NEWS & VIEWS
January 1, 2007
Well you all did it again. What's that? You made it all happen again. Yeah, you! With out you we would not have had the party of 2006 that we did. With out you, we would not even be in operation. Black Diamond would not exist!
Thank you for a wonderful party Sunday night! You know who you are. Those of you who won the Legends gift cetificates, congratulations. Those that did not make it to the party ..........................YOUR LOSS !!!
Wow, fifteen years have gone by and no lottery winners!! Hey, thank you all for making Black Diamond's first 15 years so wonderful. It has been a long and glorious trip to where we are today.
We need to thank Scott, Randy, David, Mark, Randy, Lisa, Randy, Dan, Mark, Ed, Steve, Kevin, Robbie, Todd, Renee, Daphne, Jeff, John, Jon, Courtney, Andrea, Kevin and Amanda (all band members at one time or another) as well as Peg, Rhonda, Katie, Bonnie, BJ, Tom, T, Tasha, Hellen, Ann, Dorthy, Myla, Ben, Mike, Alan, Kim, Tim, Shiela and Jamie (all of whom supported the band at one time or another) for these last 15 years.
Here's to another great 15 years of "Rockin' Country" and again, ......more fun than we should be allowed to have!
October 29, 2006
Sometimes you just have to take a break...................And we a glad we did!
Ok, not all of October was playtime, we did work a little..................well if you call what we do WORK!!?? Hey, there is a little work involved.
Winterset Iowa.....................birthplace of John Wayne................home of the "Bridges Of Madison County".........home of "Chancer's".....................home of "More Fun Than One Is Allowed To Have!!!!" "What are you talking about?" you say!! Just check out the pictures in the gallery to find out. Thank you Winterset and thank you Tami and Lance!!
This takes us to the "Annual Halloween Spooktacular" weekend at Dance Mor Ballroom in Swisher, Iowa. Yep, it was the, I think, 4th annual event and boy did you do it up!!! Hundreds in attendence both nights and too many to count, participating in the costume contests on Saturday. We have to congratulate our "Legends Western Wear" costume winner, Rambo. Use your gift certificate well. We had so many contestants, we had to divide the competition into 2 groups to narrow it down to the 4 finalists. Congratulations to all who participated. You worked hard to look so good. Good Job!!! Congratulations also go out to our drawing winner, Dave! That patio umbrella, from Fleck Sales - Miller Lite Beer, is going to look real good on your patio out back. Be sure to check out all the photos from this year Halloween Spooktacular!!
October 1, 2006
It came...............it went....................September has flown by much too quickly. But, not with out a great time for everyone involved.
A must thank you goes out to Jerry Burger for inviting Black Diamond to his appreciation party in Adel Iowa. Despite the weather threats, everyone had a good time. It took a couple of years to hook up with Jerry and his crew, but it was well worth it. Thanks again for a great time!!
Ladies and Gentemen..................the season has begun!! Yep, we are back at Dance Mor Ballroom in Swisher Iowa and life is good! Wow, you guys are great! Thank you for your support. I am always amazed at the support we receive when we go to Swisher. As I said just a few seconds ago......"YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!!" We also have to metion that this year we a blessed with a new FOH at Swisher..................from Des Moines and all places other than there..............we welcome Mr. Jamie Lewis to the FOH. Jamie is a verteren Front Of House sound engineer with MAJOR national acts under his belt. He has ben doing this for longer than some of our supporters are old. Great to have him on board and as you will understand when you hear Black Diamond next, great to have him heard.
What a week we had this last month. Tuesday night Black Diamond road-triped to Colfax, Iowa and the biker gathering at Papa Georgio's. A little cool for most rides, but everyone there had a good time. Lots of bikes, lots of food, lots of drink, lots of music and great fun for all. Thank you Pam for a wonderful party.
Thursday night took us to West Des Moines and our annual fall trek to the Music In The Junction event at Valley Junction. Railroad Park rocked thru the rain with intermittent pauses for dancing in the street. We thank the Parks & Recreation group (Jodie) for inviting us, and hope to be asked back again in 2007!!
Finally, we Black Diamond ended their hectic week in Amana Iowa at the campgrounds for the fall Trail Ride. Rick and Virginia Casper have been throwing this party for a few years now. The Amana Trail Ride(s) take place both in the spring and the fall each year. This year, due to schedule conflicts, Black Diamond was only able to perform at the fall event. Boy did we miss you guys and thanks for missing us. What a great party..............and..............no rain for the rides this time!!! Thanks again.
August 28, 2006
And the great summer continues....................July just keeps up the tempo and the fun gets better starting off with the one and only trip outside Iowa this summer. Helloooo Columbia Missouri! Cody's Saloon in Columbia was a pleasant surprise. Body capacity at 1700 plus and a great stage and sound guy did not hurt either. Good times with good people. Hope to get back sometime soon.
And what can one say after making 8 appearances at a venue. Once again the Cedar County Fair and those in charge made another great impression with this band. Great stage, good people, wonderful food and drink.........and that was just for the band. You guys rock and we will see all of you again next year. Thanks!!
Sometimes you have to try stuff to see how it works and Keysters in Urbandale in July was just that. What a nice venue, stage, techs and everything else. We had a great time there and hope we will be able to get a chance to try again when the dance season is upon us.
Now, sometimes you meet people who leave an impression on you that you just can not shake off. The Baur-Machan wedding is one of those impressions. Jen and what's his name (oh yeah, Brian) thru a great party at the convention center in Des Moines and we wish them both the best in the years to come. Great people.
Finally, July closes out with the re-appearance of Black Diamond in Ankeny Iowa for another Summer Sounds event in the park. I don't know why, but we hit another hot-hot-hot Sunday in July. It was great fun and we got to see a lot of you, the fans there. Hope to see you again next year.
Now August brought us back to a great fair in Waverly Iowa. The Bemer County Fair puts on some remarkable events. Right after, what they call, the scrambles, we took to the stage. (you will have to check the website to find out what scrambles are) It had been a couple of years since our last appearance, but we were treated as if we had been with the fair from the beginning. Next year we are scheduled back and hope to have another great time.
Peterson Iowa, Sesquicentennial Celebration, the Black Diamond circus waddles into town. Now this is an excellent example of small town Iowa throwing a party. These boys and girls know how to do it, and they do it well. Thank you for inviting us to you party!!
And in this corner........................Yep, August is State Fair time and Iowa has the best. One of the great things about playing, in addition to playing for all of you, is playing at the Iowa State Fair each year. This year was no exception. 12 nights.................4 shows each night.............thousands in attendance each night...............WOW! You have made Black Diamond the most watched LIVE entertainment at the Iowa State Fair.............and we thank you!!! The Benoit's have asked us, you have asked us, and yes we will be back again in 2007. See ya all there!!
And you thought that there could be nothing more to have happen in August.....................well.................you are WRONG! Hello Nevada Iowa...................Hello Lincoln Highway Days! We have to thank everyone for coming out and supporting Black Diamond. What a party! We met some people who we have not seen in over 12 years when they used to come out to Tama (The Spur) and dance with us. Great to see you!!
July 4, 2006
Happy Birthday America !! It has been a long three weeks.......let's get to it shall we...........
Occasionally, Black Diamond gets to perform for some corporation at one of their appreciation events. Thursday the 15th of June, we were honored to do just that for a company in Ankeny Iowa called Xpedex. This paper distribution company held a western themed event with a Hoe Down featuring Black Diamond. We got to meet some wonderful guest of theirs and got to work with some of Xpedex's great personnel. Tracy, thanks for having us and taking such great care of the band.
And once again sad news. This last week we lost another great woman, Edyth Weih of the Cedar County Fair. Edyth was very instrumental in hooking up Black Diamond with the Cedar County Fair back in 2001. We wish her husband, Dennis, and the rest of their family the best. Nope, your right, it won't be the same without her.
It looked touch and go most of the day and early evening, but the Sturgis Falls Celebration went on according to plan. The event on Friday the 23rd started out with a bang. First on stage was the hot band Lockren. Amanda and the boys put on a great show and had the crowd a hopping. Then Black Diamond took over and whipped the crowd into a frenzy. No rain, great time, great crowd. Thanks to all for making Lockren and Black Diamond so very welcome!!
"Beam me up Scotty..." Black Diamond is back on the starship.......................
Saturday night brought Black Diamond back to the town of Riverside Iowa once again. The 22nd edition of Trek Fest had BD two steppin' thru the milky way. Thanks to Teri and the rest of the committee for inviting Black Diamond, back, to the Fest and we will see you all again next year.
And then, you get to perform for some people that are like family. Last Saturday night we traveled on in to Atlantic Iowa to the Cass County Community Center, tablecloth's? Yep, tablecloth's and country music together, same location, same event. Congratulations to two great people, Abby and Joe , the new Mr. and Mrs. Rasmussen. And a special thanks to Steve and Lynda (dad & mom) for sharing this special event with us.
June 12, 2006
What a party, what a party!!! Marion by Moonlight was great. Who would have thought you could get hundreds of people in lawn chairs and blankets in the middle of Marion Iowa on a Thursday night to listen to country music. It was great! Thank you Marion. We got to go.............................hello road!!
Clarksville Iowa can throw a party too. Great seeing everyone at Pioneer Days having a good time. We must apologize to the pedal tractor people. Sorry that Kevin may have bent the axle's on the tractor. He's a little heavier than he thought he was. Anyway the rain held off and a good time was had by all.
Which leads us to North Liberty Iowa and the sixth appearance of Black Diamond at the Fun Days event. Once again the boys and girls at Fun Days put on a wonderful event. Thanks to the JC's and Legion for the food and pop. You people take care of Black Diamond like no others. Thank you very much. Also it was great having Jason from Mix96.5 with us to run the frozen T-shirt contest. What a hoot!!!
And.................the entire week was made soooo much simpler with roadies from Illinois. Yep, Ben and Vinnie from Illinois we thank you for all the help you gave us in loading in and out this week. These old men would have had it a lot harder if you two weren't with us at these last events. Hope you make it back soon!!!
June 02, 2006
Wow, not even a month away and here I go writing again!
It has been a long, and sad, few weeks around here. Last month, on the 19th, we lost a very special person to Black Diamond. Patsy Benoit, wife of Jack Benoit, owners of the Diamond Jack's at the Iowa State Fair passed away. Black Diamond and Patsy have had some very interesting years together at Diamond Jack's. We are going to miss her very much and we wish the best to the Benoit family.
Hey, this is the official start to the 2006 summer. Last month we had a great kickoff with Music In the Junction in West Des Moines and at the Finish Line Show Lounge at the Prairie Meadows Casino. As always, it was great to see everyone at each of the events.
Hope to see you thru-out the summer events.................
May 18, 2006
It is hard to believe that the summer of 2006 is almost here. The last few months have been really great. You people make this soooooo much fun to do.
First off I have to thank Matt (Bud Boy) Eden for including Black Diamond on his very special task Friday night. It seems that he, Matt, had a special question to ask of one Crystal that he needed our help with...............yes, he popped the question Friday night, on stage, in front of hundreds of Black Diamond lingerers and..............yes, she replied with a................"F'in yeah!!!!!!". Congratulation go out to the happy couple. Thank you for including all of us in your special moment.
Secondly, I have to congratulate our winners from the "4th Annual Beach Party" last Saturday night. If you did not make it, and I believe most everyone did, you are un-aware of our bikini winner, Jenni (nice) and our man swimsuit winner, Matt (he's ok). Both of which took home some really cool beach umbrellas provided by Miller Beer and Fleck Sales. And our Miller Lite Cooler winner, Mariah!!
Special thanks to Tim Fry and his partner Ben. Tim filled in on sound for us last weekend and did a great job. We may see Tim down the road sometime again. Thanks.
If you are not a member of the Black Diamond email list, you may want to go back to the front page and click on the email logo. There is no better way of keeping in touch with Black Diamond!!
Until next time..............
March 5, 2006
Come on six ......... Mr. Big Daddy needs a new cymbal! Oh, hi ........ just got back from a great weekend at Prairie Meadows Casino in Altoona Iowa. It was really nice to see everyone there. A lot of the Iowa State Fair crowd cheering us on. Thanks a bunch. Oh yeah, thanks to Gus Ramirez of Prairie Meadows for having us there and inviting us back the end of May. Looking forward to the return trip.
I have to say howdy to two folks from Grinnell Iowa. Bob and Delores stumbled on us the last time we were at Altoona. Seems the two of them were regulars at a place long ago in Tama Iowa when Black Diamond first started. Great seeing them back with the band again.
Time for Black Diamonds' 2006 March Madness. Keep an eye on the schedule and I will be sending out the email reminders!! Til next time.........
January 23, 2006
I have to thank everyone involved in the Matt "Bud Boy" Eden benefit for a job WELL DONE! At this writing, over $15,000.00 has been raised due to your generosity and hard work.
I must thank the bands Stampede, Greenbrier, Lockren, Wildcard and 8 Seconds for helping out. All the bands and their members did a great job and were very professional in their efforts to get up and running and making room for the next act. An "Atta boy" goes out to each group.
And..........of course the members of Black Diamond would like to thank our crew for helping out. Without you guys (Ann, Myla, Kim, BJ) we would not have been able to help in this cause as well as we did. Thank you!
January 15, 2006
Yeah, 2006 already! Good thing I gave up writing checks. Hey, not the date thing, no, nobody told me you had to have money in the account in order to write them! Go figure...........
Well it seems official ............ please welcome to the Black Diamond family our newest member Miss Amanda Fortune! Amanda comes to us hot off the contest circuit. Amanda is the 2005 winner of "Eastern Iowa's Colgate Country Showdown". Besides her vocal talents, Randy and John are working on her guitar and keyboard abilities. You will have to check her out! Great set of pipes!!
Thanks to everyone who has emailed in to get on the list. I retrieved a number of email addresses after the "Crash" but I am sure I am missing a number of you. If you have not received a email from Black Diamond in the last month, you need to re-submit you info on the home page.
Before I go, thank you to all at Keystone Banquet Hall in Winterset. We had a wonderful time there again. Thank you Justin and Jenny. Next appearance there in in March on the 11th. See you all there!!
December 27, 2005
Holy Cow .................. I'm late!! Can't believe soooo much time has gone by since my last rant and rave. Let's see if I can get you up to date......!
Our biggest problem since last time has been the computer here at BD central. It seems to be functioning at the moment. And, if so, I promise to update ALL the items on the website......yes, even the galleries.
Right after our last chat, Black Diamond went thru a series of lost and found in regards to our female band member position. As of today, it looks like we may have located "the one". Stay tuned for more information at a later date.
A big THANKS goes out to Daphne Ulmer for helping out Black Diamond during the month of July. Daphne filled the vacancy left by Courtney while we pursued a replacement. Seemed like old times with Daphne back. I am sure we will see Daphne, now and then, with the band.
You may have noticed a slow down of sorts during the fall of this last year. Well, time was taken to remove a small tumor from Mark's kidney. All seems fine now and Black Diamond is up and running full speed once again. A big thanks to all who called and wrote Mark. It was greatly appreciated.
The summer jobs have been great. All of you have been great. And, we have a very busy 2006 lined up already.
Thank you to all who have supported Black Diamond. Venues, agents, fans of the band.......you all make us happy that we can do this for you.
June 26, 2005
Tornados, Rain, Wind .......... WOW and that is from just one night. Great party in North Liberty, Iowa. Thanks to the whole Kasper family for having us. You guy are GREAT!
Speaking of North Liberty.........."Fun Days" set an all time record for FUN this year. I have never lost it like I did that night. Imagine....... 20 people beating balled up frozen T-shirts on the stage just to be the first to put it on. What a site!!!! I still hurt from the laughing!!!!
Sturgis Falls Celebration sure started out on the iffy and it ended quickly in the rain. Great venue and a good time, though short time. Hope to get a chance to do it again next year.
We just got back from the Quasquicentennial in Ellsworth, Ia. Now these people can put on a party. Thanks to all for a wonderful time. See you at the State Fair!!
May 4, 2005
Here I sit in Michigan and it is hard. The slots are a callin'. Anyway, it has been and interesting last month. six days, and nights, in Superior Wisconsin was and VERY interesting time. Great venue, great people, but off time was odd. You will have to ask.
Looking forward to a wonderful summer. Schedule is filling up fast as you can see.
Oh yeah, Kevin is doing great! Well for a short guy anyway
March 21, 2005
Well, it's official!! Ladies and Gentlemen, your attention please. It is my honor to introduce to you the newest member of Black Diamond.....................(drum roll)..................Kevin Waters!! Who? I said Kevin Waters!!!! Oh, he's the little guy standing next to Courtney. Yeah, he's cute for a little feller. This last Saturday night was Kevin's first night out with Black Diamond, and if the comments from the Dance Mor group are any indication, it looks like we picked us a winner!! Congratulations Kevin, you's the one..............welcome aboard!
March 13, 2005
Sometimes, things in this world just don't make sense. Last night, Saturday (12th) I received a disturbing phone call. The voice on the other end said that one of our former members, Todd Myler, had just passed away. How could this be? Todd is just 37 years old! He has a wife and three kids! How can something like this happen? No, not a car accident. Nope, not in the wrong place at the wrong time. None of that...................................... it just happened!!
Normally, I would not think that I should be allowed to ramble on like this. BUT you see, Todd Myler made a big impact on me and well, all our lives. Todd, like the rest of the band was not a "Superstar". Todd was just a good musician who loved doing what he did, on stage, for you every night. Even after all the hard work and long hours of learning all the material and performing every night on stage, Todd, that hairless - big ole' guy, would go out of his way to make you laugh and remember why we do this thing called Black Diamond.
Todd Myler will be missed by not only his wife and kids, but by all of us, especially me. Because sometimes, things in this world just don't make sense....................!
Mark
January 24, 2005
Sorry to take so much time since last update. And ......................... a lot has happened!!
Ok, lets see.......Dance Mor started up in September. Great times as usual. We have been blessed with some great casinos to play at. We picked-up a new venue with the Shooting Star Casino in Minnesota. Great place, great stage. Hope to return there again soon.
December brought some sad news. A good friend of Black Diamond's, Matt "Bud Boy" Eden was injured in a hunting accident. As of today, Matt is doing better and is traveling to Colorado for rehab. Should be back to us in a few months. To check up on Matt, check out the link on the home page.
January brings the loss, to Black Diamond, of bass player, Jon Bever. Jon will no longer be playing bass guitar for Black Diamond and will be missed. We are in a major search for a replacement bass player. If you are interested or know someone who might be. Email us and we would be happy to check it out. As most of you know, we do a lot of traveling and play very frequently.
I hear that some of you are not getting your BD emails. If you think it has been too long since you received one (three since first of year) you might need to update your info. Please do so by clicking on the EMAIL link at the home page.
So, what's left? Oh, skating on the snow and ice. Have a good one, we will be back soon.....!
August 30, 2004
So much to say, so little disk space.....
Thank you to all once again. You made the summer of 04 "Awesome"!!
As many of you know by being there, the summer fairs were a gas. I would mention names, but I would just leave someone out. And the Iowa State Fair for 2004 ................ holy cow! Beautiful weather, great people, standing room only. And................we will be back again in 2005 for another crazy time. I did not know that you could consume so much beer!!!
And then there is 2005. First off I have to thank Texas Roadhouse. TR has agreed to sponsor Black Diamond in 2005. Great people, legendary food and drink. Thank you and welcome aboard. We will have great things to giveaway to you again this year.
Ok, I can not forget Fleck Sales and Smirnoff Ice Triple Black. 2005 is going to be fantastic, for you and Black Diamond, once again with Fleck Sales and Smirnoff Ice Triple Black on board this coming year.
A few, slight, changes to the board. If you look at the first page, you will notice this and next weeks dates listed. If you are in a hurry you can check up and coming with out going all the way to the schedules. We will probably do some other subtle changes later.
And as always, without YOU, this would not be possible. Look out 2005, here we come............
May 24, 2004
It is official, Winter/Spring 2004 is over and Summer is here !!!! And, you guys make every season better than the last. For example;
The Casinos....... Black Bear, Dakota Magic & Chip-In's made this first half of 2004 great. All the people we have met and talked to have been wonderful. Because of you, we will be back later this year and also next year. Can't wait to see you all again!
The Dancehalls...... DanceMor, Marquee, 3rd Street Live & Gold Star. Without all the Black Diamond Lingerer's, showing up every week, Black Diamond would not be. Thanks again.
And all the others like Music In The Junction & FridayFest, it has been a good start to 2004.
And if that is not enough, the rest of the year is even more awesome! Be sure to check out the schedule for new places and new faces as well as the favored returns. Oh yeah, you think 2004 is great, wait till you see 2005!! It's filling up fast...........!
Last, but most definitely not least, the sponsors....................A BIG thanks to Texas Roadhouse for all their support. Don and the group have been excellent! And what can one say about Fleck Sales and Smirnoff's Triple Black but it has been a pleasure working with Dudley and the crew. You guys (and gals) ROCK.
See ya down the road....................
February 16, 2004
Once again, I can not thank the "Let's Make A Date" sponsors Luxury Limo, Texas Roadhouse, Fleck Sales (Smirnoff's Triple Black) and DanceMor Ballroom enough for making last Saturday night's event such a HUGE success. You people really came through!!
Be sure to check the Contest page every once in awhile for new happenings!!
Forget the groundhog, our resident rodent (Jon Bever) says enough of this winter stuff, he's ready for summer.........so..............COME ON SUMMER!
Later........................ M
February 3, 2004
And the winner, for sure, is ............... Mindy Wilson of Cedar Rapids!!!! Yeah !!! Congratulations go out to Mindy and her guests. Now to recap Mindy's Valentine Day "Let's Make A Date" winnings..........
Saturday night, Valentines Day, February 14th, 2004 .......... Mindy, her date and another couple (of Mindy's choosing) will be picked up by Luxury Limo and whisked off to Texas Roadhouse for one of their legendary meals. Hmm, steak ...... chicken ....... ribs? What will they choose? After their wonderful meal at Texas Roadhouse, Mindy and her guests will hop back into the Luxury Limo limosine and move on down the road to Swisher Iowa, home of DanceMor Ballroom. There, a night of fun .......... dancing .......... fun and then more fun ........ did I mention FUN!!, with the one and only, who else........... Black Diamond !!! When Mindy has had just too much fun with her "Let's Make A Date" Valentines Day, back into the Luxury Limo they go for a romantic ride back to the homeland. Be sure to check for pictures, here on the website, after the "DATE"
(Just a side note, the original winner drawn Saturday night, Josh Matthess, could not participate in the "Let's Make A Date" event due to becoming a father during that timeframe. Because of HIS wishes, we were able to re-draw. Thank you Josh, your a class act.)
Be sure to check out the schedule. Things are a crazy. New dates, new places to go. And remember ......... without you, Black Diamond would not!! Talk at ya next time.........
January 26, 2004
And the winner is .........? Oops, you have to wait until next time to find out. Drawing is not until Saturday night, 31st, and then we will reveal the winner(s) of the "Let's make a date" night out.
I have to give a shout out to all the wonderful people we met at Royal River Casino in Flandreau, SD. Some real classy people in South Dakota and sooooo friendly. Also thanks to the personnel at RRC. Jeff and Joe did a great job. Hope to work with you many more times.
Also, don't forget February we venture off to new surroundings when we head off to Spirit Lake, IA and the Marquee. I stopped off to check it out this last weekend and I must say it is top notch. We will have some fun, see ya all there!!
December 16, 2003
Happy holidays to everyone from all of us here at Black Diamond Central. We hope your year has been as good as ours has been and as good as next year looks to be.
Some quick hellos to a few people we met in Des Moines this last weekend at the Iowa Fair Convention. First hello to Hannah McNeil and the Rebel Band. It was great meeting you and best wishes to you and your band this next year. Also hello and best wishes to Nichole Seng and her band. We met these two gals and had a wonderful talk with two wonderful ladys. Good luck in all your endevors.
A big "Thank You" goes out to all our Black Diamond fair buyers for 2004. Be sure to checkout the 2004 schedule for the updates. Also be sure to checkout the Gallery page for an inside photo look at the super-secret world of showcasing. Some interesting pictures of Black Diamond at work.
See ya all in 2004!!!
November 10, 2003
Thanks to everyone for the Birthday wishes, I appreciate them all. To answer the "... how much longer am I going to do this?" .......... till you people quit having fun and you quit coming to see us.
Enough of that. Be sure to check out the contest page. Looks like this could be fun. We have some things lined up for the giveaway and we will let you know who and what, when we get it all nailed down.
Ah, the girls from Camanche. Thanks to you and all at DanceMor this last weekend. The party gets bigger and better every time we go there.
Jackpot Junction over Halloween was great, as usual. Sorry no pics, they (Jackpot Jct.) won't allow photos in the Casino. You missed a hoot. And, no I will not be wearing the speedo next year at the contest. Sorry.
Have a great Thanksgiving!!!
October 5, 2003
"Mush dogs, mush ....." Hi-ho web lingerers, welcome to the next installment of "As The Stomach Turns". It may have been with great difficulty, but we did make it to and back from Black Bear Casino with nearly a scratch. Ok, so one blown tire and a five hour delay in our arrival, what big thing?
Thanks to all who helped solve the "...no tire available in this here town ...." dilemma. We did make it in time ........... and .......... had a great weekend with all those attending.
Thanks to Les and the rest of the management team at the Bear. You make working so easy. Congrats out to Scott on his birthday, oh yeah, nice underwear........!!
Later
September 1, 2003
Hope your summer was as great as ours was this year. First off, THANKS to the staff and management at "Chip-In's Island Resort & Casino" for a wonderful experience this last week. Eric, you did a great job! Meeting with the Bodeens was also fun. Hope to be back there soon.
Looking forward to seeing our fans and friends the next few weeks at West Des Moines, Boone, the Trail Ride in Amana and of course our winter home away from home ........................ DanceMor in Swisher.
Keep the emails coming. The questions about Black Diamond and what and where we are going and doing are GREAT! We love answering your questions.
August 24, 2003
Ok, ok .............. I know it has only been 4 days since I wrote to you all last BUT we just returned from Walnut Grove, MN and I had to share with you all. What an excellent time we had. Walnut Grove Centennial Fire Department Street Dance! Whew !!!
If you get a chance to visit Walnut Grove, you will have to stop and say Hi to everyone there. The people are some of the nicest you will find. A great time was had by all and we, Black Diamond, thank you for all you did for us. Mike, Andy, the Chief (watch his underwear) and all the guys and gals of the Fire Department ................... thank you for a wonderful time.
August 20, 2003
Iowa State Fair 2003 .................... whew..........our fourth year ..... so many people ..... so many friends. Ok, here goes
Thank you out to:
First off, of course Jack and Patsy!! Thanks for having us at Diamond Jacks again this year................and........ thanks for the "... next five years ..." invite. Your on!!
Tom and Serita(sp?) and crew of "Bob and Jo's RV" for the use of the 5th wheel unit. You people are GREAT! See ya at the Amana Trail Ride!!
Randy Vaughn of EXCEL 5th wheel trailers. Bro ..... you da man!
Thanks go out to Music-Go-Round for the fans. Man, people love you. It was so hot!! PS Inc., Kent and crew for the construction of our stage. Thanks for getting us up off the floor. And...................sooooo sturdy!
We can not forget thanking "Long Creek Outfitters" for dressing up our naked bever. Much better with it's clothes on!
And ....................... all you great people out there, fans and all !!!! Without you, WE would not be. So many friends and there every year, every night. Thanks again.
For those looking for pictures, I am sorry, but it is impossible to display all photos taken during the 12 day run. Those that are on display are the best available. I will add more in the next week(s) as they become available. Sooooo keep checking back often.
July 6, 2003
Just a quick note, having come back from our 4th of July weekend in Minneapolis, MN. Thanks to all at "Povlitzki's On 65" in Spring Lake Park, MN. Again more fun that we should be allowed to have. If you are in the area, you have to stop by and experience Povlitzki's. Just great fun. Hope we get the chance to come back real soon!! Looks like we will see many of you at Dusty's in St. Cloud in a couple of weeks. Can't wait to see you all again.
June 26, 2003
Yeah , yeah, it's been a month and no comments from "Mr. Big Daddy", well here goes.
Thanks to all attendees at this years North Liberty Fun Days. Beautiful weather, beautiful people and a great time. Be sure to check out the photos. If you were there, you may be photo-famous!! Hope to be back next year.
Again Hawkeye, IA put on a heck of a party. "Fun Days" in Hawkeye 2003 was the place to be once again in 2003. Thanks to the Mitchell twins (see photos) for another great year at the dance.
Be sure to check out the schedule page. Too many new dates added to mention. It has been a busy week. The "Amana Trail Ride", happening shortly after the "Iowa State Fair" looks to be quite the weekend. Check back often for info. We will be bringing news of this and other events as it is available
May 27, 2003
Memorial Day weekend 2003 is over and what more fun can one person, or better yet a gaggle of people (the band), have in one weekend.
Starting off on Thursday night, Texas Roadhouse 3rd. Anniversary party. What fun, what food, what really nice people. Now how does one put it ...... hmmm ..... Legendary? Yes, if you were not there, you MISSED A LOT !!! Special thanks to Don and Alyssa (oh, and I'm sure I misspelled it) for inviting us and providing such a great party. Happy Anniversary to you and Texas Roadhouse. We believe you guys are real special people.
Congratulations to Tim and Wendy on your marriage. Fridays gathering was first class from and with first class people. Black Diamond had a great time playing for you (even with Tim on stage) and hope you have a long and happy life together.
Now Saturday was a whole different story. Who's idea was it to put Mark in a "Powerchute" and launch him over the crowd at Hawkeye Downs Speedway?? Don't you know there are weight limits to those things.?? Again, thanks to ASA Racing, Hawkeye Downs Speedway, Destiny Powerchutes and everybody else for a great time at the "Iowa 300" race. We would especially like to thank our buddy, friend, pal .... Dudley Fleck, of Fleck Sales, for taking time out to take a picture with the Black Diamond band. Could there be more to it than just a picture? We shall see...................???? Well, again special thanks to Mike Miller of ASA for having us and we hope to see you and them again in 2004!!
May 12th, 2003
Holy Cow !! Man-O-Man !! What a great weekend at Swisher. Judging by the photos in the Gallery, I would have to say the "Swisher Beach Party Weekend" was a GREAT success!! What a wonderful way to cap off the season at Swisher. Check out the schedules for future Swisher dates beginning this fall. Thank you one and all.
Introduced this last weekend at Swisher, were two of the new Black Diamond T-shirts. Both were received very well and we thank you for your purchases. Both items are still available and will be joined, shortly, with a few others. Presently, the only way to see and get YOUR Black Diamond T's, is to attend one of our shows.
Speaking of which, Coming up on the 22nd of May, TEXAS ROADHOUSE 3RD ANNIV. with Black Diamond. Free stuff, the band, food. All happens in Cedar Rapids, IA 6pm to 10 pm on the 22nd. You do not want to miss it. TRH has been very good to you and us. Let's help them celebrate!!
It's that time of the year AGAIN when Black Diamond goes racing with the ASA. Yep, once again Saturday night the 24th. of May, Hawkeye Downs Speedway, Cedar Rapids, IA (and on the Speed Network) you can catch Black Diamond on the racetrack. Band plays 5:30pm till 7:00pm during the autograph session on the track. Come out and see your favorite drivers and your favorite band, and some GREAT racing, all in one night. The "ASA Racing Iowa 300". We will see you there!!!!!
May 4th, 2003
Thank you for the input and comments on the web-site. Your suggestions are greatly appreciated and I will consider them all.
A special "Howdy Hi" to our Winterset group. Great fun and a wonderful time at the Gold Star, again, this weekend. Rumor has it that when we are back on the 7th of June, you are expecting some "Beach" action at the Star.................Hmmmmm...........could be!!!
Speaking of "Beach", this weekend is the Swisher, IA "Beach Party Weekend" at DanceMor Ballroom. I know the band is all a flutter about it too. There is a great debate as to whether or not Bever should be wearing short or long pants. I hope he makes the right decision. Lives are at stake!! Seems that Randy has his "Black Diamond String Bikini in a Can" ready to go and Courtney and John are ready to pick and announce the winners. Mark is gathering some very special prizes for all the "Lingerers" too.
Your attendance is required, no excuses will be allowed. Fun and SURPRISES are guaranteed for the evening. Don't forget, doors open at 8pm, the FREE keg-o-beer starts at 8:30pm, Black Diamond and the fun begins at 9:00pm. We will see you all there.
April 30, 2003
Well, here it is ........ the new look. Let me know what you think. We should have less problems without the frames we had before. I promise I will try to bring back the pictures of all of you real soon.
We want to thank all of our sponsors and of course all of you for a great winter season once again. As you had asked for, coming up in one week, will be the "Beach Party" in Swisher, IA . A fun filled weekend with many SURPRISES coming up that weekend.
Thanks for the calls and emails to KHAK. Seems, as I am typing this, they still have not decided what is going on for the Free Country Concert. in June. Stay tuned and check back often.
Enjoy the new web-site we will be chatting at you again later......
April 6, 2003
Another great batch of weekends with all of you. You always amaze me. Let's get to some business first, and then we will check out what has been happening.
As most of you know, Black Diamond has been fortunate to participate in KHAK's Free Country Concert for the last two years. Without all of your support, Black Diamond would never have had the opportunity. I, we, want to do it again.....and.....we could use your help once again. If you think Black Diamond should participate and open the show at this year's Free Country Concert, AGAIN, call KHAK at (319) 365-9431 or the studio line at (319) 365-3698 and tell them you want Black Diamond to play the Free Country Concert show. OR........email Bob James at bob@khak.com and let Bob know personally that you want to see Black Diamond at the show.
Ok, now awhile back, I brought up the idea of having a "Black Diamond Beach Party" on our last Saturday show in May at DanceMor Ballroom in Swisher. This would be on May 10th. Well...................seems like you can't wait to have some "fun in the sun...." So be it!!
May 10th, Saturday night, DanceMor Ballroom, Swisher, IA
Beach Party!!
Now that is just a month away, so keep checking this site for more info. Probably a few contests are in order..................Hmmmmmm, what do you think................Bikini contest?..........Something with beach balls? .........how about nicest pre-summer tan? We will figure it out!
This next week starts the Minnesota/Iowa winter tour over again. We are back at Robert's Sports Bar on this Friday. If you get a chance, you need to check this place out. Then after a private weekend, we come back to DanceMor for one more weekend before the "Beach Party" and off we go to Winterset, IA for another great time at the Gold Star.
See you all there......................!!
February 23, 2003
Ok, Ok.................I promise to TRY to keep you up to date on the happenings with Black Diamond. Always something going on and I, me, did not realize you were that interested in us. Hmmmm.
Schedule changes........You will notice the additions in March and April of "Robert's Off 10" in Mound View, MN. Great club just outside of Minneapolis, MN. Black Diamond played Robert's in July of last year and had a great time. We will try to get some photos for those who can not attend. Like I said, great club with great lights.
Also, you will notice the absence of the Pilot Mound dates in March and May. Sorry Boone, IA area, but the "Storm Cellar" has come under new management and it seems they, the new management, does not believe you, the Black Diamond Lingerers, will come and support us in that town. Oh well, what do you think? Let them know!
Thanks go out to KCCI, channel 8 in Des Moines, IA for airing video footage of Black Diamond on their morning tv show. Seems we submitted footage for a contest. Did not make the final cut, but we work well for their advertising. Thank you.
Well, enough for now. Oh yeah, thanks to those who left their info for the emailing. If you want to get on the listing, even if you already are on the list, PLEASE leave your name, address and email address at info@theblackdiamondband.com so we can update the listing.
Till next time..........................
January 24, 2003
Welcome to the new year. And, welcome to all our newest website members to the "official" Black Diamond information location. Briefly, if you will click here, and leave your name, address and email address, we will keep you up to date with Black Diamond happenings.
First off, thanks to all for a fantastic 2002. Some of you olders will understand when I say this last year, 2002, was an "E" ticket ride with no lines. What a way to go. And, it is all YOUR fault.
Congratulations to our winners of the Texas Roadhouse giveaways at DanceMor. Be on hand Feb 7th and 8th for more great giveaways from Music-Go-Round and Texas Roadhouse as well as much fun during our DanceMor Rodeo Weekend. FREE BEER from 8:30pm to 9:30pm starts off both Friday and Saturday nights. You won't want to miss it.
Be sure to check out the schedule for 2003. Besides our returns to North Liberty Fun Days, Hawkeye Fun Days, Cedar County Fair in Tipton as well as the Iowa State Fair and many others, NEW to the Black Diamond venues for 2003 are the Walnut Grove Fire Department Centennial Dance in August, and Pufferbilly Days in Boone, IA just to name a couple. Most certainly going to be a wonderful 2003 for all of us.
Well, jump on board, tag along ............................................you know ......... become a Black Diamond Lingerer and have a ball. No one here will tell on you.
September 4, 2002
August 2002, what a month for Black Diamond.
Iowa State Fair ..... Courtney starts out with Black Diamond on a 12 day solid run, no stopping us now, and did a GREAT job according to you all out there who saw her at the fair. We are so lucky to have her on the team. We met many, many people. A lot of repeat visitors (3 years) there at Diamond Jack every night. What, don't you have a life? Nothing to do but sit and hang out with us? Oh, glad you did.
Special thanks go out to Randy Vaughn, with Excel 5th-wheel trailers. Randy and Tom, of Bob & Jo's RV in Guthrie Center, IA, have agreed to sponsor Black Diamond this 2002-2003 year. We are very fortunate to have corporate sponsors like Randy and Tom's companies hooking up with us for the next year. These two guys, and their companies, help allow us to travel to your area and perform. I will be linking to their web-sites soon. Be sure to check them out and do business with them, if you can. Thank you, and welcome aboard.
Congrates to Clay and Rachel Weaver. Thank you for inviting us to play for your wedding. It was a gas and a pleasure to do so. Best of luck in your life together.
WeisFest 2002 in Austin, MN. I predict, Weisfest will be one of the hottest music festivals in the southern MN area. Great people, good music, great time.
Hello's go out to all who can remember Saturday and Sunday nights at the "Blue Goose" in Garrison, MN. Too many birthdays and too many wonderful people to mention all in attendance. Looking forward to coming back in October. Will we have a NEW "shake" winner?
July 31, 2002
Wow, State Fair time, again. Signals the end of summer 2002 for us. What a ride...................
First off, best of luck to Daphne and Todd who have left Black Diamond. Todd and family have moved to Ohio making it a little hard to practice together. Hope things work out for you and your family. Jon Bever will be taking over most of the bass duties from now on. And, Daphne will be spending alittle more time with her two children at home. Again hope things go well for both of you.
Did ya huh? Did ya check out the new pic with the new girl. Lady's and Gentlemen, please welcome the newest member of Black Diamond ......... Courtney Hall !! Courtney will be taking over the female part of the band. ( none of us guys could fit into the dress ). Courtney plays keyboards, guitar, harmonica and cello as well as diving into the vocal arena. Be sure to say HI and meet Courtney when we come to your area.
May 20, 2002
You guys amaze me every day. I have said this over and over again. YOU PEOPLE ARE THE BEST !!!
This last Saturday night, you all came together to help out a fellow, who over the years, has been a buddy and, a great friend to most everyone he has come in contact with, including myself. You know who I am talking about ...... Leroy Witham.
Leroy, to those who don't know, has been recently diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and we, "Black Diamond", were honored to be asked to participate in the benefit bash, for Leroy, Saturday night at Dance-Mor Ballroom.
But, most special Saturday night, were the performances of attending ex-members of "Rio Grand", the attending ex-members of "Cheyenne" and the current members of "Me & Rosie B", who helped raise many, many dollars for the cause ........... but ............ even more important, your performances' raised the spirits of the one true fan of yours there that night................................. Leroy.
Thank you all for making Saturday NOT just another day.
March 18, 2002
Wow........................what a wild 2-1/2 months this has been. First traveling through South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa in the middle of the winter. What next .....................Florida in July? Besides the great casinos mentioned in the last news bit, I have to mention the "Blue Goose" in Garrison, MN. If you are in the area, you have to stop in and party with the best. And, how about the "Black Bear Casino" in Carlton, MN. Right on the Interstate as you go into Duluth, MN with great accommodations and , just like all the others, a great buffet.
Now, I have to thank everyone in attendance at the Blake Shelton show in Iowa City, IA YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!! Blake and the guys put on one heck of a show. And ....... nice people too!! Thank you Ned, once again! Oh, and Jeff Winfield of KHAK .......... Free Country Concert is coming up soon ...... any hints??
Be sure to check out the new pics, as they become available, elsewhere on this site.
January 14, 2002
Welcome to 2002 and that wonderful month of January. Well, we have been busy........not at home, but busy. First, thanks to all at the Dakota Sioux Casino in Watertown, SD for a interesting experience. We met some really nice people and hope they stay "Black Diamond Lingerers" for a long time.
A special hello and thanks to all at the Northern Lights Casino in Walker, MN. The group had a great weekend and again met MANY special people. Thanks goes out to the casino for the winnings (?) and we hope to be back soon (July?).
December 5, 2001
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thanks for a wonderful year, 2001. It has been a wild and crazy ride this fun year. Thanks to all, Tracy Lawrence, Brad Paisley, Chris Cagle, Andy Griggs for having us on stage with them. Billy of "Texas the Band" for a great time at the Iowa State Fair. A very special thanks to the support people of Black Diamond......Darin, Gordon, Tim, Doug, Hellen, Melany, BJ, Ann, Dorothy and, especially all the Black Diamond fans for your support this last year. Check out the new 2002 schedule, when it is posted, to see when we will be in your area.
November 11, 2001
I will say it again, Black Diamond fans are the best fans in the world. You did it again. Thanks to you, this last week has been one great time, once again. First...............Thanks go out to the people in Fredericksburg for a great time at the Fireman's Dance in Lawler, IA. A fun time, and...............pictures to prove it. Check them out!! And, looks like we will be back in 2002 for our THIRD year.
Congratulations to all the ticket winners at the Dance-Mor show on Friday. As you know by now, another fantastic time at the Andy Griggs show in Iowa City. Pictures for both Dance-Mor and the Andy Griggs show should be up in a few days.
A special thanks goes out to the First Avenue Club and crew and to Andy Griggs and his band and crew for a terrific time. So many times, performing at these events can be trying for the opening acts, but the First Avenue Club, Andy and all of their people were great to us and our thanks and respect go out to them. True professionals, one and all!!
October 31, 2001
Congratulations are in order for two of our Black Diamond email list winners. Vicky Davis and Mary Sue McKillip are the lucky winners of tickets for the upcoming Andy Griggs show on November 10, 2001 at the First Avenue Club in Iowa City, IA. We look forward to seeing you at the show.
I have heard that some of you have been having problems with the website. Please let me know what kind of problems you are having (what you were trying to do, where you were at on the site) and what you are using for a browser so I may be able to fix it. This site is for you and if I don't know what is wrong, I can't fix it.
October 29, 2001
Thanks to everyone at DanceMor. Once again, a great time had by all. Be sure to check out the NEW pix in the Gallery section. Also look for new glow sticks to be on sale at the 9th of November show in Swisher.
If you have not made arrangements to pickup you tickets for the Andy Griggs show, please do so soon. We will have a few to give away (draw) on November 3rd. in Lawler, IA and on November 9th. in Swisher, IA. Be sure to get out and get your name in on the drawings.
Oh yeah, I was reminded that if you are having problems or something is just not right, remember ..... IT IS RONDA'S FAULT !!
October 16, 2001
Fun time at the Black Diamond offices. The computer shucked and we had to reformat the hard drive and start all over again. Soooo, if things look a little different, I lost the web designs and I will get it all back soon. Anyway, we are back up and running again.
Wow, what a ride. Ok if you have not heard yet, the show on Wednesday, 17th. has been CANCELLED. Yeah, I know it is tomorrow, but I can only go with the info I have.
Ok, those of you lucky emailers who are on the list, received a contest for free tickets to the Andy Griggs show. If you would like to become a lucky emailer, send me your name, address, phone, and email address and I will get you on the list so you too can be a winner. Ok so you can try to be a winner.
October 8, 2001
Grand old time in Winterset this last weekend. I put up SOME of the pictures for you to see. Thanks to all who attended. It was nice to see and talk to you all. Yes, we have to thank the folks from Creston. And thank them for providing the band with this coming year's meal at the July 3rd street dance in Creston. Oh, just kidding. And don't forget to check out the picture of the newlyweds and their first dance as man and wife
Be sure to email your comments to us about the site. We hope to be able to improve and update on a regular basis. See you next time.
October 3, 2001
Congratulations are in order !! Last night, Oct. 2nd 2001, Randy (mister pink guitar) and Melany (ms merchandise) tied the knot at the Little Brown Church. Yep, Mr. & Mrs. Benge (sorry ladies) are looking forward to a long life together as man and wife.
In the ALSO column ............ fans of Black Diamond can get tickets, FREE, just by calling the First Avenue Club at (319) 337-5527, for the upcoming Charlie Robison show Wednesday October 17th. 2001. Yep, is said F R E E ! Ned tells me that if you would like a copy of the Charlie Robison CD, let them know and they will have a copy for you the night of the show, also for free! What a deal!!!!
October 1, 2001
Well, seems that the few days the site has been up, it is getting a lot of use. I hope to make many changes, and often, so you will want to come back again soon. Thanks!!
