A new pizzeria well soon show up next to Egyptian theater on the Capitol side. Apparently the easterners are friends of Italian restauranteur Gino(review soon) and are looking forward to showing Boiseians a great New York Pizza.
BAM
If you haven�t seen the Georgia O� Keeffe exhibit at the art museum, please do yourself a favor and go. Not only are the paintings beyond belief, the photography of her lover, Stieglitz and his student Todd Webb are also remarkable.
Caldwell Blues August 12th-13th
Congratulations to Jerry Hardy on the success of the Caldwell Blues in The Park. It is darn hard to make a music fest happen and Caldwell is thriving and expanding to two days. Wow!
Friday night looks like fun, Eddie Shaw was a huge success at the old Blues Bouquet. See you there.
Broken Hammer
Looks like the long rumored Thomas Hammer coffee shop, will be going in across the street from Dawson's Taylors Downtown at the corner of Bannock and 9th. Maybe moving the location a quarter of a block will bring them more success. Me? I'm betting on the local guys!!!
If first you don't. . .DON"T
Apparently, the old(new) Riders is open with Arnell Jones at the helm. Can that be good? See my earlier comments �If first you don�t succeed� in the archives.
Photos
Thanks to the good folks at Dawson Taylor Downtown, a new batch of my photos are on display. 219 nth 9th, downtown.
1975
The Mighty Lions of '75 roared again last night. It was amazing, the women all still looked great. Us guys? We got old!
Since our class officers abandoned us, Ron Dalby(who better?) assembled a committee without a leader and off we went.
Bill Scalf �got the band together� and man did those guys make the years fall away.
Tonight we meet again, let you know.
Define Fine Dining
So what is up in the old Milfords space in BoDo? Rumor has it that a new local downtown resturantrese and her partner are looking seriously at the location. Being right across for PF Changs could be fun. Hopefully they can find the old fresh juicer. There is nothing better then a greyhound made with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice.
Hate it when I'm right
In an earlier column, I predicted that Boogie Woogie�s was wounded.
Sorry to say they went terminal this week.
Thanks!
It was a glorious day in the park! The 14th annual Blues Society Picnic was a HUGE success. When we say we got a "ton of food." We mean it. At least 2000lbs will go to the Rescue Mission!
Blues music? Six hours! The kids from Boise High kicked it off with some very fine licks. Hope the Short Sided guys will keep it up. Caldwell's Next Exit played a fantastic blend of blues and blues rock. Lori B! was all B! all the time. Good thing her boys can keep up. Larry Conklin keep the traditional blues alive.
Headliner George Stancell was a delight, a nice man and a true "Bluesman." We were lucky to experience his talent.
It was a sad mix of longing and pleasure to be able to pour beer and listen to the Hoochies. Was not alone in missing the Blues Bouquet.
In an earlier column, I mentioned the return of Neighbor Dave. His heartfelt set was the reason we were there. Mine were not the only teary eyes in the crowd. Dave, thank you for finding the way back to the spotlight.
A big thank you to all the media that helped promote the show. KBOI�s Chris Walton and Bryan Harris were their professional best. They made Lori B! and I sound great on �Weekend Idaho� Saturday morning. Not an easy task!
The Blues are ALIVE.
WANT TO LEARN MORE? Click the Boise Blues Society LINK on this page.
If you don't go. . . Don't bitch.
It's just around the corner you blues lovers out there!� Our annual summertime picnic is Sunday, July 17th at Julia Davis Park (near the zoo and the boat rentals) and runs from noon to 6 PM.� Bands include Headliner Gorgeous George Stancell, the Hoochie Coochie Men, Lori B! and the Boys, Next Exit, Neighbor Dave, Larry Conklin, and Short Sided.� Details on the BBS website.�www.boiseblues.org. Check out the Friday Statesman "Scene" and the Idaho Press Tribune's "MORE" sections for additional coverage.�If you don't go, you can't bitch about not having any good live music for a YEAR>>>
Bipolar Boise
In one area you have, lots of families, water, fun, sun, beer and is in the very middle of the city. The other? Some say is not even in the city, but is about the same. In one area there is drinking, dancing and carrying on. Even a couple of drunks. The other? Mostly laid back, a lazy afternoon. At one rich, Yuppy types buy $4.00 beers. The other? The less fortunate drink $4.00 six packs.
The city of Boise has banned drinking on the Boise river. Why not the Grove at events like Alive After Five. The only real difference? Boise City MAKES money selling beer to a fancier crowd at the Grove. What hypocrisy.
Heard it on the Radio
Lori B! and Nancy McIntosh will be on the River morning show Friday morning promoting the BBS picnic. Saturday morn, Ms. B! and myself are booked at 7:30 on KBOI. (insert jokey comment here)
Caldwell Blues
The 8th annual Caldwell "Blues in the Park" is August 12th &13th. This year the fest has expanded to two days. Fridays featured act is Eddy Shaw and the Wolfgang. Saturdays the headliner will be Chris Bell. Cheap at twice the price. $15.00 in advance for both days. Lucky Boise Blues Members get 1/2 off.
DUFFY BISHOP
Wednesday night- Alive After Five. Trust me-GO.
Exclusive interview-John Nemeth
WWW.BOISEE.COM Exclusive With Sandon's sax playing in the background it was a pleasant surprise to look up and see John (Forever to be called Fat) Nemeth walk in the restaurant. So I bought him a drink and ask a couple of questions.
John is doin' fantastic. How about this gig. The buzz in San Francisco was so loud that an agent from Thailand hired John to do month on a private isle. Here is his week, hang out all day, play a fiery FORTY minute set, repeat. On Friday he has a long day, the show is televised (Austin City Limits-Bancook style) so John works a whole hour. When he got a little bored with all the work they sent his fiancee over for a couple of weeks.
Songs? Is John still using that rapier wit to write lyrics. "I got a million of 'em!, I love to write about love lost."
How about a new CD? "My current CD is still selling well, especially in Europe. " John and I talked about the music biz and he told me that he'll likely have a record company for the next project. "They have the time and marketing power to promote sales and deliver product. I'm still shipping from my apartment."
John told me he is in town for just a couple of days before heading to play all the hot spots in SF. After that John is headed to Europe for another month in the early fall.
Can't say I'm surprised at John's success. He has the prefect combination of tenacity, style, talent and drive to be a superstar. Even back when he was in high school and playing on the lake in Lake Harbor with the slim Moore brothers, Nemeth had the fire in his eye. Over the years, countless hours of stage time, his dedication to learning his craft and the history of the blues have seasoned John's talent. Soon the whole world can see what Boise audiences have seen for years. John can flat blow.
Shh!
It�s a secret!
The best jazz in Boise may be at Pair on Tuesday night,. Saxman Sandon Mayhew and his trio play light but up-tempo licks from till 7:00 to 10:00 every Tuesday @ Pair, 601 Main. Cool Man Cool.
Condos
When you don�t know where you are going it is not hard to find your way. �You just need to blow the stink off.� Not sure what my friend meant, but he was right. So I pointed the little red car east and headed down the highway. Along the way found a man named Arizona in Lime, saw falling water from the top, watched the sun set a couple of times, danced with waves, rode a duck on fathers day and lived well.
Whizzing by at 80 you miss all the good stuff, go to the blue highways. Blue highways are the side roads, �old highway 57 or 8.� They dance along the freeways and used to carry the main load. Now these 'scenic by-ways' roll in and out of little towns past barns painted with Pepsi signs to closed gas stations were Gas Jockeys once waited to wash your windows and fill your tank with Ethel. 
Here is one of the adventures.
Took I-84 to Lime, the old concert factory has always fascinated me. When I was a kid the old road old went right through the factory. A huge slew ran over the highway and it was scary to go under. My dad would always make sure to tell us a wild story about it breaking open and crushing a car. Now the factory has been moved down the road and the massive concrete towers stand silently.
�They call me Arizona,� he smiled. Sitting high in his old Ford truck the laugh lines around his eyes bold under his straw hat, a hat almost as stained as his chew stained teeth. Together this man and his truck tell the tail of a fading past. A past when rugged men and equipment, gouged and bullied the land to build the west. Now Arizona is working for an investor who is going to convert the massive concrete holding towers into Condos. Condos for Gawds sake. In the middle of Oregon? That�s where all the cowboys have gone, they are building condos in the middle of no where!
Photos
Can't seem to come up with the time to finish my Seattle road trip story so how about some pixs!
Dirty?
It is dirty, actually got one right. The new bar where Diggy Base was is called, as predicted- Dirty Little Roddy�s. They even have a smattering of doors. Left the knobs on which should help with beer spillage. Did see a couple of peanut shells around. Guess we will see. Can�t imagine the bar having half the charm of the old Roddys.