Central Iowa Blues Society

📣 JUST ANNOUNCED! 🏕Iowa Storytellers: Songs & Stories
w/ Mike Vallely & The Complete Disaster, Abbie Sawyer, Dave Zollo, and Matt Woods will be coming to xBk on Friday, November 1st!

Join Iowa-based musicians, Abbie Sawyer, Matt Woods, Dave Zollo and Mike Vallely for an intimate night of Songs & Stories at xBk in Des Moines. From acoustic numbers to full-band performances, these artists will span the genres from roots, to blues, to rock and punk, and share the behind-the-scenes stories and inspirations for many of their songs. Come grab a seat around the concrete campfire on Friday, November 1st for a night of laughter, tears, sorrow, joy and community.

🎫 GET TICKETS: https://seetickets.us/iowastorytellers

Danielle Nicole | Wooly's | 10.24.24 Grab a booth w/ your tix!

Buy Tickets to Davina and the Vagabonds w/ Emma Butterworth in Des Moines xBk presents[HEADLINER]w/ [SUPPORT][DATE]Doors: 7pmShow: 8pmAll AgesTickets: $10 ADV // $15 DoS (+ Fees)*This show is mostly seated. All general admission seating is available on a first come, first s

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW! xBk presentsAn Evening with Anthony GomesThursday, November 14, 2024Doors: 6pm | Show: 7pmAll AgesTickets: $28 ADV // $35 DoS (+ Fees)*Limited seating available on a first come, first served basis. If

Where In The World: A Blues Ambassador's Travels. Follow along for the entire month of September! From London, UK, Son Jack Jr.!💙

Son Jack Jr is an award-winning blues musician who honed his chops the old-fashioned way by playing festivals, clubs and bars across the USA, and around the world.

He has performed at many of the great venues including Ground Zero, and Red’s Lounge in Clarksdale, Mississippi; The Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland, Oregon; Blueberry Hill Lounge in St Louis, Missouri and Highway 99 Blues Club in Seattle, Washington.

Along the way, he has shared the stage with Chuck Berry, Charlie Musselwhite, Sonny Landreth, Magic Slim, and many others. He grew up in London but has also lived in the USA for 25 years before recently returning to England.

He has recording credits on numerous projects including 3 albums under his own name, and is an 8-time winner of the Washington Blues Society’s annual “Best of the Blues” awards in multiple categories including solo act, duo act, acoustic guitar, traditional blues act, self-produced album and songwriter.

In 2009 and 2010 he was a semi-finalist at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, and his 2014 album made the list for album of the year in Downbeat magazine.

💙BluesME: Where were you born?
😎Son Jack Jr. : I grew up in London (Notting Hill area) and went to the infamous Holland Park school. I feel lucky to have come up in such a great place with so much culture and diversity. I didn't get much academic learning but came away with a doctorate in street smarts 😊

💙BluesME: What music was playing in your house as you grew up?
😎Son Jack Jr. : My mom used to listen to mostly classical and Jazz and I still have her record collection. There was the occasional blues like Broonzy but in the main it was more at the sophisticated end of the scale.

💙BluesME: How did it influence or shape your early years?
😎Son Jack Jr. : I can't honestly say I had a lightbulb moment musically because of it but it must have all gone in. In later years I would always find a classical Radio station to listen to on the drive back from late gigs – it's a great way to unwind.

💙BluesME: Any live music you attended in your early years?
😎Son Jack Jr. : Tons. My sister took me to my first proper show in 1972 – Chuck Berry at the Rainbow Rooms in London. I was awestruck. As a teen I went to pretty much all the main London pubs/clubs to see RnB bands in the mid-70's and then punk & mod bands from 77-80. I saw Chuck about 3-4 times more over the years too, plus Wings, Bowie, Sha-Na-Na, Ian Dury and many more. Great times.

💙BluesME: Who were your biggest influences?
😎Son Jack Jr. : Initially Chuck Berry who inspired me to pick up the guitar, like millions of others. From the outset I was hooked on the mesmerising quality of the early blues artists like Skip James, Son House, Tommy Johnson, and Robert Johnson of course. Amazing that even today I'm still discovering old obscure blues that blows my mind. My latest fave is Charles Caldwell.

💙Presented by the Central Iowa Blues Society's BluesME program.
https://cibs.org/ 💙

💙We Are Blues family. We Are Blues Strong.💙

🤩Official Website -
https://sonjackjr.com/
🤩Instagram -
https://www.instagram.com/sonjackjr/
🤩 X-
https://x.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fsonjackjr
🤩Youtube -
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYHlOxL4u24HLwe4LeYNsmA
🤩Apple Music -
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/son-jack-jr/270534920
🌠Son Jack Jr. & The Delta Hothouse @ The Triple Door
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_kCqj7kRdU
🌠Devil Got My Woman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nm9neTUC9oU&list=OLAK5uy_lV3xOAYI5MOoiNzrtLudOMNil8cU6JwNg&index=12
🌠Soul of a Man
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cui1-3vojA&list=OLAK5uy_lV3xOAYI5MOoiNzrtLudOMNil8cU6JwNg&index=9

The Blues gave birth to Rock-N-Roll at the Riverside Hotel in Clarksdale, Mississippi, when Jackie Brenston and Ike Turner wrote "Rocket 88"
What better place than The Crossroads!

Ike Turner's piano intro on "Rocket 88" influenced Little Richard who later used it for his 1958 hit song "Good Golly, Miss Molly."

- BluesME

Rocket 88 (Original Version) - Ike Turner/Jackie Brenston Widely acknowledged as the first "rock and roll" song.

Hi folks! Thank you everyone for sharing posts, writing emails, and keeping the conversation going surrounding the noise ordinance. We have felt all the love this past week from the community and are happy to announce that the item regarding Wooly's has been removed from the Zoning Board of Adjustment meeting. We have also asked the city to put together a task force to review code and policies that impact our live music ecosystem and they have agreed. We look forward to participating in that conversation in the coming months.

At this moment, a long-term solution has not been reached between us and our neighbor, which continues to leave us at risk. We ask for your continued support while we seek to introduce and fortify rules that allow venues to operate in Des Moines.

Once again, thank you for your endless support. You all have shown the city and your community how much live music and the arts mean to us here in Des Moines and they are listening. Hope to see you all at a show very soon!

📸 Jayme Bigger

CIBS new mailing address is...
900 Keosauqua Way, #440
Des Moines, IA 50309
😎

Just Announced! Big Head Todd and the Monsters 40th Anniversary Tour will make a stop at Hoyt Sherman Place on Friday, January 10. Tickets go on sale Friday, Sept 13 at 10:00 AM at the venue box office and https://hoytsherman.org/event/big-head-todd-and-the-monsters-2025/.

Buy tickets to Kris Lager Band in Des Moines on September 20, 2024 xBk presentsAn Evening WithKris Lager BandFriday, September 20, 2024Doors: 7pm | Show: 8pmAll AgesTickets: $15 ADV // $20 DoS (+ Fees)*Limited seating available on a first come, first served basis. If

"He urged those that want to see Wooly's stay open to come to the board's Sept. 25 meeting."

"They're going straight for the jugular, and they're trying to shut down a music venue that's generated millions of dollars in sales tax revenue and brought in tons of people that spend money at bars, restaurants and hotels," Ogle said.

"You're going to take out a venue that's important to the local music scene? Really? Really?"

'We're not bad actors:' Wooly's to defend itself as Des Moines eyes its liquor license

🎂 BIG NEWS: We're turning 5!

For almost five years, xBk has been fostering a vibrant and inclusive music community in Iowa - and we need help celebrating 🎉

Stay tuned for some special giveaways!