| Mark Wendel photos
"Lady Bird & the Dirty Dirty Nightcrawlers" (top) and "Shootin' Blanks" perform in the Jaybird Lounge at Varsity Lanes Bowling Alley during the March 22, 2009 Blues Challenge.
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ST. MARYS -- The 2009 Riverside Bluesfest "Blues Challenge" series of showcase events reaches its climax at Eagles Aerie 767 in St. Marys, Ohio, on Sunday afternoon, May 3. Five outstanding local and area blues bands will compete for places on the stage at the Riverside Bluesfest, KC Geiger Park's Labor Day weekend fund-raising blues spectacular.
At the Eagles, five bands will play for the St. Marys Blues Guild judges, beginning at 1:00 pm. There is no admission charge and the public is invited.
The K.C. Geiger Park Committee continued promotion of its 2009 fund-raising campaign Sunday, March 22, 2009 in the Jaybird Lounge at Varsity Lanes Bowling Alley in St. Marys. The second show in the 2009 Blues Challenge showcase presented "Lady Bird & the Dirty Dirty Earthworms" and "Shootin' Blanks".
Both bands wowed the full house audience of blues fans with their versions of blues classics and surprise picks. Stephanie Rogers' powerful vocals led "Lady Bird" and "Shootin' Blanks" was fronted by guitarist Terry Rasche.
One more showcase is scheduled prior to the May 3 Finals. On Sunday, April 19 at the new Buffalo Wild Wings in Lima, "The Nightcrawlers" and "MC Blue" will perform beginning at 1:00 pm.
The annual Riverside Bluesfest is a fund raising project of the KC Geiger Park Committee, a private, non-profit component group under the St. Marys Community Foundation. It was started in 1993 by St. Marys residents who were concerned about maintenance issues at the park. A sub-committee called the St. Marys Blues Guild was formed by the Park Committee to plan the Bluesfest. It is also staffed by volunteers.
Advance tickets for the Labor Day weekend festival are priced at $10 per day until Memorial Day, when the price goes to $15 per day. $10 tickets are currently available from St. Marys Blues Guild members.
A roster of 14 bands is set for the two days of the Riverside Bluesfest, drawing blues talent from Chicago, San Francisco, Kansas City, Minneapolis and all around Ohio. Look for performers to be announced in future press releases.
For the latest Riverside Bluesfest news, visit www.stmarysblues.com.
