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Photo Moments with the 18th Annual BFG Magazine!
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 From Bridgeville, CA in the heart of cannabis country, Hill Mama Amy needs her blues!
Photo courtesy of Amy
*Don't have your 2020 magazine? Order one here! Once you receive, have fun, get creative and SNAP A PHOTO of you, your friends, and/or artists, etc. with the BFG magazine and EMAIL your photo, caption (120 words or less), a URL if applicable, and photo credit to your e-Guide editor! We Encourage Individual Subscribers. However, if you know of a location that's open that we might send a box to, please let us know.
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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Leroux :: ONE OF THOSE DAYS
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 Their 1978 Capitol Records press release read,"LeRoux takes its name from the Cajun French term for the thick and hearty gravy base that's used to make a gumbo." LeRoux's eponymous first album was a musical gumbo that blended various instruments and music arrangements into a spicy, mouth-watering Southern rock sound. In fact, their Southern anthem, “New Orleans Ladies,” voted Song of the Century by Gambit Magazine, simmered with the laid-back feel of the "Big Easy," evoking images of Bourbon Street and the bayou. The band was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame as their 50th inductee in 2009.
After a ten-year hiatus, this Southern contemporary blues treasure has released its seventh studio album entitled One of Those Days on Gulf Coast Records. Produced by legendary producer, Jeff Glixman (Kansas, Gary Moore, Georgia Satellites, Yngwie Malmsteen), One of Those Days is packed with tasty songs, ripping guitars, sultry southern ballads and special appearances and has quickly became the number one selling album on iTunes. This has been the bands' most highly acclaimed release to date.
The band is Jeff McCarty - Lead Vocals; Jim Odom - Lead & Rhythm Guitar, BG Vocals; Tony Haselden - Lead & Rhythm Guitar, Slide Guitar, BG Vocals; Rod Roddy - Piano, Rhodes Piano, BG Vocals; Nelson Blanchard - Hammond Organ, BG Vocals; Joey Decker - Bass Guitar, BG Vocals; Randy Carpenter – Drums; Mark Duthu – Percussion.
Special guests include Tab Benoit - Solo Guitar on New Orleans Ladies; Leon Medica - Bass Guitar on Lucy Anna, New Orleans Ladies, and Sauce Piquante; Alexey Marti - Additional Percussion; Tim Courville - Drums on New Orleans Ladies; Background Vocals - Keith Landry, Travis Thibodaux, Chapel Hart, Bobby Kimball, and Bill Champlain.
 "One Of Those Days"
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Vanessa Collier Socially-Distanced Concert at Candlelight Outdoor Fall Concert Series Oct 24
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 (WILMINGTON, DE) - Vanessa Collier, acclaimed soulful blues singer/saxophonist will perform as a duo with featured guitarist Arthur Neilson, at the Candlelight Theater Outdoor Fall Concert Series, 2208 Millers Rd., Saturday, October 24. Showtime is 3pm-5pm and tickets are $25. Call (302) 475-2313 or visit the theater's ticket site to purchase tickets directly. Masks and social distancing are required. Bring your lawn chairs! There will be food trucks, a cash bar, and tables for small groups.
If you haven’t been fortunate enough to hear Vanessa and witness one of her head-turning, fiery, and passionate performances, you should definitely make sure you do. As a master musician and multi-instrumentalist, Vanessa Collier, weaves funk, soul, rock, and blues into every powerful performance and she is downright impressive. With soulful vocals, searing saxophone, and witty songwriting, Vanessa is blazing a trail, racking up an impressive arsenal of honors, including Blues Music Awards (BMA) for Horn Player of the Year (2019-2020) and multiple awards for her songwriting among other many accolades.
A 2013 graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, she’s toured nationally and internationally, released three critically acclaimed albums (2014’s Heart, Soul & Saxophone, 2017’s Meeting My Shadow, and 2018’s Honey Up), and released her highly anticipated fourth album, Heart on the Line, to crowdfunders in May 2020. Honey Up spent 9 weeks atop the Billboard Blues Album Charts Top 15, 3 months on the Living Blues Charts at #10 and #23, and continues to be spun on Sirius XM’s B.B. King’s Bluesville radio station!
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Friends & Musicians band together to Help Eric and LaDonna Gales
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(GREENSBORO, NC) - Blues and rock guitar great Eric Gales and his wife and bandmate LaDonna Gales both contracted COVID-19 at the same time and Eric was hospitalized for a several days. Larry Walker, a friend of the Gale family, started a GoFundMe page with all donations going towards helping cover these musicians’ medical and living expenses.
“As with most professional musicians, they have been without work since last March due to the COVID-19 Pandemic as all live music venues have been shut down,” said Walker. “The Gales are a very proud family and would never ask for help but I have watched these two give back to their community so many times, helping the homeless or just someone in need that was without hope. They are so deserving of the same compassion! Let’s please show them the same love that they’ve shown so many!”
In support of the GoFundMe campaign, artists like Joe Bonamassa and Walter Trout took to social media to urge fans to donate what they can to Walker's campaign to help the family. “My friends Eric Gales and his wife LaDonna are struggling with COVID-19. Anything we can do for them to offset their medical expenses would be a big help,” Bonamassa wrote.
Trout wrote on Facebook, “Eric Gales is one of the greatest musicians and finest human beings on the planet. …His amazing wife, LaDonna Gales, is also suffering with the virus. Let’s help them.”
Eric Gales also acknowledged the outpouring of help, writing on his own Facebook page, “I’d like to thank y’all from the bottom of our hearts. Me and LaDonna are hanging in there. “All of you guys prayers and donations are bringing us much needed relief and joy that prayer still works.”
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King Biscuit thanks for watching & will see you Oct 6-9, 2021
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 (HELENA, AR) - We extend a big thank you for watching King Biscuit virtually this year. Although we wish we could've celebrated together – we still wanted to share the music with you. Did you miss it? You can still watch it here by clicking the links for Oct 8 and the images for Oct 9-10. You can also find cool 2020 merch here.
Also, thank you to all of our loyal sponsors, who year after year help King Biscuit support world-renowned blues artists, who fill our five stages. We'll see you October 6-9, 2021. Checkout the lineup. Until then, stay safe, friends.
*King Biscuit Blues Festival heavily relies on sponsorship to produce such an event, but with COVID-19, those funds are limited. Donations accepted by Sonny Boy Blues Society will help to sustain King Biscuit operations towards its future success. Payments are now accepted through PayPal and Venmo.
A special thanks to Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism; Delta Cultural Center and the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council for funding the virtual event artists. We extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our loyal sponsors, who year after year help King Biscuit support world-renowned Blues Artists, who fill our five stages. A huge applause goes to our 2020 King Biscuit Blues Festival Presenting Sponsors: Slim Chickens - Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage & Tourism - Delta Cultural Center - Isle of Capri - Southern Bancorp - Partners Bank.
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Heritage Music BluesFest Fundraiser Thanks & 2021 Lineup
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(WHEELING, WV) - Our [Heritage Music BluesFest] GoFundMe campaign solicited your help, and your response has been much appreciated. A multitude of people have responded to our call for help, and I want to thank everyone who has donated so generously. I’m overcome with gratitude when I see the names of people I know, the blues fans I’ve met only briefly at the festival, and others all over our stricken and chaotic world. We’re going to keep this campaign active for as long as there is interest in supporting us, and we will be extremely grateful for any additional funds. We are still on unstable ground, and the truth is, that we are not used to asking for help.
To anyone who would like to support us further, we encourage you to help in the following ways:
• Additional donations at GoFundMe
• Purchase advance 2021 BluesFest passes
• Purchase BluesFest merchandise
20th Heritage Music BluesFest lineup:
• FRIDAY AUGUST 13, 2021 starting 5pm: Davy Knowles, Carolyn Wonderland, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Coco Montoya, Ronnie and Coco’s Tribute to Albert Collins, AfterJam HOST - Davy Knowles
• SATURDAY AUGUST 14, 2021 starting 12 noon: IBC Winner Hector Anchondo, Nick Schnebelen, Indigenous, Hannah Wicklund, Jason Ricci, Walter Trout, AfterJam HOST - Nick Schnebelen
• SUNDAY AUGUST 15, 2021 starting 1pm: IBC Winner HoRoJo Trio, Ruf Records Blues Caravan, JP Soars' Gypsy Blues Revue, Eric Bibb, Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters, AfterJam HOST - HoRoJo TrioPasses for the 2021 Heritage Music BluesFest are available now.
GET YOUR BLUESFEST PASSES HERE
Thank you for your continued support,
Bruce A. Wheeler
Heritage Music BluesFest
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History of a Holly Springs beloved fixture
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David Caldwell [above], one of Holly Springs՚ most well-known characters and owner of Aikei Pro՚s Record Shop on North Center Street, has some fun riding his “green machine.” (Photo at right: Sue Watson)
(HOLLY SPRINGS, MS) - David “Fox” Caldwell was born on December 7, 1927, in Fort Smith, Arkansas, but was raised in Kansas. He earned his nickname “Fox” due to his stark red hair (which has long since turned white) and blue eyes, the result (Caldwell claims) of Indian blood.
Caldwell is a World War II veteran, who served as an underage soldier in the Pacific Theater and was present during the Allied occupation of Japan. In 1950 Caldwell was stationed in Germany for several years, and has vivid memories of the aftermath of the Holocaust and the fall of Nazi Germany. In 1954, Mr. Caldwell returned to the United States and moved to Holly Springs. During the late 1950s and 1960s, the outspoken Caldwell was an integral figure in the local Civil Rights movement. Caldwell, who is a proponent of black-owned businesses, opened numerous stores in town catering to the large African American population. In addition to selling cigarette, pinball and Coca-Cola machines, Caldwell began selling records in many of his stores.
Mr. Caldwell opened his Aikei Pro’s Records Shop around 1960, on Center Street in an old car garage. “Aikei Pro’s” is in fact a clever anagram of the original owners of the building, the Walker Bros. In the over 50 years he has been in business, Caldwell has met Elvis Presley, Isaac Hayes, B.B. King and David Porter, among many others. Caldwell was close personal friends of local bluesmen Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside, the fathers of Hill Country Blues. Mr. Caldwell was instrumental in the formation of the Mississippi Blues Trail, and a trail marker is located near his store.
Though some might consider Mr. Caldwell’s store a hoarder’s paradise, filled to the brim with records, old parts and other assorted junk, Caldwell’s still-brilliant mind is able to recall all of his claimed 90,000 records and cassette tapes. Caldwell receives many hundreds of visitors every year, from all across the world. Though he doesn’t keep regular hours and the record store doesn’t even have a phone, this local legend can be found sitting outside his store on Blues Alley on most days, welcoming both locals and travelers.
Phillip Knecht/Hill Country History
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LRBC "Driftin' & Driftin'" Happy Hour Episode 6 with Keb' Mo' & Rev. Billy C. Wirtz Live on Thursday Oct 15th
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Legendary Happy Hour returns with Keb' Mo'! Tune in Thursday, Oct. 15th at 3pm PST, 5pm CST, 6pm EST as four-time Grammy Award winner Keb' Mo' joins in on the fun.
LRBC's Driftin' & Driftin' is a close up with our Blues stars. On each episode, Rev. Billy C. Wirtz talks musician to musician with our favorite Cruise artists! Don't miss it! Visit Facebook LIVE or the LRBC Facebook page.
“I’m more interested in pleasing myself, and making records that make me feel proud and make me feel like I’ve done my best. And if other people like it, that’s gravy.” states Keb’ Mo’, assessing his new release Oklahoma. Indeed, in his quarter-century as a recording artist, the charismatic singer/guitarist/ songwriter and four-time GRAMMY Award winner has consistently made music that reflects his own passions and interests. In the process, he’s earned a reputation for his ability to draw upon his bottomless roots-music expertise to make deeply expressive, highly personal music.
Facebook Event Page
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Thoughts about venues opening... share yours!
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 Hey Blues Fans!! We see some blues music venues are opening up around the country. Albeit, opening then closing then opening, etc.
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 "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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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. 24~31, 2021 From Ft. Lauderdale, Fl To Willemstad, Curacao; Oranjestad, Aruba & Half Moon Cay (Bahamas Private Island) On Holland America’s Ms Eurodam. Cabins & Info HERE
 LRBC #36 Eastern Caribbean: Jan. 29~Feb. 5, 2022 From Ft. Lauderdale, Fl To Tortola, St. Thomas & Turks And Caicos On Holland America’s New Flagship Ms Rotterdam. Cabins & Info @ HERE
Visit Reservations Or Call (816) 753-7979 To Reserve Your Cabin!
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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 Chasing The Blues with Sugaray Rayford
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 SEASON 2/EPISODE 27:
Multiple Blues Music Award winner and Grammy nominee Sugaray Rayford joins Tom Forst being interviewed by special guest Cristy Benvenutti, winner of the One-On One “Live” Experience contest presented by the Blues Festival Guide magazine.
Cristy asks questions about music from deep in Sugaray's catalogue, which leads to an insightful conversation about his unique creative process.
LISTEN
DOWNLOAD
 Also listen for the Chasing The Blues Podcast on Apple and Spotify
Chasing the Blues is a weekly audio podcast hosted by blues rock guitarist and recording artist Tom "The Suit" Forst. His new album, World of Broken Hearts, is under consideration for Best Blues Album in the 2021 Blues Music Awards. The podcast recently launched a YouTube television show with John Oates of Hall and Oates appearing in the debut episode.
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:
Oct 15 Victoria Spivey (1906-1976); Oct 16 Sugarpie DeSanto (1935), Big Joe Williams (1903-1982); Oct 18 Chuck Berry (1926-2017), Jessie Mae Hemphill (1923-2006); Oct 19 William "Piano Red" Perryman (1911-1985); Oct 20 Jelly Roll Morton (1890-1941), Bugs Henderson (1943-2012), Vasti Jackson (1959); Oct 21 Steve Cropper (1941), Elvin Bishop (1942), Michele Lundeen (yer faithful e-Guide Editor); Oct 23 Rufus "Speckled Red" Perryman (1892-1973), Boozoo Chavis (1930-2001), Carol Fran (1933); Oct 24 Sonny Terry (1911-1986), Willie Mabon (1925-1985), Bill Wyman (1936), Jimmy Dawkins (1936-2013); Oct 26 Detroit Junior (1931-2005); Oct 27 Henry Townsend (1909-2006), Clifford Antone (1949-2006 Antone Records and Nightclub); Oct 28 Ben Harper (1969); Oct 29 Peter Green (1946-2020), Hadda Brooks (1916-2002); Oct 30 Bob Koester (1932 Delmark's Founder); Oct 31 Julia Lee (1902-1958), Ethel Waters (1896-1977)
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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 Oct 17, 2020
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 #1
THE BLUES
William Shatner
#2
100 YEARS OF BLUES
Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite
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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
VIRTUAL
Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival “Festing In Place”
Oct-16-Oct-18-2020
Interstate Blues Fest
Nov-6-2020 - Nov-7-2020
Hagerstown, Maryland, USA
RESCHEDULED TO NOV 2021
Bude Blues Rhythm
& Rock Festival
Nov-06-2020 - Nov-08-2020
Cornwall, United Kingdom
Blues at Bridgetown
Nov-13-2020 - Nov-15-2020
Bridgetown, Australia
RESCHEDLUED TO MAR 2021
Looe Blues,
Rhythm & Rock Festival
Dec-11-2020 - Dec-13-2020,
Looe, United Kingdom
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please go to our website
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RESCHEDULED TO MAR 2021
Cleethorpes Blues,
Rhythm & Rock Festival
Dec-20-2020
Cleethorpes, United Kingdom
Great British Rock & Blues Festival
Jan-15-2021 - Jan-18-2021
Lincolnshire, Skegness, UK
Clarksdale Film & Music Festival
Jan-29-2021 - Jan-31-2021
Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA
Whitby Rhythm & Blues Festival
Feb-20-2021
Whitby, North Yorkshire, UK
Southport Blues,
Rhythm & Rock Festival
Feb-21-2021
Southport, United Kingdom
Bluesberry Festival
Mar-06-2021,
Covington, Louisiana, USA
Juke Joint Festival & Related Events
Apr-15-2021 - Apr-18-2021
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 
