: Open to all ages, Riverside Casino grounds, 3184 Highway 22. June 18: Huey Lewis and The News, 8 p.m., $35 and $65. July 30: The Xtreme Muzik Tour featuring Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Cowboy Troy and Two Foot Fred, 8 p.m., $35 and $65. Aug. 27: Peter Frampton, 7 p.m., $30 and $50. Tickets in casino gift shop or http://tickets.riversidecasinoandresort.com

JULY

Camp Euforia, Lone Tree

July 15 and 16: Jerry Hotz farm, 5335 Utah Ave. SE. Electronica to bluegrass from 18 national, regional and local bands, including host Euforquestra; gates open noon July 15; $65 at www.midwestix.com or $85 day of show, includes parking and camping. www.campeuforia.com

Iowa City Jazz Festival

July 1 to 3: Downtown. Concerts by local, regional and national and international jazz musicians; kids’ activities, fireworks July 3. Free admission. www.summerofthearts.org

Coralville 4thFEST

July 3: 5:30 p.m., S.T. Morrison Park, with Herman’s Hermits, The Grass Roots and Cedar Island Band; free. www.coralville.org

Marion Big Band

Thursdays, July 7 to 28: 7 p.m., City Square Park. http://uptownmarion.com

Great Jones County Fair, Monticello

July 21: 8 p.m., Jason Aldean, Chris Young, Thompson Square; $25 to $40

July 22: 8 p.m., Lady Antebellum, Josh Kelley; $25 to $40

July 23: 7 p.m., Seether, Hinder and My Darkest Days; $30

www.greatjonescountyfair.com

Ushers Ferry, Cedar Rapids

July 23: Motorcycles and Music, 4 to 8 p.m., Ushers Ferry Historic Village, 5925 Seminole Valley Trl. NE. Motorcycle show, music, family games; $8 adults, $4 ages 3to 14, free ages 2 and under.

Aug. 13: Music Festival, 5 to 9 p.m. Local musicians on Gazebo Square, concessions; $8 adults, $4 ages 14 and under. www.cedar-rapids.org/resident-resources/parks-recreation/ushers-ferry/events/Pages/July,August,September.aspx

AUGUST

Downtown Getdown, Marion

Thursdays, Aug. 4 to 25: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., City Square Park. Food, 6 p.m., music, 6:30 p.m. Free admission. Aug. 4: Dogs on Skis; Aug. 11: B.F. Burt and the Instigators; Aug. 18: Lonesome Road; Aug. 25: The Beaker Brothers. www.marioncc.org

Jazz Under the Stars, Cedar Rapids

Thursdays, Aug. 4 to 25: 7 p.m., Noelridge Park. Rain location: Parlor City Pub, 1125 Third St. SE. Aug. 4: Ariel Pocock; Aug. 11: Funk Daddies; Aug. 18: Dennis McPartland and The Jazz Underground; Aug. 25: Bob Dorr and The Blue Band. www.kcck.org/events/juts.php

Cabaret in the Courtyard, Cedar Rapids

Aug. 11 to 20: Brucemore, 2160 Linden Dr. SE. Aug. 11 to 13: 7:30 p.m. Divapalooza. Aug. 18 to 20: A Trio of Tenors, 7:30 p.m.; $20 adults, $18 Brucemore members, at the Brucemore Store or (319) 362-7375; $25 at the gate. www.brucemore.org

Amphitheater Music Fest, Cedar Rapids

Aug. 20:10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Greene Square Park, downtown. $10. Local and regional bands, food, raffle. Fundraiser for planned Cedar Rapids Amphitheater. www.facebook.com/#!/pages/CR-Amphitheater-Music-Fest/192783107411582

Bluesmore, Cedar Rapids

Aug. 6: 4 to 9:30 p.m., Brucemore, 2160 Linden Dr. SE. Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, regional and national blues performers, music workshops, food, beverages; $13 adults, $12 students and Brucemore/Linn County Blues Society members by Aug. 5 at (319) 362-7375, $15 at the gate, free ages 10 and under. www.brucemore.org

SEPTEMBER

Landfall Festival, Cedar Rapids

Sept. 21 to 24: Centered at Greene Square Park, downtown Cedar Rapids; free admission. Musicians from Africa, Asia, Latin America, United States and more, presented by Legion Arts/CSPS. http://legionarts.org

Brucemorchestra, Cedar Rapids

Sept. 10: Brucemorchestra IV: Crown Imperial, 7:30 p.m., Brucemore, 2160 Linden Dr. SE. Orchestra Iowa’s season opener features pomp from English and Roman empires. www.orchestraiowa.org

Iowa Women’s Music Festival, Iowa City

Sept. 10: Daystage, noon to 5:30 p.m., Upper City Park, free admission; food and drink, arts and crafts; www.prairievoices.net Headliner: Janis Ian, 8 p.m., Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., $25, Englert Box Office, (319) 688-2653 or www.englert.org

Guitar Shorty heats up the stage at Bluesmore

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bluesmoreThe sixteenth edition of Bluesmore, the Linn County Blues Society’s annual event on the Brucemore lawn, found a portion of the large crowd wearing jackets on Saturday to stave off the chill.

Nevertheless, the headliner was determined to bring some heat to the evening with the help of his guitar, “Red.”

During the first number of his set, Guitar Shorty passed the solos around as though he were introducing us to his bandmates—the upfront slapping presence of the bass player, the organ sound of the man on the keys, the shifting patterns of the drummer — while establishing his own bona fides as a guitarist.

After that, however, the focus stayed squarely on the 70-year-old frontman.

And why not? Guitar Shorty (born David William Kearney) has been a major player in the blues world for decades, gigging with and influencing a host of legends. He shouted out the lines of several traditionally structured blues numbers (repeat the first line and head for that rhyme at verse’s end) and let his guitar do the majority of the talking.

For the casual blues fan, some of Guitar Shorty’s solos may have been overly extended, though he has a knack for reeling the audience back in. For example, in the middle of his long feature in the ballad “This Is a Hard Life,” he focused the audience’s attention with a few bars in which “Red” seemed to be striking up a conversation.

Notably, the most engaging numbers were taken from the bluesman’s latest album, “We the People.” The title track, a working man’s anthem, was performed with an uptick in energy and rewarded with audience acclaim.

“I Got Your Number” followed, and the crowd, despite having thinned out after the sun went down and the temperature dipped, hardly needed encouragement to bellow for an encore. Guitar Shorty obliged, thrilling the extremely enthusiastic crowd and wrapping things up with “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

Mike Zito performed before Guitar Shorty and was settled into a blues-meets-early-rock groove until his take on Prince’s “Little Red Corvette.”

That number, slowed down but still given an ’80s-style treatment, was intriguing but seemed to lead to a watering-down of the blues in favor of pop and rock sensibilities.

Zito’s take on “Hey Joe,” a song made famous by Jimi Hendrix, was not nearly as centered in the blues as Guitar Shorty’s take on the same song — perhaps because Guitar Shorty influenced Hendrix (his brother-in-law) while Zito was influenced by Hendrix.

Whether it was blues, pop, or rock, however, Zito’s brand of music was popular with much of the crowd.

— ROB KLINE, The Gazette

Three Things to do this weekend

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Rockstock III Featuring Korn
Saturday, August 1

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Heavy metal bands are converging this weekend in Cedar Rapids for Rockstock III. Two-time Grammy award winning Korn will headline the festival. An American rock band from Bakersfield, Calif., Korn had nine consecutive debuts in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200, won two MTV Music Video Awards and has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Rockstock III special guests will be Chevelle, Hail Storm, Destrophy and A.D.D. The event, held at Hitters Ballpark, near the intersection of Highway 13 and the Marion bypass, is sponsored by Rock 108 and is featured as part of Korn’s summer venture – the Escape from the Studio Tour.
Rockstock III Featuring Korn
4 p.m. Saturday (8/1), Hitter’s Ballpark, Cedar Rapids, $32 in advance (Music Go Round, Neon Dragon Tattoo, DC’s Riverwalk Pub & Eatery, 1st Avenue Live), $35 at the door, www.rock108.com or www.etix.com

Bluesmore
Saturday, August 1

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Bluesmore is celebrating its sweet 16th birthday Saturday. This year the annual day-long blues festival, co-hosted by the Linn County Blues Society and Brucemore, will showcase Guitar Shorty, Mike Zito and Dennis “Daddy-O” McMurrin and the Demolition Band. No pets, coolers or outside food. Gates open at 3 p.m.
Bluesmore
4 to 9 p.m. Saturday (8/1), Brucemore, Cedar Rapids, $13 in advance or $15 at the gate, www.lcbs.org or www.brucemore.org

Division 2 Show Ski National Championships
Saturday, August 1 to Sunday, August 2

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Evansdale, southeast of Waterloo on Highway 380, will host the ninth annual Division 2 Show Ski National Championships this weekend at Eagle Lake. Each club has one hour to present a performance on water skis. Part dance, part acrobatics, watch competitors do moves like ballet skiing, adagio doubles, human pyramids and freestyle jumping. Costumes and music keep the shows entertaining and an announcer guides the audience through the competitions.
Division 2 Show Ski National Championships
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday (8/1) and Sunday (8/2), Eagle Lake, Evansdale, www.usawaterski.org

THREE OTHER THINGS:

Irish Fest ‘09
4 p.m. Friday to Sunday (7/31 to 8/2)
Lincoln Park, Downtown Waterloo, $5 daily admission, $10 weekend pass, children 12 and under free, www.iowairishfest.com

Downtown Farmers’ Market
7 a.m. Saturday (8/1)
Downtown Cedar Rapids, www.downtowncr.org

All-in-a-Day Play Festival
8 p.m. Saturday (8/1)
Englert Theater, 221 E Washington St., Iowa City, $7, www.dreamwell.com

Bluesmore celebrates Sweet 16

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bluesmore-flyerBlues enthusiasts and music lovers of all kinds will revel in the headliners showcased on Brucemore’s lawn at the 16th annual Bluesmore Saturday, Aug.1. Presented by Brucemore and The Linn County Blues Society, Bluesmore will feature Guitar Shorty, Mike Zito and Dennis “Daddy-O” McMurrin & the Demolition Band.

Guitarist/vocalist and blues legend Guitar Shorty, born David William Kearney, is a man of the people. Between his blistering, rocked-out guitar work and his fierce, soulful vocals, the power of his music is unmatched and his perceptive and meaningful lyrics are unique among modern bluesmen. Credited with influencing both Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Buy, Shorty has been electrifying audiences for five decades with his super-charged live shows and his incendiary recording.

Growing up in St. Louis, Mo., Mike Zito was immersed in the gritty sounds of the south side that would unknowingly become the groundwork for his future in music. Zito’s journey took off at the age of 19, when he busted into the local St. Louis music scene, developing his sound even further from the stage. Through the course of four albums, Zitohas developed what is touted by critics as “Soulful pop,” blending formative influences with musical heroes and legends such as Prince, Van Halen, Eric Clapton, B.B. King and Danny Gatton.

After recording his self-titled album with the Tower of Power horns in 1986, Dennis “Daddy-O” McMurrin formed the Demolition Band in 9187. The band has played east and central Iowa and Illinois, including their most remembered gigs at the Yacht Club in Iowa City between 1988 and 1995. In Sept. 2008, McMurrin was inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame.

Gates will open at 3 p.m. Aug. 1 and bands will perform from 4-9:30 p.m. on the First Avenue lawn at Brucemore, 2160 Linden Drive SE. Food and beverage vendors will be available. Tickets are $13 for adults (12 for Brucemore or Linn County Blues Society members or students) in advance or $15 at the gate. Children 10 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. For tickets or more information, call Brucemore at 319-362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org or www.lcbs.org.