28 Jun 2005

No More Car Wash Blues

By Jeff Ignatius
On their debut album, Roughhousin', Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials performed a song called "Car Wash Blues," in which Lil' Ed Williams referred to the "mean old Jew" who was his boss. There was one problem: Ed still worked at the car wash, and he was petrified about what might happen to him when his boss heard it.
28 Jun 2005

A Louisiana Spirit Meets the Spirit of the '60s

By Mike Schulz
"It's such a wonderful gathering of bands," says Marcia Ball of the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, and she should know. Not only has Ball made three previous appearances at the event, but she's emerged as one of the most acclaimed figures in music, a mainstay of the professional blues circuit for nearly 25 years.
28 Jun 2005

Deanna Bogart Not Wasting a Minute

By Johanna Welzenbach-Hilliard
Deanna Bogart's first appearance at the Mississippi Valley Blues Fest five years ago was so successful that a local Davenport club whose name she can't remember - but based on the general location and description, we think it might have been Boozie's Bar & Grill - invited her to play a gig.
28 Jun 2005

Artist Inflects Music with Activism and Love

By Mike Schulz
When asked what message he hopes to convey with his music, the acclaimed singer, songwriter, guitarist, and social activist Willie King has a simple yet profound answer: "Love. To love everybody and have respect for everybody.
28 Jun 2005

Fiery, Versatile Guitarist Returns to the Blues Fest

By Johanna Welzenbach-Hilliard
Beverly "Guitar" Watkins learned to play and sing the blues in a small town in Georgia. "Commerce" was its name. It was here at the age of eight (more than 50 years ago) that she received her first guitar as a Christmas present.
21 Jun 2005

New Record Captures Wicked Liz at Its Best

By Jeff Ignatius
Some bands are not cut out for the recording studio. They're great live, but when they get in that soundproofed room by themselves, they can't translate the energy. Often, the performances on studio CDs are too dry, and they reveal deficiencies in the songs that an audience isn't going to notice at midnight with a few drinks in them.
14 Jun 2005

Festival Showcases 60 Bands

By No Author
Mark Brenny of Brenny's Motorcycle Clinic has been building the annual Sturgis on the River festival into the Quad Cities' best showcase for local bands. And this year he's topped himself. For last year's event, Brenny booked roughly 40 bands on three stages.
14 Jun 2005

Can't Wait For The Blues Fest?

By Administrator
With the Blues Festival just two weeks away, it's crunch time for the Mississippi Valley Blues Society (MVBS). There are travel, lodging, security, and logistical concerns to address, contracts to finalize, and volunteer lists to compile.
07 Jun 2005

New Band Living Out Its Dream

By Farrah Welsh
Dreams certainly do come true for new country music trio Sugarland, which will play on Saturday, June 11, at Quad City Live. The band's debut album, Twice the Speed of Life, recently went gold and has had two top-15 singles.
07 Jun 2005

Spicing It Up at Gumbo Ya-Ya

By Mike Schulz
At Gumbo Ya Ya, the food might be hot, but the music is always hotter. (Quite a feat for an event serving Cajun sausage and spicy boiled shrimp.) That truism will certainly apply to this weekend's annual Mardi Gras in the District festival, at which nine bands will deliver crowd-pleasing performances of Cajun, zydeco, blues, funk, rock, soul, hip-hop, R&B, and reggae music.

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