Victor Wainwright & The Train
Victor Wainwright & The Train
Suncoast Blues Society members can purchase pre-sales tickets to blues legend Buddy Guy
Suncoast Blues Society members can purchase pre-sales tickets to blues legend Buddy Guy
NOTE: All SBS members in good standing (paid membership) have the right to this offer. Follow instructions below to get access to the SBS discounted tickets!
Special SBS Members Only Benefit
Tickets are available May 16th 4:00PM
Your Suncoast Blues Society board of directors has been working with Ruth Eckerd Hall, and we are proud to announce a special members-only ticket sale benefit.
On May 16th, Suncoast Blues Society members can purchase pre-sales tickets to blues legend Buddy Guy and his Damn Right Farewell Tour! The tour comes to Ruth Eckerd Hall on September 14th, and Suncoast Blues Society members can purchase their seats before this show goes on sale to the public.
Appearing with Buddy Guy are two standouts in the blues world: Bobby Rush – an 18-time Blues Music Award winner; and musician, producer, songwriter extraordinaire – the 4-time Grammy Award winner Tom Hambridge.
You will want to take advantage of this wonderful offer before the best seats are gone, and the tickets go on sale to the public.
About the show:
BUDDY GUY
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS BOBBY RUSH & TOM HAMBRIDGE
GRAMMY® award winner and Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Famer, Buddy Guy, returns to Ruth Eckerd Hall for the Damn Right Farewell Tour! Buddy Guy is one of the most celebrated blues guitarists of his generation, possessing a sound and style that embodies the traditions of classic Chicago blues while also embracing the fire and flash of rock & roll. Guy began his recording career in 1959 and scored his first hit in 1960 with First Time I Met the Blue. Buddy’s time came in 1991 with the breakthrough of Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues, the first of his many albums to reach the Billboard charts. If his last few decades have proven anything, it’s that a ticket to a Buddy Guy concert isn’t simply a tour through blues history, but an opportunity to see a genre’s foremost practitioner still at the top of his game, with as much to say as ever has. Don’t miss Buddy Guy’s return to Clearwater with special guests Bobby Rush and Tom Hambridge only at Ruth Eckerd Hall!
NOTE: You have to be logged into to get the promotional code. See instructions below.
DETERMINE IF YOU ARE A CURRENT SBS MEMBER
If you not sure if you are a current member, go to the SBS website – www.suncoastblues.org
- Go to the SHOP option in the Main Menu at the top.
- Select the MY ACCOUNT option.
- Fill out the form with your email and your password.
- If you forgot your password, you can reset it with the LOST YOUR PASSWORD link.
- You will receive a link to create a new password via email.
- NOTE: If you do NOT receive your Reset Password email, check your email SPAM folder.
YOU HAVE AN ACCOUNT
- Once you are able to get in via the MY ACCOUNT option, look on the left side for MY MEMBERSHIP.
- Click on MANAGE (left side) and you will see the status of your membership (ACTIVE or EXPIRED)
- If your membership has EXPIRED, you can press the RENEW button.
- You will see a form which you need to update (as needed).
- Then you will be asked to use PayPal to do your renewal order (you can use a PayPal account OR your own credit card).
AFTER YOU LOG IN – CLICK HERE – TO BE TAKEN TO THE CODE PAGE
Become a Suncoast Blues Society Member
Go to our Membership sign up page and choose your Membership!
Everybody Having a Ball – Billy Price Band
Everybody Having a Ball – Billy Price Band
Everybody Having a Ball
Billy Price Band @ Cottonmouth southern Soul Kitchen
On March 29th 2024, Billy Price and his band made their debut in Bradenton’s Village of the Arts and put on one of the best shows seen to date at the venue.
The band set the tone for the evening when kicked off the show playing The Temptation’s classic Can’t Get Next to You, followed by Chuck Berry’s You Never Can Tell. Billy came to the stage and launched a wonderful set of music pulled from this extensive catalogue, and sprinkled in some new material that is forthcoming this fall.
Billy’s band on this tour (Dave Dodd, drums; Tom Valentine, bass; Lenny Smith, guitar; Jim Britton, keyboard; and a horn section with flugelhorn and sax ) expertly backed Billy as he launched into two sets of enjoyable rhythm & blues, blues, and soul. Beginning with I Keep Holding On Billy captured the audience and showed why he is a wonderful entertainer. Billy got the crowd moving by delivering his “signature” song, the Carl Sims classic It Ain’t a Juke Joint Without The Blues.
Billy spoke respectfully about his time touring with Roy Buchannan and performed Nickle and a Nail; and then visited the 2019 recording “Dog Eat Dog” for Lose My Number. What followed next was a highlight. His performance of Mercy from the forthcoming release “Person of Interest” was a powerful, poignant, and memorable performance. This is one beautiful song that touches the heart, and on this night and during this song was Billly at his best.
A standard in Billy’s show is Can I Change My Mind, and tonight was no different. By this time, the audience was beginning to turn Cottonmouth into a dance hall, setting the stage for what to come during the second set. Tyrone Davis songs fit Billy well, and this former number one on Billboards Hot R&B Chart is no exception. The first set concluded with 39 Steps, giving both band and audience a chance to collect their breaths.
Often, between sets in Florida the audience will start to thin out. Tonight, that was not the case. The sold-out show was packed tight. But that did not deter them – they wanted to dance to Billy Price Band and dance they did.
From the start of the second set – which featured the band without Billy performing So Sharp, famously recorded by J. Geils Band – the audience was on their feet, moving and swaying to the beat. And they did not retreat to their seats for the remainder of the night. I’ve seen a lot of shows at Cottonmouth, but never have I witnessed the entire audience up and dancing for an entire set.
The songs during set two included: She Checks All The Boxes, Real Time, the wonderful Crying at The Stoplight, and revisiting Roy Buchanan with Can I Make You Change Your Mind. By this time, the kitchen staff joined in the fun and dancing hit a fever pitch to Tyrone Davis’s s Turn Back The Hands of Time and continued with Be Thankful for What You Got. The band wrapped up the set with Expert Witness.
The audience was not ready to release the band, and Billy accommodated with a two-song encore, First, the full band performed Person of Interest. Billy then asked all but keyboardist Jim Britton to leave the stage and the two concluded a wonderful night with a stirring version of Toussaint McAll’s. Nothing Takes The Place of You. A spectacular evening of music by The Billy Price Band.
- Scott Morris, Suncoast Blues Society
- Photo’s courtesy of Jim Hartzell
Become a Suncoast Blues Society Member
Go to our Membership sign up page and choose your Membership!
Youth Day at Tampa Bay Blues Festival 2024
Youth Day at Tampa Bay Blues Festival 2024
Youth Day at Tampa Bay Blues Festival
Sunday, April 14th, 2024
The Tampa Bay Blues Festival (TBBF) is a 3-Day event held in beautiful
Vinoy Waterfront Park, St Petersburg, Florida, April 12-14, 2024.
Some of the world’s preeminent Blues Music artists will perform.
Blues is the foundation of American Music, from Gospel to Jazz, from
Rock-n-Roll to Hip Hop. Blues music is the springboard that launched it all.
Suncoast Blues Society and TBBF are committed to introducing youth to this historic form.
We are making a special offer to our next generation of Blues music lovers…
Youth up to age 18 and a chaperone can receive a
Free Complimentary Pass!!
- The TBBF promoter has also arranged for one of the performing artists to meet with our “young guests”. He will announce it from the stage Sunday April 14th.
- To receive your Complimentary Pass for Sunday’s festival, everyone attending must supply their names to jamesrandolph@verizon.net by March 24, 2024.
- Your Pass will be available at the ‘Will Call’ ticket booth under your names on Sunday, April 14th. School age youth and chaperone must present ID (school ID, drivers license, etc.) to claim “comp pass”. (No youth or adult info will be used for marketing or shared with any other organizations.)
- Neither TBBF nor SBS accepts any liability for youth and adults accepting this free offer (regular ticket price for this day is $70!) to attend Sunday’s festival Chaperones are responsible for youth behavior.
Sunday’s lineup features:
ALLY VENABLE
BERNARD ALLISON
ANSON FUNDERBURGH & THE ROCKETS
COCO MONTOYA
TAB BENOIT
Become a Suncoast Blues Society Member
Go to our Membership sign up page and choose your Membership!
BLUES BASH AT THE RANCH – PART TWO – SATURDAY
BLUES BASH AT THE RANCH – PART TWO – SATURDAY
BLUES BASH AT THE RANCH – PART TWO – SATURDAY
Blues Bash at the Ranch runs Friday, March 15, 2024 through March 17, 2024 with three days of incredible blues. Camping is optional. Single day and weekend passes are on sale online through 3/11/24; after that tickets are available only at the fest.
Always family and pet friendly. On Saturday, a full day of activities for children 12 and under; ie, painting, tie dye, piñata, hay ride and more! Parents meet at the ranch playground to sign your children in. Also, lots of great vendors on site.
Make sure to take part in our fabulous raffle. Tickets will be sold Friday and Saturday; drawing is Saturday evening. Main prize is an autographed electric guitar by all the bands (bands on Sunday will also sign the guitar). Other great prizes include 2 weekend passes to the 2025 Blues Bash at the Ranch Festival, 2 weekend passes to the 2024 Rock & Roll Revival and 2 weekend passes to the 2024 Camping with the Blues Festival (passes do not include camping) and so much more!
Saturday morning kicks off at 11am with our guitar workshop with Champ Jaxon! Open to all attendees, this will be fantastic. Meet at the main pavilion with your guitar. We’ve got a full day of music ahead.
Music starts at 12:15pm with the Street Preacher Band! Street Preacher is an Americana roots rock band hailing from Jacksonville Florida; An impacting dynamic sound of resonating soul that pours out in each live performance to every audience. High energy original music from the influential depths of hard-hitting pure rock to storyteller old soul to the criminal sounds of southern rock & the blues.
The Champ Jaxon Band takes the stage at 1:45pm; Champ Jaxon is an old soul with a new perspective.
At 13 years-old, this aspiring blues-rock musician is based out of Southwest Florida. Champ has performed over 120 gigs with The Champ Jaxon Band in nine different states. He first performed on Music Row in Nashville in 2021 when he was just ten years old and Beale Street in Memphis a year later, representing the Southwest Florida Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge. He appeared on “The Ellen Show” with guest host Brad Paisley in December of 2021 and made his acting debut on NBC’s “Ordinary Joe” a month later. Champ also performed at the 2022 Young Artist Academy Awards in Hollywood, California, where he took home the “Outstanding Instrumentalist” honors. There are too many accolades for this young man to list. Check out this website for more info! The blues have a great future!
At 3:15pm, Jared Petteys & the Headliners takes the stage! With a sound as classic as the crackling of a Sun Records vinyl still spinning somewhere in Memphis, yet as fresh as the musical stylings of the 21st century, Jared Petteys & The Headliners are busy making waves with their genre-bending brand of tunes. Reminiscent of the vibrant heyday of rock n roll music, the band finds their origins in the styles of classic country, rockabilly, and blues all the while ushering in a new era of rock-and-roll that is as distinctive as the men who form it. Born in the marshes of coastal South Carolina, Jared Petteys (lead vocals/guitar), Stephen Palmer (upright bass), and Russell Lee (drums/backing vocals), blended their unique individualities and influences together to create a band with a rare sincerity that is not often seen in today’s industry. They have spent the past five years cutting their teeth in the South Eastern music scene while simultaneously running the roads discovering who they are and where they belong in the world as they plant roots in towns big and small across the country by burning down every stage they step on. Their high-energy, emotive stage presence is as lively as their melodies.
The Shaelyn Band is up next at 4:40pm – this band is taking the industry by storm! The whole band has a cool vibe with a unique sound, and are very engaging with the audience. You can’t help but groove with them when they play. Hope everyone has on their dancing shoes!
We take a dinner break at 5:45pm – lots of great food from our vendors or campers bring their own.
Power trio, Soul Miners Unions plays next at 6:30pm; they are a red hot blues rock power trio that sets the stage on fire with their killer tones, scorching riffs, and huge dynamic range. Their diverse catalog and energetic live performances feature an explosive intersection of frontman Ben Brandt’s virtuosic guitar work and soulful voice, Liam Galiano’s powerful bass playing and songwriting, and Aidan Reeve’s full-throttle drumming style. Soul Miners Union is quickly taking the blues rock world by storm.
At 8pm, RB Stone joins us on stage. RB is a man who has lived the life that Americana, country, and blues songs are made of, so no wonder he writes and performs them so well. With years under his belt as a railroad worker, cowboy, plumber, Hollywood actor, truck driver and jet pilot, RB has a genuine knack for grit and guts with an undeniable talent that keeps audiences electrified. Just as RB is a jack of all trades, he’s also a jack of all genres. A natural storyteller, RB is just as skilled at delighting engaged house-concert audiences with his country and folk-leaning songs as he is revving up festival goers with his band-backed blues and rock and roll. Whether playing an acoustic or electric guitar, RB is at home on stages of all shapes and sizes and knows how to deliver memorable performances for the most intimate or expansive of audiences.
We close out the evening at 9:30pm with the ever popular Biscuit Miller & the Mix with Rachelle Coba.
Biscuit is an electric blues bassist, singer and songwriter. He writes most of his own material, and has released three albums to date. In 2012 and 2017, Miller won a Blues Music Award in the ‘Instrumentalist – Bass’ category. His best known songs include “Lay It On Down”, “Bottle of Whiskey Bottle of Wine”, “Going Home”, “One More Mile”, “Monday Morning Blues”, and “Wishbone”. Biscuit is well known for his 1000 watt smile that lights up the stage. Performing with the band is, Rachelle Coba, a high powered guitarist and vocalist.
After the last band plays, musicians who did not have to leave for other shows, will get up to jam. Our evening jams are epic!
For more information on camping and tickets, please call Roseanne at 941-758-7585 or go online:
www.bluesbashattheranch.com We can’t wait to see you at the bash!
Greg & Roseanne
Sarasota Cigar Box Fest Weekend
Sarasota Cigar Box Fest Weekend
Sarasota Cigar Box Fest Weekend
March 8-9, 2024
Cigar box guitar fans and blues fans have much to look forward to as Big Top Brewery in Sarasota will be the focal point for a full day of music celebrating home-made instruments.
Hand-crafted string instruments found their start in the blues. Artists like Bo Diddley popularized instruments made from cigar boxes, borrowing a custom created by the sharecroppers who started blues music. The history of blues is linked to homemade instruments. And this weekend is a musical celebration of this legacy.
Our area is fortunate that Steve Arvey calls it home. Raised on Chicago blues Steve has become one of the world’s premier cigar box guitar (CBG) players. Steve will open the weekend as he performs with Shane Speal at Hot Sands Tiki Bar in Sarasota on March 8th. Shane is a builder, player, author, and historian of cigar box guitars and built his first instrument in 1993. Shane is credited for helping popularize this musical genre.
Saturday March 9th is the main event. In addition to Steve and Shane performing at Big Top, the fest will welcome John Nickel to Sarasota. A life-long musician beginning at the tender age of two, life events derailed his musical focus until 2009 when he built his first CBG. As John stated, “ I honestly feel like CBGs gave me a second chance at music” And that is the charm of this genre – it’s provided many without financial means, or without time – the ability to pick up an instrument easily and make music.
The Garbage-Men band is what home-made instruments are all about. Billing themselves as “promote recycling reuse & community service by playing music on instruments we make from garbage” you never know what pieces of someone else’s “trash” are turned into their musical, and our, “treasure.”
Resonator guitars, or Dobro’s, found fame in the early days of blues. And at this fest we are delighted to have Devin Williams in attendance. Devin is an emerging star and performs solo Delta Blues. Devin stays true to history while performing songs created by the originators of the genre and writes his own music that will take you back to the early days of blues.
Plenty of vendors will be on site, and our own Gary Drouin of Memphis Rub Band will have his home-built Hurricane Amplifiers at the fest. There will be a raffle for a homemade cigar box guitar.