West Coast blues fans can pack their bags and head towards Monterey Bay, because they're going to be having a heck of a party this weekend! The Monterey Bay Blues Festival was launched in 1986, held on the fourth Saturday weekend in June each year at the Monterey Fairgrounds in, well, Monterey California. This year's event takes place this coming weekend, June 26th through June 28th, 2009.
The Monterey Bay Blues Festival 2009 will feature headlining acts like R&B vocalist Jeffrey Osborne, blues-rock guitar legend Elvin Bishop, soul great Clarence Carter, and New Orleans musical legends the Neville Brothers. Other notable blues artists appearing at this year's festival include acclaimed guitarists Eric Bibb and Lucky Peterson; the phenomenal teenage Homemade Jamz Blues Band; singer and 2009 Blues Music Award winner Janiva Magness; and talented singer, songwriter, and guitarist Kenny Neal, among other performers.
From the first festival in 1986, which attracted somewhere in the neighborhood of 2,000 blues fans, through last year's 20,000+ festival attendees, the Monterey Bay Blues Festival has become one of the premiere events in the country. For more information, including ticket availability and a complete line-up of performing artists, check the Monterey Bay Blues Festival website.
The 2009 San Francisco Blues Festival has been cancelled due to lack of funding. The longest-running blues festival in the United States, the San Francisco Blues Festival has brought blues...
Colorado is beautiful country during the summer, and if you're anywhere within a hundred miles of Winter Park, Colorado this coming weekend, you might want to check into the 7th Annual Blues From The Top Fest. The event will be held on Saturday, June 27th and Sunday, June 28th, 2009 at the city's Hideaway Park music venue from 10:30 am until 7:00 pm both days. Saturday's performers include notable blues guitarist Tab Benoit, soul-blues singer Mike Zito , and bluesman Zac Harmon. Sunday you can experience the talents of blues-rocker Tommy Castro , blustery singer Deanna Bogart, and blues harp player John Nemeth , among others. The Jimmy Hall Super Jam performs on both Saturday and Sunday. Overnight lodging is also available for blues fans wanting to stay both days. Winter Park is northwest of Denver, and the festival itself is sponsored by the Grand County Blues Society. For a
