By Michael Swanger michael@dmcityview.com

Johnston Bluegrass Festival continues to blossom

When Cityview first interviewed Robert Thomas three years ago about the first Johnston Bluegrass Festival, he told us he hoped the event would be a good fundraiser for Johnston’s new library and a way to introduce the music he loves to play. Three years later, it’s apparent he has achieved those goals.

On Saturday, the Johnston Bluegrass Festival returns to Johnston Commons from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and signs of its increased popularity are evident. This year’s lineup offers seven bands including national headliners, The Special Consensus. And after two years and having raised $16,260 to help the library establish a listening center and buy computers and audio books, it is adding a second charity to the event — Mid-America Youth Homes.

“They always send over a big group of kids to set up and tear down,” Thomas says. “We’re glad to help them.”

Thomas says the first year was a challenge, because not everyone knew what to expect when attending the festival — though it drew about 1,500 people.

“Now it’s taking on a life of its own,” says Thomas. “We had to struggle to tell people at first what this music is, and is this going to be a family thing or is it going to be Woodstock… It’s a family thing, good for all ages. We’ve always gotten lots of great help from local businesses and people volunteering, and we think with all we’ve learned, it will only get bigger and better.”

Dr. Bob Marion, who plays in a band with Thomas, has taken over as director this year. “I like bluegrass,” he says. “I like live music. I’m pretty eclectic. Blues, jazz and bluegrass are the real American idioms, and bluegrass, in particular, is really popular right now, so I’m happy to bring it out.”

In the past, the festival has booked Iowa bands, but this year the groups come from across the Midwest. The Special Consensus is also making their second appearance at the festival. “I think we really had to beg and scratch to get them to come the first time,” Thomas says. “But this time they really wanted to come back.”

The festival also features an open jam and an array of vendors, ranging from instrument repairmen and builders, to food and children’s activities.

“It’s a wonderful event that’s going to bring civic-minded people who are interested in art,” says Marion. “You can get some disagreement as to whether bluegrass is art, but live music in any form is art, so it’s a way to improve the cultural life of an area.”

The festival’s lineup includes Bluegrass Addiction, Mr. Baber’s Neighbors, the Corder Family, DriveTime, Coal Creek Drifters, McPunk Brothers and The Special Consensus. Admission is $5 for those 12-18 years old, $10 for adults, and $7 for seniors. Children under 12, military, police and firefighters are free with identification.

Scene notes

One of Des Moines’ finest musicians and one of the best jazz drummers this city has ever known, Pete Simonson, left for Michigan last week where his wife took a job. Local jazz artists hosted a going-away party for him last Sunday at the Valley Junction Wine and Cigar store. Simonson, who studied at the University of Northern Iowa, performed and recorded for more than 20 years with artists like Susie Miget, World Port, Sam Salomone, Irene Myles, Scott Davis and Richie Cole. He also taught drum lessons at Rieman Music, influencing generations of drummers. Equally inspiring were his live performances, which were lessons in time, texture and taste, as were his performances as a Latin percussionist with groups like the Tony Valdez Large Band, the West African pop band Doliho and the silent-movie chamber group The Bijou Player. In 2003, Simonson received a “Special Recognition Award” from the Iowa Jazz Hall of Fame. … Local rappers are uniting to host a benefit concert for the John Stoddard Cancer Center at Iowa Methodist Medical Center. The Iowa Hip-Hop Unification Show, featuring performances by Horizon, DJ Chuck Fresh, J Shade, Organized Rhyme Family and others, will be held Friday at 10 p.m. at the Vaudeville Mews. Admission is $5. All proceeds benefit the cancer center. Horizon, the concert’s organizer, says he wanted to lend the center a hand after seeing family members die of cancer. “It’s devastating to see someone fight with all they have and have nothing in the end,” he says. … Two popular free summer music series wrap up this week. Blues Before Sunset, featuring a performance by the Blue Band, concludes Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the East Village. On Saturday, Tony Valdez plays the final Greens and Blues Fest at Toad Valley Golf Course from 6 to 10 p.m. … Cityview is co-sponsoring two shows at Hoyt Sherman Theater next week: Jazz and blues guitarists Larry Carlton and Robben Ford join forces to play Aug. 10, at 8 p.m. And on Aug. 12, Americana singer Gillian Welch makes her Des Moines debut at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster. … The Central Iowa Blues Society is replacing its longstanding Labor Day weekend Court Avenue pub-crawl with a Summer Festival on Sept. 2 at the Western Gateway Park at 15th Street and Grand Avenue. The fest starts at 3 p.m. and features performances by Matt Woods and The Thunderbolts, Lil’ Brian & the Zydeco Travelers, Jimmy Thackery & the Drivers and James Cotton. Tickets to the fest are $15 in advance and $20 at the gate. Children 12 and under are free. That same night, across the street at Blues on Grand, CIBS will host the finals for its Solo-Duo Iowa Blues Challenge contest. Contestants include Bodley & Cantrell, Taz Duo, Freight Train Frank, Willie McKnight & Alan Smith and the Raccoon River Blues Boys. Afterwards, Jeff Banks will host a jam. … Local punk rockers North of Grand have finished recording a new CD and hope to release it this fall. They’ve posted a new song, “Des Moines River Conference,” on www.myspace.com/northofgrand. It features students they secretly recorded at Roosevelt High School. … Local experimental blues band Thunderbird Kingsley releases its self-titled debut CD this week. The album is a mix of home, studio and live recordings capturing their version of Delta and Maxwell Street blues. They play a show Sept. 28 at Mars Café. Visit www.myspace.com/thunderbirdblues. … Creedence Clearwater Revisited, featuring Creedence Clearwater Revival founding members Stu Cook and Doug “Cosmo” Clifford, plays Meskwaki Bingo and Casino in Tama on Sept. 9. … Motley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx will release a tell-all biography, “Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star” on Sept. 18. An accompanying CD, “Heroin Diaries,” will be released Aug. 21. — Michael Swanger

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