Our 20th Anniversary Summer of Fun hits its high note on Saturday, August 18 at Blues BBQ Festival. We’re celebrating our signature summer event the best way we know how: with internationally renowned musicians and the very best local barbeque on a breezy, beautiful HRPK pier.
Starting at 2:00 PM on Pier 97 in Clinton (cross at 59 Street), you’ll be treated to smoky goodness and spectacular performances. Can’t wait? Neither can we. Here’s a sneak preview of the lineup!
2:00 PM – The Slam Allen Band
Slam Allen is a dynamic performer; fusing blues, soul, R&B and rock and roll, his bold sound and stage presence make for captivating, energizing performances. Originally from Monitcello, New York, Slam Allen has played famous Chitlin’ Circuit and around the world. With a rich, soulful voice, tremendous guitar and a fantastic band, Slam Allen kicks off an afternoon of amazing Blues in style.
3:15 PM – Danielle Nicole
As founding member, lead singer and bass player of Kansas City blues-rock band Trampled Under Foot, Danielle Nicole became the first woman to ever win the Blues Foundation’s Blues Music Award for Best Instrumentalist. She brings her creative, powerful bass playing to her solo work, and we can’t wait to have this talented bassist and skilled performer take the Blues BBQ stage.
4:30 PM – Welch-Ledbetter Connection
Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter make an impressive team. Welch is a Boston-based blues guitarist with 25 years under his belt and six albums under his own name and consecutive Blues Music Award nominations for Instrumentalist-Guitar. Hailing from Chicago, Ledbetter has played and sung myriad styles—soul, gospel, pop, jazz and opera—he now finds a musical home with Memphis style blues, playing with the new school of blues greats. With dynamic musical chemistry, these two powerhouse performers are a blues tour de force.
6:00 PM – Dawn Tyler Watson
Hailing from Montreal, Quebec, a singer/songwriter with incandescent stage presence and a decorated career, Dawn Tyler Watson has earned her place among elite blues artists. She has brought her boundary-pushing mix of jazz, soul and gospel to venues across four continents, earning accolades in her home country and abroad. Watson most recently earned first place out of more than 260 acts at the 33rd International Blues Challenge in Memphis. We look forward to seeing this impressive performer wow the crowd at Pier 97.
7:30pm – Vieux Farka Touré
Already one of the most celebrated African guitarists in history, and often called “The Hendrix of the Sahara,” Vieux Farka Touré is the son of legendary Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré. Farka Touré has collaborated with a diverse array of artists from around the world, from Eric Krasno to Dave Matthews to Idan Raichel and performed before a billion viewers at the 2010 World Cup. His virtuosic playing, musical innovations and dynamic collaboration have made him an artist to watch, and we’re thrilled to bring him to Blues BBQ.
You don’t want to miss this incredible lineup at our 20th Anniversary Season Blues BBQ Festival—so be sure to mark your calendars. We’ll see you at Pier 97 on August 18!