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Hello Blues Bands and Solo/Duo Artists
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 Please give yourself a FREE link on our top-ranking website: BLUESFESTIVALGUIDE.COM
Here is the direct link to post your info: (easy and free – takes 2 minutes).
Your info will appear in our LINK DIRECTORY — another way for fans and industry folks to find you!
Plus, with the holidays near, this seems like a win-win for fans and gifts of your merch!
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Photo Moments with the 18th Annual BFG Magazine!
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 Here's Nina Luna, blues fan and fine artist and upbeat, two-time breast cancer survivor, happy to share a photo with her magazine at Old Town Blues Club in Temecula, CA.
Photo: Michele Lundeen
*SEND US YOUR PIC WITH THE BLUES FESTIVAL GUIDE MAGAZINE!
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!
(If you are a BFG client of please reach out to your sales person for one)
The Blues Foundation is the official sponsor of our 2020 Blues Festival Guide!
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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 or performed any live shows since the pandemic and where?
- If so, how was the vibe (i.e. joyous, awkward, attendance, etc.)
- If not, when will you feel comfortable attending?
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 this blues music experience if you like, too.
Wishing you all good health and peace,
Michele
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Virtual Maple Blues Awards Launch from four Cities thru Feb
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 The 24th annual Maple Blues Awards will stream from Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Vancouver across February Mondays for 90 minutes segments beginning February 1st, 5pm PST, 7pm CST, 8pm EST. Multiple Maple Blues Awards have been selected to host and perform. The 24th Annual Maple Blues Awards will be streamed via Facebook.
Feb 1st: Alana Bridgewater and Johnny Max will host from Toronto with a performance from Dione Taylor, nominated Female Vocalist of the Year, New Artist / Group of the Year, and Songwriter of the Year. Also performing is Jack de Keyzer, nominated along with bandmates for Entertainer of the Year, Electric Act of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Recording / Producer of the Year, Guitarist of the Year, Horn Player of the Year (Richard Thornton), and Bassist of the Year (Alan Duffy).
Feb 8th: Angelique Francis and Matt Sobb will host from Ottawa and will feature JW-Jones, nominated along with bandmates for Entertainer of the Year, Electric Act of the Year, New Artist / Group of the Year (for Jones’ other project HOROJO Trio), and Recording/Producer of the Year. Also performing is Nashville-based Indigenous artist Crystal Shawanda, nominated Female Vocalist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Recording / Producer of the Year.
Feb 15th: Tyler Watson and Ben Racine host from Montreal with a performance by Durham County Poets, nominated Songwriter of the Year and Recording / Producer of the Year, and Matt Andersen, nominated Acoustic Act of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year.
Feb 22nd: Dalannah Gail Bowen and Jim Byrnes will host the final night from Vancouver Island and feature 13-year old New Artist / Group of the Year nominee Liam Docherty and Drummer of the Year nominee Lindsay Beaver, streaming from Halifax, for a true coast-to-coast MBA experience.
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Briggs Farm Blues Festival plans for July 2021
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(NESCOPECK, PA) - After 22 consecutive years of bringing the blues to a family farm in Nescopeck, the Briggs Farm Blues Festival was forced to postpone its 2020 event due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The festival confirmed this week it’s planning to move forward with its weekend of live music and social gatherings July 8-10, 2021 with 2020’s lineup of acclaimed musicians, including established blues acts who routinely grace international stages, national homegrown artists, and local talent from Northeastern Pennsylvania. Two stages will feature over 20 acts from various genres, including eclectic blues, delta-style blues, Americana roots music, soul, and a bit of funk. Tickets go on sale January 15th at noon, EST. Children 12 and under are free.
The music will begin on Thursday, July 8 with songs from the summer of 1970 performed by Pittston vocalist and guitarist Bret Alexander (of The Badlees fame) and friends, offering reminders of fun times, great friends, and artists like Jimi Hendrix, Van Morrison, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Scranton folk rock singer/songwriter MiZ will also be playing songs from the Grateful Dead’s 1970 album “American Beauty.”
Friday, July 9 will usher in the blues with a powerful lineup, including headliner Ana Popovic, Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials, the harmonizing Campbell Brothers, and the incomparable Celisse Henderson. The intimate Back Porch Stage will feature vocalist and banjo player Pappy Biondo of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre jamgrass group Cabinet with Shavertown guitarist Justin Mazer of the Ryan Montbleau Band.
The music will carry into Saturday, July 10 with headliner Shemekia Copeland, the unforgettable Victor Wainwright, Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’ Blues, and the eccentric Scott Pemberton. While the main stage is rockin’, the smaller Back Porch Stage will burst with unforgettable artists like The National Reserve, Gracie Curran, King Solomon Hicks, Swampcandy, Williamsport blues musician Gabe Stillman, Bloomsburg jam band The Mighty Susquehannas, and more.
Festival president Richard Briggs stated, “Live music creates a special thread of connection. There’s no limit to what music can do to bring us all together, and we need that more than ever.
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Clearwater cancels Feb 2021 Sea-Blues Festival
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(CLEARWATER, FL) - City officials announced Tuesday they will cancel this year’s Clearwater Sea-Blues Festival "due to current health and safety concerns presented by the COVID-19 pandemic."
"We apologize to those who look forward to this popular annual event," officials said in a statement. "The city of Clearwater will continue to explore ways to host other events safely during the pandemic."
The two-day, open-air event is typically held in February and takes over Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater, where attendees can listen to blues music and enjoy seafood from local vendors.
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2021 GRAMMY Awards Postponed
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 (LOS ANGELES, CA) - The 2021 GRAMMY Awards have been postponed to March 14th due to the raging coronavirus crisis.
A statement, which came from the awards executive producer Ben Winston, the Recording Academy's Harvey Mason Jr. and Jack Sussman of CBS, said: "After thoughtful conversations with health experts, our host, and artists scheduled to appear, we are rescheduling the 63rd GRAMMY Awards to March 14th 2021.
The deteriorating COVID situation in Los Angeles, with hospital services being overwhelmed, ICUs having reached capacity, and new guidance from state and local governments have all led us to conclude that postponing our show was the right thing to do. Nothing is more important than the health and safety of those in our music community and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly on producing the show. We want to thank all the artists, the staff, our vendors and especially this year's nominees for their understanding, patience and willingness to work with us as we navigate these unprecedented times."
The awards were originally scheduled for January 31st. The decision to postpone the show was made by both the Academy and the telecast's network partner CBS due to health, travel as well as location concerns
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Music Radar/Jonathan Horsley Interview (Photo Alysse Gafjken)
The Grammy-nominated musician talks recording with Dan Auerbach, songwriting, the power of soul and why his Gibson ES-345 is so special.
Marcus King might only be 24 years old but his soul has already got some miles on it. The South Carolinian is wise beyond his years. You can hear it in his voice, in his phrasing, and in a songwriting sensibility that allows his band to deftly swing from blues and Southern rock to soul and back again.
When it comes time to talk shop and unpack the influences, gear and craft behind his debut solo album, El Dorado (nominated for Best Americana Album at the forthcoming GRAMMY Awards), King scarcely wastes a word. A storyteller by nature and trade, it’s like note choice – the words matter. “Songs should tell a good story,” he says. “Whatever metaphors you can use, it is a lot like writing a very short story.”
Co-written and produced by Dan Auerbach, El Dorado has no shortage of moments when King turns up the heat with the electric guitar, but it is notable for how often he dials it back to let his voice and the acoustic carry the song. It is no surprise to hear him cite soul legends Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye among his inspirations.
Here, King talks about multi-generational musical upbringing, the benefits of a jazz education, his talismanic Gibson ES-345 and more.
...Find the recent interview of Marcus King at Music Radar/
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UK’s Twisted Wheel – birthplace of Northern Soul
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 Manchester Nightlife by
Chris Slater
"It was very basic inside, badly lit with just plain painted walls."
On the face of it, the venue which a then teenage Rob McKeever first walked into in 1969 wasn't much to write home about.
Yet the only reason he was here was that tales from inside had spread like wildfire across the country, seeing visitors flock to it.
And like so many before him, Rob soon found out that this was no ordinary nightclub.
For this dark, sweaty, basement club close to Piccadilly Station had become the epicentre of a whole new music scene and its name - The Twisted Wheel – still resonates today.
Now, a new book has chronicled how it became the 'birthplace of Northern Soul.' [6 Whitworth Street, The Birthplace of Northern Soul by Rob McKeever]
Opened by brothers Jack, Phillip and Ivor Abadi, the coffee bar and dance club opened in January 1963 and began life as a Blues and R&B venue. It was situated on Brazenose Street, which runs between Albert Square and Deansgate.
However, it was when it moved to new premises, at number 6 Whitworth Street, in September 1965, that it began to move in a new musical direction and its reputation became firmly established.
The fact it did not serve alcohol meant its opening times were not restricted by alcohol licensing laws. And the club's Saturday all-nighters, which would start around 11pm and finish around 7:30am the following morning, became the stuff of legend.
Rob, now aged 69, from Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria, made his first pilgrimage as an 18-year-old, when the club was in its heyday.
"I heard about it through word of mouth really, by all the lads who used to go and tell you how amazing it was," he says.
…Find full story about The Twisted Wheel and McKeever’s book
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(GREENVILLE, MS) – The Delta is flat. You can see a long ways off. On wet, cold, winter days, you can see gloom for miles and miles. Gloom and fog.
The most fun you can have on a Delta winter day like this is go inside, if you can. If you can’t, just endure it and make the most of it. That enduring, trying to put a silver lining on edgeless clouds, perhaps led to some of what the Delta is known for.
One example: Anyone who is a fan of Delta blues music could almost instinctively take one look at this landscape and unquestionably comprehend how Blues music could be born here. Two: Back in Greenville high school we had an English literature teacher explained her theory on why there are so many poets and novelist from England. She said it was because it is so foggy and dreary there that people have to look inside themselves for some imaginary life and develop story creating almost second nature.
About the time she was telling us about dreary old England, I looked out the classroom window and saw something that kind of looked like that, and it made me think that perhaps that’s why so many writers and poets come from the Delta. People having to image color and sunshine for themselves that isn’t really there on wet winter days.
So, we endured bland winter days and appreciate the futility of levees that trap water in as much as keep it out in rainy winter, and developed the knack of extracting the pretty from the plainness. It’s always there.
And we came to understand that the sun always comes out again, sooner or later, even in the Delta.
Walt Grayson/WJTV
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Eric Bibb "Booker's Guitar"
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CD, Single & DVD Releases
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Billy Jones & Delta Blues Outlaws :: BILLY JONES & DELTA BLUES OUTLAWS
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 Tales from the Blues Highway: Billy Jones is playing the Devil's guitar ...flaming hot funky blues and tortured Southern Soul.
Something is growing deep down in the Mid-South Mississippi Delta, long thought to be extinct. Witness the resurrection and the reinvention of a rare species ...the return of the authentic American bluesman.
Delta Blues Records’ self-titled release “Billy Jones & Delta Blues Outlaws boasts fifteen terrific songs totaling seventy minutes of musical brilliance.” ~ Phillip Smith/Philly Cheeze Blues
"...while I love traditional blues artists such as Son House, Howlin’ Wolf, etc., it was just so damned nice to listen to something that speaks eloquently in the tradition of those older artists, and yet manages to bring something new and funky to the table." ~ Blogcritics.org
Billy Jones & Delta Blues Outlaws have been a crowd favorite and one of the most requested variety show bands on the Mid-South casino, nightclub, and party circuit for over 20 years. With a repertoire that encompasses a wide range of musical styles, from blues to pop to country to soul to today's biggest hits, Billy Jones & Delta Blues Outlaws are guaranteed to please any audience.
Outstanding stage presence, world class vocals, and awesome musicianship, the Delta Blues Outlaws have performed their show-stopping, high-energy style for audiences in Belgium, Germany, France, Austria, Amsterdam, Switzerland, Greece, and Italy, as well as U.S. Military Installations & NCO and Officer's Clubs throughout the United States. Polished and professional, this band is a great choice for festivals, private parties, and corporate events.
From the juke joints of the Mid-South Mississippi Delta, to the Blues Passions Festival at Hennessy Castle Fairgrounds in Cognac, France — and many, many, many shows in between — this band has proven repeatedly that it's the real deal! Billy Jones & Delta Blues Outlaws bring experience, showmanship, and passion to every performance — a guaranteed great time for your next event.
 "Biggest House In Town"
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Sault Blues Society Blues Concert Miniseries Jan 7-Feb 4
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  (SAULT STE. MARIE, CANADA) - After several months of organization, the Sault Blues Society has announced a virtual blues concert miniseries. The concert series will include five 50-minute each Thursday from Jan 7 through Feb 4 at 8pm EST, featuring local musicians playing original songs. The pre-recorded concerts will be available to watch on Shaw Spotlight, the Sault Blues Society’s YouTube channel, and Borderline Radio.
“Since 2020 was the 10th anniversary of the Sault Blues Society, we were working with Rotary Sault Ste. Marie to present an all Blues stage night as part of Rotaryfest 2020," a new release issued by the Sault Blue Society states. "We had also been in contact with four traveling bands that were routing through the Sault in 2020 to work out the possibility of performing for the fine blues fans of the Sault.
Unfortunately, these acts were not possible due to the worldwide COVID pandemic. We hope that you enjoy our Virtual Blues Miniseries with the expectations of live performances to return to local stages in the future."
Website
Facebook
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Can't Stop The Blues (CSTB)
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Can't Stop The Blues is taking a well-deserved week off
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 CSTB will be taking this week off to recover from the holidays! Be sure to tune in next week, January 12-17 for a fantastic lineup including Harpdog Brown, King Soloman Hicks, Mighty Mike Schermer, Kid Andersen, Mindi Abair and some very, very special surprises!
Please visit our video archives to revisit your favorite shows or catch the ones you might have missed! Also find us on Can't Stop The Blues YouTube!
Follow this link for the shows at Can’t Stop the Blues:
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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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Thoughts, Holidays & Birthdays
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 Orthodox Christmas Jan 7
Martin Luther King Day Jan 18
Inauguration Day Jan 20
"Hard times ain't nothing that music won't heal..."
Birthdays upcoming of note:
Jan 8-Elvis Presley (1935), Tampa Red (1904), Bill Graham (1931 promoter at legendary Fillmore); Jan 9-Barbara Carr (1941), Jimmy Page (1944); Jan 10-Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater (1935-2018), Sam Chatmon (1897-1983), Jerry Wexler (1914-2008 founder of Atlantic Records); Jan 11-Slim Harpo (1924-1970); Katie Webster (1936-1999), Michael "Hawkeye" Herman (1945); Jan 12- Ruth Brown (1928-2006), Mississippi Fred McDowell (1904-1972), Long John Baldry (1941-2005); Jan 14-Allen Toussaint (1938-2015), Clarence Carter (1936); Jan 15-Earl Hooker (1929-1970), Martin Luther King, Jr (1929-1968), Queen Ida (1929); Jan 16-Barbara Lynn (1942), Lester Davenport (1932-2009), Robert Wilkins (1896-1987); Jan 17- Paul Rishell (1950), Mick Taylor (1949); Jan 19-Henry Gray (1925), Janis Joplin (1943-1970), Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (1936)
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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 13,800+ Blues Freaks at our TWITTER feed @BluesFestGuide
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  Also Follow us on INSTAGRAM with 8,000+ BluesersSee 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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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, visit our website and find our digital version in the upper lefthand corner.
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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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 Jan 9, 2021
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  #1
ROYAL TEA
Joe Bonamassa
#2
LIVE IN BOSTON 1982: THE FULL CONCERT
George Thorogood & The Destroyers
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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 8,000 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
Can't Stop The Blues
Thurs-Sun 9PM EST
Facebook, Universal
Samantha Fish Cigar Box
Guitar Festival
Jan-13-2021 - Jan-16-2021
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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
Maple Blues Awards Feb Mondays
Feb-1-2021 - Feb-22-2021
Facebook, Universal
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
Cleethorpes Blues,
Rhythm & Rock Festival
Mar-06-2021
Cleethorpes, United Kingdom
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please go to our website
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Chelsea Blues, Rhythm & Rock Festival
Mar-13-2021
Fulham, London, UK
Looe Blues, Rhythm
& Rock Festival
Mar-19-2021 - Mar-21-2021
Looe, United Kingdom
Juke Joint Festival
& Related Events
Apr-15-2021 - Apr-18-2021
Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA
Baton Rouge
Blues Festival
Apr-16-2021 - Apr-18-2021
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
Temecula Blues Festival
Apr-17-2021
Temecula, California, USA
Bob Sykes BBQ
& Blues Festival
Apr-24-2021
Bessemer, Alabama, USA
15th Clarksdale Caravan
Music Fest
May-8-2021
Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA
Leeds Blues, Rhythm
& Rock Festival
May-09-2021
Leeds, United Kingdom
Kimbrough Cotton Patch
Soul Blues Festival
May-14-2021 - May-16-2021
Holly Springs, 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 
