RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - The Rancho Murieta Women’s Club welcomed 129 attendees to its May 27 luncheon at the Rancho Murieta Country Club, drawing the organization’s largest crowd since the COVID-19 pandemic outside of its annual fashion show. Members were treated to music, dancing and fellowship as The BlowBacks Band performed hits spanning six decades.

Community Updates

Women’s Club President Bonnie Kirschman welcomed attendees and thanked members for their donations to Wellspring Women’s Center during the club’s March luncheon.

Responding to an audience question, Kirschman explained that the Sacramento nonprofit serves women and children in need by providing meals, child care and other support services. She said club members’ donations arrived at a particularly important time and that Wellspring staff members were grateful for the support.

Kirschman also announced Kelly Medrano-Bindel as the club’s new historian. Bindel will take over responsibility for maintaining the organization’s historical records and operating the club’s slideshow presentations.

The president welcomed several new members and reported that the organization has added 23 members since the beginning of the year.

Kirschman also highlighted the success of the club’s April blood drive, which collected 63 pints of blood and one plasma donation, and attracted three first-time donors. She thanked donors, volunteers and the Knights of Columbus for helping to make the event a success.

Fashion Show Preview

Attention then turned to the club’s Sept. 23 fashion show as organizers Erin Bailey and Theresa Ilaga presented a playful preview of the event’s Queen of Hearts theme inspired by “Alice in Wonderland.”

Wearing decorative fascinators adorned with playing cards and feathers, the pair exchanged humorous lines about dramatic fashion, outrageous style and a queen with no patience for boring outfits before inviting members to mark their calendars for the annual event.

“Don’t be late for a very important date,” they concluded together.

Kirschman noted that the fashion show is the club’s largest event of the year.

Music Gets Members on Their Feet

Vice President Toni Anania then announced the club’s upcoming July 22 “Denim and Diamonds” evening event, featuring western-themed attire, dancing and entertainment by musician Jerry Lopes.

Anania followed by introducing The BlowBacks Band, describing the group as one of her and Kirschman’s favorite bands. All band members live in Amador and Calaveras counties.

Lead vocalist Jenni Roland quickly established the tone for the performance.

“We are not a quiet band,” Roland joked before thanking the Women’s Club for the invitation and encouraging attendees to embrace the music.

“The place you go into your head is when you’re 15 years old, and you dance inside your bedroom,” she told the audience. “That’s where you’re going to go today.”

The band opened with “Get Ready” and continued with a crowd-pleasing mix of Motown, classic rock, swing and dance favorites. Songs included “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “Some Kind of Wonderful,” “Dancing in the Street,” “Polk Salad Annie” and Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.”

Introducing the latter song, Roland quipped that it was “a classic song for pretty much every woman that was born between 1950 and 2023,” drawing laughter from the audience.

The music soon had members leaving their seats and heading to the dance floor. Others tapped their toes as they sang along to familiar favorites. Throughout the performance, audience members showed their appreciation by filling the band’s tip can and enthusiastically applauding the musicians.

After more than an hour of music, Roland asked the audience if they wanted another encore. The response was an enthusiastic yes.

The BlowBacks performed one final number, a spirited rendition of “Land of 1,000 Dances” that incorporated familiar rock ‘n’ roll favorites and kept members in high spirits until the final note.

Luncheon Follows Performance

Following the concert, members were served a luncheon featuring a spinach salad with dried cranberries, mandarin oranges, toasted almonds and goat cheese, accompanied by a choice of chicken, salmon or Portobello mushroom. Cheesecake was served for dessert.