Blues for the Winter
Greetings all,
Things have been quiet with the band for Autumn after I managed to tumble down some slippery steps (and no video of it for YouTube sadly). Now we are back in action with lots planned over Winter. Paul Young has taken himself and his tenor sax off to Wellington, and Tosh is now trumpeting in Sydney, so King Leo will be hitting the stage as a lean, mean, 3-piece Blues-playing machine.
First up is a show at the Church on 50 Dundas St. on Saturday, May 28th from 9-midnight (or later if you are still dancing). There is no opener at this show, so come along for 100% King Leo Blues. Admission is $10 at the door.
Next we will be appearing at the Big Fat Solstice Feast, which is a community fundraiser for the Waitati Open Orchards and Waitati Edible Gardeners. The feast is at Waitati Hall on June 18th. More details to come.
We will end June with a Blues blowout: the Valley Blues Ball on June 25th at St. Martin's Hall in the Northeast Valley. King Leo will be joined by Marg Layton, New Zealand's Queen of the Blues, for this show, and we'll have plenty of other special Blues guests appearing. Tickets are available at Twang Town in Dunedin or on the New Edinburgh Folk Club's website at: http://www.nefc.org.nz/calendar.asp?calendarid=5558.
October Blues Happenings
King Leo will be performing at several events this October, including the Otago Festival of the Arts, the Queenstown Jazz Fest, and a Blues Ball at the New Edinburgh Folk Club. Check out the Gigs section for details.
Blues Bus Full
The bus for the Long Beach Blues Ball is now full. See you all at the hall!
Blues Ball Update - printed tickets available
Tickets for the Long Beach Blues Ball on 5 June 2010 are now available for purchase in person at Cosmic Corner (355 George St). The red $20 ticket gets you admission, and the blue $30 ticket includes a ride to and from the show on the Blues Bus. Of course you can also still purchase tickets online at www.kingleo.co.nz.
Long Beach Blues Ball
Tickets are now available for the fourth Long Beach Blues Ball on 5 June 2010 with King Leo. Anders "Junior" Jensen is back with his fellow vikings in the far north and the other Growling Dogs have moved on to different projects, so this is your chance to see the new lineup. King Leo will be serving up high-octane Blues with the addition of a horn section, so don't miss it.
Dunedin favourites Skybus will be opening, and once again Purakanui School will be raising funds by selling refreshments. The Blues Bus will be making the trip to and from the hall as well. Doors at the Long Beach Hall open at 8:30.
Admission is $20, or $30 including transportation to and from the hall on the Blues Bus. Tickets are available on the website (www.kingleo.co.nz), and we will have tickets available for purchase in person shortly. The Long Beach Hall only holds 100, so we recommend getting your ticket early.
Macandrew Bay Blues Night
On Friday, April 17th, King Leo and the Growling Dogs will be bringing the Blues to the Macandrew Bay Hall for a night of high-intensity good-time music. Come ready to dance or kick back and enjoy the tunes. The Fea Street Hustle have recently returned from their overseas adventures, and they will be opening the show at 9pm. Doors open at 8:30pm. Alcohol is byo. Admission is $20.
CD Release Weekend!
On the weekend of February 27th, King Leo and the Growling Dogs will be celebrating the release of its new double-album Mad Love with 3 shows. Here are the details for a party weekend:
On Friday the 27th we are performing at the Hutton Theatre in the Otago Museum, supported by the Saddle Hillbillys and singer/songwriter Julian Temple. We're also planning special guest appearances by some of the band's musical mates. Admission is $20, or you can pay $30 for admission including the cd. A cash bar will be available, and the show begins at 8:30, with doors opening at 8.
Saturday the 28th we will be at the Waitati Hall, supported by the Julian Temple Band, so bring your dancing shoes! Alcohol is B.Y.O. and the kitchen will be open, with food sales benefiting the Purakanui School. Once again admission is $20, or you can pay $30 for admission including the cd. Doors open at 8:30, and the music kicks off at 9.
We close the weekend with an initmate show at St. Lee's Cafe for the New Edinburgh Folk Club on Sunday, March 1. St. Lees is a great venue for listening to music and kicking back with your favourite beverage. The music begins at 7:30 pm. Admission to the folk club night is just a few bucks, and Mad Love will be available for sale.
ALBUM RELEASED!
Our double-album, Mad Love, is back from the manufacturer, and it is now available! The two-cd package includes one cd of all original music and one cd of great tunes from some of our favourite Blues artiists, including Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Guitar Slim and Little Milton. Lyrics are included for the originals, and the album is 20 tracks in total.
You can purchase Mad Love from our website for $31.50 (post included), and it will also be available at our shows.
"This double CD..contains power, pace and a wealth of talent especially on songs including Baby Don't Wanna, Honesty and I Can Taste the Love. With all hot-blooded originals on the first CD and homage to its blues influences from Muddy Waters to Little Walter on the second, Mad Love is one handsome package" - Stephen Scott, Waikato Times
