2018 Journey To Memphis Competition Scheduled for May

The 2018 Cascade Blues Association Journey To Memphis competition will take place at Mekong Bistro, 8200 NE Siskiyou Street, Portland over the weekend of Saturday, May 19 and Sunday, May 20. Fifteen acts will face off for the right to represent the Cascade Blues Association and the region at The International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN in early 2019. Past CBA acts have fared well in Memphis including Karen Lovely, Ty Curtis, and Rae Gordon each taking home prizes from the finals.

Each act will play 20 minute sets before a group of judges scoring them on blues content, vocals, instrumentation, originality, and stage presence. The top two scoring acts from each day will move onto the finals to held at the Waterfront Blues Festival on July 4 where the overall winner will be determined.

The Journey To Memphis is open to all ages. Admission is $10.00 each day, and those proceeds will be awarded as prize money to help defray some of the cost of traveling to Memphis.

The schedule for this year’s opening round is:

Saturday, May 19:
12:00 -Blue Owens Band
12:35 – David Pinsky
1:10 – Dan Lowe & Skeletal Remains
1:45 – Ben Rice
2:20 – Arrogant Bastards
2:55 -Riven
3:30 -The New Iberians

Sunday, May 20:
1:00 -Fenix Project
1:35 -Rae Gordon & Kivett Bednar
2:10 -Justus Reece
2:45 -Johnny Wheels & The Swamp Donkeys
3:20 -Al & The Bluetones
3:55 – The Lightning Kings
4:30 – The MojoBlasters
5:05 – Mick Schafer Band