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You can Enter to Win a One-On-One
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Win A One-On One “Live” Video Experience with an Award-Winning Blues Artist
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 Hey Blues Lovers,
Find complete details and enter your info at this link and you could win a private Zoom visit with one of these artists: Sugaray Rayford, Albert Castiglia, Southern Avenue or Dawn Tyler Watson – all are international touring artists and winners or nominees of the 2020 Blues Music Awards. Enter as often as you like. The contest goes until Sept 26th so share, share, share!
Each week a winners name will be randomly draw by celebrity DJ Big LLou, and we’ll then notify the winner and send them a *Zoom invite. So much fun!
The first week's winner’s name will be drawn August 18 for the Zoom visit with Sugaray Rayford! Enter your info at this link and scroll there to find complete contest details.
During your one-on-one, 15-minute Zoom (*or other method) visit with one of these world-class blues artists, you can ask questions, they may play you a song, or you can just chit chat… connecting you deeper with the artist and their passions.
This contest is brought to you by Blues Festival Guide, Chasing the Blues Podcast, The Blues Foundation and Big Llou. Must be 18 or over.
You can also click the images to find full details and entry form. Good luck!
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Here's some thoughts about venues opening... share yours!
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 Hey Blues Fans!! We see some music venues are opening up around the country. Albeit, opening then closing then opening, etc.
Here's response from a Florida musician:
"I played my 1st gig in a couple months in mid-June in Tampa Fl. It was the 3rd week after the venues reopened. Given the state of the virus, I was very nervous all night, especially after seeing no masks or social distancing.
Two days later I was informed by the booker that two people tested positive and everyone there that night was probably exposed. I then went into quarantine for 14 days. The bars re-closed by the end of that week and I have not performed since. At this time I think it’s just too dangerous given the state of Florida’s response to things. Hope to get back out soon." Bob Petrocelli
We're interested in your thoughts:
- Have you attended any shows and where?
- If so, how was the vibe (i.e. joyous, awkward, crowded, etc.)
- If not, when will you feel comfortable attending?
- If you're a musician, have you performed live for an audience recently?
- If so, how was the vibe and attendance?
Email me 100 words MAX and make sure to put with "VENUES OPENING" in subject line so it doesn't get lost in my email. Tell us where in the world you're located. Feel free to send me a pic of your favorite blues music experience if you like, too.
Wishing you all good health and peace,
Michele
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John Lee Hooker, Carlos Santana, Elvin Bishop "Blues Boogie Jam"
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(title on the YouTube says +Etta James but it's a typo unfortunately)
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Photo Moments with the 18th Annual BFG Magazine!
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Here's blues fan Will Serrato getting into his Blues Festival Guide magazine on a warm summer's day!
Photo: Teresa Maltese
Go ahead and get creative and take a picture with your magazine and email it to us (see below). Don't have your new magazine? You can order one here!
*NOTE! Our 2020 annual was sent to select festivals, blues societies and a few distributors plus we also Encourage Individual Subscribers because of the unusual conditions of the Pandemic... or... if you know of a friendly place that's open that we might send a box to please let us know.
Once you get yours, have fun and SNAP A PHOTO of you, your friends, and/or artists, etc. with the BFG magazine and EMAIL your photo, caption (100 words or less), a URL if applicable, and photo credit to your e-Guide editor!
**Want more info or your own hard copy? Go to this page!
The Blues Foundation is the official sponsor of our 2020 Blues Festival Guide!
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CD, Single & DVD Releases
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Bill Blues :: THE KING OF CRAZY TOWN
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 Bill Blue, yep, his real name, one of the original blues road warriors, follows up his 2013 comeback album, Mojolation with another standout blues collection, The King Of Crazy Town. Bill learnt his chops on the road playing guitar with Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup, including opening for Bonnie Raitt on her first national tour. After Arthur died in 1974, Bill went out on his own, signed with Adelphi, and for a decade toured the world extensively. Tired of the road in the ‘80s, he settled down on a houseboat in the Florida Keys and didn’t record for 25 years, until a chance meeting with with British record producer Ian Shaw led to 2013’s comeback album, Mojolation.
The King Of Crazy Town, on Key West’s new Conch Town label, crackles with energy and edgy guitars, most of which were recorded live in one or two takes with the full band, topped with Bill’s authentic and gritty vocals. The album features an arsenal of top Florida artists plus ace guitarist Matt Backer, whose credits include Joe Cocker, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Elton John, Julian Lennon and Aimee Mann. Horns were recorded in New York with the Funky In The Middle Horns.
Standout tracks on the record include “Carolina Time” a tribute to Bill’s home state; “The King Of Crazy Town,” which depicts a Key Westnight out; and “Indianola,” which is a tribute to B.B. King, who encouraged Bill to go out on his own when Crudup passed. “Hunker Down” is a hurricane-season favorite in Bill’s show, and “You Ain’t Fun Anymore,” a duet with Matt Backer, was inspired by a throwaway comment made by Bill’s wife, Bev.
 "Carolina Time"
Facebook
Website
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2020 BluesStream - A Chicago/Kalamazoo Blues Party Aug 30
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 (VIRTUAL) - The Kalamazoo Valley Blues Association (KVBA) in conjunction with the Chicago Blues Bootcamp is proud to carry on “keeping the blues alive” in presenting the virtual 2020 BlueStream – A Chicago & Kalamazoo Blues Party Sunday August 30 from 3pm–9pm. The on-line event will take place via Facebook live, on the Chicago Blues Bootcamp Facebook page, as well as Kalamazoo Blues Fest Kalamazoo Blues Fest Facebook.
Performers will include Faculty from the Chicago Blues Bootcamp such as Billy Branch, Joanna Connor, Katherine Davis, Billy Flynn, John Kattke, Dave Specter, Harlan Terson. Additional performers include Larry McCray, AMays & Blue and Out of Favor Boys Trio.
This six-hour celebration of blues music, culture, and history will combine great stories of blues history as well as performers from across the region. The musicians will be paid with a virtual tip jar. 20% of the proceeds will be donated to Black Arts and Cultural Center of Kalamazoo
The Kalamazoo Valley Blues Association (KVBA) was formed in 1995 to educate, promote and preserve the rich history of this African American art form. A 100% volunteer based non-profit organization, the KVBA also provides educational programs such as Blues in School and through generous donors an annual scholarship program.
The Chicago Blues Bootcamp is in pursuit to be the best place to learn to play Chicago-style Blues, and to create a unique and fulfilling immersion experience in the Chicago Blues music culture. They actively support multiple communities across the city.
For more information on the event information and sponsorship opportunities please email KVBA or Chicago Blues Bootcamp.
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With Paisley Bluesfest cancelled organizers loan guitars to kids
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Scott Miller/ CTV News London
(WINGHAM, ONT) - Kardin and Tegan Penner have been spending their summer perfecting their “shredding” skills on free electric guitars. “It was nice because it has lessons with it, and play more since that started,” says Tegan.
The guitars are courtesy of Paisley Bluesfest organizers, who after cancelling their blues music festival earlier this summer, decided they’d use sponsorship dollars to loan out guitars to young aspiring musicians.
“These are the next blues musicians that may be coming on stage at Bluesfest a few years down the road. Who knows, right? Unless we keep them involved, and them - the youth - involved, it’s the only way to keep the art alive, right,” says Doug Albrecht of Paisley Bluesfest.
The three-month long guitar lending program, which also comes with free online lessons, has meant kids that wouldn’t normally have access to musical instruments, now do. “We couldn’t have had a free run on trying electric guitars if this wasn’t in place,” says Kardin and Tegan’s mother, Moiken. “I’m really excited about it, and my kids love it,” she says.
Bluesfest organizers say this made more sense to them than running a virtual concert, as many other event organizers have done. “We’ve always had a Blues for Youth program, so during the pandemic, it’s also good for the kids to have something to do at home,” says Bluesfest Organizer Christine Jones.
For the Penners, the free guitars have meant a summer filled with sibling jam sessions. “I enjoy it a lot. It’s a lot of fun playing with Tegan. It’s just really cool,” says Kardin, an aspiring musician.
More than 20 guitars have been loaned to local youth through the program. Click here for more information on the program
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Blues at the Arch through August
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 (ST. LOUIS, MO) - Joining other summer events, Blues at the Arch, produced by the Gateway Arch Park Foundation in partnership with the National Blues Museum and the National Park Service, will look a little different this year. For its fifth anniversary, the concert series—with performances every Friday in August—will be virtual.
The digital end-of-summer celebration will showcase local artists and pay tribute to St. Louis’ blues history. “Blues at the Arch has become a beloved event for us each year, where we invite folks to relax and picnic in Gateway Arch National Park,” Ryan McClure, executive director of Gateway Arch Park Foundation, said in a statement. “While we wish we could gather in the same way this year, we look forward to sharing the love and experience of blues music with our community in a new way.”
Featured artists coming up include Little Dylan (Aug 14), Kingdom Brothers (Aug 21), and Carolyn Mason (Aug 28). Each performer represents not only the past but the future of blues in St. Louis. “Blues music is the heart of our city,” Erin Mahony, deputy director of the National Blues Museum said in the release.
The live, online music events will stream free of charge on the Gateway Arch Park Foundation's website and Facebook page.
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100 Years Ago, ‘Crazy Blues’ Sparked a Revolution for Black Women Fans
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 Daphne Brooks/NY Times
“Music was my refuge.”
This is how Maya Angelou opens her third memoir, Singin’ and Swingin’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas, from 1976. When she was piecing together a life in 1940s San Francisco as a single teen mother, it was the need for vinyl — the blues of John Lee Hooker, the “bubbling silver sounds of Charlie Parker” — that drew her to the Melrose Record Shop on Fillmore. Her passion for records drove her to snatch two hours between jobs so she could rove its aisles. It was “where I could wallow,” Angelou writes, “rutting in music.”
Angelou would go on to join the store’s staff, basking in a world of wall-to-wall sounds — Schoenberg, Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie — ordering stock and playing records on request. Maya the music wonk. Maya the D.J. Maya the record collector. This is a side of Black women’s cultural lives rarely considered and yet deeply woven into our modern pop universe.This week marks the 100th anniversary of Mamie Smith recording “Crazy Blues,” African-American women’s breakthrough into the mainstream recording industry — a feat that is stunning and impactful, yet so often misunderstood or forgotten that most people would be hard pressed to name the artist whose smash altered the course of pop. And though they’re rarely acknowledged in histories of music, the Black women and girls who responded to Smith’s sound en masse helped upend the anti-Blackness of America’s nascent record business in the early 20th century.
In the summer of 1920, Smith, the Cincinnati-born New York vaudevillian, walked into a studio with Perry Bradford, a shrewd songwriter-musician and blues business hustler. They were on a mission to counteract the industry’s previous decade, when white blues artists like Marion Harris and the Ukrainian immigrant Sophie Tucker were breaking out with their own recorded renditions of Black music while African-American entertainers — legends like Ma Rainey, Ethel Waters and Bessie Smith — were confined to burning up the stages all along the “Chitlin Circuit,” the Theatre Owners Booking Association’s array of venues designated for Black performers.
For Smith and Bradford, one of the biggest questions was whether they could prove to record executives that, without a shadow of a doubt, Black music fans mattered.
...Read entire, interesting story about the emergence of blues and it's fans
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Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite to release 100 Years Of Blues on Alligator
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 Alligator Records is pleased to announce the September 25, 2020 release of 100 Years Of Blues, the first-ever album by Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame guitarist Elvin Bishop and Grammy-winning harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite. 100 Years Of Blues is front-porch, down-home music with Bishop and Musselwhite trading licks and vocals on 12 rootsy, spirited songs, mixing nine originals with three reimagined classics.
The two history-making musicians – both Blues Hall Of Famers – are blues legends with over 100 years of professional musicianship between them. They are among the most famous bluesmen in the world. Although they’ve known each other since the early 1960s and recorded as guests with John Lee Hooker (and other friends), this is the first time that they ever teamed up to make a full record. According to Musselwhite, "This is us sitting down to play the music that we love and resonating together effortlessly because we’re 'coming from the same place'...on many levels."
The idea for the album was sparked in 2017 when the two icons laid down the original version of the song "100 Years Of Blues" for Bishop’s Big Fun Trio album. They realized that, with their soul-deep understanding of the blues, they had a special musical chemistry between them. In 2019, Bishop and Musselwhite played a series of stripped-down shows – along with their mutual friend, master pianist/guitarist Bob Welsh – swapping songs and telling stories. The audiences went wild, and Elvin and Charlie had so much fun they knew they had to capture the magic in the studio.
...Read much more about this release they're calling "one of the finest, most memorable recordings of either artist’s career."
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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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 100+ scheduled shows on 6 stages. Multiple shows by each artist, pro jams, land events, autograph sessions, artist workshops & more…
*RESCHEDULED TO 2021
LRBC #35 Southern Caribbean: Oct. 24~31, 2021 #35. Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Willemstad, Curacao; Oranjestad, Aruba & Half Moon Cay (Bahamas Private Island) on Holland America’s ms Eurodam.
Find bands, cabin availability & more here.
Open Cabin Sales launched JULY 15 @ 11am CDT. Visit Online Reservations or call (816) 753-7979 at that time.
 *RESCHEDULED TO 2022
Jan. 29~Feb. 5, 2022 LRBC #36 Eastern Caribbean
Same Itinerary & aboard Holland America's NEW SHIP, the ms Ryndam! Sailing roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale to Tortola, St. Thomas and Turks & Caicos!
Find bands, cabin availability & more here
Open Cabin Sales start AUGUST 18 @ 11am CDT. Visit Online Reservations or call (816) 753-7979 at that time.
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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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Chasing The Blues Podcast
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Tom "The Suit" Forst Presents: The Business of the Blues With Bonnie Tallman of Billtown Blues Association
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SEASON 2 / EPISODE 18: On this episode of Chasing the Blues Podcast, Tom The Suit Forst catches up with Bonnie Tallman of the Billtown Blues Association (Billtown, PA) to talk about the business of the blues, including her views on how musicians must differentiate themselves, while investing into their own careers.
Bonnie is a former microbiologist turned blues and roots music manager. Her career as a manager started with managing Greg Piccolo from Roomful of Blues, who she worked with for 25 years.
Now retired as a manager, she works through the Billtown Blues Association to keep the blues alive in  her local area, producing blues events including an annual festival. Folks like Bonnie Tallman are the heartbeat of the blues today, and we are happy to highlight her work on Chasing the Blues.
LISTEN
DOWNLOAD
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Listen for Chasing the Blues Podcast on Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify and wherever podcasts are streamed around the world. Stay tuned for the new Chasing the Blues YouTube Television show starting in August.
Chasing the Blues Podcast is produced by Factory Underground Studio, and Marketed by Factory Underground Media (Norwalk, CT). The season sponsor of the podcast is Blues Festival Guide Magazine, which Bobby Rush calls the "Roadmap to the Blues."
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Print & Digital Versions Available
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18th Blues Festival Guide Magazine Print & Digital Editions
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 (ARCATA, CA) — RBA Publishing offers the 18th annual Blues Festival Guide magazine in both print and digital formats as well as our weekly Blues Festival e-Guide newsletter.
Blues legend Bobby Rush calls our magazine: The Roadmap to Everything Blues. Indeed, the articles offer something for everyone, all blues related, of course. This year’s engaging editorial is once again from aficionados in the blues community.
- Living Legend: Charlie Musselwhite By Eric Steiner
- Blues Movies Reel Away the Blues By Roger Stolle
- The Healing Blues By Anita Schlank, Ph.D.
- What’s Cookin’ with Victor Wainwright
- The Jus’ Blues Music Foundation
- Jammin’ On the High C’s On Board the LRBC By Mitch Woods
- A King and A Duke By Reverend Billy C. Wirtz
- Festivals Receive KBA
- Blues: An African Sonic Response By Pascal Bokar Thiam, Ed.D.
To order a hard copy mailed to your home, send $9 to RBA Publishing Inc. P.O. Box 920, Arcata, CA 95518. To read the 64-page magazine online for free, visit our website.
Blues Festival Guide is a division of RBA Publishing, Inc, which specializes in blues publishing, publicity and marketing.
...Click here to read cool mini descriptions of these fine articles
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 Birthdays upcoming of note:
Aug 13-Jimmy McCracklin (1921-2012); Aug 14-Larry Graham (1946 Sly & The Family Stone bass), Son Seals (1942-2004); Aug 15-Buster Brown (1911-1976), Jackie Brenston (1930-1979), Bobby Byrd (1934-2007); Aug 16-Eddie Kirkland (1928-2011), Melvin "Lil' Son" Jackson (1915-1976); Aug 17-Luther Allison (1939-1997); Aug 19-Earl Gaines (1935-2009); Aug 20-Issac Hayes (1942-2008); Aug 21-Count Basie (1904-1984); Aug 22-John Lee Hooker (1920-2001), Debbie Davies (1952); Aug 24-Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (1905-1974), Wynonie Harris (1915); Aug 26-Jimmy Rushing (1901-1972); Aug 29-Charlie Parker (1920-1955), Dinah Washington (1924-1963); Aug 30-Luther "Snake Boy" Johnson (1934-1976); Aug 31-Joanna Connor (1962), Van Morrison (1945)
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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
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  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 Aug 15, 2020
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  #1
BLUES WITH FRIENDS
Dion
#2
BEFORE THE BEGINNING
1968-1970 LIVE & DEMO SESSIONS
Fleetwood Mac
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We've Got You Covered with Live Streams & Online Concerts
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Blues Festival Guide Magazine Media Platforms Feature Live Streams, Online Concerts & more
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The Blues Festival Guide platforms are fast becoming the main portal for blues live stream and blues online concert events.
As fast as an online event is announced, the Blues Festival Guide team makes the announcement and link go live in a special section on the top-ranking Blues Festival Guide Website, as well as on their social media platforms ( Facebook with 195,000 Followers, and Instagram @bluesfestguide with 6,000 Followers). This service is provided for free to the artist as well as the viewer.
Even though music festivals and clubs are on lockdown across the globe, there are loads of brand-new music and live concerts via live stream, both small and large, local and international, that can be watched from the safety of your couch on your own TV, computer or phone.
With almost 20 years of experience delivering blues music and blues music news around the world, Publisher Kaati Gaffney says, “We are experienced digital marketers specializing in live music events. During this time of pandemic, while festivals and events are virtual, it is our pleasure to provide this service.” ...Find more about BFG or to contact us to share your events
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To view entire calendar of festivals & Live Streams, 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 are paid "Featured" ads. For complete list & links go to our website Festival page!
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*CORONAVIRUS UPSETS:
Please click through the festival links on our site for most current updates
Interstate Blues Fest
Aug-28-2020 - Aug-29-2020
Hagerstown, Maryland, USA
VIRTUAL
Rentiesville Dusk til Dawn Blues Festival In the House at Your House
Sep-04-2020 - Sep-06-2020
Rentiesville, Oklahoma, USA
VIRTUAL
Tim Horton's Southside Shuffle Blues and Jazz Festival
Sep-10-2020 - Sep-13-2020
Mississagua, Ontario, Canada
Bob Sykes BBQ & Blues Festival
Sep-12-2020
Bessemer, Alabama, USA
Mifflinburg Wine, Brews,
& Blues Festival
Sep-12-2020
Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania, USA
Laconia Blues Festival
Sep-19-2020
Laconia, New Hampshire, USA
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please go to our website
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Crosby Zydeco Festival
Sept-19-2020 - Sept-20-2020
Crosby, Texas, USA
Kimbrough Cotton Patch
Soul Blues Festival
Sep-25-2020 - Sep-27-2020
Holly Springs, New York, USA
Jimiway Blues Festival
Oct-16-2020 - Oct-17-2020
Ostrów Wielkopolski, Poland
Temecula Blues Festival
Oct-17-2020
Temecula, California, USA
Chelsea Blues,
Rhythm & Rock Festival
Oct-31-2020
London, United Kingdom
CT Rhythm & Blues Festival
Nov-13-2020 - Nov-14-2020
Farmington, Connecticut, USA
Great British Rock & Blues Festival
Jan-15-2021 - Jan-18-202
Lincolnshire, Skegness, UK
Clarksdale Film & Music Festival
Jan-29-2021 - Jan-31-2021
Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA
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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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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 18 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 do CD/DVD reviews nor 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.
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Hey blues lovers! Got 
