Let the festivals begin! You gotta love the coming of spring in the Pacific NW if your a blues fan. Blues Festivals start to coming to life, and the season is in full bloom by summer. The gorgeous town of
Couer D' Alene, Idaho just across the Washington State line from Spokane is one of the spring blues festivals to enjoy.
The
Inland Empire Blues Society (IEBS) gave
The Coeur d’Alene Blues Festival the award for Best Blues Event in 2011. The organizers hope
to improve this festival every year and show everyone why they earned
the award. In keeping with their award win, they have chosen all IEBS
award winners to perform this year with over 20 awards given amongst all the
acts joining the festival, as well as TWO international touring acts. The organizers are predicting this to be the BEST
Coeur d’Alene Blues Festival ever, and cover the
blues from Acoustic, to Electric Slide, to Rocking originals, to R&B
and back again. Read below to find out more...
A Summary of Festival Events Includes:
- Delta Preachers, winners of the Best Acoustic Blues Act from the IEBS in the newly remodeled Whispers Lounge Friday & Saturday afternoon 4-6:30PM
- Boat Cruise and Dock Party on Friday March 30th. 7:00PM
These are two great party bands. The Fat Tones are Hall of Famers with
the Inland Empire Blues Society having won multiple awards multiple
times. The Fat Tones's Bobby Patterson just won the 2011 Best Blues Guitarist
as well. Laffin’ Bones just won Best Blues Band. This is the Tones &
Bones Fat& Laffin’ Party Time Blues Cruise. They are hooking two Cruise boats together and putting a band on each one,
Then tying their sound systems together so the sound is in each boat.
They will do alternating sets. The party is from 7-10PM Friday March 30th.
The boat will cruise on
Lake Couer D'Alene from 7:30-9:30PM with partying at dockside
before and after including Full bar and dancing.
The Main Event
The Coeur d’Alene Resort’s Convention Center will host a party that
includes 2 stages and 4 incredible bands on Saturday, March 31st. With a
stage on each end, there is no down time. Two stages of Blues make for a
seamless transition from one band to the next. This party starts at 7PM, The 2012 Four Band lineup includes:
7PM - Big Mumbo Blues Band
They have won the Best Blues Band from the IEBS for 3 years in a
row, so were ineligible to win again this year, so they won 5 other
awards instead including Best Male Vocalist, Best Female Vocalist, Best
Keyboardist, Best Drummer, Best Female Performer. A six piece soul
thumping R&B blues band that has started this party every year for a
good reason. They’re really good at it.
8:30PM - Roy Rogers & The Delta Rhythm Kings
One of the two international headliners, Roy Rogers is arguably the best
slide guitarist performing today. He has had 8 Grammy nominations as a
producer and performer. He has received numerous accolades for his
songwriting (Grammy Nomination for ‘Song for Jessica’, Grammy nomination
with Bonnie Raitt on ‘Gnawin’ On It which he co-wrote), as well as his
work on movie soundtracks and television.
Rogers was a featured guitarist with John Lee Hooker's Coast to Coast
Blues Band in the early 1980s. He has recorded not only on his own to
critical acclaim, but with others including Carlos Santana, Bonnie
Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, Norton Buffalo, Steve Miller, Sammy Hagar, Ray
Manzarek and many others. He has been touring worldwide since 1982 and
has performed in some of the world’s most prestigious festivals
including Montreux, North Sea Jazz Festival, Pori, Pistoia, New Orleans
Jazz Festival and more. His ability to electrify and move audiences is
legendary.
10PM - Coco Montoya
The second headliner was mentored by legendary bluesman Albert Collins.
Coco went on to become the guitarist for John Mayall and the
Bluesbreakers for ten years before leading his own band to win Best New
Blues Artist in Memphis at The Blues Awards back in 1996.
Critics rave
and audiences adore this true master of the electric blues. His last
album,
I Want It All Back , was produced by Keb Mo’ and Blues Revue
said, "Blistering contemporary blues... piercing attack, funky, shivery
guitar tones and aggressive, soulful vocals." The Village Voice
declared, "The fiery blues that issue forth from Coco Montoya's guitar
are awe-inspiring and boogie requiring." A self taught guitar slinger
who plays with an emotional intensity few string benders possess, he
plays left-handed and up side down in the style of Albert King and Jimi
Hendrix. He has played every major Blues Festival around the world and
is a favorite performer at every one of them.
11:30PM - Kenny James Miller Band
The Festival closer, hailing from Kalispel, Montana. This very rocking
trio has tore it up around the Northwest lately, having just been given
the Best New Blues Band award from the Inland Empire Blues Society.
Known for their great live performances, this mostly original band has
become a mainstay at area festivals. Last Spring they were also a
Washington State Blues finalist for the International Blues Challenge in
Memphis having won the Spokane Semi-Final Competition. But mostly, this
band rocks the blues.
On Friday and Saturday in the Coeur d’Alene Resort’s Splash Lounge two of the areas most popular dancing blues bands play.
After the Blues Cruise Friday night, Splash will feature
Sammy Eubanks.
Award winning vocalist and favorite frontman Sammy Eubanks and his band
will rock the house. His last album
Riding Alone just won Best Blues
Album from the IEBS and he was also awarded Best Male Vocalist by
The
Washington State Blues Society. Also, be prepared to dance.
Saturday night at the Splash will feature
The Fat Tones, so if you don't catch them on the blues cruise you can catch them here. Smoking hot blues and a favorite regional dance band, this one is fun.
Bobby Patterson is also an IEBS winner this year, for Best Blues
Guitarist. “Their harmonies are amazing, Bobby Patterson’s guitar
playing is world class, and their songs are guaranteed to make you
dance.” –Robert Horn W.B.S. Bluesletter
A Gospel Brunch will close the Festival on Sunday, from 10AM to 2PM
The Shore Lounge will host the
Spokane Community Gospel Ensemble featuring a cappella vocalists made up
from the Spokane Community Gospel Mass Choir.
Ticket , Lodging and Other Information...
One of the two international headliners, Roy Rogers is arguably the best
slide guitarist performing today. He has had 8 Grammy nominations as a
producer and performer. He has received numerous accolades for his
songwriting (Grammy Nomination for ‘Song for Jessica’, Grammy nomination
with Bonnie Raitt on ‘Gnawin’ On It which he co-wrote), as well as his
work on movie soundtracks and television.
nice opinion. thanks for sharing...
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