Frank's Gigs

Howdy Folks!

I'd like to personally invite you to one of my upcoming events to share with you a touch of American history.  Bring the kids - the whole family will have a lot of fun, will probably learn something, and would be an event you'll all remember for a long time.

Please stop back to check this page for updated engagements.

To contact me about an event below or to share with me an opportunity to perform at an event, click HERE.  If you have any questions about the upcoming performances at the events below, send me an email at frank@frankstrong.net and I'll get back to you!

Sunday, January 3

Botanical Center
Des Moines, Iowa 1-3 p.m.

Matt Woods

Matt Woods sets himself apart from other local musicians with his distinctive 
vocal sound. This 26-year-old bluesman from Des Moines performs in the Delta
tradition and is equally adept playing acoustic Blues or slide  guitar. Matt 
spent time in Mississippi learning the music of the Hill County  and Delta 
regions, bringing an authentic feel to his sound. 


Matt has developed a distinctive style while still staying loyal to his blues 
roots. His biggest influences include: Son House, Fred McDowell, Muddy Waters,
Howlin' Wolf and R.L. Burnside.


Matt (along with Michael Swanger) placed first in the 2006 Iowa Blues 
Solo/Duo Challenge in Des Moines. His music has been featured on KUNI Public
Radio, and also can be heard on KGGO's prize-winning blues showcase "The 
Roadhouse". For several years, Matt was part of a local blues band called Hot
Tamale and the Red Hots. Matt now fronts his own trio called The Thunderbolts.

Matt has opened for several national acts including: Dr. John, Kelly Hunt, 
Joe Price and Grinderswitch. Often a "guitar for hire", Matt performs as a 
solo acoustic act and with his trio.  

Sunday, January 10

Botanical Center
Des Moines, Iowa 1-3 p.m.

Brad "Be Bad" McCloud and his Case of the Blues

Brad "Bebad" McCloud, on vocals, guitar and the songwriter for Case of the 
Blues, has been involved in music his whole life. His grandfather was a 
minister and Brad was influenced by church music at a very early age. Brad 
was bounced around as a youth and was never in one school more than 2 years, 
with the exception of enrollment in the "school of hard knocks." "Bebad" is  
definitely a poet of the Hard Road. In his teens he took up guitar and played
and sang with several rock bands in northwest Iowa. He and his wife started a
family at a very young age so he put his music aside, but not away. He 
continued to write and play for himself, his family and all that would listen.
After 35 years of marriage, 2 years in the Army, 31 years on the railroad and
having raised his 4 children, his wife convinced him to give it another try.

"Mojo Jono" Smith

Jono started out playing piano, but when The Beatles hit, Jono gave up the
piano and taught himself to play the guitar. He built his first guitar with his 
Dad out of pieces of other guitars. He started playing professionally in the 
late 60's with a regional Up with People ensemble in Ohio, where he was born. 


Jono is proud to have opened for Sonia Dada and Son Seals. His three main 
guitar influences include George Harrison, Dickey Betts and Frank Zappa. His
all-time favorite musician is John Lennon. 


Jono recorded an album in the late 70's with a country-rock group, The Red 
Ryder Band and toured with them for about 4 years throughout the Midwest. 
In the early 80's he recorded an album with some college buddies in a band  
called ZINI. He then formed a band called Alien Corn in Des Moines that lasted
almost 20 years.  They played a variety of venues throughout Iowa and even came
in third in the Iowa Blues Challenge in 1998. Alien Corn's CD is still 
available from Jono or from CDBaby.  Jono formed The Other Brothers in 1999 
with John Lee-Egan and Gary Lofstedt. Jono also served as musical director of
the Blues Showcase backup band for 3 years.


Jono has been writing songs for over thirty years. Jono is an avid collector of
recorded music with over 12,000 titles in his musical archives.     

J.D. Flanagan

J. D. Is an Iowa boy who started playing in rock bands in the early seventies.
By 1979 he had migrated to Des Moines and became a member of a local group 
known as the Buzz Band. Over the years the Buzz Band included many talented 
musicians including Carol Thomas, a founding member of the 
Central Iowa Blues Society.


Pat is currently performing with two bands, the Heart Beats and Danny and the
Dreamers.  J.D. continues playing Friday evenings at Flanagan’s Restaurant.

Dewey Cantrell and Jodi Bodley

Dewey Cantrell and Jodi Bodley have been making music together for over 7 years
both in the band The Blues Bureau and as a duo.  Jodi spent several of her
earlier years on the road as a professional performer. After settling in Des 
Moines, her powerful, trademark voice has become near legendary and places her
in an elite group of great blues singers from the area.


Dewey Cantrell is a versatile guitarist, singer and songwriter from Des Moines
with over 35 years experience playing blues, rock, pop and jazz  music.  Also 
well known as an accomplished slide guitarist, he was a semi-finalist in the 
Des Moines Guitar Center Blues Guitar contest.


Multiple time Iowa Blues Challenge finalists Dewey and Jodi have collectively
shared the bill with such notables as Blues Traveler, Shemekia Copeland, Sonny
Rhodes, Kelly Hunt, and played events such as The  Mississippi Valley Blues
Festival, Bowlful of Blues, and Nightfall on The River.

Bella Soul featuring Tina Hasse-Findley

Tina is a dynamic singer devoted to sharing music that soothes the soul and
rocks your world at the same time. Tina aspires to impact her listeners with
hope, love, joy, and just plain fun!  Tina has performed in the prestigious 
New Year’s Gala held each year at the Hotel Fort Des Moines.

Tina is a soulful, engaging performer with a warmth not often found in live 
performances. Tina is a well established blues performer with a lengthy career
of performance covering a wide range of genres with a heavy emphasis on blues
and rhythm and blues.

Tina has performed with local and regional acts including Rob Lumbard, Bob Dorr
and the Blue Band and Phil Moss and the Flip Tops. Tina also appears with 
Embryo and the blues band Lady Blue.

Tina is also a performing teacher-artist with Partners Unlimited, a program 
with provides outreach and enrichment for at-risk inner-city youth.  Tina is 
well regarded by arts agencies and musicians throughout the region. Tina is a
performer you don't want to miss.  Her performance will liven even the coldest
Iowa winter’s day!

Steve George and Bob Pace

Steve George is a member of the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame and is a singer with 
over 30 years of professional musical performance experience.  Mr. George has
performed with many bands across the United States and is a much sought after
as a singer who brings R & B as well as Blues influences into his own unique
crowd-pleasing warmth.

Bob Pace is a band leader who brings his many decades of full-time musical 
performance experience to this one-of-a-kind of duo.  Mr. Pace is an expert on
guitar with finger-style and slide performance.  Mr. Pace's musical skills are
greatly envied throughout the Midwest.  Mr. Pace also leads his hard-rockin'
band each Tuesday night at Blues on Grand in Des Moines.

The Steve George / Bob Pace duo won the Iowa Blues Challenge for singles/duos
for 2009.  Steve and Bob will represent Iowa at the International Blues 
Challenge in Memphis in February of 2010.  What a great duo! 

Thunderbird Kingsley

(Brandon Jaynes, guitar and vocals plus Kevin Bodtke, harmonica)
Powerhouse grain belt blues/roots band Thunderbird Kingsley approaches the
distinct musical form of the blues in a raw and captivating way. Their

performances are defined by snarling, gravelly vocals, booming, hypnotic
barrelhouse guitar work, and foot-stomping, steam-train rhythm. The duo 
consists of Brandon Jaynes on guitar and vocals together with Kevin Bodtke on
harmonica.  With powerfully sincere musical arrangements from the late 19th
century Mississippi Delta, to the electrified glory days of Maxwell Street,
Thunderbird Kingsley's low-down songs about love, loss, murder, graveyards and
backroom gambling are literal conduits of raw emotion.  Their music is a brutal
and heart-felt reminder of an American musical tradition to which every music
fan today owes a huge debt.


Thunderbird Kingsley has recently garnered the attention of the award-winning
international blues magazine, Blues Matters, and were featured in their 
May/June '08 issue.  Their sound has been well received by a variety of 
audiences - from the blues community to the indie rock crowd.

Alan Smith and Cindy Grill

Hot Tamale (the beast) and Alan Smith (the beauty) have been in the biz since
once upon a time. You'll hear everything from blues n boogie to rock n folk,
so come on down and finish off the botanical blues series. Warm your heart and
soul, and you'll live happily ever after.


Cindy Grill, has been singing professionally for 26 years.  She has a dynamic
range and the soul of a true blues vocalist.  She follows the long line of 
great female blues vocalists not only in talent but in showmanship as well.  
She will get you up on your feet dancing, and she may even join you.


Alan Smith, guitar and vocals, fell in love with the guitar at the age of 13
while growing up in England.  Like most young Englishmen in the 50's, he heard
American Roots music, early influences being the Beatles and the Stones.  After
moving to this country at the age of 14, he continued to play and learn 
different styles.  He is an eclectic listener and digs the guitar from A to Z
(Atkins to Zappa).

As of January 1, 2010, admission fees for the Botanical Center will be:
Adults $5
Seniors 65+ $4
Youth ages 4-17 $3
ages 3 and under, free
Admission is free for all "Friends of the Botanical Center"

For More Information about the 2010 Botanical Blues series, please check the Botanical Center web site
at www.botanicalcenter.com.