Allstar Review January 16, 2006
(Click on the archives menu for past issues)

Another year has come and gone for the Crosstown Allstars and it was a good one. Some old faces remain and some new ones have entered the fray of music mayhem. This will be my first installment of the Crosstown Allstars newsletter. I hope to keep you all informed of events and happenings in our little world.
  2005 found us  continuing our gigs at many local Georgia venues. The customers of Fuzzy's in Atlanta, Fat Matt's in Atlanta, Blue Moose in Atlanta, One Star Ranch in Alpharetta, Chip's Bar and Grill in Winder were able to enjoy our brand of music for another year. We also added several new venues to the work schedule: Motorhead's in Atlanta, Brookshire's in Douglasville, Irish Bred Pub in Rex, Brandy House in Atlanta, and Jekyll & Hydes in Newnan.  We also played several private functions including one in Franklin, Tn. my hometown. We made our Middle Tennesse night club debut at The Pond in Franklin.
   The band did several road trips for charity this year. In July we traveled to Greenville, S. C. to play the Gritzfest, a benefit for the Greenville Safe Schools Program, an event put on by my good friend Michael Buffalo Smith, editor of Gritz Magazine. A review of the show can be seen at www.gritz.net . In August we were in Huntsville, Alabama for the Ray of Light benefit for my old friend Ray Brand, guitarist for The Crawlers. Ray passed away a week after the Gritzfest . He was also a good friend of Michael B. Smith. Again, a review is available at Gritz.net.
  September brought two benefits our way. We traveled to Chattanooga, TN. for the Blues for The Bayou, a benefit for Katrina victims.This show also included my old friends from way back in the 70's, the Sterchi Brothers Band. The event was closed by our fellow blues singer and legendary musician Bonnie Bramlett.
   We rented a motor home and went to Hartford, Conn. for the Cartoonist's International Golf tournament, a benefit for the Schlerodema Foundation. This event is put on by my friend Guy Gilchrist from Avon, Conn. Guy is the author of many worldwide distributed cartoons including Nancy and Sluggo. On this show were Daniel Lee Martin, John Michael,CTAS and Bonnie Bramlett backed by the Allstars.
  In October we moved on to The Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival in Helena. We stopped in Jackson , Tenn. on the way for a small show. This was a great opportunity for us to get exposure in front of a very diverse audience.
  Once again this year we competed at the Atlanta Blues Challenge for the chance to represent Georgia at the International Blues Foundation Competition event in Memphis, Tenn. We placed 3rd The two bands that beat us were more traditional Chicago type blues bands.
  The original lineup for CTAS has changed this year. Larry Germaine had to resign as bass man for work related reasons. Lee Dunlap also had to resign for similar reasons. We will miss then terribly and wish them both much luck in their future endeavors. In the meantime we have hired Kerry Creasy from Atlanta by way of Las Vegas, NV. on Bass. Kerry is HOOOOOT! He has played with many local artists including a run with Warren Haynes of Government Mule and Allman Brothers fame and gigs with the famous blues man, Albert Collins. We proudly welcome you to CTAS Kerry. We used Chuck Huckabee from Alabama for a brief period on key boards. We are in the process of searching for a new key man as I write this newsletter.
  Towson and I continue to do a few gigs with the Miller/Crain Band and The Mike Watson Band. CTAS also works as backup band for Miss Heaven Davis of Atlanta, winner of the Atlanta Blues Society's Best CD of the Year. We are off the last weekend of January, 2006 to play the annual Angelus Concert and Golf Tournament with The Charlie Daniels Band, The Marshall Tucker Band, Molly Hatchet and many other acts to numerous to mention. This event is held at the Tampa Hard Rock Hotel and Casino with the concert being held at The Ford Amphitheater.
  Our first CD, "Give It To Ya" was released this summer and is available at CDbaby.com. We hope to start production of the second project this spring. There will be some different styles of music on this CD besides blues/rock. Also we will be recording a live show sometime after the new lineup is announced.
  If anyone would like to be included on our mailing list, please drop us a note at crosstownallstars@hotmail.com . If you are at one of our shows, please step over and say "Hi Y' all. How's the Barbeque at this joint?".  I hope you all are doing well in your lives and may God Bless.

Tommy Crain & The Crosstown Allstars.