Hello Monday. Man, I love outdoor music festivals. It's like a lot of things, it just tastes better outside. A group of my fellow music freaks went to the booming metropolis that is Hawarden Iowa this weekend for the first annual "Dry Creek Music Festival". It was real cool. Eight hours of live music, 5 bands, cold beer, good bourbon and good friends. It's amazing what a few bucks and a strong effort by a determined group can accomplish. I hope it worked for the town, because we are already planning the trip next year.

Music is so powerful. I have made connections with other music junkies simply from our common taste for Americana music. It is very cool. I am not going to waste my time trying to force feed people this flavor of music. You can't change them. I want to join fellow Americana music lovers and put on our own shows. It's more of my plan to do what I like to do. I like good blues, roots rock, zydeco, rock-a-billy, reggae...you know Americana. This group of freaks like good Americana. Hey, I think we can make something happen here. The wheels are in motion.

The bands at the festival were at different stages of their respective careers. This is common with most shows you go to. From the local guys that kicked off the day to the international touring headliner, the talent was obvious. This is how it should be. Something very cool happened during the headliner's set. The players from the Kris Lager Band (third on the bill), stood next to the stage looking on with awe as Bernard Allison and his world-class band burned their way through 90 minutes of smoking hot blues/rock. They were soaking in every drum beat, guitar lick and keyboard stroke that the masters laid down. It's no wonder Kris and his band are climbing the ranks of the music business with class. It won't be long and they'll be headlining and some other young guns will be watching their every move. Peace.