Pella concert with Big Blue Sky and Dave Moore benefits conservation

Central Iowans can enjoy an evening of unique music and help protect Iowa’s wild places all in one stop at an upcoming concert. Big Blue Sky, a band whose musical style incorporates folk, bluegrass, blues and reggae, will perform at the Pella Opera House on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. Part of the proceeds will go toward Iowa conservation.

Jon Stravers of Harpers Ferry started Big Blue Sky band with his son, Jon-Jon. The group has released four CDs of original music. Since Jon-Jon’s death in a September 2007 auto accident, the band’s musical endeavors have expanded and flourished in his honor. Big Blue Sky performs regularly on Mississippi River cruises, at cultural and river-related festivals, and at intimate concert venues across the region. A love of nature has inspired the Stravers’ music.

"In this music we are trying to create musical poetry that's in tune with the sounds and rhythms of the earth,” Stravers said. “Most importantly, the music represents a way of living – a way of staying connected to this planet and the beauty here in Iowa."

Preserving Iowa’s wild places is a cause dear to Stravers, who has said one of his important early influences was the late Gladys Black, a Marion County native known as Iowa’s “bird lady.”

Dave Moore, a popular singer-songwriter from Iowa City, will join Big Blue Sky at the performance. Moore brings American roots music on guitar, accordion, harmonica and vocals to the stage. He has been a regular guest on public radio, including the nationally syndicated show “A Prairie Home Companion.”

A portion of the proceeds from the Nov. 8 concert will benefit the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and its Stravers Family Internship Fund. INHF is a nonprofit group that works to protect the state’s natural land, water and wildlife. Areas in Marion County that INHF has helped protect include the Gladys Black Eagle Refuge and the Kuyper-Folkerts Conservation and Education Area.

Tickets for this night of great music for a good cause cost $15. Purchase tickets in advance through the Pella Opera House at www.pellaoperahouse.org or 800-720-6327. Tickets may be available at the door, but seating is limited, so early reservations are recommended.

Doors will open at 7:00 p.m. Those who arrive early can view displays, sign up for a door prize and enjoy a slideshow of INHF project sites set to flute music by Jon-Jon Stravers.

For more information, e-mail Ann Robinson at INHF or call 515- 288-1846.