IT ALL STARTED LIKE THIS....In 1987 four buddies from Avenal found that they shared a passinate love for BLUES music....from the old time greats like the person that did the song about “LITTLE GREEN APPLES”, as well as, hot new-up-and-coming-players like, ROBERT CRAY and LITTLE STEVE RAY VAUGHN.

So with the music burning inside of them, voalist BON LARVIS, guitarist SCOTTY WEEMS bassest, JOE “POSSUM” BUNTING, and drummer extrordenaire ,
LANNY GREAVES formed a band dedicated to BOOGIE WOOGIE BLUES called, THE BON LARVIS BAND.

THey’re first gig, was at the prison at Avenal, right there in the main yard, and it went great with a lot of excitement and fun for those who saw, said they had at the show that day.

That led to other engagments playing the I-5 CORRIDOR including in KETTLEMAN CITY, COALINGA, LEMOORE and even all the way down to WASCO, where after a great show well attented by everyone, the band was coming back home to AVENAL and all DIED when their van was struck and killed by a Church Bus on MARCH 5, 1987.

Thats how it happened, that as a tribute to the SPIRT of the BON LARVIS BAND and the BOOGIE WOGGIE BLUES that they LOVED LIVED, AND DIED FOR, their roadies and and a couple freinds, plus one other guy who had went to school with LANNY, formed a NEW BOOGIE WOOGIE BLUES band to keep the music they loved alive, even if they had all died, and called it the BON LARVIS BAND in honor of the ORIGINAL BON LARVIS BAND, who had gave their life for the BOOGIE WOOGIE BLUES when they had been STRUCK AND KILLED on HIGHWAY 33, where a cross marks the spot of the accidant and is still their today.

The BON LARVIS BAND is a hard working bunch of BOOGIE-WOOGIE-BLUES LOVEN’ FANATICS, who EAST SLEEP AND LIVE THE BLUES 24-7! !

That’s why, you can always ccatch them when your in the area of AVENAL, as they play so often that they litterally would REFUSE TO STOP if the ‘GIGS” didnt close down for the night! They are also practiclly HOUSE BAND at GADDINGTON’S PIT STOP, in AVENAL, and are also often to be found PREACHIN THE BLUES at JAVIERS’ in Cholame CA. They are also often requested to play at BAR-BE-Qs all over the valley, especially in there HOMETOWN of AVENAL where the people really apprecate, not just the fantastic BOOGIE WOOGIE BLUES music, but also the heart warming-tribute, of carrying on the name of the BON LARVIS BAND from the ORINGINAL BON LARVIS BAND that died. Come and see the show, and you also will join the many who say, when they hear the BON LARVIS BAND, “Now, thats what I call....MUSIC!!!”

In FACT, THERE ARE THOSE who say that you have not really “Visited” the AVENAL/KETTLEMAN CITY area unless you DANCE SHOUT AND SWEAT AND SING along with the BOOGIE WOOGIE BLUES SOUNDS, of the BON LARVIS BAND, and also to visit the site on HIGHWAY 33 where the ORGINAL BON LARVIS’S BAND perished, because....paying respects is what the BON LARVIS BAND is all about, whether its to the BLUES as made famous by “greats” like MUDDIE WATERS and GEORGE BENTSEN, or especially to GOOD FREINDS THAT DIED.