Election Held At Christmas Party

Our annual election of officers was held on Friday, December 14th, a little late due to some other scheduling problems.  Our slate of officers and board members remains unchanged.  We had a great turnout at the meeting, discussing upcoming events and then we ate the great food brought by our members and enjoyed Studebaker John.

2012/2013 Officers                and Board Members	Position
Steve Jones	President
Karl Dahlin	Vice President
Bonnie Fox	Secretary
Al McNary	Treasurer
Rich Gordon	Board Member
Rick Davis	Board Member
Bob Haendler	Board Member
Terry Keller	Board Member
Dennis Barker	Board Member

Let's Kickstart this thing off! Sponsor the Inaugural FOB Fest!

We want you!

FOB Festival Kickstarter

Visit Kickstarter and sponsor the Inaugural Field of Blues Festival!  Sponsorships begin as low as $15.  Heck, for $5,000 we'll even name the festival after you!  Whatever level you can afford, we would graciously appreciate your support.  We want to make this a reality for Rockford!

Lucky and Tamara Peterson at the Adriatic Thursday, December 20th!

Lucky Peterson returns to the Adriatic for a great show Thursday night at 8:30 PM.  His lovely and talented wife will join him on stage.  She is a superb vocalist!

As most fans know, Lucky was child prodigy who played his first proefessinal engagement at age 3. His first recording was at age 5 (produced by noneother than Willie Dixon) and then went on to be featured on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show by the time he was age 6.

 $10 at the door is a steal for this great artist!  Come out and support live music!

Great Northern Blues Society Annual Fundraiser Set for Saturday, March 9th

http://www.gnbs.org/gnbs/ 

 Robert "One-Man" Jonson doing acoustic performances between acts.

$17 in advance, and $22 at the door. 

Limited amount of special room rates available at the Stoney Creek Inn.

This year's lineup
1:00 pm	Donnie Pick & the Road Band
3:00 pm	Kilborn Alley Band
5:00 pm	Grady Champion
7:00 pm	Magic Slim & The Teardrops
9:00 pm	Corey Stevens

CBS 8th Annual Xmas Bash!

Sponsors Needed!

 

We need some sponsors to make this a reality.  Our board voted that if we can raise $4,000 in sponsors quickly that we will make this event a realty.

Advanced tickets will be $10, and admission at the door is going to be ~$20.  

Crossroads Blues Society is a 501c3 non-profit, incorporated in Illinois.  Sponsorship of this event and Crossroads Blues Society is entirely tax deductible.  All funds raised support Blues In The Schools Programming.  

Hurrican Sandy and Blues Foundation HOF Capital Drive Benefit

2013 Byron Crossroads Blues Festival Lineup Announced!

2013 Lineup is official!  We will have Tweed Funk, Bobby Messano, Dave Specter and Sharon Lewis, Doug Deming and Dennis Gruenling and the Jewel Tones, and the Nighthawks!

Tweed Funk

Bobby Messano 

Doug Deming and Dennis Gruenling and the Jewel Tones

Dave Specter and Sharon Lewis

The Nighthawks

Additionally, we will have our 4th annual Joe Filisko harmonica workshop and our first ever guitar workshop!  Dave Specter will be conducting the guitar workshop.

Spencer Bohren Live September 25th

Final Days for $5 Advanced Tickets

The half priced way to get into the best party around is almost gone!  Advanced tickets proces were extended and are still available for $5 for the 2012 Byron Crossroads Blues Festival.

5 bucks, 5 bands.  Where do you get a bargain like that these days? And these are not just any bands.

1:30 PM Aaron Williams & the HooDoo
3:00 PM Harmonica Workshop with Joe Filisko
3:30 PM The Jimmys
5:30 PM The Cash Box Kings
7:30 PM Nick Moss and the Flip Tops
9:30 PM The Candye Kane Band 

How to get advanced tickets:

1. On line  http://byroncrossroadsbluesfestival.blogspot.com/ 

2. Go to any of the sponsoring Byron Bars and Restaurants:
The Cave
Costa's
Fifth Alarm
Leombruni's Italian Village
Spanky's
Union
Sunrise II

3. Go to one of these other ticket sales locations:

Byron:
Snyder's Pharmacy 
Value Fresh Market 
Byron City Hall
Byron Bank Byron Branch

Rockford:

Adriatic Cafe (corner of Church St and Jefferson St)
Guzzardo's Music (Charles St)
Just Goods Store (7th St)
CD Source  (State St)
Toad Hall Records (Broadway)

Beloit:

Paradise Guitars Beloit (downtown)

Oregon:

Snyder's  Pharmacy 

Winnebago:

Snyder's  Pharmacy 

Davis Junction:

Byron Bank Branch

Planning Ahead After the 2012 Fest

ADRIATIC

327 West Jefferson Street

Rockford, IL  61101

(815)967-9939

Nino Gardona, Manager

JULY 2012

Date                       Time            Band                                   Cover Charge              

Friday, July 6        9:30 p.m.  Crastinators                                     $3.00            

_________________________________________________________________ 

Saturday, July 7    9:30 p.m.  Barstool Bob Blues Band                 $3.00

  

Friday, July 13      9:30 p.m.  Pistol Pete                                         $3.00

_________________________________________________________________ 

Saturday, July 14  9:30 p.m.  Charles Walker Band                       $5.00

Monday, July 16   7:00 p.m.   Bun E. Carlos & 

                                                the Monday Night Band                  $5.00

_________________________________________________________________

Friday, July 20     9:30 p.m.    Whalebone                                      $3.00

Saturday, July 21  9:30 p.m.   Studebaker John                         $5.00

_________________________________________________________________

Friday, July 27      9:30 p.m.    jf. gazianno & the beat merchants $3.00

_________________________________________________________________

Saturday, July 28  9:30 p.m.    Brother K                                        $3.00

                                                  LISA’S BIRTHDAY PARTY

_________________________________________________________________

3rd Annual Byron Crossroads Blues Festival Tickets

Advanced tickets for BCBF are available though August 11th.  After that, the price goes to $10.  Get your advanced tickets now!

Advanced tickets are available here on-line for only $5 each.  There is a small shipping and handling charge per order.  Tickets can be mailed out or can be held at will-call at the gate on Union Street near the Byron Post Office (Union and Third Streets).  All sales are final- no refunds!

Crossroads Membership- Renew On Line!

Renew Membership On Line Membership dues are part of our fundraising efforts so we can host Blues in the Schools programs and print a newsletter. 


Annual membership is: $15 for an individual $25 for a family. For Membership or to send a donation, please mail a check or money order made out to "The Crossroads Blues Society" Crossroads Blues Society P.O. Box 722 Freeport, IL 61032 or use the link below. 


 Membership Benefits: A bi-monthly newsletter of club events is mailed to all members. The club meets monthly to discuss club efforts and to enjoy a local blues performance at an area blues venue. New members also receive a blues CD from our collection. You can also join the Crossroads Blues Society Yahoo Group to receive e-mail's on club meetings, events, and regional blues information.

Membership Type

Individual (new member) $15.00 Individual (renewal) $15.00 Family (new members) $25.00 Family (renewal) $25.00

Deliver newsletter by

Email Regular mail Do not send newsletter

Notes to Crossroads:

Janiva Magness Back in Rockford on Thursday, August 9th!

Nighthawks Return for Blues Fest Kickoff Party!

ADRIATIC

327 West Jefferson Street

Rockford, IL  61101

(815)967-9939

Nino Gardona, Manager

JUNE 2012

Date                            Time                Band                                  Cover Charge

Friday, June 1             9:00 p.m.         HAMILTON LOOMIS             $7.00

                                                                                   

Saturday, June 2        9:30 p.m.         Emery Blues Boys                  $3.00

Tuesday, June 5         8:00 p.m.         WALTER TROUT                   $15/advance $20/door

                                                                                               

Friday, June 8             TBA

Saturday, June 9        9:30 p.m.         Brother K & Blue Knights        $3.00

Friday, June 15           9:30 p.m.         Big Dirty                               $3.00

Saturday, June 16      9:30 p.m.         jf. Gazianno/beat merchants    $3.00

Sunday, June 17         8:00 p.m.         LUCKY PETERSON              $7.00

           

Friday, June 22           9:30 p.m.         Honcho                                 $3.00

Saturday, June 23      9:30 p.m.         JOHN NEMETH                     $7.00

Friday, June 29           9:30 p.m.         WhoDunIt                              $3.00

Saturday, June 30      9:30 p.m.         Zach Harris Band                    $3.00

Four International/National Blues Artists performing at the Adriatic during the month of June 2012.    DON’T MISS THESE “ONCE IN A LIFETIME” SHOWS RIGHT HERE IN ROCKFORD ILLINOIS AT THE ADRIATIC LIVE MUSIC BAR, 327 WEST JEFFERSON STREET.

Mary's Place to Host Bryan Lee Once Again!

$10 show- advanced ticket purchase gets reserved seating.  Table seating is limited.

Walter Trout Returns to Rockford

Buy Advanced tickets at the Adriatic or here online at the right hand side of this page.

Call the Adriatic or 779-537-4006 for info.



April Blues at the Adriatic

ADRIATIC

327 West Jefferson Street

Rockford, IL  61101

(815)967-9939

Nino Gardona, Manager

APRIL 2012

 Date                 Time          Band                                              Cover Charge

Tue, April 3     9:00 p.m.    Miles Nielsen’s Songwriters’ Night    $5.00

Wed, April 4   9:00 p.m.    Brother K                                                FREE

Fri, April 6      9:30 p.m.    Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials          $7.00

Sat, April 7     9:30 p.m.    Pistol Pete                                               $3.00

Wed, April 11 9:00 p.m.    Brother K                                                FREE

Fri,  April 13   9:30 p.m.    Tom Fuller Band/Crastinators             $5.00

Sat, April 14   9:30 p.m.   Studebaker John & The Hawks         $5.00

Fri, April 20    9:30 p.m.   WhoDunIt                                               $3.00   

Sat, April 21    9:30 p.m.    Barstool Bob Blues Band                    $3.00

Fri, April 27    9:30 p.m.    Ken Curtis                                             $3.00 

Sat, April 28   9:30 p.m.    JF Gaziano & Beat Merchants    $3.00

Mark Thompson Honored As He Steps Down As President

Over 12 years have passed since Crossroads Blues Society moved to the Rockford area from it’s original base in Lanark, IL. Only one man has led the organization since that time, and it is with great regret that he is leaving the area and has to step down. Mark Thompson has been “The” President of the Soci-ety for all of that time, leading it to greater and greater levels of benefit to the com-munity and to the blues music world.


At the March 9th meeting to elect replacement officers, Thompson was honored for his work and was made an Honorary Member of Crossroads for life. He is the first member to be made an honorary life member. He also got a gift of a Kindle e-reader and great gag gifts from his friends in Crossroads. Bonnie Fox even wrote a blues song about him!

Mark and his wife Pam are leaving us for the sunny shores of Gulfport, Florida. The Tampa/St. Pete area of the West Coast of the Sunshine state is home to many a blues band, several festivals, and a blues society; near-by Bradenton is also the home of Blues Revue Magazine, so we are sure Mark will remain quite busy in the blues arena. Crossroads will miss his hard work and dedication.


At the meeting, Steve Jones was elected to replace Mark as President. Other additions to the Board of Directors were Terry Keller to replace Joe Poluyanskis and Rich Gordon to replace Steve’s slot. Joe stepped down off the board and Crossroads thanks him for his hard work, too.

2012 BCBF Poster #2- Very Cool!

Created by EA Jones Design

100th BITS Program set forJanuary 30, 2012!!!

Crossroads Blues Society's is getting ready to celebrate their 100th Blues in the Schools (BITS) program.  Their programs scheduled for January 30, 2012 will be the 99th and 100th programs that Crossroads has hosted since they began providing BITS programs for area schools in May 2002.  Who would be better than Fruteland Jackson to do these programs, especially since he did the first BITS program for them?  Since that time, they have brought the blues to close to 30,000 student across Northern Illinois.

January 30th brings them to South Beloit for their first visit to that school system.  Riverview Elementary School will host the AM program.  In the afternoon it is back to Rockford and Martin Luther King Elementary School will host the 100th program.  

Crossroads are proud of their efforts in helping to keep the blues alive in the Rockford area. Funding for BITS in the past had come from the generous support of the Rockford Area Arts Council and Illinois Arts Council.  Current funding comes from their annual Byron Crossroads BLues festival held on the Saturday before Labor Day weekend in Byron, IL.  Programs are held at no cost to the schools.  Crossroads already has February programs scheduled for Keith School and Spring Creek ES on February 22nd.  More programs are being planned for the Spring.

Fruteland is a singer & songwriter performing acoustic blues, from contemporary to traditional, from the blues of early field-holler songs and work songs to Delta and Piedmont Blues, as well as his own original works. Fruteland is one of a select group of Americans dedicated to gathering, preserving and performing acoustic blues in its many styles. Fruteland has performed at venues across the US, Europe and Russia.

BITS program costs have been maintained low and continue to average only $1 per student in attendance. Assembly attendance averages about 300 per school.  Crossroads Blues Society is a non-profit corporation staffed entirely by volunteers.  They publish a bi-monthly newsletter of blues music reviews and articles in addition to their BITS work and running the annual festival in Byron.  For more information about Crossroads visit http://crossroadsbluessociety.blogspot.com or call 779-537-4006.

Bryan Lee Benefit Friday February 24th at Byron Legion Hall

2012 Preliminary BCBF Poster