The Mississippi Valley Blues Society, Central Iowa Blues Society, Southeast Iowa Blues Society, and South Skunk Blues Society present the 2016 Iowa Blues Challenge (IABC). The IABC is a cooperative effort among the four organizations to select a solo-duo and band participant to represent the State of Iowa at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN, in January 2017.
The Final Round of the IBC will be held in Des Moines, IA on June 18, but first each solo/duo and band, made up primarily of Iowa based musicians, must surmount a Preliminary Round. The Mississippi Valley Blues Society Preliminary Round of the IABC will be held at the River Music Experience, 129 N. Main Street, Davenport, IA on Sunday, May 1, starting at 5:00pm. Admission price is $8 for ALL Blues Society members and $10 for non-members. Three (3) bands and four (4) solo/duo acts will be competing with only one (1) solo/duo act and one (1) band moving on to the final round in Des Moines.
The 2016 Mississippi Valley Blues Society Preliminary Round participants are:
- 5:00pm – Concreteslim (solo/duo)
- 5:30pm – Bruce Kort (solo/duo)
- 6:00pm – Winter Blues All-Stars (band)
- 6:45pm – Dan Peart (solo/duo)
- 7:15pm – The Royal Blues (band)
- 8:00pm – Y Monkey Y (solo/duo)
- 8:30pm – Zach Harris Band (band)
Each solo/duo group will play a 15 minute set and each band will play a 30 minute set with 8-10 judges critiquing each set on blues content, vocals, originality, talent, and stage presence. This preliminary round will be judges similar to the panel of judges that each group will face if they move on to the Iowa State Final Round and the International Competition.
Bands and solo/duo acts moving on to the Iowa State finals will also have a chance to win cash prizes, recording time, opportunities for paid performances and paid expenses for 2017 International Blues Challenge in Memphis TN.
