Chip Eagle's Bluzapalooza II Blogs

Let's hear it for everyone involved in the Bluzapalooza II tour! An artist on Bluzapalooza I told me the trip is hard and there's only one reason to go. This performer did not need to state the obvious -- to support America's troops. Chip's blogs point out time and time again why I remain ever grateful for all freedoms extended to my citizenship, not to mention creature comforts. Thank you, Bluzapalooza II. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I could not be prouder of you all. Here in one place are Chip's missives and the official Bluzapalooza news releases from Steve Simon and John Hahn. Read on. And I'll bet you get a bit teary as I did from this line about the troops from Chip: Spend a moment today being thankful for these good men and women who deserve better than this place. ........................................ News Release: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 BLUZAPALOOZA COMES HOME FROM IRAQ MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!!! BLUZAPALOOZA, the first Blues concert tour to go to a war zone, has just returned home victorious after its inaugural 9 day tour of military bases in Iraq and Kuwait. "Mission Accomplished!" stated BLUZAPALOOZA creator and producer Steve Simon. "We gave our troops a Blues experience that they will always remember and our troops gave us a life experience that we will never forget," Simon said. Created by Blues producers Steve Simon and John Hahn and presented by Armed Forces Entertainment, this inaugural BLUZAPALOOZA tour starred Blues icon and four-time Blues Music Awards (BMA) nominee Bobby Rush, two-time BMA Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year Janiva Magness, Beale Street Entertainer of the Year Billy Gibson, and Tony Braunagel from The Phantom Blues Band who headed up the BLUZAPALOOZA All-Stars Blues Band. "BLUZAPALOOZA was the most exciting and inspiring blues experience of my life. I was so touched by our troops. I can't wait to go back," stated John Hahn, co-producer of BLUZAPALOOZA. Plans are well under way to return to Iraq and Kuwait in October for BLUZAPALOOZA II starring Shemekia Copeland and in December for a huge BLUZAPALOOZA CHRISTMAS CONCERT. This inaugural BLUZAPALOOZA tour was made possible with the help of Armed Forces Entertainment, The Blues Foundation, Blind Raccoon, Blues Revue, Gibson Guitars, Alligator Records, NorthernBlues Music, Delta Groove Records, Blind Pig Records, Hohner Harmonicas, Telarc Records, Sony Corporation and Ruf Records. If you would like to receive the BLUZAPALOOZA news updates, please send us an email. For further information contact Steve Simon at SteveSimonLive@yahoo.com or at 340-643-6475 ........................................ [A bloozy note: Same dateline for "Welcome back from I" and "Heading out for II." Wow, Steve and John. What heroes you guys are.] "Bluzapalooza II Heading Back Out" News Release: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 BLUZAPALOOZA GOES BACK TO IRAQ For Immediate Release BLUZAPALOOZA, the star-studded celebrity Blues concert tour is heading back to Iraq and Kuwait for its second tour on October 26th. Created by Blues producers Steve Simon and John Hahn and presented by Armed Forces Entertainment, this 12 day BLUZAPALOOZA tour stars Blues icons Shemekia Copeland, Michael Burks, Deanna Bogart, Zac Harmon, Moreland & Arbuckle and Tony Braunagel and The BLUZAPALOOZA All-Star Band. "I am deeply honored to be going over there to entertain our troops, and Lord knows I love to hang out with men in uniforms", stated Shemekia Copeland. "We are thrilled to be going back to Iraq and to have so many great Blues artists volunteering to go to a war zone. This is certainly an historic event for the Blues and for our men and woman who so proudly serve our country," stated BLUZAPALOOZA founder and producer Steve Simon. "Our October tour's lineup would sell out any blues festival in the country. It's an honor to be able to bring it to our troops," stated BLUZAPALOOZA co-producer John Hahn. The BLUZAPALOOZA tour has been made possible with the help of Armed Forces Entertainment, The Blues Foundation, Blues Revue, NorthernBlues Music, Alligator Records, Blind Raccoon, Delta Groove Records, Blind Pig Records, Hohner Harmonicas, Telarc Records, Sony Corporation, Ruf Records and Entertainment Support Systems, LLC. Armed Forces Entertainment (AFE) is the lead Department of Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S. military personnel serving overseas. Founded in 1951, AFE brings a touch of home to more than 500,000 troops each year. BLUZAPALOOZA is proud to be working with AFE. For further information contact Steve Simon at 340-643-6475 or at stevesimonlive@yahoo.com http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lm15c3BhY2UuY29tL2JsdXphcGFsb296YQ== ........................................ And now...Chip's Blogs BLUZAPALOOZA II BLOGS @ BLUESWAX Tuesday, October 21, 2008 BLUZAPALOOZA II is shipping out to Kuwait and Iraq this weekend on our mission to provide the best Blues in the world to the best troops in the world, our brothers and sisters who walk the walk in one of the world's worst hotspots, no, hell holes. And bring them the Blues we gonna do! This version of BLUZAPALOOZA will feature Shemekia Copeland, Michael Burks, Moreland & Arbuckle, Deanna Bogart, Zac Harmon, Terry Wilson, The BLUZAPALOZZA All-Stars Blues Band, and, of course, our musical director Tony Braunagel. Yeah, that should do it pretty right! The shows will begin in Kuwait on October 28 and 29 and then at various bases around Iraq from October 31 through November 4. We actually can't tell you or you would have freaky dudes in shades looking in your windows. If you are stationed over there, your local MWR will have the exact schedule this week and will be promoting it (we hope; some things are universal!). We promise that you will smile, dig some great tunes, and find a cure for that hole that must be in your soul from being so far from home. We'll do our best to bring you all the deep feelings, soul, and fun that you couldn't find in the best Blues club in the world this week, because the best Blues show in the world is coming right to you! And if you think that you are not a Blues fan, come on out anyway, you will be! These are some of the best performers that the Blues World can send you; every one is truly a world-class act and has played the best clubs and festivals around the world. They gonna smoke your ass! (A technical term in the business; you'll get it!) Yeah, I don't envy BLUZAPALOOZA founder Steve Simon in setting the bill for the tour as literally hundreds of great Blues artists have volunteered to serve the troops. Thanks to every one of you who have volunteered and I hope that soon there will be no need for BLUZAPALOOZA, but until that time I know that Steve Simon is dedicated to making this crazy train roll on. And crazy it is! One soldier said in an email last week, "What with the scorpions, pit vipers, and the RPGs that come in on occasion, Blues soothes this savage beast!" Well said, brother! Please understand that the performers are indeed risking their lives to bring a couple of hours of escape to the men and women who live in harm's way for us every day, under constant threat and stress far from their loved ones. Check out my blogs from the first BLUZAPALOOZA to find that rockets were involved, and not ours! Yes, we will be provided with armor and helmets, and yes, our escorts are armed, as is the audience. I've been in some tough rooms, but jeez! We never know when someone will try to crash the party in a bad way.And also understand that you are there, too. BLUZAPALOOZA represents the entire Blues world sending their best to do the righteous and holy work of spreading the gospel of the Blues to those who need it most. I promise you that the performers will give everything they have every night for you, under conditions that tower over the usual rigors of the road. And then they will get up and do it again. And again. And they won't just be doing it for the troops, they will be doing it for you. I have talked to so many of you at festivals over the summer and know that you support what BLUZAPALOOZA in doing. Hell, many of you wanted to know how you could go! No matter your politics, not one of you has said that they didn't support giving a good ol' Blues fix to men and women desperately in need. And that's what we're going to do! I have the honor to be your eyes and ears for the tour. As the only embedded journalist on the tour it is my job, no, it is my duty, to give all I can in my own chosen field so that you understand and feel what BLUZAPALOOZA is all about, straight from the front. So many of you have said that I hit the mark on the last tour and that you found empathy and sympathy and heart in what I wrote. I will give my all to continue more of the same. And thanks for all the kind words. And this time I have a partner, the man who will be your eyes, Blues photographer Joe Rosen. Joe probably has as many Blues Revue covers as anyone and we all know that he has that special gift of "The Eye." He sees the shot and gets it. I am proud to work with Joe and together we will give you BLUZAPALOOZA. And, like many photographers, Joe says he doesn't really write. Well, damn he does and does it well, so expect to hear from Joe's perspective, too. So, release the hounds, let the games begin, strap on your armor and put on your helmets, you're gonna need them 'cause we're going in! BLUZAPALOOZA is on the road again! Yeah, sometimes keeping the Blues alive is just a job, sometimes it's righteous and holy work. As always…Good Blues To Ya! Chip (the worst Blues name in the world!) http://www.myspace.com/theblueswax ........................................ Live From Bluzapalooza II Tuesday, October 28, 2008 Live From Kuwait - Bluzapalooza II The musical extravaganza that is Bluzapalooza is on the road! The members of the troupe, plus myself and photographer Joe Rosen, all flew in from around the United States to meet up in the USO club in Dulles Airport in northern Virginia. There we were joined by excited members of the District of Columbia Blues Society. We hung out until our friends had to go and it was time for us to cart our bags to check in for the flight to Kuwait City. That is all but one of us; it seems that Michael Burks didn't make his flight to Dulles so we would have to persevere without him. Hopefully he would catch up with us further down the road. The night was long and most of us got little sleep as we were all enthusiastic to begin our adventure. When we finally land at the Kuwait airport we were mostly pretty weary. We sat around for an hour or so to get our Kuwaiti visas. Then we grabbed our bags and boarded the bus for an hour-long ride to Camp Arifjan in southern Kuwait. As we drive by the massive oil fields there was a lot of staring out the windows as we were all pretty tired from the long flight. Upon arrival at the base we checked into a hotel-like barracks. We had missed chow as the DFAC (dining facility) was already closed. We gathered in front of the Nathan's hot dog stand and ordered. We then sat down at picnic tables and talked and laughed until a little salsa party began. We all gradually headed off to our rooms, where most of us had a pretty fitful attempt at sleeping. Many of us were up much of the night as our bodies were running on North American time. On Tuesday morning we gathered at 9:30 a.m. to board the bus for a visit to the head of MWR in Kuwait, John McRae. They told us about how Camp Arifjan is a main logistical base for supplying the efforts of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Each of us were presented with a Certificate of Appreciation from Area Support Group-Kuwait. We were all quite proud and we hadn't even had a show yet. We also received a cool coin from the ASG. (More on coins later!). We then boarded the bus again to make our way through the desert to Camp Virginia, which is close to the Saudi border. Camp Virginia is much more primitive than Arifjan. We hit the DFAC for lunch and then went to set up the stage for what would be the first show of Bluzapalooza II. After awhile we boarded the bus to visit the camp commander's office. While the commander was away on business, Captain Dominic told us how the base provides temporary accommodations for troops coming in from Iraq on their way home. Lieutenant Wilson offered the group a plaque of appreciation. They are all making us feel so welcome and many seem excited about the show tonight and grateful that we have come, when it is we who should be grateful. This is pretty tough out here. As I sneak away from the sound check/rehearsal to file this report we are getting ready to launch Bluzapalooza II and we have the update that Michael Burks will be joining us for the show tomorrow. The troops are gathering around the stage and the great stars of Bluzapalooza are ready to give what they came to give. This is going to be a great show. Read about it tomorrow! Until then, this is your Blues eyes and ears on the road with Bluzapalooza. Good Blues to Ya! Chip ........................................ Wednesday, October 29, 2008 Day Three - Bluzapalooza II Continues... At my last writing it was time for me to get out of the computer center at Camp Virginia and get out to the show. Tony Braunagel and Louis the sound engineer were working to dial things in, though there were a few problems, including possible sand in the digital board. You might guess that there is a lot of sand in Kuwait! "A lot" is really just not a worthy word. Even up to the last minute the speaker cabinets were causing problems. After getting the Bluzapalooza All-Star Band tuned they quickly ran through Deanna Bogart's set and Zac Harmon's. Then it was working with Shemekia Copeland. Since the band had really not ever played together, there was a bit of adjustment and last minute arranging. Then at an hour before Bluzapalooza was about to take off, Moreland & Arbuckle finally got up to set up for their opening set while most of the rest of us took the bus to the DFAC (you know by know, that stands for Dining Facility). We snarfed down some food and filled containers for those those still at the stage. We left the DFAC at about twenty minutes before the show earning this writer a reprimand from our colonel for being slow out of the DFAC. I had to have coffee, which I promptly spilt on the Kuwaiti sound guy on the bus. Sorry, James! They began just a few minutes late with Bluzapalooza Co-Producer Steve Simon roaring a welcome to the troops and expressing all our gratitude that they are here. Then repeating "Do you want to hear the Blues"? he introduced Moreland & Arbuckle from Witchita, Kansas. This powerful electric guitar and harp duet are quickly becoming a favorite among Blues fans with a sound that sounds something like the Black Keys, but from Kansas, if that makes any sense. They roared right into "John Henry" with Arbuckle delivering powerful vocals and Moreland taking stances while ripping off big guitar licks. They took this into "The Saints Go Marching In." I've liked the fact that these boys put this traditional song into their sets and they put a unique take on it. At this point the crowd moving around the vending areas and the recreational facilities were taking notice and some began to sing along. The duo closed with a new song, "No Love Like Mine." This set was simply too short, but the ice of Bluzapalooza II had been cracked and it was time for Steve Simon to introduce the Bluzapalooza All-Star Band, Deanna Bogart, Zac Harmon, Terry Wilson, and Musical Director Tony Braunagel. Deanna Bogart let right off ..boards with "Hello." This started right into a call and response with the troops singing "hello" back to Bogart. There was a bit of a contingent from the Maryland and D.C. area so she had a little hometown support. She then played "Won't Be Long" into "Comin' Home," which led into a great sax solo with Bogart rambling across the stage for a little horn/guitar interplay with Zac Harmon and a bass solo from Terry Wilson. Next it was time for Zac Harmon to lead the way. He started off with the classic "King Bee" with his own personal styling and a fine guitar solo. It was obvious that Harmon came to play! I have written before that Harmon does one of my favorite versions of "Mannish Boy" in today's Blues World and this was his second song. There was a little lack of support from the rest of the band for the necessary call-and-response to bring the excitement to the song, though many of the crowd were obviously helping out. This caused Harmon to really pull out the stops with a huge guitar solo. Then Harmon changed up a bit and went into "No Woman No Cry." They immediately knew the song and responded, singing back to Harmon when asked. A very nice moment. And now it was time for Shemekia Copeland to take the stage and take it she did. Jumping right into "Wild Woman," she received and immediate response of hoots and howls from the troops. It was clear that there was something on the minds of these boys as they watched Copeland strut the stage in high heels that seemed a foot tall. She then did "Breakin' Out" from her Soul Truth album. She was obviously playing to the boys and there were smiles across the crowd as she began to develop relationships with individual troops in the crowd. Then turning to her Wicked album she belted out "Miss Hy Ciditty" ending up off the stage and dancing quite close to an eager soldier. Yes, Sergeant Harvey from Winchester, Virginia was having a good time! Next was her fine song "Who Stole My Radio with the whole band joining in on harmonies. But Miss Copeland was not ready to put down the mike and went into "2 A.M." with Dustin Arbuckle joining in on harp. Now it was turning into a party and Copeland began ordering soldiers up to the stage to dance with her. It wasn't hard to find volunteers and soon Copeland was working the mike while standing in a "Soldier Sandwich." The crowd was roaring out approval and it was so fun to watch. As Copeland led her new friends off stage, Simon came back to invite everyone back to the stage where they played "Let The Good Times Roll." While Simon, John Hahn and I threw out T-shirts and CDs to the crowd. They loved it and were soon on the stage to say hello to their new favorite stars, to get some photos, and to just talk the Blues. A true success. As the tired crew loaded into the bus for a two-hour drive... bad jokes came out and while some slept, some laughed. And that was Day Three of Bluzapalooza. Tomorrow we will have much more excitement and another show in Kuwait before heading into Iraq. Stay tuned, Bluzapalooza is only getting started! Good Blues To Ya! Chip ........................................ Sunday, November 02, 2008 Day Four - Bluzapalooza II Saturday, November 01, 2008 After the debut show of the tour last night at Camp Virginia, everybody on the Bluzapalooza tour was pretty beat, but the two-hour bus ride was filled with the endless jokes and stories and camaraderie that is Bluzapalooza. When the traveling is hard, the hour is late, the bus is coming too early in the morning it quickly becomes laughter, love, and the mutual feeling of having given something to people in need that keeps us moving forward. We pulled back into Camp Arifjan around midnight to find all the facilities closed, so some went to crash while others sat around for a few minutes or called loved ones back in the states who were headed to dinner. Lobby call was early allowing only a quick few hours of sleep and those in the troupe who hadn't slept much gathered for breakfast. We all boarded the bus for Camp Buehring on the Iraqi border. Camp Beuhring and the Udairi Airfield is is the most desolate place Bluzapalooza has ever visited. The bus ride took us through mile after mile of...well, sand, followed by more miles of sand, with only the promise of more...You, guessed it! Sand. There was the occasional herd of camels and we all laughed when a tiny pickup truck passed us with a large dromedary sitting in the back. Hey, when you're in the middle of the desert without much sleep it doesn't take much to be a cure! When we finally made it to civilization we were greeted by Staff Sargent Tom Ramos, our escort for the show. After filling our bellies (As an unnamed member of our troop said, "Hey, you have to eat, sleep and dump whenever you can on this thing!", Staff Sargent Ramos took us to the conference room of the camp headquarters where we met Colonel Ruehle from Ohio, who is a huge Blues fan with Koko Taylor and Dr. John as favorites. We knew we were in the right hands! Colonel Ruehle and Welfare, Morale, and Recreation (WMR) officer Lawrence Ingerman explained to us the Camp Beuhring was renamed from Camp Udair after a sergeant who was killed during in assassination attempt in Baghdad. The camp is the last stop before troops cross the nearby Iraqi border. They get about ten days of training before heading in. The camp's mission also includes defending Kuwait so this is a permanent base no matter what happens in Iraq. The camp has a capacity of 30,000 with over 10,000 on post at any given time. They also house the Udairi Range for sophisticated arms training. The colonel then presented each of us with certificates of appreciation, as well as some specially imported cigars.We then boarded the bus and headed over to the K-9 training facility where John Bowen and Shiela Howard explained the training process for these special animals. The training is very intense and literally one-on-one. The dogs are trained to recognize twenty different scents and are used to search out things from explosives to missing personnel. They are not patrol dogs.The handlers' passion and love for their partners was obvious, especially when they showed us a plaque memorializing some of the four-legged partners. We then met Uma, a beautiful, young black English lab and then took a tour through the kennels where we were greeted by barking and leaping canines. We saw the training and exercise facility. These dogs never spend time together as they are all alpha dogs and their relationship is with their human. Mr. Bowen then took Brenda, a Belgian malinois who was taken outside to find explosive chemicals that were hidden in our van. After a few seconds Brenda found the bait and was rewarded with a ball. While we had been warned not to get closer than twelve feet from the animals, Mr. Bowen invited us to place a hand forward to Brenda. I knelt down and put my hand forward. Brenda sniffed it and then jumped up, playfully taking a hair's breadth snap at my cheek. After the initial shock the jokes came, but no one else came close to the dog. After a quick demonstration by Uma and Sheila, we said goodbye to our new two- and four-legged friends.The next stop was the Udairi Range. After a photo op with a loaded-down Humvee headed out, we made our way into the arms training facility. This place was really cool! It wasn't the traditional shooting range we had expected. We walked into a dark room with eight soldiers laying prone in biological defense masks with M-16s pointed at two huge video screens of combat scenarios. By way of their laser sites, the are scored for competency in different ways. When they finished we were given the opportunity to handle the air-powered weapons. It was a cool photo op. Then we were invited to take a try on the range. None of us will forget the experience of waiting for targets to pop up, aiming the laser sight, and squeezing the trigger. Shemekia Copeland was the first up and loved it! She ended up getting 11 out 19! A wild, wild woman indeed! For the record I got 8 out of 8. Then while the others checked out some Japanese troops doing a pistol simulation in another room. I was invited to have a go on the massive 50-caliber machine gun. This bad boy shoots six-inch bullets and has a crew of three. The trainer put on a video of people harassing a group of guards at a checkpoint. There were many people mulling about screaming, but I saw the gun when it appeared and downed the terrorist with one four-shot burst. What an experience! As we piled into the van to head to sound check, we all agreed that today's tour had been an enlightening experience and that we had learned a lot more about what happens in training and in combat. That is an important part of Bluzapalooza, not just giving to the troops, but better understanding what is happening here and telling the folks back home and in the Blues World. I hope that I have done that today. Next up: The show at Camp Buehring and the hardest traveling yet, off to Iraq. Good Blues To Ya From Bluzapalooza! chip ........................................ Monday, November 03, 2008 Camp Buehring - North Kuwait near the Iraqi border First of all I forgot to mention in the previous episode that Michael Burks finally caught up with us and joined us this morning for our adventure of heading across the desert to Camp Buehring near the Iraqi border and the K-9 training center and the arms training facility. It is nice to have Michael here and he will greatly change the already powerful dynamic of the Bluzapalooza show. Tonight's show was special because it showed that the Bluzapalooza artists are here to give their all to the troops. With little or no sleep for nearly two whole days and after hours of as hard of traveling as a band can get, these great artists took the stage and smoked the audience with huge, powerful Blues. The crowd slowly gathered, including a bunch of boys at the center picnic table in front of the stage with two gigantic hookahs. They carefully prepared coals to burn the tobacco and sat sucking on the hoses. When asked about it they said, "It's a Blues show, you gotta smoke something!" Moreland & Arbuckle came out of the box with their dynamic interpretation of the classic "Rolllin' and Tumblin'" with their energetic stage style and heartfelt performance. As a duo and as individuals they delivered their best performance on the tour yet (and that is saying a lot!). Dustin Arbuckle is clearly going to begin seeing his name on peoples' lists of favorite harp players, not so much in a technical way, but in an soulful, energetic way. He makes you feel what he is trying to say. Aaron Moreland is one of the better cigar box guitar players around and keeps you watching as he constantly moves around the stage. Then the Bluzapalooza All-Stars took the stage. Deanna Bogart got things started. She is really a key element of the ensemble; her tasty Blues-meets-Jazz keyboard playing consistently wows the audience and beautifully augments everyone's performance. Her portion features a great sax solo that got the troops sitting at picnic tables in front of the open-air stage shouting encouragement. Not only was the solo interesting and on point, Bogart is a great showman and worked her way across the stage to vamp with bassman Terry Wilson and guitarist Zac Harmon. I could see a big grin on drummer Tony Braunagel's face as he kept the engine room humming. Next Harmon started a solo guitar intro with Dustin Arbuckle coming to the stage to add harp. With a yell to Braunagel, Harmon turned it into a shouting and kicking "Mannish Boy," which got the crowd yelling. After a rousing final verse Harmon took everything down low and sang some lines while Arbuckle laid some mellow, slow harp. The whole thing finally closed down. Nice! Next up was Michael Burks. This was Burks' first time on the Bluzapalooza stage and he wasn't going to hold back. Starting with a fiery "Driving Wheel," Burks and the band roared through six songs including a big version of "Born Under a Bad Sign." He does King as well as anybody, maybe better. Shemekia Copeland came to the stage with a big smile and a great version of "Wild, Wild Woman." At the end of the first chorus you could tell from the grins and hoots of the troops that they were here to party. Copeland introduced a new song written by John Hahn specifically for this tour, "Baghdad Daddy." This song about finding a military man in Iraq was immediately a success with the troops. This rockin' little number featured Bogart singing the second verse. The troops were howling in appreciation! "I want a Baghdad Daddy with a rocket for me." The world premiere of this fun song was quite a success with the people it was meant to please. As Copeland began "Two A.M." the rain became to come down. But few were going anywhere. Shemekia bravely walked down the steps in her high, high heels to call for a few troops to join her. She found three candidates and got everyone in front dancing and laughing with her perfect patter and laugh. At 25 years old, this girl has the soul of a master entertainer and she wowed the crowd that didn't want her to stop, despite the rain. The rest of the band came out to do "Let The Good Times Roll." As they played, Steve Simon, John Hahn, and I took the front of the stage throwing out T-shirts and CDs to the troops who fell over each other to get them, even though there were plenty for everyone. We then each took a coin in our hand and shook the hands of solders while passing the coin to them and saying, "Thank you!" After the set, the Rec Hall was packed with wet soldiers eagerly waiting to meet the Bluzapalooza troupe. It was really fun and the rain stopped. As we all tiredly moved to the bus and said good night to Camp Buehring, we all knew that it had been a job well done and that many of the troops would be going to bed with a little ringing in their ears and the Blues in their hearts. And, after all, that is why we came. Next up: the toughest traveling yet and stress gets to the Bluzapalooza crew. Gotta catch a plane to the next base, more soon. Spend a moment today being thankful for these good men and women who deserve better than this place. Good Blues To Ya! chip ........................................ Day Five Bluzapalooza II Monday, November 03, 2008 After the show at the Camp Buehring we piled into the van with the leftover food from the green room. Everyone was tired and the constant blowing dust left us all a little gritty. The fact that we had a 3 a.m. lobby call didn't help anyone's spirit. While a few balled up their tour jackets as pillows and slept, in the back of the bus the jokes were rolling. They seemed endless, from Zac Harman's long stories with killer punch lines to John Hahn's one-liners, everyone was laughing. As things quieted down, Deanna Bogart began a word game from the backseat, name a band or musician and the next person has must name one beginning with the last letter. This was really fun and it was amazing how many artists' names came up. It was fun when someone got stumped or when there had to be a court of inquiry over a rules violation. By that time we were all getting a little punchy as many of us had not slept in well over 24 hours and none had had much. We made a stop for gas at an Iraqi gas station. The facilities were luxurious if you consider a nasty porcelain hole with another hole in the floor next to it filled with raw sewage in a room that looked like an ancient goat slaughtering room that had never been cleaned. Other than that is was rather nice. Meanwhile our plain-clothes escort kept a wary eye on us and the locals. Then it was back in the bus for more word games. By this time the rules had lapsed and we were all acting like we were drunk, which of course we weren't as this is a dry country. Something we are reminded of often. About ninety minutes into the trip one of us suddenly had to go. Like, had to Go! Well, really, a bunch of us had to go. Since we were on a tight schedule our keepers weren't really up for this. After about twenty minutes on the radio with our escort vehicle (more on that later) and all of us complaining, it was determined that we could pee. The bus pulled to the side of the road and the men scrambled out to line up along a barbed wire fence in the desert. Of course someone took a picture and, of course, there were numerous sophomoric remarks as we piled back in. This was only one of the times on the tour that I would feel sorry for Shemekia and Deanna. When we finally made it to our quarters at Camp Arifjan after midnight, it was a pretty tough decision of whether to sleep or not as we had to pack and shower two and be on the bus in three hours. Some of us stayed up, now working on our second full day awake with very little sleep the day before, some laid their heads done for a few minutes. I went back to my room which here was like a dormitory. A very small dormitory with a bed, a desk and a refrigerator. The latrines and showers were down the hall and, of course, men and women were separated. I opted to stay up to pack, shower and maybe write. There had been major rains down here tonight causing the phones to be out so there was no calling home during the time slot that would be available to us (for me it was eight hours earlier to my home in Iowa). We finally all dragged ourselves down to the lobby and loaded on the bus. There was a little sleeping and Deanna started the word game again, this time with geographic places. This was fun and passed the time and we were all kind of dozing as it went on. A couple of hours later we arrived at the airbase where we would catch our C-130 into Iraq and continue the toughest travel day yet for the Bluzapalooza crew. Next: Hard travels continue, the flight into Iraq, things start to crack a bit around the edges, but we all pull it out. Peace, love and Bluzapalooza to ya! chip ........................................ Tuesday, November 04, 2008 Off To Iraq - Bluzapalooza II After a great show last night at Camp Buehring in northern Kuwait, the weary troops of Bluzapalooza took a long bus ride back to Camp Tarifjan only to have a couple of hours to pack and clean up for a 3 a.m. lobby call for the ride to the airbase where we would catch our flight to Iraq. We were all weary and some slept, some chilled and those in the back of the bus played a geography word game. This was to be a long day. After nearly two hour we arrived at the air base at around 5 a.m. We were shuttled into the PAX, or passenger terminal, where we chilled for a few minutes. Some hit the latrines while others just collapsed into the chairs. The passenger terminal was a large two-room tent of circus proportions. The front room was filled with troops waiting for their flights, many asleep. The second room had some snacks and drinks, more seats, and a television playing a basketball game that was live in the States at that time. The snacks were potato chips, gum, and a weird sealed tray of assorted things, including a small can of funky ravioli, a muffin of indeterminable origin, a small can of fruit, and other equally tempting things. No coffee to be seen. Jeez, how primitive! We had our first briefing on the flight and were sent out back to "palettize" our gear, that is, to pile it up on palettes so they could be sealed and slid into the giant C-130 that would take us to Iraq. Out back, with many other troops doing the same thing in other bays, we watched the boys from Coaxial Sound, our tireless road crew out of Kuwait City, unload a large truck full of road cases. These were moved next to the giant metal palettes for loading, along with our personal baggage, which we wouldn't see until Iraq. In the meantime we were each issued our Individual Body Armor (IBA) and Kevlar helmets. There was a fun moment as each of us strapped on the vest filled with steel plates. And, yes, they were heavy as hell! After this we picked up our armor and carry-ons and headed back into the PAX terminal. We were not allowed to go very far and our whole itinerary seemed to be still a bit up in the air, but it looked like we would be "wheels up" in a couple of hours and would be making at least one stop along the way to Camp Sykes in Talifar, far in the north of Iraq. We were all getting really tired, though it was hard to sleep on the chairs with the anticipation of being called for our flight at any minute. We talked with the troops and ate snacks, though we were kind of careful about drinking anything as the urination process for men on the C-130 is rather odd and for women downright embarrassing. When we were finally called we strapped on our armor, donned our helmets, and picked up our bags, along with the soldiers who would be joining us on our flight. We also met Bob Emanuel, our Department of Defense civilian liaison, who would be joining us for the trip. We loaded our carry-ons onto large coach buses and climbed in. Colonel Shock, the head of Armed Forces Entertainment, and Joe Vitale, Deputy Chief of Programs, were still with us and would be for the whole trip. Shock and Vitale turned out to be great leaders and coordinators for the trip. As tough as our schedules were, they were the ones who were up before us each day and put us to bed each night while dealing with endless situations and people along the way. They took great care of us on the trip and became friends. They also became fans of the music we love so much. It is pretty clear that neither really had much of an idea of what the Blues was before we hooked up with them in Kuwait, but by the time we were heading to Iraq today they both had begun to understand, and even to "get it." Both made our trips better, though I am sure they were frustrated at times with our rather un-military demeanor. Both adapted to us, while we adapted to them. A beautiful friendship! The buses took us around the airfield to our waiting C-130. As we drove through the base, the driver turned on the radio just as "Bad Moon Rising" by Creedence Clearwater Revival came on. A soldier in armor sitting next to Aaron Moreland said aloud, "It's like we're in Nam." Kinda surreal. While we were all standing in line at the two porta-potties (the true heart of the entire theater), a flight crew member came over and pointed to the barbed-wire fence that surrounded airfield and said that it had been peed ... Not slow to take a hint, we immediately lined up on the fence (as we had last night, which at this time seemed days ago) leaving the porta-potties to the ladies. The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft. It is the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide as it is in the Iraq theater; it is the workhorse of military flight. The C-130 has more than fifty years of continuous use and remains in production, though the planes Bluzapalooza has flown have been well over twenty or thirty years old. This behemoth is nearly 100 feet long and nearly forty feet high with a wingspan of 132 feet. Empty it weighs around 40 tons and can carry a payload of more than thirty tons. Its four massive Allison turboprops allows it to travel at well over 300 miles an hour. That said, the C-130 is also a pretty uncomfortable way to travel. We picked up our gear and climbed up through the cargo bay door that was lowered at the back of the plane. Standing in line to enter, the massive engines blow back a strong gale of fuel exhaust that is really overpowering. As we enter the back of the plane there are seats set up towards the front in four rows with two along the sides of the plane and two back to back in the center. These are not so much seats as nylon straps loosely woven with three-inch openings. Seating is very tight, with each passenger squeezed in next to the other and another slid in upon them. There is very little room between the knees of the passengers and a tall person like Zac Harmon has a pretty tough time even moving. Add to that the fact that we were wearing body armor and helmets and the whole thing is just pretty damn restricting and uncomfortable; the classic sardine analogy couldn't be more apt. I will never complain about coach on a commercial flight again! So we are packed in there. Now the whole plane is lined with two roller rails the length of the cargo bay. This is how the seats are attached, to these rails. That way they can be completely removed. Of course more seats could be added also as might be done for a parachute jump where they hook to the static line cable running above our heads from front to back and jump out the lowered cargo bay door. All of our equipment and luggage has by now been palletized, that is put on two large metal palettes that happen to have rollers that match the roller rails in the cargo bay. A large forklift lifts the palettes up to the level of the cargo bay door and then the crew pushes that onto the rails and into the plane's cargo bay where they are strapped down. It is all pretty efficient, though there is little space to move in the plane. The cargo door is then raised and the crew takes their place for takeoff. And take off we did, off to Camp Sykes in Talifar, about 100 miles from the Turkish border and Syria in the Kurdish section of Iraq. The flight stopped in Mosul to let some troops off. The whole trip was long and hard and hot. Since those of the crew who had been here in April had warned everybody that the flight could be kind of cold as it had been then, everyone was wearing the flight jackets and even long sleeves. Of course it turned out to be hot and every one was roasting. When we dropped off the other troops we were able to spread out a little bit for the short flight to Talifar. Up next: Camp Sykes in Talifar. We blow some things up and some things blow up. Straight, no chaser, from Iraq. Good Blues to Ya! chip ........................................ A bloozy note: Sad to say, I've been unsuccessful in locating Joe Rosen's Bluzapalooza II pix online. Looking forward to seeing his unique and glorious perspective soon enough.