NEWS Calling All Bands…. ~ The Suncoast Blues Society will be participating in the International Blues Challenge once again this year. Bands that wish to enter should send an e-mail to George Willett (george@suncoastblues.org ) expressing their interest. Write “IBC” in the subject line. ~ The Entry deadline will be Friday, Sept. 12th ~ Because we’re having a strong response this year, we are going to have an elimination round on-line. SBS members will be able to vote for their favorites at suncoastblues,org. ~ The top six bands will move on to the finals. Once we determine who that is we'll work out the schedule. ~ The Event will take place at Skipper’s on Oct. 19th ~ Because we had only five entries in two years, we’ve discontinued the Solo/Duo competition. ~ For complete rules go to the Blues Foundation website, blues.org , and click on the International Blues Challenge tab. We will use the same judging criteria at our local event as is used in Memphis.… The Blues Foundation in Memphis needs your help. Signup and join the Foundation, and help support Blues everywhere... click here Hey Kids! It's time to check your Membership cards! We don't want to lose track of any of our Blues brothers and sisters....and if you're NOT a member, sign up now! Want to save Gas by Carpooling to SBS Events? - As you know, with the current gas crunch it has become harder for our Blue lovers to justify traveling for events. Did you know that we have a "Classifieds" section available right here on the SBS Web Site where members can post for free? Interested parties should post requests in the "personals" section under the classified tab in the members area of our website. If you tag the ad "Ride Wanted" or "Passengers Wanted" other members can link up with you to share gas and you will all still have money left over to have some fun!

SPECIAL EVENTS Sep 27, 2008 - Jookin’ With "Jr. Boy" and Gentleman John! Have we got a treat for you! On Saturday, Sept. 27th we’re gonna rock Dave’s Aqua-Lounge with a Jook Joint starring ANDREW “JR. BOY” JONES! Annnd…..on this tour he’s featuring keyboard standout “GENTLEMAN” JOHN STREET! As “Jook Joint Soul” said; “From the opening number to the final chord, Jr. Boy brought one of the largest dance crowds…..that I’ve seen in recent times with doses of funk, Texas shuffles, and soul-fused ballads. Playing songs off of his latest release “Jr. Boy Live” and off of his last studio release “Mr. Domestic”, Jr. Boy played hardly a cover all night long; showing the blues fans and the non-blues folks that you can be original and still get funky.” Come on out to Dave’s Aqua-Lounge (10820 Gandy Blvd., St. Pete - 727-576-1091) on Saturday, September 27th and get down with Andrew “Jr. Boy” Jones, and Gentleman John, too. Showtime is 9:30 pm and (like ALL our Jook shows) it’s only $7.00 at the door, so get yourselves ready, shine up your dancin’ shoes, and be prepared to have a GOOD time. Oct 19, 2008 - The Suncoast’s IBC Competition… Wow, is it that time already? Yep, it’s time for the IBC Playoffs at Skippers.. BUT we can’t tell you who’ll be playing yet…cuz We-Don’t-Know! We’ve already had such a strong response this year that we are going to have an on-line elimination round, where you guys will be able to vote for your favorites. Voting will begin on Mon. Sept. 15th, at suncoastblues,org/IBC, and the voting will be open ‘til Oct. 1st. Our webmaster Peter Fleming has set up the system so that competing bands can send a short (150 word max.) bio and one track (mp3) to him, which he will post on the website. I can’t stress this enough: CHECK OUT THE BIOS AND TRACKS BEFORE YOU VOTE! There are some bands which you may not have heard, but you should check them all out before you vote.. you might discover a new favorite Oct 31, 2008 - A Halloween Spook-Tacular: Monster Mash With Melvin Taylor! We’re going to the Happy Haunting Grounds this year. On Halloween night (Fri, Oct. 31st) Ace’s Lounge (4343 Palma Sola Blvd, Bradenton - 941-795-3886) and The Suncoast Blues Society are throwing a costume extravaganza featuring that guitar-monster, Melvin Taylor! There will be a costume contest, prizes and give-aways, and more fun that you can stand! Nov. 1st is The Sarasoa Blues ‘Fest, so come on down, get a room, and spend the weekend! And as for the entertainment? Ask one of Melvin’s fans or check him out at: http://www.melvintaylorblues.com/ or at, myspace.com/melvintaylorblues , or even at youtube.com/melvintaylor. Nov 1, 2008 - Sarasota Blues 'Fest Barbara Does It Again…This year’s SARASOTA BLUES FESTIVAL will be held on Nov. 1st, and the line-up is all set…The artists will be MOFRO, BOBBY RUSH, BOB MARGOLIN w/ DIUNNA GREENLEAF, JASON RICCI, and our beloved SARASOTA ALL-STARS! “There's something for everybody but still in the blues genre," said festival organizer Barbara Strauss. "It's a good combo platter of blues." (With tickets priced at $20, the Sarasota Blues Fest is also inexpensive). "I always want to keep this affordable, no matter the economy, but especially this year," Strauss said. "Any kid, even if they're 17 and comes with a parent, can come in free."

The Suncoast Blues Society has 827 members.
We now have members in 33 States, Canada, the UK, Germany and Northern Ireland! The word is spreading!