Bowlful of Blues to celebrate 25 years

A day-long music affair of Blues tunes is in order for next month. The 25th annual Bowlful of Blues is set for noon to 10 p.m. Sept. 3 at Maytag Park.

Members of the South Skunk Blues Society have worked tirelessly for the last year to find unique artists who will rock the stage at the Fred Maytag Bowl.

The society’s president Elaine Mattingly said members and volunteers know what’s required each year, and they began working on this year’s event directly following 2016’s Bowlful of Blues.

“Our first step was to put together a list of things we wanted to improve on and what went well and what didn’t,” Mattingly said. “There were changes and tweaks made, and then the next step was scouting out new Blues acts we would like to consider to book.”

Mattingly said members of the society as well as volunteers toured Blues-inspired bands in the state of Iowa as well as nationwide.

“They will come back with their experiences for us and the first piece is locking in our line up, which animates the rest of our planning,” Mattingly said.

Going forward, Mattingly said the rest of the work is a lot of communication and staying in touch with the bands. Mattingly said bands, as well as attendees, will be traveling to Newton nationwide.

One band performing is Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers from Lousiana.

“They are a flavorful Blues,” Mattingly said. “It’s got all these styles and flavors to it and it’s not just a guy, and a guitar for 10 hours.”

According to Mattingly, the festival is one of the best uses of Maytag Park and its bowl.

“In a way, we are giving back to the bowl, and its helping Newton’s businesses, which is an added bonus,” Mattingly said. “The chamber of commerce is getting calls and the hotels are getting lots of calls, and we want people to experience what Newton has to offer.”

Mattingly said the society’s membership doesn’t reflect the amount of people who play key roles at the festival.

“You might expect us to have thousands of members, but still at the end of the day, we are a local membership with a couple hundred members and active volunteers,” Mattingly said. “This organization is a group of do-ers, and they do a huge amount of work.”

Mattingly said she hopes the community will come and check out what the Blues bands have to offer.

“Blues is a true American form and has never gone away,” Mattingly said. “It has been embraced mostly because it hits at the heart of everyone’s human experience, whether its in celebration or in trials and tribulation, people can relate to the music.”

Mattingly said the bands vary from a single artist with a guitar to a 10-piece band with back up singers.

“That keeps it exciting,” Mattingly said. “We are more than happy to carry the torch to say Blues music is alive — the reality out there is it is more vibrant than ever because of who’s touring.”

The event will also feature various food vendors, art vendors and a silent auction.

The gates open at 11 a.m., admission is $25 in advance or $30 at the gate. Admission is free for ages 15 and under if accompanied by a parent. No pets allowed.

The South Skunk Blues Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and cultivating Blues music. The society promotes public performance opportunities for Blues artists, and seeks to increase the exposure to and appreciation of Blues music by the general public.

The line up

12 p.m. Juliana and A Soul Purpose

2 p.m. The Norman Jackson Band

4 p.m. Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers

6 p.m. Indigenous

8 p.m. Jane Lee Hooker

Rob Lumbard will play music in between sets

Contact Kayla Langmaid at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or klangmaid@newtondailynews.com