he bad news is that in violation of a long-standing tradition, this year's birthday party for Moscow's oldest blues club, B.B. King, did not include a free boat trip on the Moscow River for the club's friends and patrons. The good news is, the club did celebrate its birthday this year, and on a bigger scale than usual. The festivities began with an open party in the club on June 28 featuring the Red Elvises from Los Angeles.

The morning after, the hangover-ridden regulars were carried down to Vodnik Yachting Club for more festivities, including water skiing, a barbecue, pool championships, a concert by the band Crossroadz, oceans of beer and more. The party culminated in an all-out jam-session, after which the crowd was loaded into a bus and carried back to B.B. King for another unlimited binge.