The annual Derby Party at Richwood on the River has a long history on the first Saturday in May, but it wasn’t always in the public eye. It began as a private affair hosted by the Boone brothers, Todd and Joe. As the years went by it grew in attendance, they started selling tickets, and it became a semi-private kind of thing. But its reputation as one of the premier shindigs in Madison was well established. The Boones knew how to throw a great party, with live music and dancing and everybody dressed up wearing Derby hats!
Then about 4 years ago Todd & Joe decided to hand the event over to the Madison Music Movement, as an annual fundraiser for the non-profit organization that branded Madison as Indiana’s Music City. Another change they made as they handed it off was to dedicate the entire day to our deep pool of talented local musicians. There is live music all day (the party starts at 2:00pm!) with the super-group headliners kicking it off right after the Run for the Roses and playing late into the evening.
I caught up with band leader and guitarist Jimmy Davis and asked him about this year’s line-up. “We have a core band we’re calling Lowland Static,” explains Jimmy, “it’s me on guitar, Joel Storm on drums and Chris Klosterman on bass. For this big show we’ve added Woody Woodmansee on keyboard, and then a powerful bench of vocal talent to come in and help us on a set of fun and different songs.
“We have Sandy Pickett, Chip Binzer, Zach Hackney, Brian Noble and Matt Red Moore. Believe me, that gang can cover just about anything from soul to funk to hard rock. It’s a party, so of course we’ll be focusing on the dance tunes everyone loves. But just to keep it interesting, we’re gonna throw in some that don’t get covered that often. Like ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’ by Jett, ‘Word Up’ by Cameo, ‘Sweet Child of Mine’ and ‘Oh What A Night’, just to name a few.
“I love the fact that it’s a showcase of local talent, and that I get to play with some of these folks at this party that I normally would not have the opportunity to. I think it’s the vocal firepower that will set this show apart from years past. We can literally do any song and one of this crew has the chops to do it justice. It’s gonna be a blast!”
The music runs all day, and also includes Rusty Bladen and his band, Vaguely Familiar, and Brian “Biggin” Noble & Friends. There will be 30+ performers in all!
If you are interested in joining the party, you can buy tickets at MadTixEvents.com, or just show up and pay at the door. Tickets aren’t cheap by any means, but literally everything is included, from the moment you walk in … food, drinks, live music, dancing, watching the horse racing on the big screen, everything. The festivities start at 2pm at Richwood on the River over in Milton, and runs until about 11pm. I can honestly say, in all my years of going, that no one has ever said they didn’t have a great time or didn’t get their money’s worth.
I want to mention two more live music events that are worth your attention. On the same night at the Derby Party (May 2), at Analog Coffee at Broadway and Main, they will be holding their first “house concert” with a full band, a group out of Cincy called Bleeding Kansas. It’s free, and it should be very interesting in the confines of the shop.
The other event is next weekend, May 9, at the Ohio Theater, when Rusty Bladen is reprising his annual Neil Young tribute show. I asked Rusty what folks can expect this year. “Well, we’re going to have a much bigger stage production this year, with improved lighting and special effects. We’ve added a few new songs to the mix, and frankly, we’ve just gotten better overall. We pour our heart and soul into this project, and it means a lot to share it with our local friends.
“Neil Young is special to me,” continues Rusty. “His were the very first songs I learned when I first picked up a guitar and started learning chords. Now I have some great players backing me up, including my son Jackie, so it’s like a dream come true. The thing about Neil Young, his catalog of hits is so deep, you can build a very special show that everyone will enjoy. I encourage everyone to come out and join us at the Ohio. Tickets are at MadTixEvents.com or at the door.
HOT TIP OF THE WEEK
I mentioned last week that our floating restaurant, The Lighthouse, is back open for the season. But I didn’t know they were gonna hit the ground running with a FULL weekly music calendar. So exciting to see … something happening down there every night, Wednesday thru Sunday this week. Let’s support them! I always like to point out new names on the weekly calendar, and I’m seeing several this week. There’s a Jak Worle at the Lighthouse, Anita and the Daves at Riverboat Inn, and a Ryan Wissinger at the Central, who I’ve been told has recently relocated here from Idaho and is a “musical bada—” (according to someone who knows about these things.) Oh, and the band Bleeding Kansas has been here just once before, and they are doing a special “house concert” show at Analog Coffee on Saturday.
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