To paraphrase Earth, Wind, and Fire, “Will you remember/the nineteenth night of September?”  If you spend it at the Outlook you will.  Last week we mentioned a possible September Surprise, and it has been confirmed. 

The Outlook is hosting an evening that will eradicate any and all Britney memories, along with any other musical events of this month.  The Colorado Blues Society is backing a contest to send some of Colorado’s best blues musicians to Memphis for the International Blues Challenge of 2008 (Jan. 31 – Feb. 2) which was founded by the Blues Foundation http://www.blues.org/.   It gets better.  Next Wednesday evening begins round-one of this illustrious competition, and the Outlook is hosting four of Colorado’s best blues acts:  The Delta Sonics, The Lionel Young Band, The Shuffle Tones, and The Johnny O. Band!  All under our roof, all on the same night.  Will you remember, indeed.  

The Blues Foundation describes the annual event as such:  “With the mission to find the best unsigned blues band, this annual competition is held worldwide on a regional level by The Blues Foundation's 150 Affiliated Organizations around the world. Semi-finalists, the winners of these regional competitions, head to Memphis for the national finals held on historic Beale Street, and the opportunity to compete for over $20,000 in cash and prizes.”

We hope you can join us for our inaugural role in this world-famous competition.  It’s magnificent that Boulder (and the Outlook) has the opportunity to take part in the 24^th Annual Challenge.  All four bands will play short, half-hour sets leaning heavily on original works, sure to give the audience plenty of diversity in style. 

A partial list of past participants reads like a Who’s Who of the blues world: Slick Ballinger, Michael Burks, Tommy Castro, Albert Cummings, Delta Moon, Larry Garner, Diunna Greenleaf, Zac Harmon, Richard Johnston, Matthew Skoller, Susan Tedeschi, Watermelon Slim, John Weston and Michelle Wilson.

As for who decides who will go to Memphis:  the judges will be industry professionals without association to the Colorado Blues Society or the Outlook.   However, we might just decide to have an anonymous vote from the audience.  Come out and have your say so!  With talents the aforementioned bands, it might be the toughest selection any of us have had to make in a long time.  Don’t miss it!

Honey Sepeda