Baratta's, Blues Challenge and Byron's - oh my!

When it rains it pours and this spring it is pouring music! We have a huge weekend in front of us and right away we want to thank you for your support (just even by reading this).

Friday we perform at Baratta’s Café in the Iowa State Historical Building over the lunch hour. Abileen loves this gig because after we get to check out the whole building. The historical building is a very cool place with lots to learn. Baratta’s is delicious and I consider music during the lunch hour a treat!

Saturday night Aaron and Rob Short take on the Iowa Blues Challenge together as the Eastside Brothers. We are so excited and, of course, are hoping they win. The winners get to represent our state by performing in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. They also get recording studio time and even some money.  But all that aside, Rob and Aaron are having a great time performing together again and for the first time as a duo. It is very inspiring! Brings me right back to the first time I ever saw these two perform. They have something special and you won’t want to miss it. The whole family is going to be at the Downtown Des Moines Marriot Hotel on Sat. night, doors open at 5:30, Eastside Brothers kick off the night at 6:30pm, tickets are $10. Come support the Eastside Brothers and the Central Iowa Blues Society.

Sunday you will hear us hosting Iowa Homegrown on KFMG 99.1 but we won’t be live in the studio. We have pre-recorded and the segment will include live music from Krista Haugland, news about Peddlers Jamboree and much more Iowa music. So tune in 2-5pm this Sunday to hear the show or stream online at www.kfmg991.org.

We had to pre-record because we’ll be up at Byron’s in Pomeroy on Sunday night. The show starts at 5pm and tickets are $10. We may even have Rob with us that night. Aaron and Rob introduced me to Byron’s. I saw their band, The Creek Dwellers, perform a few times, and even record an album there. When we first got to play Byron’s I was floored. Aaron just asked, there wasn’t really anything to it, but to me there was everything to it. Getting to perform at Byron’s felt like a rite of passage, a graduation point of my musicianship. I have gotten very important musical guidance and been inspired at a very deep level at Byron’s. At first glance is might just look like a Grateful Dead Bar in a small town because that is what it is, but look closer, more importantly, listen closer and you will find music and that music will find your soul. To be inspired by live music – GO TO BYRON’S – because the rule at Byron’s is “live music only happens once, so you’ve got to be there.”

Kat Darling