SOUL FOOD NIGHT

at THE MIDWAY TAVERN!

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 7PM – MIDNIGHT

old-time blues and country by

the wHERE ART THOU BOYS

with special guests: Larry Platz, and The Metropolitan Jaspers, a Gentleman's Vocal Group

Catering by Teresa Slaski:

THE EXCHANGE BAKERY, ELKHART

Sit yourself down to a fantastic soul-food dinner for $8

Admission $5 for music

THE MIDWAY TAVERN (574) 255-0458

810 W. 4th St, Mishawaka, IN

2 blocks South of 100 Center &

½ block East of Pat’s Pub

See-Speak-Hear-No-Evil Productions

From the South Bend Tribune, June 3, 2005

Blues to dig into soul

Old-time band pairing up with down-home food

WEEKEND: FOOD AND FUN

By KARYN BONFIGLIO
Tribune Correspondent

The Where Art Thou Boys perform Saturday at the Midway Tavern in Mishawaka. Photo provided

Musicians Doug Rice, Tom Moore and "Jumpin' " Gene Halton are regulars at the Exchange Bakery in Elkhart.

"We love the food," says Halton, who, along with Rice and Moore, makes up the old-time blues band The Where Art Thou Boys.

The trio are fans of chef Teresa Slaski's soul food dinners, which she offers at the bakery from 4 to 9 p.m. on Saturdays.

In fact, they love the food so much that Rice, Moore and Halton came up with the idea to combine old-time blues with Slaski's down-home cooking.

"We thought, 'What if we could get Teresa's culinary show on the road?' " Halton says.

Rice, Moore and Halton will team up with Slaski at 7 p.m. Saturday for Soul Food Night at the Midway Tavern in Mishawaka.

The event will feature music by The Where Art Thou Boys and an optional sit-down, soul food dinner.

For $8 a plate, music-lovers at the Midway can chow down on New Orleans gumbo, fried chicken or barbecue ribs, and choose from traditional soul side dishes such as greens and corn bread, spicy corn casserole and macaroni and cheese -- the same dishes that Slaski offers during her weekly soul food dinners.

If you go

The Where Art Thou Boys will perform from 7 p.m. to midnight Saturday during Soul Food Night at Midway Tavern, 810 W. Fourth St., Mishawaka. Optional sit-down soul food dinner -- catered by Teresa Slaski of the Exchange Bakery, in Elkhart -- included. Special guests are Larry Platz and The Metropolitan Jaspers. Admission is $5 for the music and $8 for dinner. For more information, call (574) 255-0458.

"It's going to be fun," says Slaski, who will also sing lead vocals with The Where Art Thou Boys on three songs.

The band is a side project for Halton, Rice and Moore.

Rice (guitar/vocals) usually plays with his rock group Beat 66; Moore (harmonica/vocals) regularly jams with Little Frank & the Premiers; and Halton (harmonica/percussion) is a member of the Off the Wall Blues Band.

As The Where Art Thou Boys, Halton says, the guys will play "repertoire we don't usually get to play in those other groups."

They'll play a range of tunes, from originals to old-time blues, country music and classics likes "Ain't Misbehavin.' "

"We're opening ourselves up to different styles of music," Halton says, the kind of music featured in the movie "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" which was the trio's inspiration.

"All three of us love that music," Halton says. "Lots of old-style finger picking. The kind of tunes you don't often hear in contemporary electric Chicago blues."

Larry Platz, who plays original folk and older country tunes, will open for The Where Art Thou Boys. The Metropolitan Jaspers, a vocal group, will also perform.

What we're hoping for is a kind of cabaret atmosphere for the evening," Halton says, "with different performers and great soul food."