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Oregon GI Blues
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Oregon GI Blues
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The Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Oregon State Council (OSC), and Woodshed Productions are presenting the First Annual Oregon GI Blues - The Concert, on Saturday, July 21st. Starting at 11 am, this day-long fundraising event will take place on the grounds of Camp Withycombe in Clackamas, Oregon and features an impressive list of Blues and Rock music performers from near and far. Proceeds from the show will benefit the VVA / OSC, the Red Cross Oregon Trail Chapter , Transition Project, Inc. and Veterans Industries of Oregon.
It will be a day packed with musical entertainment as 10 different bands
share two stages and Blues will be featured prominently during most of the show.
This inaugural GI Blues undertaking is expected to last until nearly 10 pm with
performances from the following acts:
Tickets for the concert are being sold to CBA members for only $20 through Annie Condit and Paul Sannes, who will both be at the CBA General Membership Meeting in July. For nonmembers, tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. If members wait to purchase tickets at the gate and bring their CBA cards, they will pay $29. Camp Withycombe is located off of State Route 212 / 224, just east of Interstate 205. Take Exit 12 off the 1-205 freeway, head east, and then turn left on 102nd. Parking will be available for $4 at the site. If you plan to use public transportation, the price of a ticket will include round-trip fare on Tri-Met buses. In addition to the musical nourishment, food and beverages, including beer and wine, will be sold on the grounds.
GI Blues will give fans of the local Blues scene a chance to see several of the top Portland area bands play on a single bill. In one day we can party to the powerful, straight-ahead, Chicago-style Blues of The Paul deLay Band, the R&B, Soul and Funk of Kathy Walker, the rocking Blues of the Aaron Black Band. and the traditional Urban Blues of the Hudson Rocket Band. Plus, we have another chance to hear Blake Blair, the frighteningly young guitarist who wowed CBA members at the May meeting. A special treat will also be in store when J. C. Crow & The Velerans' All-Stars hit the stage. led by Jim Hurley and boasting a line-up that will include Robbie Laws, Jimmy Lloyd Rea, Randy Lilya, Jose Maya and a host of others.
On top of all this, slide-guitarist extraordinaire and founding member of Foghat, Rod Price, will bring his brand of hard-driving Blues to the show. Price has stepped away from the enormous success of Foghat to return to his roots and feed his passion for the Blues. To this end, he has released a solo CD, "Open," on Burnside Records.
As a rousing finale, we get a chance to cross over to the realm of
Psychedelic Rock when the legendary Rock band, Jefferson Starship, steps front
and center with long-time members Paul Kantner and Marty Bolin leading the way.
As founding members of the original Jefferson Airplane, Kantner and
Bolin are
celebrating the 35th anniversary of the band's storied voyage by performing
classic tunes with a stellar lineup that includes Stick Aguilar on guitar and
Prairie Prince on drums. Even amidst the presence of all these experienced
artists, their talented vocalist Diana Mangano has garnered a lot of attention
for her performances.
Starship/Airplane helped create the "San Francisco Sound" in the '60s and continued on under various lineups to be one of the most accomplished Rock bands in the world. Now the band brings their long list of timeless hits to GI Blues to help raise funds for some outstanding non-profit organizations.
As a chapter of the national VVA organization, the VVA / OSC has been serving Vietnam Veterans and their families here in Oregon since 1982. The VVA / OSC works to improve the quality of life for veterans and actively supports a variety of community programs, including homeless projects, scholarships, youth activities, food banks and many others. There are 14 active and forming chapters of the VVA / OSC throughout the State aggressively pursuing the interests of Vietnam-era Veterans and working through the Veterans Industries of Oregon to provide such benefits as employment training, housing and treatment.
Roughly 1.8 million American military service men and women served in Vietnam during our longest and most divisive war. Unfortunately, their sacrifice and hardships often did not receive the recognition that they should have and legitimate medical claims were often dismissed. The VVA has played a crucial role as an advocate for Vietnam-era Veterans and we salute their heroic efforts.
While an actual guarantee of u great time for all at GI Blues - The Concert may not be very practical, this first-time event promises to be one heck of a show. Here is an opportunity to hear a whole bunch of talented local bands in one show and then enjoy the sounds of some legendary rockers. In addition, this type of event is a further reminder of the valuable role that music can play in bringing people together for important causes. Here in Oregon we can be proud of the community support that benefit concerts provide, and this will be one more example of the positive influence music can provide. While we enjoy the music we cam take stock in the help being extended to some tremendous organizations.
The VVA / OSC plans to make GI Blues an annual event that features both local and national acts in Blues, Rock and possibly Jazz. If Blues fans come on in force to support this first effort, we can help convince the VVA/OSC to continue to concentrate on Blues acts in future productions.
For more information on GI Blues - The Concert or the benefiting organizations, check out the website at www.oregongiblues.com or contact Paul Sannes at (503) 222-6112.
Volunteers are still needed to help out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (July 20-22). If you have the time and want to pitch in, please contact Annie Condit at (503) 671-9154.
© 2001 Cascade Blues Association