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Prairie Crossroads Blues Society

Champaign-Urbana IL

Blues Happenings

PCBS Blues Jams!
Pipa's Pub, 604 S. Country Fair Dr., Champaign
2nd Sunday of each month, 4:00 - 7:00 pm
4th Wednesday of each month, 7:00 - 10:00 pm

Prairie Crossroads Blues Society holds two jams each month. The 2nd Sunday of each month from 4:00 to 7:00 pm and the 4th Wednesday of each month from 7:00 to 10:00 pm. Both jams are held at Pipa's Pub, 604 S. Country Fair Dr., Champaign.

The host band typically plays the first set, then we open it up to all the jammers in the house. Bring your instrument and plan on sitting in!

• Skylar Rogers & The Blue Diamonds hosts the PCBS jam - Sunday October 13
• Mark Hummel & Billy Flynn host the PCBS jam - Wednesday October 23
• The Blues Deacons host the PCBS jam - Sunday November 10
• Kilborn Alley Blues Band plays night before Thanksgiving - Wednesday November 27
• Dave Lumsden Blues Band host the PCBS jam - Sunday December 8
• no jam Wednesday December 25 - spend Christmas with your friends & family
• Jack Whittle Band host the PCBS jam - Sunday March 8, 2020

Thanks to our friend and PCBS member Mike Feldman for these excellent videos of some of our recent jams PCBS Blues Jams.

Grab your instrument and join in the fun!

Google map to Pipa's Pub, 604 S. Country Fair Dr. Champaign.

Prairie Crossroads Blues Society is happy to help revive the tradition of a blues jam in the C-U area!

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Blues Dancing every Monday
BluesCentral hosts Lessons and Dancing
6:00 Free Lessons
7:00 - 9:00 Free Dancing
Guido's, 2 E. Main St. Champaign

BluesCENTRAL Dancers sponsor lessons & dances, 6:00 pm every Monday night. Lessons and Dances take place at Guido's

Don't know how to dance to the blues? Don't worry! Beginner lessons at 6:00 pm will get you started. Or just come socialize with us and enjoy Cowboy Monkey's great selection of beers and wines.

Don't have a partner to dance with? No problem! We are friendly and love to dance with everyone!

Check out the BluesCENTRAL Dancers Facebook Page

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Congratulations to the Winners of the local IBC Challenges
these acts are headed to Memphis in January 2020 to compete

Prairie Crossroads Blues Society
hosted the area's IBC Band Challenge
WHEN: 4:00 pm Sunday August 25
WHERE: Neil St. Blues, 301 N. Neil St.
Chamapign, IL

Smokers Blues Band won the PCBS IBC Band Challenge

 

Illinois Central Blues Club
hosted the Solo/Duo Challenge
WHEN: 1:00 pm Saturday, Aug. 24, 2019
WHERE: Craft Beer Bar, Fifth and Monroe Streets
Springfield, IL

Black Eyed Lillies won the ICBC IBC Solo/Duo Challenge

thanks also to our partners - The Decatur Blues Society

 

Alex Jenkins & The Bombers won the River City Blues Society (Peoria) IBC Band Challenge on Saturday August 31. It was held as part of the Peoria Blues & Heritage Festival.

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PCBS Monthly Meeting/Juke Joint Show
5:30 pm Thursday October 10
Po' Boys, 202 East University Ave., Urbana
Kilborn Alley plays 6:30 - 9:30

We combined our monthly meetings with the Kilborn Alley Juke Joint shows at Po' Boys! It's a chance to enjoy some delicious Po' Boys food, some beverages from local craft brewer's Triptych Brewing with great blues music and lively conversation. The joint's been packed with blues fans, friends and family enjoying the party atmosphere!

We're always open to suggestions about artists for our blues jams, artists and schools who want to get involved with our Blues In The Schools programs and suggestions for next years Fest. Consider becoming a PCBS Member and help us reach out to other blues lovers in our communities.

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RIP
Joyce Volkmann
Friend, PCBS Member, Super Volunteer and Huge Blues Fan

Joyce Volkmann's Benefit
2:00 to 9:00 pm Sunday November 3rd
Kilborn Alley Blues Band
Out On A Limb
139 S. Schuyler, Kankakee, IL

Join the friends and family of Joyce Volkamn, and her favorite band, The Kilborn Alley Blues Band for a Benefit to raise money. There will be Raffles, Food and Beer, all the proceeds go to help pay Joyce's medical bills and her Children's Education.

Come to Out On A Limb on Sunday November 3rd and donate some money to a great cause. Joyce was a blues lover and tireless promoter of blues music and musicians. Besides her volunteer efforts with PCBS she also volunteered with WEFT 90.1 FM as a Blues and World Music Airshifter and volunteer on the Programming Committee.

Support the Education of Joyce's Children

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2019 Guitar Raffle

Congratulations to Kelsey Hays! Thanks to everyone who bought raffle tickets in our autographed guitar raffle. We picked the winning ticket at the Kilborn Alley Blues Fest Fundraiser at The Iron Post the evening of July 13. It was a Yamaha F325 acoustic guitar. All the proceeds go to help us put on the 2019 Prairie Crossroads Blues Fest. This guitar was autographed at the 2010 Blues Brews & BBQ Fest held in Urbana. Fluid Events graciously donated this guitar to PCBS to help us restart an annual Blues Fest in our area.

• autographs include:
• Eddie Taylor Jr.
• Cedric Burnside
• Lightnin' Malcolm
• Big Bill Morganfield
• Bernard Allison
• Eddie Vaan Shaw
• Wayne Baker Brooks

Eddie Taylor Jr. was the brother of Demetria Taylor, one of our Fest Headliners. Sadly Eddie passed away earlier this year.

The winner was at The Iron Post and was excited to be able to take the guitar home with her.

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Membership

Want to become part of the growing community of Blues lovers in the Champaign-Urbana and East Central Illinois area? Sign up to become a member of Prairie Crossroads Blues Society. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit organized to Preserve, Promote and Educate about the Blues.

Since we were formed in 2010 we've been supporting local blues artists share their music with a wider audience. We consistently look to bring new blues artists to our area so fans get a chance to see the huge amount of talent touring on a regional and national basis. We also have a strong BITS - Blues In The Schools program.

Whether you enjoy our jams and shows, or support our efforts to teach youngsters the history and basics of blues music, now is the right time to become a PCBS Member

Membership Options:
Student = $10 per year
Individual = $20 per year
Family = $25 per year
Band = $50 per year
Corporate = $100 per year

For Family, Band and Corporate memberships, we'll contact you for the names of additional members or you can send us that information via email: pcbsmembership@gmail.com.

Please select your type of Membership

Student $10.00 Individual $20.00 Family $25.00 Band $50.00 Corporate $100.00

Name on membership

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Blues In The Schools - BITS

In the Spring of 2019 PCBS presented a couple more in our series of educational programs in area schools. We had a 6-week program at Wiley School in Urbana in April and May. There were also two blues assemblies in Champaign, one at South Side School, and another at Bottenfield School Wednesday May 15. Thanks to our instructors, Gus Wood, David Adcock and Andrew Duncanson. Thanks to Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and Hohner Harmonica for their support.

In cunjunction with our Prairie Crossroads Blues Fest in August 2019 we had Mississippi bluesman Lucious Spiller do two assemblies at Kenwood Elementary School in Champaign.

Check out the awesome Thank You notes from the South Side Elementary School students after the PCBS Spring 2015 BITS program. Thank You Page

Visit our Education Page for details about many of the educational programs PCBS has put on. If you'd like PCBS to conduct a Blues In The Schools program at your school contact us at: prairiecrossroadsblues@gmail.com.