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Please stay safe and optimistic!
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We are thinking of you and wishing you good health!
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Photo Moments with the BFG Magazine!!
Grab yours NOW & take fun photo & email it to me!
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 Yes folks, it's a sign of the current times!! But I have to tell you, I still refer to my Blues Festival Guide magazine throughout the year for not only events but for the timeless and interesting editorial and tons of blues related info about artists, radio, societies, etc.
No, of course you won't have to wear a mask when you read your 2020 magazine but please take good care when you need to go out into the environment for yours and for other's safety.
Keep smiling everybody, even if you have on a mask!
Selfie: yep it's me... Michele Lundeen
*NOTE! Each Spring our annual edition arrives at festivals, blues societies and a few distributors! Get yours and SNAP PHOTOS of you, your friends, and/or artists, etc. with our 17th annual and EMAIL your photo
plus caption & photo credit to us!
**Want more info or your own hard copy? Go to this page!
We're proud that the Blues Foundation is official sponsor of our 2019 Blues Festival Guide annual magazine. |
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Featured Video of the Week
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Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown - "Woo-Wee" (sure feel good)
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Zack Walther :: THE WESTERNER
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 Texas-based Zack Walther Band latest album titled, The Westerner, is an Americana and roots music extravaganza with soul.
Equally at home performing country, blues, R&B and rock, Zack titled the disc The Westerner because he set out to create an album that is different than anything he and his band has ever released before. It embodies his journey from the Texas music scene to the main stream landscape. Americana, blues, or country, wherever The Westerner lands, it transcends though many genres because it combines all of Zack's musical influences and all he’s learned performing in the Texas music scene for the past 15 years.
The album explores personal pride, betrayal, loss and redemption with Walther’s experimentation and lyrical hooks playing the hero. It takes listeners on a journey to the outskirts of traditional rhythm and blues and evokes the bold and eccentric yet accessible qualities of a Quinten Tarantino film. The Westerner is a barn-burning review, which walks the line between authenticity and disarming self-awareness.
Of the 10 songs on The Westerner, seven are all new and the remaining three had been previously released on an EP. “Those three songs are personal favorites of mine, and I wanted to share them again in new form on this record,” he says. ...M ore about this artist and release
 "What Kind Of Man"
Website
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"Live From Clarksdale" Streaming Live Blues 365 Nights A Year (or however long this lasts)
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(CLARKSDALE, MS) - Clarksdale welcomes people who travel from all over the world to the Mississippi Delta, the birthplace of the blues. Our downtown has a rich tapestry of venues where you can hear the blues live – all 365 nights a year. As people stop traveling and we work to keep our community safe from the coronavirus, we're creating new ways of staying connected and keeping the blues alive.
Introducing... “Live From Clarksdale” Many venues will continue to host live blues. They're just taking the watch party online. When venues can't host live music safely, some musicians will invite you into their living rooms. As each watch party is scheduled, we'll keep this updated with where to find them. You can also follow us and the hashtag #LiveFromClarksdale on Facebook and Instagram. It's a new kind of virtual travel adventure we're embarking upon together. Buckle up and join us!
All Clarksdale-times are CDT and performances will also be livestreamed on Instagram when possible @SharedExperiencesUSA.
Current “Live From Clarksdale” Schedule
• Wednesday 4/8: Lucious Spiller's Facebook page: Lucci Spiller live 8-9:30pm
• Thursday 4/9: Lucious Spiller's Facebook page: Lucci Spiller live matinee for friends overseas 1-2:30pm
• Friday 4/10: J.H. Sitton live on their Facebook and Instagram 7-8pm
• Saturday 4/11: Lucious Spiller's Facebook page: Lucci Spiller live 8-9:30pm
• Sunday 4/12: Mississippi Marshall's Facebook page: The Social Distancing Tour 1-2pm. Note: Marshall now hosts his Social Distancing Tour every Sunday at 1pm... until you can come Visit Clarksdale in person again!
• Monday 4/13: Bluesberry Cafe Facebook page: The inimitable Lala Craig 2pm Note: As always, Bluesberry will host every Monday.
• SAVE THE DATE: Something very special Saturday 4/18 More musicians including Blackwater Duo, David Dunavent, Sean "Bad" Apple and more coming soon. ...Find links to performances and more details
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The Blues Take A Stand for the Strand April 18
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(PLATTSBURGH, PA) – An amazing, multi-artist streaming benefit concert will be happening on Saturday April 18 beginning 7pm EST. This blues party is in support of the Strand Theater in Plattsburgh, NY. “The Blues Take a Stand for the Strand” will include Grammy Nominated and multiple Blues Music Awards artists including Kenny Neal, Sugaray Rayford, Victor Wainwright, Mr. Sipp “The Mississippi Blues Child,” Danielle Nicole, John Nemeth, Dawn Tyler Watson, and Dave Keller and Christoffer Lund Andersen for the Little Village Foundation.
Laura Cabone and Plattsburgh Blues and Jazz contacted these top blues international artists, all of whom have played in Plattsburgh, and asked them to do a streaming video with 1-3 songs each to support the theater. The artists have agreed to deliver a special, personalized performance from their house to the Strand.
You can help keep small venues and theaters alive as well as enjoy this fine offering by tuning in for this virtual concert and blues party. It will be shown and shared from several pages including: Strand Center Live on Facebook and Plattsburgh Blues and Jazz on Facebook.
Suggested donation is $5 -$10 dollars or what you can afford. Contact Promoter and photographer Dr. Laura Carbone via email if you’re interested in sponsoring this show, support live music, the community and help keep the Strand Theater alive! ...Find links to the concert and sponsor interest
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Annual Magazine Ad Deadline Extended to May 10
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 First of all, we hope you are all staying safe!
Music is the universal healer, and blues fans are clamoring for their annual copy of the Blues Festival Guide, but due to to the cancellation of so many events and closure of so many businesses that distribute our magazine, the printing of the 2020 Blues Festival Guide will be delayed until May.
We will be extending distribution throughout the summer and hit all the festivals, blues museums, clubs, music stores, etc., once they reopen.
You don't want to miss out on this once-a-year marketing opportunity!
We offer Ad sizes for every budget. Call us today to brainstorm and find out what Discounts & Package Deals we have available. We make it easy, affordable and fun! We will even make your ad for you.
Main office: 707-630-3304 / Kaati's cell: 775-846-8238 (call or text)
Thanks and we look forward to helping you,
Kaati, Cheryl, Tom, Heather and Irene
RBA Publishing/Blues Festival Guide
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Chance to Own Guitar signed by Hall of Fame artists Guns N’ Roses
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 Here’s a new tool in the fight against hunger for the Blues Against Hunger Society’s (BAHS) mission to “give hunger the blues.” BAHS is offering you a chance to win a brand-new Epiphone Slash AFD (Appetite for Destruction) Les Paul Special II signed by Axl Rose, Duff McKagan, and Slash from Guns N 'Roses (GNR). The guitar has a mahogany body and neck with an Appetite Amber finish over a AAA-grade flame maple top and a Slash "Snakepit" logo on the headstock. It comes with a soft case, cable, and custom picks. You can find more guitar details at the ticket site.
Tickets are only $5 for 1 at Rallyup BAHS guitar raffle. The winning ticket will be drawn August 1, 2020, which is also International Blues Day and the 2nd Annual BAHS Hunger Fest in Rosarito, Baja, MX.
In their early days, GNR earned the nickname "the most dangerous band in the world." They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 and have sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Slash also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is an honorary board member of Little Kids Rock, a national nonprofit that works to restore and revitalize music education programs in disadvantaged public schools.
Thanks to BAHS good friend Connie Price-Pathens for coordinating this generous donation from Guns N’ Roses for BAHS’ worthy cause of helping stamp out hunger.Along with this exciting raffle, Blues Against Hunger presents various events like the upcoming online, April 12 Easter telethon live stream, Blues Jamborees, Food Drive Jams, the BAHS Hunger Fest, the Baja Blues Tour, and more.
The Easter Bluesathon will be hosted by Sixx Pack, co-founder of BAHS, from 10am-6pm, and will feature live performances, interviews, exclusive music videos, raffles, and COVID-19 updates from blues artists around the world from their own homes. ...Find links to raffle, Easter Telethon and more
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Music Maker Relief Foundation Supporters Match Gifts
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 How COVID-19 is affecting aging roots and blues artists living in poverty & what nonprofit is doing to help.
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, a generous team of Music Maker supporters pledged to match all gifts, dollar for dollar up to $60,000. That’s $120k for musicians in need.Since 1994, Music Maker Relief Foundation (MMRF) has helped over 500 musicians and has been featured on ABC, PBS NewsHour, NPR Weekend Edition, and many more. Through its sustenance program, elderly roots musicians living in poverty are given critical support in the way of monthly grants and emergency funding when needed, all the more acutely during the COVID-19 crisis.
MMRF’s staff has been in daily contact with artists and is working hard to provide grocery deliveries so that this vulnerable population can stay at home and keep a physical distance from others, per CDC guidelines. Many artists live in rural areas where grocery deliveries are unavailable. To reduce exposure, MMRF is providing artists with preloaded Visa cards so that they don’t have to go to the bank to cash a check. In addition to its Sustenance Program, MMRF also books performances for their artists, all of which have been canceled for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, as a working musician, there is often little in the way of a retirement savings or safety net to carry you through uncertain times.
Partner artist Pat "Mother Blues" Cohen is trying to keep a positive mindset about the situation. She was supposed to return to her hometown of New Orleans for the first time since being relocated by Katrina as part of the Music Maker Blues Revue during Jazz Fest as well as play a festival in Portugal. ...More about the artists and how you can help support the cause
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Why Ian Anderson Gave Up the Guitar for the Flute
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 Jethro Tull leader Ian Anderson recalled the reasons he abandoned guitar and bought a flute in 1967.
He’d already formed an early version of his band, but at the time they were performing regular blues songs, because he didn’t believe there were many other options.
“We came out of that period where to get a gig – let alone get a record deal – you had to be in a blues band or an out-and-out pop group,” Anderson told Classic Rock in a recent interview. “But on the periphery, there was Captain Beefheart and the Graham Bond Organization – very different to purist black American blues – which was important to the development of Jethro Tull.”
Anderson noted "that signpost got bigger in the summer of ’67 when Pink Floyd had The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and the Beatles had Sgt. Pepper. Those records energized me – you could step outside the comfort zone of 12-bar blues or pop music and you could do something different.”
It was around that time he decided to change instruments. “I’d been playing guitar and harmonica, but as a guitarist I was never going to be as good as Eric Clapton, simple as that,” he reflected. “So I parted company with my Fender Strat, whose previous owner was Lemmy Kilmister, who was then the rhythm guitar player for the Rockin’ Vickers, and I bought a flute, for no good reason. It just looked nice and shiny.” ...Read full story here in Ultimate Classic Rock
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2020 Blues Festival Guide Magazine Half-Price Offer
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 Here’s a Half Price Offer you can’t refuse! Get your 2020 Blues Festival Guide magazine mailed straight to your door for only $4.50. We know everyone is missing their live Blues! We feel your pain and with so many fests cancelling, we also understand there are fewer chances for you to pick up a 2020 Blues Festival Guide! We are moving forward with our 2020 mag and want everyone to have an opportunity to get a copy. We’ll print in May and can mail your copy straight to your U.S. home or P.O. Box for only $4.50 US & Canada (normally $9) and $7 Overseas (normally $14)
Here's the link to order your personal copy or give us a call to place your order at 707-630-3304.
Along with blues festival, blues society and blues radio listings, we feature great editorial like: What’s Cookin’ with Victor Wainwright, The Healing Blues By Anita Schlank, Ph.D., The Jus’ Blues Music Foundation, Blues; An African Sonic Response By Pascal Bokar Thiam, Ed.D., Jammin’ On The High C’s: On Board the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise By Mitch Woods, Living Legend: Charlie Musselwhite By Eric Steiner and more ...Find more details
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Which Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise Hits Your Groove?
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Our Artists & Headliners Stay & Play, They Don’t Hit & Run!!
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 LRBC #35 Southern Caribbean: Oct 25-Nov 1, 2020 from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Willemstad, Curacao; Oranjestad, Aruba & Half Moon Cay (Bahamas Private Island) on Holland America’s ms Eurodam. Over 95% Sold! Book your cabin now before they’re gone!! Visit Reservations or call (816) 753-7979. Over 100 scheduled shows on 6 stages. Artist Lineup: Taj Mahal & Phantom Blues Band, Keb’ Mo’, Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio, Charlie Musselwhite, Ruthie Foster, Tab Benoit, Walter Trout, Tommy Castro & the Painkillers, Kenny Neal Band w/ Tyree Neal, G. Love & Special Sauce, Shemekia Copeland, Danielle Nicole, Johnny Rawls, Rev. Peytons’ Big Damn Band, Vanessa Collier, Marquise Knox, Shakura S’Aida, RUF Records Blues Caravan, Jonathon Long, Doug MacLeod, Mitch Woods Club 88, Rev. Billy C. Wirtz, Kelley Hunt, Daryl Davis, Eden Brent, Chuk Barber’s Soul Lounge, Mr. Sipp (Special Guest) & many more!
LRBC #36 Eastern Caribbean: Jan 31-Feb 7, 2021 from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Tortola, St. Thomas & Turks and Caicos on Holland America’s ms Nieuw Statendam! Join the LRBC email list at https://bluescruise.com/mail-list/ to receive the announcement!
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LEGENDARY RHYTHM & BLUES CRUISE 313 Lawrence St., Kansas City, MO (816) 753-7979 | BluesCruise.com
- More Than A Cruise… More Than A Festival… More Than You Can Imagine! -
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 - Easter is Sunday April 12
- Orthodox Easter April 19
- Earth Day April 22
Birthdays upcoming of note:
April 9-Mance Lipscomb (1895-1976); April 10-John Brim (1922–2003) Rosco Gordon (1928–2002) ), Shemekia Copeland (1979); April 11-Luther "Guitar Jr." Johnson (1939), Ana Popovic (1976); April 12-"Hound Dog" Taylor (1915-1975); April 15-Tommy Castro (1955), Bessie Smith (1894-1937); April 16-Sean Costello (1979-2008); April 18 Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (1924-2005), “Little Ed” Williams (1955), Alexis Korner (1928 – 1984); April 21-Clara Ward (1924-1973); April 22-George "Harmonica" Smith (1924-1983), Bullmoose Jackson (1919-1989)
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Missed your copy of the Weekly e-Guide?
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BFG Twitter-Instagram-Facebook
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Join Blues Freaks at our Tweeter feed & on Instagram
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Hey, come on over and Join over 13,000+ Blues Freaks at our TWITTER feed @BluesFestGuide
___________________________________________
  Also Follow us on INSTAGRAM See awesome, bluesy festival photos
from our team and fellow blues lovers!
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Get your Face in our Book
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Then please drop on by and"LIKE" us to get a daily dose of blues related stuff! ...
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Radio Submit Roots Blues Airplay Chart (click chart for more)
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Billboard Blues Album This week
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Billboard's Top 2 Blues Albums - Week of April 11, 2020
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  #1 HEAVEN TO BETSY
Jeremiah Johnson
#2
EL DORADO
Marcus King
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To view our entire calendar of more than 500 festivals, click here!
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ATTENTION:
FESTIVAL PROMOTERS
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LIST YOUR FESTIVAL ON OUR
WEBSITE FOR FREE HERE
To ensure that your festival also appears here in the e-Guide Festival Calender EMAIL |
Not all upcoming blues festivals/events are listed here at certain times of the year due to space constraints. Unless highlighted, festivals are no longer inked due to increasing spam
For a complete list and links see our comprehensive website.
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NOTE: Highlighted/Linked events here
are paid "Featured" ads
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*CORONAVIRUS UPSETS:
Postponed here means they've rescheduled or 2020 is still pending.
Cancelled means some have picked a date for 2021 or are hopeful
CANCELLED
Byron Bay BluesFest
Apr-09-2020 - Apr-13-2020
Byron Bay, Australia
Blues Against Hunger
Live Easter Sunday Telethon
Apr-12-2020
Rosarito, Baja, MX
POSTPONED to Nov 5-7
Delta Blues Dulcimer Revival
Apr-16-2020 - Apr-18-2020
Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA
CANCELLED
Juke Joint Festival
& Related Events
Apr-16-2020 - Apr-19-2020
Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA
POSTPONED
Birding & Blues Festival
Apr-17-2020 - Apr-19-2020
Pacific City, Oregon, USA
POSTPONED TO 2021
European Blues Challenge
Apr-17-2020 - Apr-18-2020
Amsterdam, Netherlands
POSTPONED
SRV Tribute Show!
Apr-18-2020, Minneapolis
Minnesota, USA
CANCELLED
16th Annual Blues By the Sea
Apr-19-2020
Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA
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please go to our website
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*VIRTUAL LIVE STREAM
Blues Hall of Fame
Induction Ceremony
May-6-2020
Memphis, Tennessee USA
*VIRTUAL LIVE STREAM
Blues Music Awards
May-7-2020
Memphis, Tennessee USA
CANCELLED
Gator By The Bay
May-07-2020-May-10-2020
San Diego, California USA
CANCELLED
Kwadendamme Bluesfestival
May-08-2020 - May-09-2020
Kwadendamme, Netherlands
POSTPONED
Kimbrough Cotton Patch Soul Blues Festival
May-15-2020 - May-17-2020
Holly Springs, New York, USA
CANCELLED
Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival
May-16-2020 - May-17-2020
Annapolis, Maryland, USA
CANCELLED
North Central Florida Women in Blues Showcase
May-17-2020
Gainesville, Florida, USA
Chicago Blues Festival
Jun-05-2020 - Jun-07-2020, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Canton Blues Fest
Jun-05-2020 - Jun-06-2020
North Canton, Ohio, USA
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RBA Publishing/Blues Festival Guide
P.O. Box 920, Arcata, CA 95518
Call 707-630-3304
RBA Publishing, Inc. in business since 1993, is a boutique blues-specific PR and marketing firm based on the West Coast. We help musicians, festivals, labels and music-related brands. Our digital campaigns target fans, industry and influencers. We are masterful at email marketing, social media, fan acquisition and long-term marketing plans. Our media services are supported by people who understand and love the blues genre. Publishers of annual the Blues Festival Guide magazine, our top-ranking website, and e-Guide newsletter with approx 30,000 weekly subscribers, we have been blues industry leaders for over 17 years. Please contact us at 707-630 3304 or EMAIL to findout how we can help you!
Information both editorial and advertising in the Blues Festival E-Guide is believed to be correct but not guaranteed. Double check info carefully before you attend any event or send money for anything. We do not write the news... we just share and report it.
We also welcome your e-Guide suggestions, critiques and questions. You can reach our E-Guide editor, Michele Lundeen via EMAIL.
For Gmail users: By default, emails may get into the Promotions tab in Gmail. Please check your Promotions tab for the download links and follow these instructions to make sure other important
RBA Publishing info is delivered to your main inbox: In your Promotions tab, drag any
RBA Publishing/Reggae Festival Guide/Blues Festival Guide email and drop it over to the Primary tab
2. Choose "Yes" to confirm that you never want to miss our news. For Yahoo!, Hotmail and AOL users: Yahoo!, Hotmail and AOL are using overly strong spam-blocking filters that are very likely to stop you from receiving our emails. Please set up your spam filters to allow mail from the info@BluesFestivalGuide.com and Info@ReggaeFestivalGuide.com
to ensure continuous delivery of our important content.
That’s it! Now you can stay up-to-date.
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Hey blues lovers! Got 
