The Bistro, in support of the Charlson Building Restoration Project, will again be hosting a night of Homegrown BBQ and Blues on Saturday, October 3rd at the Charlson Building. The evening will commence with some Bistro BBQ and then be followed with a line-up of some of Iowa’s very own folk and blues players.
Pieta Brown will start out the evening. A contemporary singer and songwriter, she blends folk, blues, country and rock. Her fusion of these genres has earned her critical acclaim. Her album, Remember the Sun, was named as one of the best albums of 2007 in the Wall Street Journal. Described as a self-styled poetress, folk goddess and country waif, Pieta’s music resonates with a seductive simplicity and lyrical grace and we are pleased to have her joining us for this year’s Rock the Renovation event.
Patrick Hazel will once again be joining us. In 1968 Patrick established the Mother Blues Band in Iowa City. Through the 70’s and early 1980’s Mother Blues toured extensively in the Midwest and achieved legendary status. Now performing alone…he gets the sound of a full band by accompanying his vocals with piano, foot-powered percussion, and harmonica, resulting in a full-blown, throttle open, blues’ experience. Patrick Hazel has shared the stage with artists ranging from Led Zeppelin and Jefferson Airplane to Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters. The Des Moines Register has called Hazel “a legend in Iowa music” and is considered by many to be one of the finest and most creative harmonica players in the music world. He was inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame on Dec. 17, 2000, and the Iowa Music Association Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame on Sept. 2, 2007.
But wait, once again….there is more. The night will close with Story City’s own Radio Moscow. These boys, since the last Rock The Renovation have had their third extensive European tour, had a song in a major motion picture directed by Will Ferrel, and starring Jeremy Pivens, as well as continuing to crisscross the United States touring. If you missed them last time, here’s your chance, and if you like your blues amped up a bit, you’re gonna love these boys.
One reviewer wrote “Radio Moscow is the best kind of time machine. With a driving bass line and a wicked guitar lick, these Iowa boys take you back to a time when rock music was defined not by complication or pretension, but by talent and daring. These boys don’t ape Jimmy Hendrix, rather, they learn from his example and push the limits of blues rock like there’s not tomorrow. All that is to say, Radio Moscow is making some of the best rock and roll in Iowa. Maybe even the whole of the Iowa tri-state area. Maybe even the country. Shoot, they’re the rockingest band in the world. Or at least that’s how they make you feel. And that’s what legends are made of. I predict great things for Radio Moscow. They may be out of time, buy they’re doing their best to make us all remember real rock and roll”.
So, this year, as last, we are going to have some blues for everyone, some good “Q” and the chance to contribute to something that can use our help. The price for all this? $20.00 per person in advance, $25.00 at the door. Tickets are available at The Bistro and The Story City Chamber. Doors open at 7:30 pm. All net proceeds will go to The Charlson Bulding Renovation Project.