Thursday, July 5, 2007 TIME OUT • 98 • TIME OUT Thursday, July 5, 2007

Blues festival features top talentBy ROSEMARY HORVATHSun Staff Writer

Blues musicians from Lansing,Detroit and central Michigan willturn up the heat when St. Louisstages its annual Fourth of Julyfireworks celebration Saturday.

Organizers moved the Indepen-dence Day observance to late inthe week so holiday revelers onthe Fourth wouldn‘t miss out onwhat promises to be the start of anannual attraction.

This year‘s opening of CenterStage at the Gem Theater on MillStreet as a music venue for differ-ent types of music, but especiallythe blues, will add to the city‘spopular July attraction.

”I put together the best show Icould,“ said blues musician andowner of Center Stage, MinardShattuck, who intends to put the“Middle of the Mitten” St. Louis onthe blues map.

The Capital Area Blues Societyis plugging Saturday‘s concert onits MySpace page and Shattuckdistributed handbills at festivalsin Lansing and Detroit promotingthe day of continuous blues music,which starts out at 1:15 p.m. withsmooth harmonic blues.

Taking over at 9:15 p.m. is theclassic rock band from the St.Louis area named Love Child toprecede and follow the fireworks

show. Love Child plays until 1:15a.m.

An open-air tent located outsidethe Gem Theater on Mill Streetwill have seating, but it‘s wise tobring a lawn chair.

Shattuck will accept donationsto help cover fees. Area businessesmade the concert possible after itbecame clear grant funding fromthe state was impossible to get, atleast this year. Shattuck is alreadyplanning a three-day blues festi-val for next year.

Here‘s a schedule of Saturday‘slineup:

1:15 p.m.: Buzz & Clyde Bandfrom Lansing, a regular at Lans-ing‘s Blues Festival in Old Town

2 p.m.: Earl Jam of Mt. Pleas-ant, a jazz guitarist and regular atRubbles

3 p.m.: Shattuck‘s own BluesAmbush band, featuring vocalistNatalie Shattuck

4 p.m.: Howard Glazer andThe EL34s, a high energy bluestrio from “Detroit City.” Glazer ison electric guitar, acoustic res-onator guitar and vocals, BobGoodwin on bass, and CharlesStuart on drums.

5:15 p.m.: Old Town BluesBand out of Lansing, features BillMalone on guitar and vocals,David ”Benny“ Zdybel on bass gui-tar and vocals, Connie Currier onvocals, Dennis Cullinan on saxo-phone and vocals, and Lawrence

Leathers on drums.6:30 p.m.: Guitarist Johnnie

Bassett, a Detroit blues artist,known for his unique styling whotaught an unknown Jimmy Jamesbefore Jimmy became Jimmy Hen-drix.

8 p.m.: Crossroads Blues Band,

a house band at a Kalamazoo arearestaurant, that currently is tour-ing the state. The band plays highenergy to classic blues to NewOrleans-style blues and Zydeco.

9:15 p.m.: Love Child takes thestage.

Courtesy photo

Fireworks will begin at dusk. This is a picture of a previous year’sshow in St. Louis.

Sun photograph by DICK BOLTON

The marquee of the Gem Theatre is promoting this weekend’s festi-val. Organizers are also spreading the work statewide.

Courtesy photo

Bluesman Johnny Bassett is one of the acts that will entertain Saturday in Center Stage at the Gem The-atre’s Blues Festival in downtown St. Louis. Organizers hope the festival will become an annual event,with an expanded schedule next year.

Courtesy photo

Harmonica Buzz and Jacob Clyde will perform in St. Louis on Satur-day for the Blues Festival.

Courtesy photo

Howard Glazer and the EL34sare slated to perform at 4 p.m.on Saturday at the St. Louis fes-tival.

By ROSEMARY HORVATHSun Staff Writer

Spectators lined up aroundSt. Louis will see quite a fire-works show Saturday night.

Money raised from a golf out-ing sponsored by the GratiotArea Chamber of Commerce anda contribution from the city willunderwrite the expense of aspectacular fireworks show atdusk.

The sky will be ablaze in color,with fireworks that can be seenfor miles, according to PhilHansen, director of the St. LouisDowntown Economic Develop-ment Authority.

Fireworks begin at about 10p.m., originating at the MillStreet bridge.

The city’s Independence Daycelebration begins Saturdaywith a pancake breakfast, whichruns from 7 to 10:30 a.m. at theSt. Louis First United MethodistChurch. Tickets are $5 for adultand $3 child.

Kevin Palmer said he signs upmore runners every year to par-ticipate in the 5K run. Runnersstart off at St. Louis High Schoolat 8 a.m. Call 763-2328 for moreinformation.

David Eldridge of Pine RiverOutfitters in St. Louis wanted to

organize canoe races on the PineRiver. Must be that people needmore lessons, because no onesigned up.

According to Eldridge, evenbeginners can look like prosbecause paddling a canoe orkayak is about the easiest thingto do.

Eldridge still will have a sup-ply of canoes on hand at the newparking area next to the MillStreet bridge where the cityinstalled a new dock. He plans tohave kayaks and canoes to takeout on the river from noon to 2p.m. Saturday at no charge.

River Rock Restaurant willoversee the beer tent set outsideits Mill Street location, near themusic tent. Beer and music willflow from 1:30 in the afternoonto 1:30 Sunday morning.

A few things are differentabout this year‘s festival,besides a later date.

The Lions Club steak fry andauction is the only activityscheduled for Clapp Park. Mealtickets will sell $8 for adult and$4 child.

Usually the park has activi-ties for children, but not so thisyear. Instead the upcoming Com-munity Day later this monthwill focus on things children liketo do

If you go

Event: St. Louis Blues andMusic Festival

When: Saturday.Musicians play from 1:15

p.m. Saturday until 1:15 a.m.Sunday

Where: Tent outside of theGem Theatre in downtown St.Louis.

Admission: $2.St. Louis FestivalThe blues festival coin-

cides with the City of St.Louis’ traditional July 4 festi-val, which was moved to thisweekend this year.

Events include:Fireworks at duskThe Lions Club steak fry

in Clapp Park. Meal ticketswill sell $8 for adult and $4child.

Annual St. Louisfestival will have fireworks, steak fry