About this Event
Eric E. and The Royal Blues earned the opportunity to represent the Inland Empire Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, after winning the band category at the society’s local IBC Challenge, held June 14 at The Social in Spokane Valley.
Now the Inland Empire Blues Society and local music fans are coming together to help get them there.
A special fundraiser for Eric E. and The Royal Blues will be held Saturday, October 10, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Rico’s Public House, 200 E. Main St. in Pullman.
Donations will be accepted at the door to help with the band’s expenses for the January trip to Memphis. Anyone donating more than $10 will receive a free CD from the Inland Empire Blues Society.
A Palouse Band with Plenty of Blues
Based in Moscow, Idaho, Eric E. and The Royal Blues features:
Eric E. — vocals and guitar
Tom Miller — drums
Jake Bonner — bass and vocals
Craig Landron — saxophone
The band brings together blues, rock, funk and soul influences for an energetic take on electric blues. Eric E. describes the group’s sound as “funky blues & rock,” with musical territory that draws from artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and James Brown.
Winning the Inland Empire Blues Society competition gives the band the opportunity to take that sound to one of the blues world’s most important annual events.
The International Blues Challenge, held annually in Memphis, brings together qualifying acts representing affiliated blues societies from across the United States and around the world. Musicians perform in venues throughout Memphis while competing and showcasing their music before blues fans and music industry professionals.
For Eric E. and The Royal Blues, the trip is an opportunity to represent not only the Inland Empire Blues Society, but also Moscow, the Palouse and the Inland Northwest on an international stage.
A Historic Home for the Blues
The October fundraiser will take place at one of the Palouse’s most historic gathering places.
Rico’s Public House traces its history to 1909 and has been recognized as the oldest retail business in Pullman. Its long association with live music stretches back generations, with jazz becoming a regular part of Rico’s history in the 1940s. Today, Rico’s describes itself as the longest-running jazz club on the West Coast, continuing a tradition of presenting jazz and blues in downtown Pullman.
That history makes Rico’s a particularly fitting location for an evening devoted to helping a Palouse blues band make its way to Memphis.
Local music fans are invited to come out October 10, enjoy an evening of live blues and help Eric E. and The Royal Blues represent the region at the International Blues Challenge.
Fundraiser Details
Donations will be accepted at the door.
Those donating more than $10 will receive a free Inland Empire Blues Society CD.
Event venue & nearby stays
Rico's Smoke House Inc, 200 East Main Street, Pullman, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.