Column for August 11, 2010

Western swing, bluegrass and soul seem to be the theme in Southeast Idaho’s live music scene this week with shows both outside and in.

Strings Attached provides the music at tonight's Revive @ Five, at the Old Town Pavilion, Main St., in downtown Pocatello (map). Food will be catered by Pasta Vino, sponsored the Bannock County Bluegrass Festival, which is scheduled August 27 - 29.

The big concert this week is at Sandy Downs in Idaho Falls (map). Asleep at the Wheel plays Texes country western swing on Friday night, August 13th. Races start at 5:00 p.m. with the concert to follow. The locally-based acoustic folk band Steelhead Redd (website) opens the show.

Asleep at the Wheel originally formed in West Virginia in the early 70’s and is now based from Austin, Texas. The group has won nine Grammy Awards, released more than twenty studio albums and has charted more than twenty singles on the Billboard country charts, including "The Letter That Johnny Walker Read," peaking on the U.S. Country chart at #10 in 1975.

Asleep at the Wheel’s band leader, Ray Benson, has been inducted into the Austin Music Hall of Fame and was given The Texas Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996. Benson and Asleep at the Wheel have been one of the strongest names in Country Music for the last forty years.

In 2009, Asleep at the Wheel collaborated with legendary Willie Nelson on the album, “Willie and the Wheel,” which charted at #13 on the U.S. Country charts. Find out more at www.asleepatthewheel.com.

Jazz is on the menu at Marigolds Wine on Flandro Drive (map) in Pocatello Friday night with Jimmy G. Music starts at 7:00 p.m., free and open to the public of all ages. At Portneuf Valley Brewing, singer / songwriter Bruce Bowman is scheduled to take the stage at 8:30 p.m., playing everything from folk to rock.

On Saturday the 14th, Hooligans Pub & Restaurant on N. 3rd Ave. (map) celebrates their anniversary with a party in the parking lot starting at 4:30 p.m. The locally-based rock band Somewhere In the Middle takes the stage at 6, and Bluejack, an R&B and soul band based from Bozeman, MT, headlines starting at 9:00 p.m.

Somewhere In the Middle is a well-known local and regional favorite, featuring Aaron Ball on guitars and vocals and percussionist Jonathan Brownly. Find out more at www.myspace.com/aaronballmusic.

Bluejack has toured with B.B. King and has opened for Journey, CCR, Foreigner, Soul Asylum and more. They played at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and are a regular at the Sturgis Bike Rally in South Dakota.

Fronted by vocalist Paige Rasmussen and backed by a three-piece horn section, the eight-piece band is best known for delivering a high-powered, soul music experience, playing a mix of originals and covers from jazz, blues, Motown and funk. Listen for their fan favorite rendition of Otis Redding’s “Please, Please, Please.” Read more at www.bluejackband.com.

Also on Saturday, the Alder Street All Stars play Americana, bluegrass and rock at Portneuf Valley Brewing on S. 1st Ave. (map), starting at 8:30. Music entertainment is free and open to all ages at the pub.

The Alder Street All Stars describe their music as “thug-grass” or politically charged non-traditional bluegrass. “Our fans enjoy the hard drinkin, instrumentally driven political statements, along with the fiery stage presence of the band,” the band said in a recent interview.

Based from Eugene, OR, the All Stars formed in 2006 to support a benefit concert for a friends threatened with deportation. The benefit was a success, and since that time they have played regularly at festivals in Oregon and Washington and opened for The Devil Makes Three at the WOW Hall in Eugene.

Alder Street currently has 2 albums, “Beer Made and Too Drunk to Folk” and their most recent album, “Too Drunk to Folk,” recorded in Cottage Grove, OR. CD's and t-shirts will be available for purchase at the show. Find out more at www.myspace.com/alderstreetallstars.

And on Monday the 16th, Bufflao, New York’s Every Time I Die, formed in 1998, headlines a heavy metal concert with Fire In The Skies and Breaux at The Icon, N. Main St. in Pocatello (map). Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; tickets available through smithstix.com.

Every Time I Die has toured with Killswitch Engage and Jackass and played Warped Tour in 2002 and 2006. For more, visit http://everytimeidie.net.

Dan Hillebrant and Randy Johnson play acoustic tunes at Ruby Tuesday (map) on Tuesday the 17th, 5 to 8:00 p.m.

Linda Alexander
a.k.a. Lana Banana for Idaho Live Music
slowloosegravel@yahoo.com
http://slowloosegravel.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/showmetheband