n If you’ve got the winter blues and you can’t beat ’em, here’s
a chance at least to join them. The River City Blues Club of Peoria, Bloomington’s
Blues Blowtorch Society, and our very own Illinois Central Blues Club have combined
to present the Winter Blues Fest at the Opera House in Exposition Gardens near
Peoria this Saturday, Jan. 22, from 2 to 11:30 p.m. The festival features several
popular and long-standing groups from central Illinois including, 6V6, Kilborn
Alley, The Robin Crowe Band, and Barb Hamilton and Joe Beck. The event is a
designated fundraiser for area groups participating in the 2005 International
Blues Challenge this February in Memphis. Get directions to, the cost of, and
a full schedule for the 2005 Winter Blues Fest at www.rivercityblues.com
n The Tri States Public Radio at Western Illinois University in Macomb
continues its most excellent tradition of bringing some of the finest folk singers
and composers of our day to its Music Performance Studio when Pieta Brown performs
at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22. Brown, the eldest daughter of Grammy-nominated
Iowa folk singer-songwriter Greg Brown, is known for seamlessly blending elements
of folk, country, and blues into thoughtful and captivating songs. She and her
dad’s old pickin’ mate, Bo Ramsey, have been hitting the road, gigging across
the U.S. in support of her recent CD releases. The price of admission is $5
and a canned, non-perishable food item. Tickets can be purchased by calling
309-298-1873 or 800-895-2912.
n Mojo’s, which was Dempsey’s, which was Bedrocks, which was something
else I can’t remember, is celebrating its first anniversary Friday, Jan. 21,
as the little pub that could. The bar at 225 E. Monroe St. recently underwent
extensive remodeling to enlarge the seating, standing, dancing, and drinking
area and to make the world a better place for live music. Proprietor Reier,
as I like to call him (that’s Mr. Deloney to you), has been trying very hard
to have live music five to six nights a week. He has The Station every Wednesday,
Posamist every Thursday and an assortment of local and travelling bands on the
weekends. Celebrate the occasion all weekend, but especially on Friday night
when Joe Frew and the crew of Posamist, trade songs, instruments, and other
things from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
This article appears in Jan 20-26, 2005.
