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11th Edition RIVERHEAD BLUES FESTIVAL 2009
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ARCHIVED PERFORMERS
ARCHIVED PERFORMERS Click year: 2009 / 2008
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Saturday July 18 Outdoor Stages 11am -11pm |
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| 11:00 - 12:00 River stage | RBS Singers |
| 12:10 - 1:00 Marina stage | Blue Wild Angel |
| 1:00 - 1:50 River stage | Who Are Those Guys |
| 1:50 - 2:40 Marina stage | The Jim Moran Band |
| 2:40 - 3:30 River stage | Lil' Cliff & The Cliffhangers |
| 3:30 - 4:20 Marina stage | Bobby Nathan Band |
| 4:20 - 5:10 River stage | The Pat Hunter Project |
| 5:10 - 6:00 Marina stage | MSB Featuring Chrissie O'Dell |
| 6:00 - 7:00 River stage | Little Toby Walker |
| 7:00 - 8:00 Marina stage | Nicole Hart |
| 8:00 - 9:15 River stage | Savoy Brown |
| 9:15 - 9:45 Marina stage | RBS Singers |
| 9:45 - 11:00 River stage | Rage & Beyond |
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RAGE & BEYOND Featuring former members of Ace Frehley's Comet, Billy Joel and Dokken |
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Sunday July 19 Outdoor Stages 11am - 11pm |
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| 11:00 - 12:00 Marina stage | T-Bone & Franny Mae |
| 12:00 - 1:00 River stage | Misspent Youth |
| 1:00 - 2:10 Marina stage | Andre & the Night Hounds |
| 2:10 - 3:10 River stage | Little Sammy Davis |
| 3:10 - 4:00 Marina stage | Johnny Zarrow |
| 4:00 - 4:50 River stage | Memphis Soul Review |
| 4:50 - 5:45 Marina stage | Doug "Harmonica" McLean |
| 5:45 - 6:45 River stage | A Band Called Sam |
| 6:45 - 7:45 Marina stage | Kim Simmonds |
| 7:45 - 9:00 River stage | Frank Latorre & The King Bees |


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Vail-Leavitt stage - Saturday July 18 |
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| 11:45 - 12:35 | Hitman Blues Band |
| 12:55 - 1:45 | Little Toby Walker & David Jacobs-Strain |
| 2:05 - 2:55 | Le Swingtet |
| 3:15 - 4:05 | Ken "The Rocket" Korb |
| 4:25 - 5:15 | David Jacobs-Strain |
| 5:35 - 6:25 | Robert Ross |
| 6:45 - 7:35 | Tommy Keys |
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7:55 - 8:45 |
EEAC Duo |
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Vail-Leavitt stage - Sunday, July 19 11:45am - 7:35pm |
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| 11:45 - 12:35 | Jessie Haynes & Friends Featuring Digger T. |
| 12:55 - 1:45 | Ahmad Ali |
| 2:05 - 2:55 | Bob Westcott & The Daydreamers |
| 3:15 - 4:05 | The Nomos |
| 4:25 - 5:15 | Phil Minissale |
| 5:35 - 6:25 | Bruce MacDonald |
| 6:45 - 7:35 | Jacks O'Diamonds |
Performers may email the webmaster links here.
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Coming to national attention in 2008 on the Blues, Roots, Soul & R&B scene, Nicole Hart made an impressive beginning completing three highly successful tours: she was the featured female performer of Jacksonville Beach, Florida's “Springing the Blues”; the featured female headline act of Laconia, New Hampshire's Big Three Motorcycle Week; she performed many more prominent festivals, including the Jersey Shore Red Bank Jazz & Blues Fest, among other renowned venues on the national circuit. Her initial independent CD release, “NICOLE HART & THE NRG BAND, LIVE!” received airplay on radio stations worldwide & continues to receive airplay to this day. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE... |
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KIM
SIMMONDS AND THE SAVOY BROWN BLUES BAND
SAVOY BROWN MEMBERS... Kim Simmonds - Guitar/Vocal
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NICOLE
HARTComing to national attention in 2008 on the Blues, Roots, Soul & R&B scene, Nicole Hart made an impressive beginning completing three highly successful tours: she was the featured female performer of Jacksonville Beach, Florida's “Springing the Blues”; the featured female headline act of Laconia, New Hampshire's Big Three Motorcycle Week; she performed many more prominent festivals, including the Jersey Shore Red Bank Jazz & Blues Fest, among other renowned venues on the national circuit. Her initial independent CD release, “NICOLE HART & THE NRG BAND, LIVE!” received airplay on radio stations worldwide & continues to receive airplay to this day.
During a recording
session for Blues Music Award Nominee Albert Castiglia, she met
up with Blues Leaf Records label president Joseph Morabia, who
soon signed her to the label. Her 2009 Blues Leaf release,
"TREASURE,"
debuted on the Living Blues charts at # 14, and is currently #5
in rotation on XM/Sirius Satellite Radio, is #20 12 weeks on the
national Roots/Blues, and is in rotation on the nationally
syndicated Music Choice television channel. In May 2009, Nicole
became an award-winning vocalist, being recognized as "Female
Vocalist of the Year" by the 5th Annual Los Angeles South Bay
Music Awards.
"TREASURE"
features a duet with label mate Castiglia, is produced by Grammy
award winner Jack Kriesberg (Paquito D’Riviera, Elvin Jones), is
mixed and mastered by Grammy award winning engineer Ben Elliott
(Eric Clapton, Keith Richards), is distributed by Allegro and
available nationwide at Barnes & Noble, Borders Bookstores, J&R
Music World, Amazon.com, CD Universe, and at every performance.
The
New CD, “TREASURE”, on Blues Leaf Records
TREASURE Currently in rotation on MUSIC CHOICE AMERICA TREASURE Currently #5 on XM/Sirius BB King's Bluesville Charts! TREASURE Currently 11 weeks on National Weekly Blues/Roots Charts Female Vocalist of the Year, 2009 5th Los Angeles South Bay Music Awards
reverbnation.com/nicolehartband
Performing Live in the XM/Sirius Studios in Washington, DC on
August 13th!
"Nicole Hart is one of the best voices in contemporary blues."
- Diego Martinez, History of Blues (Jun 30, 2009) "A wonderful, sultry voice... with beautiful phrasing, effortlessly competes with Winehouse and Duffy." ~ KEYS AND CHORDS - KEYS AND CHORDS, KEYS AND CHORDS (Jun 30, 2009) "In the 16 years that the Blues Summit has been on WMWV, I've heard a lot of Blues singers & bands. Occasionally a singer comes along that perks you ear and makes you think, "Yeah there's something special there." That's Nicole Hart. " - Roy Prescott, 93.5 WMWV's Blues Summit, Conway, NH (Apr 17, 2009) "Nicole Hart's new CD, Treasure, sends chills up & down my spine." - John Tibbs, Detour Blues (Apr 12, 2009) "I can't recall the last time I couldn't wait to sit down and start writing about a CD. Sure, the fact that the disc is killer always makes it exciting." - PETER "BLEWZZMAN" LAURO, mary4music.com (Apr 03, 2009) "Hart unleashes fire and ice that Peggy Lee would’ve been proud to call her own and she can get as downright jazzed as Norah Jones." - Dr Blues, LIBS (Apr 06, 2009) "Lowdown and funky, and super vocals" - Dave Isaac, WKIT Bangor, ME (Mar 17, 2009) "Thanks for sending the wonderful cd "Treasure" by Nicole Hart - it is superb" - Dave Barker, STAR FM Radio, Australia. (Mar 16, 2009) "Clearly, Nicole has the chops to compete in the big time blues and R&B circuits. Her voice harkens back to her gospel roots, exuding blues soul... Nicole is a talent who is on the move up in the biz. I was impressed by her ability to work the crowd into a frenzy with her voice.” - Rick Grant, Review Springing the Blues, Jax Beach, April 08 "Hart is, er, kinda gorgeous, and she has a big voice with a road-tested backup band that delivers on the band's CD, "Nicole Hart & The NRG Band Live!" - Tad Dickens, The Roanoke Times "This vocalist can be hotter than hot, or cooler than cool, but make no mistake, Nicole Hart & NRG lights up the phone lines like a x-mas tree. She has a tremendous future in the music industry...A major star." - Biill Nolan, WPKN-FM 89.5, Bridgeport, CT "Nicole Hart belts out some seriously soulful and very bluesy vocals... She really gets to show her broad and versatile range ." ~ Blues Revue, Blueswax & Mary4Music.com - Peter Lauro, Mary4Music.com "What a stage presence! Gorgeous Nicole Hart sings with power, passion, and incredible range... (her) BIG voice hits all the right notes...but it's the emotion in her voice that really grabs you." ~ - Jim Hynes, WDVR-FM NJ "Nicole Hart leads the band with an incredible voice similar to that of Susan Tedeschi, but with a sound very much all her own." - Al Lundy - Nebraska, KZUM-FM "Nicole Hart whipped up some of the most soulful vocals of the evening, supported by a few of the most critically accredited musicians around, including the Grammy nominated guitarist Gil Parris and the quick paced harmonica solos of Stanley Behrens." - Good Times Magazine Review ""With a vocalist who can sing practically anything she wants, and who helps write her own material along with a tight, hard working band; the Nicole Hart Band is ready for the next level of national stardom." " - Ben Cox, Juke Joint Soul (Mar 03, 2009) "Nicole sings her ass off, and she gets strong musical support from a group of New Jersey's A-listers, on "Treasure" her major label debut on Blues Leaf Records, she has captured all that Nicole Hart magic on one disc." " - Bruce Edwards, Sunday Night Blogspot (Mar 10, 2009) "Imagine Margo Timmins of Cowboy Junkies swinging to a Bonnie Raitt groove. That's Nicole Hart " - ROBERT BIESELIN, THE BERGEN RECORD "Imagine that classic band fronted by a beautiful blonde with a gospel voice and all the moves of Tina Turner. Get the picture?" - THE WORKING MUSICIAN, THE WORKING MUSICIAN
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BERNARD ALISON ~ ANA POPOVIC ~ LIL' BRIAN & THE TRAVELERS
Main Stage ~ Vail-Leavitt Music Hall Stage ~ Club 91 Stage
SATURDAY, JULY 19, 2008 - MAIN STAGE - 9:45pm



Bernard Allison:
HIStory
Bernard Allison totes the same smokin’ six string shooter
that his late father Luther Allison assaulted the blues with.
And he is blessed with his father’s soulful voice, spiritual
devotion, and a musical freedom which experiments with the
blues. Born in Chicago on November 26th, 1965, the youngest of
nine children Bernard was first introduced to the roots of black
music and the art of the electric guitar by his father, the late
great Luther Allison. Like Ken Griffey Jr. hanging out in
baseball locker rooms as a youth, Luther’s son was the kid
running on-stage throughout the band’s set. Experiences like
that profoundly effect one’s aspirations. “That’s when I decided
I wanted to be up there like him. I think I was seven.”
“I didn’t start to play ‘til I was maybe 10 years of age”
Bernard recalled “I picked up the guitar and listened to his
records.” While Luther was absent, his record collection played
a major role in shaping the son’s direction. Bernard listened to
his dad’s influences like Magic Sam, Otis Rush, T-Bone Walker,
Lightnin’ Hopkins, and B.B. King. He also got into the next
generation that followed, people like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Johnny
Winter, and Jimi Hendrix.
Bernard made his first appearance on record at age 13, when
he played on a live LP his father recorded in Peoria, IL. “When
we moved to Peoria, Dad came home preparing to do his live album
in Peoria, I hooked up the amplifier and guitar in the basement
and started playing his first record, Love Me Mama, note for
note. He freaked out and said tonight you’re gonna record with
me. That was my first recording. I played “You Don’t Love Me
Know More” and “Sweet Home Chicago.”
Luther brought Bernard my first guitar, a Fender
Stratocaster, and told him to first get an education. At 18,
Bernard joined his father on-stage at the 1983 Chicago Blues
Festival. Then, one week he graduated from high school, Bernard
got a call from Koko Taylor asking to be her lead guitar player.
He joined Koko Taylor’s Blues Machine for three years.
“Koko and Pops Taylor taught mew the do’s and don’t’s of the
road. Bein’ really careful and watching people. They were like
my mom and pops. It was a great education, I was able to tour
the world and see different cultures. We backed Willie Dixon,
Koko was the only group I played in besides my father.”
The 1980’s became Bernard’s classroom as both learner and
teacher. Relationships in the 80’s with Johnny Winter and Stevie
Ray Vaughan expanded Bernard’s guitar foundation. For a year and
a half, Bernard lived and played in London, Ontario. Then, in
1989, Bernard flew to Europe to record with his father, was
asked to lead the band, and, like his father, adopted permanent
residence in Europe. A recording of the furious collaboration
between Luther and Bernard at the 1989 Chicago Blues Festival
can be heard on the Luther Allison album Let’s Try It Again, on
RUF Records.
One year later, Bernard released his first solo album in
1990 with the significant title The Next Generation. Allison
followed that in 1993 with Hang On, then Funkifino, No Mercy.
Bernard’s other titles during the 1990’s included Born With The
Blues, Keepin' The Blues Alive, and Times Are Changing. In the
new millennium, Bernard’s recordings include Across The Water,
Storms Of Life, Kentucky Fried Blues, the highly personal Higher
Power, and Energized, a live recording and DVD from a 2005
show.
One look at that DVD and it’s obvious that Bernard has
inherited Luther's knack for igniting audiences; but he's no
clone of his famous father. He is definitely blazing his own
path with a style that reflects a unique mix of traditional and
modern influences. The Allison torch has been passed, and it's
clear that Bernard takes his role as its bearer very seriously.
He's assumed the challenge of keeping the blues alive and
growing - a commitment he renews every time he takes the stage.
“I’m gonna try my best to pick up where he left off, but I
can’t be Luther Allison, I can only be myself. In the beginning
everyone expects me to be exactly like him, but we are two
different musicians.”
As a true “son of the blues,” Bernard possesses the
requisite guitar feel and vocal intonations necessary to push
his blues into the next century. He knows the energy level
necessary to hold audiences and combines a enough showmanship
and spontaneity to push the performance in fresh, innovative
directions each night.
“In order for anything to expand, you have to take a risk,”
says Bernard. “Blues is about experimenting and getting your
feelings across to someone else. And if you want to keep it
going, people are going to have to give it all a chance because
we’re losing all our creators. Because I’ve been taking risks on
every album I’ve recorded, this record is just a logical
progression from everything else I’ve done. Instead of playing
rippin’ 12 bar blues guitar over and over, there are bluesy
songs, soul, funk, R&B songs and a couple of rock things which
shows the overall musicianship of Bernard Allison.”
That musicianship is no clearer than on his current record,
Chills And Thrills. After 17 years of recording experience,
Bernard has perfected his sound. Instead of just using his
guitar, Bernard has become mature the artist who uses the full
palate of musical colors in his band to paint his stories.
If there ever was a CD for all occasions, this is it. It’s
got the chill songs to curl up with on a rainy day, or the
thrill music you’ll blast when you’re driving late at night. By
adding the rhythm guitar of Bernard’s guitar soulmate Eric
Gales, every song explodes into a guitar player's head trip. The
title cut opens the record with Bernard’s trademark funk meets
blues sound. that signature sound permeates other tunes like
“Compromising For Your Need,” “Heart of St. Paul,” and “Groove
With Me,” Bernard’s treatise on the modernesque blues he’ll
continue to play around the world. But Bernard’s got so much
more. On “So Devine” Bruce McCabe’s piano and Jose James’ alto
sax steals the show. On “Just Me And My Guitar,” Bernard shows
off the frantic slide techniques he learned in the 1980’s from
Johnny Winter. For slow blues, Bernard and pianist Rusty Hall
turn in a first rate guitar and piano performance on “That’s Why
I’m Crying.” But any fan of Bernard Allison knows that every
show or record comes with one of his father’s songs. Here,
Bernard reprises Luther’s 1980’s tune “Serious,” played with
Bernard’s errie, Luther-like vocal attack. In addition, Bernard
strips “Serious” down to just piano and guitar in his after
hours styled closer.
Amid all the daily pop culture pressures to be the next
American Idol why does Bernard stay rooted in the blues? “The
blues is my roots. Regardless of how far outside of the blues I
reach for tones, I can’t ever leave the blues. Whenever I play,
all those guitar parts are Luther Allison coming through me. My
dad was the same way, he wasn’t all blues. He loved Otis Redding
or Chuck Berry. I’m just showing where my influences come from.
And respecting the people who got me to this point.”
SUNDAY, JULY 20, 2008 - MAIN STAGE - 7:45pm
FIREWORKS TO FOLLOW ANA POPOVIC!



The undisputed capitol of Lil’ Brian’s world, is the hamlet of Barrett Station, Texas—B.S.T. to those in the know. This unprepossessing, well kept, Texas crossroads, just outside Baytown and not far from H-Town (Houston), is smack dab in the middle of East Texas Zydeco country. The Creole people of this part of the country, most with strong Louisiana roots, are at least as ardent about Zydeco as their neighbors across the border in Louisiana. The clubs, festivals and radio pulse with Zydeco rhythms both traditional and new, enjoyed by young and old.
It was at Buckwheat Zydeco’s wild shows in Houston’s Catholic Church halls that the young Lil’ Brian was first spellbound by the big piano note accordion played by the Maestro, Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural. Dural encouraged the youngster and was instrumental in launching his career. Lil’ Brian responded by absorbing Dural’s musical lessons and developing his ability to take Zydeco where it had never been before. Brian even had a picture of Buck’s accordion tattooed on his right biceps!
Lil’ Brian also benefited from exposure to his relatives, the father and son Zydeco Greats, John and Geno Delafose, whom Lil’ Brian would visit in Louisiana on summer vacations. With help from Mom and Dad, Lil’ Brian outfitted a band and began playing local gigs. A year later, at the suggestion of Dural, he sent the first of several demo tapes to Rounder Records’ Scott Billington. Longtime Buckwheat Zydeco bassist, Lee Allen Zeno, began working with the band, and went on to co-produce with Billington Lil’ Brian & The Travelers’ first two albums, Fresh (1995 Rounder) and Z-Funk (1997 Rounder).
In this milieu, for the past decade and more, Lil’ Brian & The Travelers have developed a reputation as the most innovative and musically accomplished Zydeco band on the scene. Brilliantly drawing upon contemporary urban black sounds while remaining respectful and true to their Zydeco roots, Lil’ Brian and The Travelers have created an incredibly exciting modern form of Zydeco music that is both rhythmically and lyrically sophisticated and just plain unbelievably funky! They have dubbed their music Z-Funk
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SATURDAY, JULY 19 |
SUNDAY, JULY 20 |
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Riverhead Building Supply Choir 11 - 11:40am |
Kingpins 11 - 11:40am |
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Blue Wild Angel 11:55 - 12:35 |
Misspent Youth 11:55 - 12:35 |
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Jim Moran 12:50 - 1:30 |
Who Are Those Guys 12:50 - 1:30 |
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Sly Geralds 1:45 - 2:25 |
Bobby Nathan 1:45 - 2:25 |
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T-Bone and Franny Mae 2:40 - 3:20 |
Sweet Suzi & The Blues Experience 2:40 - 3:20 |
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The Mojos 3:35 - 4:15 |
Joe Vicino 3:35 - 4:15 |
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Hackensack Men & The Trenton Horns 4:30 - 5:20 |
Tommy Keys 4:30 - 5:20 |
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Pamela Betti 5:35 - 6:15 |
Lil' Brian & The Travelers 5:35 - 6:15 |
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Kane Daily 6:30 - 7:15 |
Gary Sellers 6:40 - 7:30 |
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Toby Walker 7:25 - 8:05 |
Ana Popovic 7:45 - 9:00PM |
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MISbHAVIN 8:15 - 8:55 |
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Frank Latorre & The King Bees 8:55 - 9:45 |
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Bernard Allison 9:45 - 11:00PM |
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Vail-Leavitt Music Hall Stage Schedule 2008
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SATURDAY, JULY 19 |
SUNDAY, JULY 20 |
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Mulligans 11:45am - 12:35 |
Big Daddy & The Bulldogs 11:45 - 12:35 |
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Toby Walker & Pat Wictor 12:55 - 1:45 |
Phil Minnisale 12:55 - 1:45 |
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Johnny Zarrow 2:05 - 2:55 |
Bob Greene 2:05 - 2:55 |
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Phil Minnisale 3:15 - 4:05 |
Gail Storm 3:15 - 4:05 |
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Bruce MacDonald 4:25 - 5:15 |
Robert Ross 4:25 - 5:15 |
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Pat Wictor 5:35 - 6:25 |
Ken "The Rocket" Korb & Dee Harris 5:35 - 6:25 |
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Daydreamers 6:45 - 7:35 |
Sunnyland Jazz Band 6:45 - 7:35 |
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Stevie & The Bluescasters 7:55 - 8:45pm |
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SATURDAY, JULY 19 |
SUNDAY, JULY 20 |
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Highway 49 12:10 - 1:00 |
Little Stevie & the Sons of the Dessert 12:10 - 1:00 |
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Park Avenue Blues Band 1:20 - 2:10 |
Lonesome Dan & The Curmudgeons 1:20 - 2:10 |
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Vendettas 2:30 - 3:20 |
Bluesbox 2:30 - 3:20 |
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Moondogs 3:40 - 4:30 |
Buttered Soul 3:40 - 4:30 |
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Crazy Helen & The Blues Collar Band 4:50 - 5:40 |
Defibrillators 4:50 - 5:40 |
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Jack O Diamonds 6:00 - 6:50 |
Doug 'Harmonica' McLean 6:00 - 6:50 |
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Blue Roots 7:10 - 8:00 |
Sam Taylor 7:10 - 8:00pm |
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