April 2012

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Hey! Was that a great concert or what? Lust For Blues V at Action City was excellent! What? You missed it? Too bad for you. Mary Cutrofello rocked the place. Then Howard Luedtke had everyone rollin’ round the room, with his wife Magic Deb they had everyone on their feet and shoutin’ for more. By the time the Ross William Perry Band started the crowd was primed for RWP’s blues-rockin’ stylings. It was a gorgeous, temperature record-breaking March spring forward afternoon, but everyone who came was glad they did. There were great door prizes and silent auctions including a bunch of Harley gear and framed blues prints including a low numbered limited edition Joe Bonnamossa with his gold top Les Paul. The Metropolis made us feel welcome with some Kansas City style barbecue plates and super beverage prices as well as a lot of game cards to aid our fund raising activities. If you want to see some video of the awesome music performances, check out the Tuesday Night Blues Facebook page or the Chippewa Valley Blues Society web page.

Speaking of Tuesday Night Blues, we will be announcing the summer schedule by the time this issue is in print. Go to ChippewaValleyBlues.com to get the full listing. Just to tease you a little I’ll tell ya the Sue Orfield Band will be opening up the 2012 season on May 29. If you haven’t figured it out, that is the Tuesday after Memorial Day. I’ve heard a rumor that SOB may have a special guest, but then, maybe not, you never can tell. Either way Sue will be wailing that tenor sax like only she can. There’s no doubt why she was named Best Horn by the Washington (state) Blues Society six times in eight years before she moved back to Wisconsin. With one of the tightest bands around, including Mike Schlenker, Randy Sinz & Dave Schrader, these guys & Sue always draw a crowd.

That’s just for openers! Thirteen more Tuesday’s until Labor Day, and every one of them has a great band playing at Tuesday Night Blues on The River at Owen Park in Eau Claire. Music always starts at 6:30. Our food and other vendors will be back so you can get a bite or a beverage at very reasonable prices while catching some superb music under the trees in the summer in the park.

Other musical happenings around the area.

Friday, March 30th: AcoustiHoo w/Sue Orfield at Porters (Holiday Inn) downtown Eau Claire for The Eau Claire Jazz Festival

Saturday, March 31: Sena Ernhardt at Shari’s Chippewa Club in downtown Durand. 8 p.m. till midnight. Also, Sue Orfield Band at The Sunset Tavern, Black River Falls.

Sunday, April 1: Open Blues Jam at Shari’s Chippewa Club, downtown Durand.

Thursday, April 5: Howard “Guitar” Luedtke at the historic Trempealeau Hotel.

Saturday, April 14: Mojo Lemon at The Snout in Chippewa Falls.

Also comin’ up in April will be Reverend Raven & The Chain Smokin Altar Boys at Shari’s Chippewa Club in Durand on the 17.

For more details and info go to ChippewaValleyBlues.com and check out the calendar on the home page. If you want us to list your band send us the info at “contact the webmaster. We will decide if it is appropriate for our site.

Catch Snapshot’s blues show every Sunday morning from 10 a.m to 1 p.m. on WHYS local community radio 96.3. If you can’t dial it in, you can stream it on the web at www.whysradio.org

Well, that’s about it for now, thanks for lending me an ear! See ya around!

March 2012

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Man! If you missed Keb Mo at The State Regional Arts Center on Jan. 22, you really missed an incredible concert. Eau Claire was only the 3rd stop on this tour and was a bit of a warm up for the performance at the Guthrie in the Twin Cities the following weekend, but the Chippewa Valley gave them a very warm welcome on a chilly frosty evening and I think the band enjoyed it as much as the crowd. While not sold out the 7-800 in attendance let these guys know their efforts were appreciated and loved. The crowd was up and dancing with a knot of 30 or more in front of the stage for the end and the four song encore. That band brought it! One of the crowd monitors sitting near us even said it was the best he had seen in all the years he has been working there.

You should have been there!

March 11 the Chippewa Valley Blues Society will be presenting a concert for your enjoyment at the annual fundraiser known as “Lust For Blues’. This will be the 5th of these events, which is sort of a milestone. Lust For Blues will again be at Action City on the south side of I-94 just west of the Hwy 93 exit in Eau Claire.

Doors open at 1:30 and the very talented and soulful Mary Cutrufello will open things up. This woman has been lauded from Minneapolis to Michigan and from the East Coast to Europe. Releasing a new album of rockin’ country & blues this February she will be off to tour Europe again shortly after appearing at Lust For Blues V. Visit her website at http://www.marycutrufello.com to get a sample of the power Mary brings to a performance.

After Mary warms things up Howard Luedtke will step to the stage to bring us his roots stylings of some of the blues immortals on both acoustic and electric guitars. Howard is a Chippewa Valley secret not very well kept. If you are aware of him you know this is a truly awesome performer. While his legend may be greater outside our area, he sometimes is taken for granted near his home in Augusta. But if you get outside western Wisconsin he is not just admired and appreciated, but in some places practically worshipped for his talent and performances are nearly always packed and sold to standing room only. If you haven’t seen him, this is an excellent chance to catch him at his best!

The Ross William Perry band will be topping our showbill for this 5th Lust For Blues. This young man has been playing a few venues in our area for the last year or so, to a very responsive audience. Last Oct. 30 Shari’s Chippewa Club hosted a CD release party and they put on a helluva concert for the Halloween weekend crowd. These guys can kick out some jams! From a large presentation of original tunes to Muddy Waters and Jimi Hendrix the will rock your socks off and get you dancing to those slow sexy blues.

In the past we have had an admission fee with a discount for membership. This year we are admitting all current members free, or $10 for non-members. Memberships and admission can be purchased at the door. Single annual membership is $10 and $15 for a family. There will be food and beverages available, and all the action Action City provides for kids of all ages. So bring the family for a great afternoon of music and fun and chase away those wintertime blues!

Other musical happenings around the area.

Sena Ernhardt March 23, 7-8 p.m. at the Relay for Life Cancer Benefit, River Falls, WI

Howard 'Guitar' Luedtke w/ Jim Schuh, Sun, March 18, 2pm–5pm Poo's On the Pond

Pete Neuman  will be at Brady's Brewhouse, New Richmond, WI Sat, March 24

Comin’ up in April will be Reverend Raven & The Chain Smokin Altar Boys at Shari’s Chippewa Club in Durand on the 17.

For more details and info go to ChippewaValleyBlues.com and check out the calendar on the home page. If you want us to list your band send us the info at “contact the webmaster. We will decide if it is appropriate for our site.

In case you forgot, remember to catch Snapshot’s blues show every Sunday morning from 10 a.m to 1 p.m. on WHYS local community radio 96.3. If you can’t dial it in, you can stream it on the web at www.whysradio.org

Well, that’s about it for now, thanks for lending me an ear! See ya around! We’ll look for you at Lust For Blues at Action City! Yeah it’s OK if you take a spin on the Go-Karts, you’ll still be able to hear the music cause we’ll be right next to the track.

February 2012

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Hard to believe we are almost through January already. Wow! Winter has been nearly as amazing as the weather last summer. As of this writing, folks were actually able to play golf the 2nd week of January in Wisconsin! Something I have never seen in all my years on this 3rd rock from the sun.

As I mentioned back in November, the year is kicking off for Chippewa Valley blues fans with a concert at the State theatre by Keb Mo’. The Blues Society will be holding it’s Annual Meeting Feb. 21 at Action City in The Metropolis Hotel & Resort’s Action City complex again this year. The meeting will be starting at 7 p.m. and the agenda will include:

Election of officers
Voting for changes to the bylaws
Volunteering to help with/at Lust For Blues 5 & Tuesday Night Blues 2012
The public is welcomed and encouraged to attend.

March 11 the Chippewa Valley Blues Society will be presenting a concert for your enjoyment at the annual fundraiser known as “Lust For Blues’. This will be the 5 of these events, which is sort of a milestone. Lust For Blues will again be at Action City on the south side of I-94 just west of the Hwy 93 exit in Eau Claire.

In the past we have had an admission fee with a discount for membership. This year we are admitting all current members free, or $10 for non-members. Memberships and admission can be purchased at the door. Single annual membership is $10 and $15 for a family. There will be food and beverages available, and all the action Action City provides for kids of all ages. So bring the family for a great afternoon of music and fun and chase away those wintertime blues!

I have posted a poll on the Tuesday Night Blues at Owen Park in Eau Claire Facebook page, asking you to tell us who you want to see at Tuesday Night Blues in 2012. Please give us your opinion at http://www.facebook.com/tnblues

Other musical happenings around the area.

Jan 29 (Sunday) at Shari’s Chippewa Club in Durand, Nothin’ But Cash 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. A musical tribute to Johnny Cash with renditions of his music performed by a variety of performers and bands.

Howard Luedtke is busy in February, playing at a variety of venues, starting on Friday the 3rd at My Place in Eau Claire & Saturday the 4 at The Snout in Chippewa Falls. Also with Jim Schuh at Poo’s On The Pond on the 12 & 19.

Mojo Lemon will be at The Black Bear in Minocqua on the 3 and then closer to home at the Snout on Feb. 25.

AcoustiHOO plays every 1 Saturday rom 2-4 p.m. at Obsessions Chocolate Lounge on Barstow in Eau Claire, so that will be Feb.4th.

Left Wing Bourbon is going to be performing at The Sunset Tavern in Black River Falls on Jan 28, then will be over in Proctor MN later in Feb..

The Steve Meyer Band will be at a couple places in Hammond, JJ’s on Jan 28 and The Hammond Hotel Feb. 4th, then back at VFW 305 on Starr Ave/, Eau Claire on Feb. 18th.

For more details and info go to ChippewaValleyBlues.com and check out the calendar on the home page. If you want us to list your band send us the info at “contact the webmaster. We will decide if it is appropriate for our site.

Some Tidbits:

The Grafton Blues Association (GBA) and State of Wisconsin will be represented at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee for the 4th consecutive year. The GBA will be sending a band (Tweed Funk) and solo/duo act (John Stano) this year. A Send-Off Party/Fundraiser will be held January 20th at the Black Swan Room in Grafton.

In case you forgot, remember to catch Snapshot’s blues show every Sunday morning from 10 a.m to 1 p.m. on WHYS local community radio 96.3. If you can’t dial it in, you can stream it on the web at www.whysradio.org

Well, that’s about it for now, thanks for lending me an ear! See ya around! Hopefully at the Annual Meeting.