8 Bands Kick Off Lansing's Concert Season at 6th Annual Blues Brawl Sunday May 18!

PR Log (Press Release) – May 14, 2008 – Spring is finally here and that means the annual Capital Area Blues Society Blues Brawl!  Do not miss the party that kicks off the concert season in Lansing - eight bands will perform their best short set in front of the Green Door crowd and a panel of judges. 
The Winner receives an enhanced prize package that includes more than $500 in cash, a prime gig at September’s Old Town Blues Festival, a slot at the July Mill Street Blues Festival in St. Louis (MI), gigs at The Barn Tavern in Grand Ledge, the Green Door, and radio appearances on WLNZ 89.7’s Coffee Break and Scott Allman’s Sunday night Blues Cruise on 94.9FM.  Most importantly, the winning band will make the trip to Memphis where they will compete against more than 150 acts at the 2009 International Blues Challenge as Lansing’s representative. 

The celebration gets under way at 3 pm when the doors open, and the first band goes on at 3:30.  We rock through the afternoon and make the winning announcement sometime between 7:30 and 8 pm.  Admission is still just $5; bring your kids under 16 for free.   Judges at press time are Minard Shattuck, owner of the Centerstage At The Gem Club in St. Louis; Steve Allen, President of the Detroit Blues Society, and Dennis Massingill, President of the Kalamazoo Valley Blues Association.

You can vote for your favorite band of the day in our People’s Choice Award.  Democracy disappears for the day, just like real life lately, so you can vote as many times as you want for $1 a vote.  The band with the most cash votes keeps half the cash, and we put the rest toward the Brawl and prizes we give the big winner of the day.

Plan to stay the day, have lunch or dinner from the Green Door’s yummy menu, hang with us at the CABS Welcome Table, and make sure you sign the guest book or better yet, join the Society!  We’ll be giving away t-shirts and CDs with every new or renewal membership that day.

The band line up is the best of mid-Michigan’s Blues acts!  Past local IBC winners return to compete this year along with some familiar and new names.  In order of appearance (subject to change, please check the websites for updates):  Rush Hour, 6 Hands Down, The Mike Espy Band with Yakity Yak, Jimmy G and The Capitols, Count Bracey & The Pleasure Tones, Stan Budzynski & 3rd Degree, Michael May & The Messarounds, and Kathleen Mendoza & The Blues Junkies. 

If you love the Blues you will love this annual event.  Post the attached flyer on your website.

For More Information
CABS Website: http://www.cabsblues.com
www.myspace.com/CapitalAreaBluesSociety
Or Contact CABS President Toni Alexander at cabsprez@comcast.net.  

The Green Door is located at 2006 East Michigan Avenue, www.greendoorlive.com. 

Help us keep the music alive in mid-Michigan by showing your fine self – we can’t wait to see you there!