Blues On The Square Held at Veterans Memorial Building

Blues. The music that dates to the 19th century. Since the beginning, blues music has touched the souls of those who were drawn to it. Some of the greatest Blues performers include Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Bonnie Raitt, just to name a few. At least those are the names most associated with Blues music, right?

The riffs of guitars, the beating of drums, and sultry saxophone sounds emitted from the Veterans Memorial Building on Saturday, October 12, 2019 during the Blues On The Square event, featuring Dicky James and Knock Kneed Sally.

Starting off the night was Dicky James. James, an American Blues guitarist, singer and songwriter from Gary, Indiana, immediately got the crowds attention during his performance.

James has performed on Beale Street in Memphis, TN, Clarksdale, MS, Indianapolis, IN, Saint Louis, MO, Helena, AR, and Michigan. He has shared the stage with such Blues greats as: Earl the Pearl Banks, Blind Mississippi Morris, Barrelhouse Chuck, and many more great Blues performers.

During his performance, he not only worked his magic on the stage, he took it to the floor with bassist Rick Long. Between the two, the guitar riffs were phenomenal! Of course, still on stage, Larry Long played the drums with a beat of perfection, pairing well with the sound from the floor.

James and Long returned to the stage and continued the performance, with James singing songs that brought back many memories for those in attendance.

Following James on stage was Knock Kneed Sally, an award-winning Bluesy Americana band whose CD Dog Tilted Head has been selected by the Kansas City Blues Society as the best self-produced CD of 2019. This was a return visit by Knock Kneed Sally and the crowd was eager to hear what they would bring to the stage.

They didn't disappoint! Following playing at the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, they brought their best to the stage and had attendees absorbed with their songs and musical instrument playing.

Knock Kneed Sally has opened for Great White, Shinedown, Tinsley Ellis, Jimmy Thackery, and more and they headline their own festivals and shows throughout the year. It was to no surprise to see community members attending Saturday night's show who had attended one of their previous shows! Knock Kneed Sally brings the house down every time they play at the Veterans Memorial Building!

The Blues On The Square event was just one of many events being hosted by owners Troy and Tami Hornbeck as part of the revitalization efforts for the building. The building dates to the 40's and it has been a part of DeWitt's historic square ever since. The Hornbeck's have put their hearts and souls into revitalizing the building and opening it up for public events, including music festivals that allow people a place to go and dance while enjoying the many bands and performers that take the stage.

For more information on the Veterans Memorial Building, or to reserve the building, visit https://wwwdewittveteransbuilding.com