Sources: Mike Herman, 785-532-6741, mherman@k-state.edu;
Walter Dodds, 785-532- 6998, wkdodds@k-state.edu;
and John Blair, 785-532-7065, jblair@k-state.edu
Video available: http://www.youtube.com/kstate#p/u/9/SGFXz79QDMw
News release prepared by: Andrew Morris, 785-532-2535, media@k-state.edu

Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010

PROFESSORS MAKE RED STATE BLUES 1xbet sports betting ROCK

MANHATTAN — Kansas State University students may be used to seeing their professors rock complex material in the classroom, but probably not rock a crowd in Aggieville.

Rocking crowds, however, is just what eight K-State professors do at least one weekend a month as members of the Red State Blues 1xbet sports betting .

&1xbet sports betting ;The band really got its start from a jam session held by a couple of faculty members,&1xbet sports betting ; said Mike Herman, associate professor of biology and bassist in the band. &1xbet sports betting ;We would go over to their house and bring our instruments. After some time we said, 'Hey, this might be something to do more with.'&1xbet sports betting ;

The 1xbet sports betting members deal daily with the multiple aspects of their jobs -- teaching, mentoring, researching and presenting research at conferences across the nation and more -- but when it's time to rock, they're ready.

&1xbet sports betting ;We're all committed to the band and really enjoy it,&1xbet sports betting ; Herman said. &1xbet sports betting ;It' s a great release from our daily scientific and academic pursuits.&1xbet sports betting ;

Managing their daily routine as professors and band members can be challenging. &1xbet sports betting ;I practice my harmonica walking to and from work pretty much every day,&1xbet sports betting ; said Walter Dodds, university distinguished professor of biology and harmonica player in the band.

&1xbet sports betting ;It can be difficult to find time to practice together as one unit. We try to practice once every week as a full band when people are in town,&1xbet sports betting ; he said.

&1xbet sports betting ;Growing up I played in a rock band in high school,&1xbet sports betting ; said John Blair, university distinguished professor of biology and guitarist in the band. &1xbet sports betting ;My major influences were probably Led Zeppelin, the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. They continue to be influences, along with a lot of the early blues masters.&1xbet sports betting ;

Along with Blair, Dodds and Herman, members of the 1xbet sports betting include K-State's Neil Dunn, instructor of dance and drummer; Stephen Dyer, professor of electrical and computer engineering and keyboard player; John Fellers, assistant professor of plant pathology and vocalist; Bernd Friebe, research professor in plant pathology and guitarist; and Seth Galitzer, systems manager for computing and information sciences and saxophone player/vocals.

The band's debut album &1xbet sports betting ;12 Tracks&1xbet sports betting ; was released in 2008 and features six original songs and six blues standards, or covers.

&1xbet sports betting ;The Red State Blues Band really focuses on electrified blue,&1xbet sports betting ; Herman said. &1xbet sports betting ;It's not so much rock, but blues inspired rock -- kind of from the Chicago style and postmodern sound.&1xbet sports betting ;

&1xbet sports betting ;We have a really wide variety within the blues,&1xbet sports betting ; Dodds said. &1xbet sports betting ;We'll have a slide guitar and acoustic harmonica in some songs, to pretty straight-up rock songs.&1xbet sports betting ;

Red State Blues 1xbet sports betting has performed at many venues in Manhattan, including Arts in the Park and the Little Apple Jazz Festival, as well as in Topeka. The 1xbet sports betting 's next performance will be 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24, at Pat's Blue Rib'n Barbecue, 1200 Moro St. in Aggieville. The performance is free but limited to adults 21 and older.

&1xbet sports betting ;We' d like to grow musically and in stature as a band,&1xbet sports betting ; Herman said. &1xbet sports betting ;We have other commitments that we' d like to honor, but we'd like to gain recognition as one of the top blues bands in Kansas.&1xbet sports betting ;

The Red State Blues 1xbet sports betting is on the Web at http://www.redstatebluesband.com; the 1xbet sports betting also has a My Space page, http://www.myspace.com/redstatebluesband; and is on Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2232356138.