We Will Survive

We Will Survive

We Will Survive

We Will Survive

The best message I could find, musically, appeared ahead of this message. BB King’s “I’ll Survive.” Because that’s what we do here in Florida.

It’s been a rough two weeks for all of us. Most lost power, some had some flooding, and unfortunately a few lost homes. Our venues took a hit, and our musicians are going to be out of work.

But we came together. In traveling between my home and my mom’s home frequently in the days following Milton (and how long before I can again listen to Little Milton?) I witnessed many acts of human kindness – people helping each other.

Of course, the music schedule is a mess. Known is that Camping With The Blues was cancelled. Florida Sands Music took a large hit from the storm and will need time to recover. This message was issued on Facebook:

We are sad to say, the Florida Sand Music Ranch has suffered quite a bit of damage due to Milton. They went through Helene with few issues. This time, however, there is a lot of flooding, more trees and power lines down. They currently have no power.

Unfortunately, the 2024 Camping with the Blues has been cancelled.

Best to check with any venue before you head out to a show. So, in the near term, your newsletter is not going to publish events in our Current Happenings section.

Stay Safe, be well. And we’ll be together before you know it.

Scott Morris

President, Suncoast Blues Society

 

 

Suncoast Blues Society Donates

Suncoast Blues Society Donates

Suncoast Blues Society Donates

Suncoast Blues Society Donates

The Palladium in St Petersburg has a rich history of bringing music to our community. The non-profit foundation at the venue has started a restoration campaign that will reimagine this important venue.

Prior to the Southern Hospitality show, on behalf of our membership your board of directors, represented by Cheryl Spradling and Scott Morris, presented a donation to The Palladium executive director Paul Wilborn.

You can read, and hear, more about this $10 million dollar makeover at this link. Within the presentation, our own Selwyn Birchwood explains what The Palladium means to him.

And if you can do so, Paul Wilborn will appreciate any additional donation. Many of us have fond memories of shows at The Palladium. Let’s help to make new memories inside of a world-class venue.

Message from your President 2024

Message from your President 2024

Message from your President 2024

 

Suncoast Blues Society Events Calendar

(Or, Where is my show?)

While this message is primarily for our local artists, members may find interest in better understanding how events find their way to the Suncoast Blues Society event calendar SBS Events Calendar, and sometimes into the newsletter.

Being an all-volunteer organization, your board of directors does not have the time to maintain a calendar. Anyway, there is a better option called GoTonight.

GoTonight (GTN) is a wonderful partner with Suncoast Blues Society, and without going deep into the technology details GTN sends SBS a calendar of local blues events which populates the calendar on the website. And from there it’s a manual process to transpose the shows into the newsletter. Time consuming for sure; prone to errors as well. But given the volunteer staff, or lack of, it’s the best that we can do for our members

There are two ways that shows do not make it to the SBS calendar. The most prevalent issue is the shows not making it into GTN. Venues and artists can populate their calendar on GTN – and many do. But not all take advantage of the GTN calendar and GTN relies on some of their own volunteers to fill in many of the gaps.

If you are interested in participating, or need more information on GTN’s features, reach out to GTN at  Contact GTN.

The second issue arises with the cut off time for the calendar load to SBS. To help solve this problem GTN and SBS have agreed to a 1:00 PM cutoff time on Monday’s for shows to be in the calendar. We realize that event bookings can be fluid but to get our newsletter out on time we do need to put a stake in the ground, and if a show does not make the cutoff day and time, it may not make the calendar or newsletter.

SBS members find the event data valuable. We know this because the event page is the one that receives the most visits to the website. However, here is one instance where it really does take a village for all to benefit. If you are interested in helping make the event data complete, and a better experienced for all members, reach out to GTN at the above link, or send an email to volunteer@suncoastblues.org

Scott Morris, President Suncoast Blues Society.

 

THE INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE – 2024

THE INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE – 2024

THE INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE – 2024

This year’s International Blues Challenge will be held on Beale Street in Memphis, TN from January 7-11, 2025. The tickets will be available starting October 1, 2024.

THE INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE

From International Blues Foundation website:https://blues.org/international-blues-challenge/ The International Blues Challenge represents the worldwide search for blues bands and solo/duo blues performers ready for the international stage, yet just needing that extra big break. The world’s largest gathering of blues musicians will take place on Beale Street, with over 20 clubs hosting the challengers and fans. In addition to featuring these final rounds of the prestigious blues music competition, the IBC event week will offer seminars, highlights, master classes, film screenings, networking events, book signings, and receptions for blues societies, fans, and professionals.

MUSICIANS: WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU

Your Suncoast Blues Society is considering hosting a regional IBC competition. We are calling for Blues musicians to state their intention to compete before June 1,2024.

If there is enough local interest in competing your society will move forward with hosting the competition.

Please review the rules for entry https://blues.org/ibc-rules-guidelines-local-affiliate-challenges/. It is important that your music contains some original blues music. Any winning act(s) from the competition will go on to represent us in Memphis!

There are so many Blues musicians in our area with amazing talent and we would love to sponsor a band and/or solo/duo act to represent Suncoast Blues Society.

If you are a blues musician in our area, we encourage you to state your interest in competing by emailing president@suncoastblues.org before June 1. The board of Suncoast Blues society will decide on June 2nd on whether there is enough interest to move forward with a competition.

 

 

Become a Suncoast Blues Society Member

Go to our Membership sign up page and choose your Membership!
Click Here
Suncoast Blues Society members can purchase pre-sales tickets to blues legend Buddy Guy

Suncoast Blues Society members can purchase pre-sales tickets to blues legend Buddy Guy

Suncoast Blues Society members can purchase pre-sales tickets to blues legend Buddy Guy

NOTE: All SBS members in good standing (paid membership) have the right to this offer. Follow instructions below to get access to the SBS discounted tickets! 

Special SBS Members Only Benefit
Tickets are available May 16th 4:00PM

 

Your Suncoast Blues Society board of directors has been working with Ruth Eckerd Hall, and we are proud to announce a special members-only ticket sale benefit.

On May  16th,  Suncoast Blues Society members can purchase pre-sales tickets to blues legend Buddy Guy and his Damn Right Farewell Tour! The tour comes to Ruth Eckerd Hall on September 14th, and Suncoast Blues Society members can purchase their seats before this show goes on sale to the public.

Appearing with Buddy Guy are two standouts in the blues world: Bobby Rush – an 18-time Blues Music Award winner; and musician, producer, songwriter extraordinaire – the 4-time Grammy Award winner Tom Hambridge.

You will want to take advantage of this wonderful offer before the best seats are gone, and the tickets go on sale to the public.

About the show:

BUDDY GUY

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS BOBBY RUSH & TOM HAMBRIDGE

GRAMMY® award winner and Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Famer, Buddy Guy, returns to Ruth Eckerd Hall for the Damn Right Farewell Tour! Buddy Guy is one of the most celebrated blues guitarists of his generation, possessing a sound and style that embodies the traditions of classic Chicago blues while also embracing the fire and flash of rock & roll. Guy began his recording career in 1959 and scored his first hit in 1960 with First Time I Met the Blue. Buddy’s time came in 1991 with the breakthrough of Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues, the first of his many albums to reach the Billboard charts. If his last few decades have proven anything, it’s that a ticket to a Buddy Guy concert isn’t simply a tour through blues history, but an opportunity to see a genre’s foremost practitioner still at the top of his game, with as much to say as ever has. Don’t miss Buddy Guy’s return to Clearwater with special guests Bobby Rush and Tom Hambridge only at Ruth Eckerd Hall!

Buddy Guy at Ruth Eckerd Hall

NOTE: You have to be logged into to get the promotional code. See instructions below.

DETERMINE IF YOU ARE A CURRENT SBS MEMBER

If you not sure if you are a current member, go to the SBS website – www.suncoastblues.org

  • Go to the SHOP option in the Main Menu at the top.
  • Select the MY ACCOUNT option.
  • Fill out the form with your email and your password.
  • If you forgot your password, you can reset it with the LOST YOUR PASSWORD link.
  • You will receive a link to create a new password via email.
  • NOTE: If you do NOT receive your Reset Password email, check your email SPAM folder.

YOU HAVE AN ACCOUNT

  • Once you are able to get in via the MY ACCOUNT option, look on the left side for MY MEMBERSHIP.
  • Click on MANAGE (left side) and you will see the status of your membership (ACTIVE or EXPIRED)
  • If your membership has EXPIRED, you can press the RENEW button.
  • You will see a form which you need to update (as needed).
  • Then you will be asked to use PayPal to do your renewal order (you can use a PayPal account OR your own credit card).

 

AFTER YOU LOG IN – CLICK HERE – TO BE TAKEN TO THE CODE PAGE

Become a Suncoast Blues Society Member

Go to our Membership sign up page and choose your Membership! 

Click Here
Everybody Having a Ball – Billy Price Band

Everybody Having a Ball – Billy Price Band

Everybody Having a Ball – Billy Price Band

Everybody Having a Ball

Billy Price Band @ Cottonmouth southern Soul Kitchen 

On March 29th 2024, Billy Price and his band made their debut in Bradenton’s Village of the Arts and put on one of the best shows seen to date at the venue.

The band set the tone for the evening when kicked off the show playing The Temptation’s classic Can’t Get Next to You, followed by Chuck Berry’s You Never Can Tell. Billy came to the stage and launched a wonderful set of music pulled from this extensive catalogue, and sprinkled in some new material that is forthcoming this fall.

Billy’s band on this tour (Dave Dodd, drums; Tom Valentine, bass; Lenny Smith, guitar; Jim Britton, keyboard; and a horn section with flugelhorn and sax ) expertly backed Billy as he launched into two sets of enjoyable rhythm & blues, blues, and soul. Beginning with I Keep Holding On Billy captured the audience and showed why he is a wonderful entertainer. Billy got the crowd moving by delivering his “signature” song, the Carl Sims classic It Ain’t a Juke Joint Without The Blues.

Billy spoke respectfully about his time touring with Roy Buchannan and performed Nickle and a Nail; and then visited the 2019 recording “Dog Eat Dog” for Lose My Number. What followed next was a highlight. His performance of Mercy from the forthcoming release “Person of Interest” was a powerful, poignant, and memorable performance. This is one beautiful song that touches the heart, and on this night and during this song was Billly at his best.

A standard in Billy’s show is Can I Change My Mind, and tonight was no different. By this time, the audience was beginning to turn Cottonmouth into a dance hall, setting the stage for what to come during the second set. Tyrone Davis songs fit Billy well, and this former number one on Billboards Hot R&B Chart is no exception. The first set concluded with 39 Steps, giving both band and audience a chance to collect their breaths.

Often, between sets in Florida the audience will start to thin out. Tonight, that was not the case. The sold-out show  was packed tight. But that did not deter them – they wanted to dance to Billy Price Band and dance they did.

From the start of the second set  – which featured the band without Billy performing So Sharp, famously recorded by J. Geils Band – the audience was on their feet, moving and swaying to the beat. And they did not retreat to their seats for the remainder of the night. I’ve seen a lot of shows at Cottonmouth, but never have I witnessed the entire audience up and dancing for an entire set.

The songs during set two included: She Checks All The Boxes, Real Time, the wonderful Crying at The Stoplight, and revisiting Roy Buchanan with Can I Make You Change Your Mind. By this time, the kitchen staff joined in the fun and dancing hit a fever pitch to Tyrone Davis’s s Turn Back The Hands of Time and continued with Be Thankful for What You Got. The band wrapped up the set with Expert Witness.

The audience was not ready to release the band, and Billy accommodated with a two-song encore, First, the full band performed Person of Interest. Billy then asked all but keyboardist Jim Britton to leave the stage and the two concluded a wonderful night with a stirring version of Toussaint McAll’s. Nothing Takes The Place of You. A spectacular evening of music by The Billy Price Band.

 

  • Scott Morris, Suncoast Blues Society
  • Photo’s courtesy of Jim Hartzell

 

Become a Suncoast Blues Society Member

Go to our Membership sign up page and choose your Membership! 

Click Here