The 2nd Annual High Desert Music Festival & BBQ Showdown!!!

The rest of the title
follows with "...the way it oughta BE."

As stated in the title,
this was the 2nd Annual High Desert Music Festival,
 held in Victorville, CA. And there was SO much music 
to choose from. Between Saturday and Sunday - I only got 
to see maybe 7 bands. I say only because this represents somewhere between only 1/3 and 1/4 of 
what was available.

Last year,
I was contacted as
they were putting together the first,
with the hope that I'd have the time to do an
interview. Just a GLANCE at the lineup made me
want interviews - and more! Seems some folk in
Victorville were trying to get something going.
Man, were - they - ever! Enter Debbie Yopp 
and Noble Jackson. Pictured below, 
that's Debbie in the middle.

Debbie and Noble run the event.
And I mean run! They're the planners,
greeters, hospitality, and in between - runners
of errands. Could be getting a headliner in place...
could be getting some more ice and water 'cause we
went through the first 8 cases. That kind of thing.
As Debbie puts it, they're connecting the dots.
Lotsa dots TO connect here! Lotsa music.
It's a music-fest, okay? 

(That's Tierra, up above, appearing for the second year)

The first year,
in addition to a great GREAT music 
lineup that included (Stray Cat) Lee Rocker, 
Tierra, Caravan of Allstars, Ray Brooks 
and SO much more...

...There was food. 
BBQ ribs and pulled pork,
greens and everything else that
goes into a good Southern meal! There was
also a blues exhibit which consisted of several
stations where you could see a look at a variety of
pictures with a narration playing on an audio loop.
The exhibit wasn't there this year, as pieces of it had
been requested by a gallery in Northern California,
and also by the Blues Hall of Fame
in Cleveland, Ohio.

This year, 
as mentioned, the full title included 
some very special words: BBQ Showdown! 
Not just another backyard barbecue, mind you. 
There were 33 teams from all over California and 
Arizona... some of whom ya may have seen on whatever cooking show you may watch. The teams were competing, 
not only for bragging rights, but also to go to the next 
level of competition - some 50,000 dollars or 
more at stake (or steak).

(Above, representing Lady of Q, one of the winners of one of QUITE a few categories. 

Also, Tom of Far West Meats, and Noble Jackson) 

And of course the music!
Bands that I know and love already, 
like Big Papa and the TCB...

Artists I've interviewed in the past 
and REALLY wanted to see in live performance, 
like Ray Brooks...

And bands that I knew OF, and wanted to catch live - 
Rod Piazza...

Lakeside...

Caravan of Allstars...

And Five Tempting Men - Motown at its best!

Also bands I'd NEVER heard of. 
Some that while I didn't get to see, but DID get 
to hang with. And after checking them out, I'm gonna
 enjoy seeing what comes next. 
Bands like Franc...

Destenee...

And a new friend in the form of an author whose book 
on Sam Cooke JUST came out. 

She has some 
great projects coming up in the future as well. 
Looking forward TO 'em.

Even a few folks that I DID not expect. One of the MC's was Beverly Broadus Green. That's Snoop's Mom. 

And no - I didn't 
get any (real) inside info on Snoop. 
Didn't ask. I hung out and spoke with a woman 
about her - not one of her kids.

So why am I going into all this... letting you know about something that's already passed by?

To get you to go NEXT year. 
I don't know the lineup yet - but ya really 
need to try to make it. It's gone beyond being a
 good effort. It seems more of a 
raging success!

And I'll be doing interviews and/or write ups on QUITE a few of the artists mentioned above.

So check back, would ya?