Love Those Salt Potatoes, Syracuse!

LOOK OUT SALT CITY...It's Bees Deluxe and Dana Balter!

"It's time to return government and politics to the hands of the people where it belongs."

Our first official  stop on the "Flippin' for the Blues" tour is Syracuse where we are thrilled to be playing for the Dana Balter for Congress campaign. 

We're excited about Dana's candidacy and are honored to be able to work with her campaign (that's YOU, Mike!).  Dana is just one of the incredible candidates and organizations that we are supporting as we flip for the blues. The road ahead goes from Syracuse to Cleveland to Columbus then onto Pennsylvania. Watch this space to see what a diet of day-old donuts, pizza and acid blues does to four grown adults.

We'll be the Empire Brewery in Syracuse from 12:30-2:30. Stop by, meet Dana and have a cold brew with Bees Deluxe.

Just added: Rocky Sullivan's in Brooklyn on Saturday October 20th with JR Rost & the Secret Agents, and the Cornelia Street Band. Advance tickets available here

Announcing The Monday Blues Review.

The Friday October 19th "Flippin' for the Blues" tour stops at the Buckhead Saloon in beautiful downtown Pittsburgh PA and features the live music of The Monday Blues Review.

The Monday Blues Revue perform high-energy, eclectic mix of classic and modern blues music in all its forms: Chicago Blues, Texas Blues, Jump Blues, Blues Rock, Rhythm & Blues, Soul, and Southern Rock.

Their influences include Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bill Withers, The Allman Brothers Band, Jimi Hendrix, & Muddy Waters.

Announcing the addition of the WIldcat O'Halloran Band to our Friday, October 26 at 7 PM – 10 PM event at Pauly's Hotel in Albany NY.

Living Blues Magazine says of the band "The Wildcat O’Halloran Band have been a Massachusetts institution for over two decades. The band’s latest release, "Hot Pulldown" brims with tight musicianship and raucous energy. O’Halloran is an agile guitarist, and his backing musicians have the type of musical chemistry that only comes from sharing the stage for years." Video still photo by MoeJoe Vision.

Announcing the special appearance of Dana Gaynor to the October 15th show at the Pig Pen Fun Bar in Allentown PA, and to the Harrisburg PA show at the Midtown Arts Center on Tuesday October 16th. Dana Gaynor is an award winning guitarist, producer, singer/song writer from the Lehigh Valley, PA., born and raised in NY. and having lived for many years on the California coast. The list of musicians Dana has performed, recorded and/or toured with includes: Dan Hicks, Vassar Clements, John Cipollina (Quicksilver Messenger Service), Keith and Donna Godchaux (Grateful Dead), Greg Anton (Zero), JC Smith (Bill Withers, Ike and Tina Turner), Arkansas Larry Davis, Deacon Jones and Jim Guyette (John Lee Hooker Band), Jackie Payne, Norton Buffalo, Don Preston (Leon Russell Band), Buddy Miles, Buddy Cage (New Riders of the Purple Sage), Tommy Castro, Bobby Rondinelli (Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult), Debbie Davies, Greg Smith (Ted Nugent band), Rodney Holmes, Jimmy Leheay and many more.

Brian Brazil performed in the house band at the Palomino Club in North Hollywood, CA. He played harmonica in a 14-piece television orchestra for 22 shows, and spent 9 years touring on the road with 3 consecutive bands. He worked in 18 bands and has fronted 8 of his own. Brian is endorsed by Lone Wolf Blues Company, manufacturer of Harmonica amplifiers and effects pedals. And he's playing with us at the Pig Pen Fun Bar in Allentown PA on October 15th and at the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center in Harrisburg PA on Oct 16th! More superb harmonica playing than you can shake a black cat at!

On Thursday October the 18th, the Flippin' for the Blues Tour Announces the addition of Special Musical Guest Keith T-bone Colbert to the event.

Keith’s musical style is an evolution of modern blues with a firm foundation inspired by the blues styles from Texas, Chicago and the Delta. Both bands will be playing at King Avenue 5 in Columbus Ohio. Stay tuned for a link to advance reservations. This show is in support of Danny O'Connor as Democratic candidate for Congress. See: https://dannyoconnorforcongress.com/

Vote Your Voice

I voted  in the Massachusetts primary today.

I'm lucky that I vote in a beautiful wood-paneled Town Hall, where the poll workers are retired teachers who taught my kids. I'm lucky that we have good old-fashioned paper ballots that you fill out with a Sharpie and that I live in a state where all the names on the ballot—in all the parties—are good, intelligent people who, even though I may disagree with their methods, want to work to make my state a better place.

As Tip O'Neil said "All politics is local," and he's right. What happens at a local level—at the primaries, at the  races for State Representative and Attorney General—affect the national political scene. Yet people don't vote. Today in Boston as of 3pm, voter turn out was at 12 percent. TWELVE PERCENT?! How can we complain about the outcome of our elections when only 12 percent of us vote?

So get out and cast your ballot. If you've already voted, call your neighbors and remind them that the polls are open 'til 8pm. If you haven't registered—register. Voting is your voice. 
It's your patriotic duty and it's your privilege to raise it every chance you can. 

New Hampshire Reeling From Blues Invasion....

The evening was cool...the music was hot...

Wow! Flippin' for the Blues officially launched last night with an event at Cisco Brewers in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It couldn't have been more perfect. Jugghead Band set the mood with their feel good, front-porch style music. Young parents relaxed under umbrella-shaded tables, toddlers danced in front of the stage, dogs lounged in the sun. The food was terrific and the beer was crisp and cold.

Maura Sullivan mingled with the crowd and then spoke from the heart. She talked about her background as a Marine, her position with the Obama administration and her love of the quality of life and the people of New Hampshire. "Get involved," she urged. "When all of us work together, change happens."

For us, this was the first event of a tour that will take us from Maine to Ohio. If every stop is as powerful, inspiring and fun as last night, we'll never going to want to come home.