The Summer of ’39 or was it 2018?
After the initial ‘CRB reunion jam session’ in the summer of 2016, we decided the band would begin the effort to book gigs and work towards being a serious rock and roll band playing events across the Midwest and beyond. One of our earliest target events was the Red Oak All Class Reunion (ROAR) that is held during Junction Days in June of each year. We believed playing this prestigious gig would established CRB in Southwest Iowa as one of the premier bands for any occasion needing great live entertainment.
As the world turned, we were asked to be the headliner for the 2018 version of ROAR and we were thrilled. The Red Oak Chamber of Commerce embraced the idea of having local (or bands originally based in Red Oak) bands to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Junction Days. It is our understanding that Phil Lamb (from Code Blue, who played Saturday night) was instrumental in getting our name in front of the committee. We owe Phil and everyone involved in the event a huge debt of gratitude for putting their faith in us.
On our way to the gig, we had a short side trip to Gregg’s hometown of Stanton and much to our surprise we got a mention on the town marquee.
The ROAR (Red Oak All-Class Reunion) was a big success and we owe a big thanks to several people who made it possible. Paul and Betty Fay ran the sound and lights. We want to especially thank the Red Oak Chamber of Commerce, namely Elaine Carlson, Susie Boremann, and Mr. Brandstetter (We can’t call him Larry). And a shout out to Mike’s brother, Roger who came in from Chicago to be a great roadie for the day.
From Red Oak we went to Creston to one of our favorite places to play, The Lobby. We played to a great crowd that stuck with us through 3 sets and we all had a great time! We appreciate Tim Gray’s hospitality and we look forward to returning to Creston someday soon. We love it there because everyone comes to have fun!
The next venue was Trekfest XXXIV in Riverside, Iowa. For those of you who didn’t know, James Tiberius Kirk will be born in Riverside in the year 2233. From there he will become a Star Fleet Captain of the Starship Enterprise.
It was an extremely hot day with the heat index around 105 F˚ when we started playing. Thankfully an industrial-size fan was blowing across the stage and we enjoyed playing to a courageous crowd throughout the afternoon. We appreciate the intrepid sound crew and our host, Kevin Meller, Executive Director. We would love to come back to Riverside next year.
We had a stormy ride home as parts of the state received up to 9 inches of rain that evening. Everyone got home and all’s well that ends well.
A few short weeks later we were on the road back to Southwest Iowa to play a private party for our friend Tim Johnson. This party had been in the plans for several months and it was held in a new venue in the great town of Stanton. A warehouse was converted into a pop-up event center and we were thrilled to be the first band to play there. It was a private party and about 250 of Tim’s friends and families attended to help him celebrate his 60th birthday.
We want to thank Tim and his family along with Mickey Anderson and Paul Vanderholm. Sarah Culver was also instrumental in the amazing decorations and getting the crowd involved in the dance party that ensued. We all had a blast and we can’t wait to get back to Stanton to rock out again!
The last gig of the summer was an absolute blast. We were invited to play at the 39th Annual Adel Sweetcorn Festival and it was our pleasure to play to such a great crowd. We especially enjoyed the participation of the Tea Girls and their non-stop dancing. The best part of being in a band is watching everyone have a great time. We knew it was going to be a good night when they started dancing right away.
Shout outs go out to Deb Bengston for hosting us and Darren, the sound guy, for doing a great job. We appreciate his quick dashes to the stage to restore power to James’ amps! We also enjoyed playing the ‘Summer of ‘39’ to the Bryan Adams’ tune with a similar name. The beer was pretty good, too!
As we approach the end of the summer we want to thank everyone who came out to see us play. We love to see all of you and we can’t wait until we get in front of you again. Rock and roll lives and we are thrilled to bring it to all of our friends!
Stay tuned for more gigs! They are happening!