This year’s Marquette Area Blues Fest continues the tradition of presenting the best in international, national, regional and local blues performers appearing live over the Labor Day weekend in beautiful Mattson Lower Harbor Park in downtown Marquette. The festival kicks-off once again with a free “Community Thank You” show on Friday, August 29, in appreciation of the support the community has given the festival for the past 10 years. Gates will open at 5pm. The free Friday night show will feature actor/blues singer Jeff Daniels with the Ben Daniels Band at 6pm and back by popular demand the Big Band/Swing Ensemble The Jimmys at 8pm.
On Saturday, August 30, the entertainment starts at 1pm with the Fireside Blues Band and a music style they call twisted up blues meets garage rock. Band members include Eric Potts and Chad Huntington on guitar, Chad Ritter on bass, Jan Schafer vocals and harmonica, Jeremy Hunsicker on keyboards/organ and Jim Sundheim on drums. At 2:30pm, Uncle Pete’s All-Star BBQ Blues Band takes the stage to get the crowd dancing.
At 4pm it’s Jim Suhler and Monkey Beat featuring Shawn Phares on keyboards/accordion, Carlton Powell on bass guitar/vocals, and Beau Chadwell on drums/percussion. An American Texas Blues guitarist, Suhler has been playing professionally since the 1980s and has performed with a variety of Blues legends that include George Thorogood, Johnny Winter, AC/ DC, Buddy Whittington, Billy F. Gibbons, Joe Bonamassa, Elvin Bishop, and Buddy Guy along with many other notable musicians.
At 6pm make sure you have your dancing shoes on when Johnny Rawls hits the stage because there is no way not to have fun with this band. Born in Columbia, Mississippi in 1951 and raised in Purvis and Gulfport, Mississippi, Johnny Rawls acquired an early interest in music when hearing his grandfather play the blues guitar one Christmas morning. Recording under Touch Records, Rooster Blues, Rock House, Reach and JSP Records, Johnny has done it all from producing, songwriting, horn arranging, Rhythm, Lead and Bass guitar, keyboard, vocals and background vocals. If you had to sum up Johnny and his music in one word, it would be smooth.
At 8pm the Saturday schedule wraps up with the amazing harmonica player and soulful vocalist Rick Estrin & the Nightcats. Along with The Nightcats- jaw-dropping guitarist Chris “Kid” Andersen, singing drummer (who plays standing up) J. Hansen, and dynamic multi-instrumentalist Lorenzo Farrell (electric and acoustic bass, organ and piano)-Rick Estrin serves up fresh and modern original blues injected with a solid dose of gritty roadhouse rock ‘n’ roll.
Sunday, August 31 gets underway at 1pm with slide guitarist Kraig Kenning. Call him contemporary folk, blues, roots rock, American Fingerstyle or Americana. Regardless of the genres crossed, Kraig Kenning manages to leave every audience feeling like they’ve just spent some quality time with an old friend. Kenning’s deft finger picking and slide work on acoustic and steel resonator guitar is truly impressive, but so is his flair for crafting intelligent, heartfelt lyrics and memorable melodies.
At 2:30 pm local artist Travis Swanson & the Midnight Movers take to the stage with their dynamite blend of blues and soul music.
At 4pm it’s Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers with their unique “Rockin’ Slide Guitar Blues.
At 6pm you won’t want to miss Lurrie Bell, 2013 Blues Artist of the Year. Born in 1958, the son of famed blues harmonica player Carey Bell, Lurrie Bell picked up his father’s guitar at age of five and taught himself to play. He was clearly gifted. In addition, he grew up with many of the Chicago blues legends around him. Eddie Taylor, Big Walter Horton, Eddie C. Campbell, Eddie Clearwater, Lovie Lee, Sunnyland Slim, Jimmy Dawkins and many more were frequent visitors to his house. They all helped to shape and school him in the blues, but none as much as his father’s longtime employer Muddy Waters.
Last but certainly not least, this year’s Blues Fest closes with Nikki Hill on stage at 8pm. Hailing from Durham, North Carolina, Nikki comes by her Deep South soul honestly. If you haven’t heard of Nikki Hill, once you see her perform, you won’t forget her. Hill and her band (who Nikki deems ‘The Pirate Crew) are climbing to the top of the roots music scene step by step and leaving jaws on the floor along the way. With a no-filter energy, they take all the flavors of American roots music and deliver a sound that will make you believe in rock and roll again! Nikki’s gritty and raw voice with Stax soul dynamics, driving rhythm guitar from Matt Hill, and a tight rhythm section provided by Ed Strohsahl and Joe Meyer come together and make a sound that just sounds like the truth.
Gates open at Noon ET both Saturday and Sunday. Times and artists are subject to change. For more information, visit www. marquetteareabluessociety.com Tickets are available online at www.nmu.edu/tickets or call 906-227-1032.
