Spokane, WA

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We are dedicated to the music we love, the Blues, and helping other music lovers discover and appreciate this genuine American art form. We are a non-profit organization, recognized by the State of Washington, the I.R.S. and the US Postal Service. Our members, volunteers and supporting merchants, sustain us. We are based in Spokane Washington, but we try to represent Eastern and Central Washington, Northern Idaho, Eastern Oregon, Southern British Columbia and Western Montana. We are proud to be a member of The Blues Foundation.

In January of 1992, The Inland Empire Blues Society started out as a small group of musicians and fans of good music that wanted to try to get more live Blues shows in the Spokane area. We met a few times and shared our ideas and hopes, trying to figure out how to pool our energies and resources. Some details took a while to iron out, and then we really started happening in April '92, when the official paperwork was completed, and May of 1992 when the first "Inside Blues" was printed and distributed.

We are dedicated to the music we love, the Blues, and helping other music lovers discover and appreciate this genuine American art form. Our purpose, as stated in our By-Laws reads: "The purpose of the Inland Empire Blues Society shall be to support, preserve, and promote the blues through such social events as concerts, festivals, and a newsletter."

What we really want to do is put the word in the street that there is some fun music to be heard, and to coax enough paying customers to the shows to keep our local bands together and in the area. We also hope to attract more national Blues acts to stages in the Spokane area. We hope that if we help people to understand that the Blues is not necessarily about "having the blues," they will find joy in this.
The Inland Empire Blues Society holds a general membership meeting the second Thursday of each month, usually at the Bronco Inn, 8714 E Sprague Avenue, although changes are listed in the monthly issue of "Inside Blues."

At the meetings, free, open to the public 21 and over, we usually offer live music, and have a multitude of blues door prizes such as tickets to upcoming I.E.B.S. sponsored events, cds, t-shirts, and many other blues prizes.

As a non-profit organization, we have officers and a board of directors, who, along with our membership, steer the ship toward our goals, which are blues, blues, and more blues! (Financial solvency would help!)
Membership in the Inland Empire Blues Society is open to anyone interested in furthering the purposes and objectives of the Society. Persons may become members by completing a membership application and paying annual dues, and members receive a card identifying their membership in the Society. Please see our membership form.

In addition to a subscription to Inside Blues, the newsletter of the Inland Empire Blues Society, your membership entitles you to some significant discounts. Several merchants in the area give discounts to card-bearing current members. Tickets to I.E.B.S. sponsored events usually cost less if you are a member. Membership is currently only $15 for a year and the discounts could easily pay for it.

Some of the event highlights of our society include our popular "Wild Women of the Blues" (Female Blues Vocalists), "Harp Attack" (harmonica showcase), "Axe Attack (guitar showcase)," and "Empire Awards" ceremony, where we thank our local musicians for their dedication towards the music we all love.

The Inland Empire Blues Society can be reached by calling or faxing: 509-534-1081, or, email us at DejaBlues@sisna.com.

Seattle artist Phil Chesnut designed this logo for the Inland Empire Blues Society. It encompasses the talented local acoustic & electric guitar players, and the wonderful harmonica players our area supports.
Phil Chesnut, Associate Editor of the "Blues To Do" magazine, is well known for his "Black Ink & Blues" calendars, and has created blues logos and T-Shirt designs for years. His T-Shirts are a hot item at the festivals, too! Phil has done artwork for the Washington Blues Society, Cascade Blues Association, and the Sonny Boy Blues Society. He has a mural at the Sonny Boy Music Hall in Helena, Arkansas, and paintings in the permanent collection of the Delta Blues Museum, in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
Phil's artwork is done in ink, not computer generated!
For your cool blues design, you can contact Phil Chesnut at: .

Congratulations: On April 11th & 12th, 2003, Celebrate A Legend will be awarding Phil Chesnut with a United States Congressional Recognition for his contribution to the Blues.
"Celebrate A Legend" is an organization in San Francisco, California whose goals are to "Recognize Our Legends Today within our future Legends of Tomorrow."
Congratulations to Phil on this well deserved award!

Try out Buddy Guy's Flash
jukebox it's really cool and simple to use.

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© 2003 Inland Empire Blues Society
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