Past PDX Blues Event Archives - Page 47 of 75

Tedeschi Trucks Band Scheduled for Keller Auditorium

Now in their eighth year, Grammy-winning Tedeschi Trucks Band has earned its reputation as one of the premier live acts touring today. The 12-piece ensemble, led by the husband-and-wife team of guitarist Derek Trucks and guitarist-singer Susan Tedeschi, is a true collective and a rarity in rock-and-roll — every member of the group is featured while still serving the band’s unified vision, pushing the boundaries of group dynamics and improvisation to inspiring new heights. Praised by reviewers for their “joy-filled blast of blues, soul and rock” (Philadelphia Inquirer) and “stellar musicianship” (Denver Post), TTB is a touring juggernaut, on the road over 200 days a year and never playing the same set list twice.

Their latest release is Live From the Fox Oakland, a CD and film recorded in a single night at a show that fans and band members all regard as one of their finest performances to date. Live From the Fox Oakland debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Blues and #6 on the Rock Albums chart, follows four critically-hailed and commercially successful TTB albums, including their Grammy-winning inaugural studio effort Revelator

The Tedeschi Trucks Band will be bringing their signature pulse-pounding show to Portland for one night at the Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay Street, on Friday, November 3 at 7:30. Tickets are available at the Portland’5 Box Office, TicketsWest outlets or by phone 800.273.1530, ranging from $39.50 – $69.50. Hard Working Americans open the show.

Cascade Blues Association Night with the Portland Trailblazers

Cascade Blues Announcement, Past PDX Blues Event

The Portland Trailblazers are teaming up with the Cascade Blues Association to present a special night to help raise funds for the CBA’s many programs promoting, preserving and supporting the blues in our community. On Wednesday, January 24, the Blazers will host division rivals the Minnesota Timberwolves with their rising stars Andrew Wiggins, Karl Anthony-Towns and Jimmy Butler and you can purchase discounted tickets in several choice seat locations with a portion of each ticket sold earmarked for the CBA.

To select and purchase your Blazer game tickets, go to www.rosequarter.com/cascadeblues and use the code “CBA” (PLEASE NOTE THE CORRECTED LINK!!)

Tickets are great gift idea for the upcoming holidays, too!! Join Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Jusef Nurkic and the whole Blazers team and cheer them on to win for Cascade Blues Association night at the Moda Center.

Blue Vancouver: Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival

Cascade Blues Note, Past PDX Blues Event

By Jeff LeVine

Every year for the last 20 years, Bravo! Northwest has hosted the Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival as a benefit to support its concert ensembles and concert series. True to the vision of the organizers, this is a world class cultural event. And it is just the other side of the mighty Columbia River in downtown Vancouver, Washington.

Granted, the traffic over the bridge of the clods can be an impediment. The trip up for the Friday night show took me 90 minutes. Still, this gem of a festival is right in our back yard and gets very little coverage in Portland. Now the Cascade Blues Association was hip to the event this year, with a staffed tent selling memberships and CBA swag.

For blues festival lovers, this spectacular event offers top stars, with few crowds in a shaded comfortable park with very reasonable ticket prices.

The festival features jazz and blues starts, here is breakdown to the 2017 blues shows.

Ruthie Foster
Headlining Friday night Ruthie’s trio brought her unique mix of blues and gospel to the ‘couve. Ruthie opened with songs of devotion and praise and the “Promise of a Brand New Day.” Her “Small Town Blues” brought the dancers out. Just when I thought this was all about gospel, Ruthie went back to the blues roots with Mississippi John Hurt’s “Richland Women Blues” and a modern cover “When It Don’t Come Easy.” And once again Ruthie switches styles and plays a jazzed up version of “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash. The fans were out in force, and I could see why! The show is uplifting and covers the timeless praise and pain of the blues. If you have not listened to Ruthie, give her a try!

Shemekia Copeland
Saturday afternoon featured a lady with blues legacy. Shemekia is the daughter of Johnny Copeland and shared several tales of growing up Copeland in Harlem when blues was out and hip-hop reigned supreme. Two fine guitar players and a bass and drum rhythm section backed Shemekia . Shemekia is promoting her new CD Outskirts of Love and opened with the rocking title track. Following was a very dark song called “Cross-Bone Beach”, which tells a scary crime story. Shemekia followed with a song that hits close to home for many, she couldn’t find love and wound up “Married to the Blues” featuring a clean guitar solo. Shemekia covered one of her daddy’s songs, about the devil. Then informed us she was a full service blues singer, singing about the lord and about the devil. Shemekia brought it down with “Salt in My Wounds” and I felt the deep sadness of the song. She covered several of her father’s songs “Circumstances” and “Ghetto Child” about a boy who couldn’t go to school because he had no shoes. The Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival does offers a chance to meet some of the artists. I got a chance to speak to Shemekia for a few minutes and she recounted the time her father brought home the Grammy for the album Showdown (with Albert Collins and Robert Cray).

Ronnie Baker Brooks
Sunday afternoon brought my favorite show of the festival with another legacy. Ronnie is the son of Lonnie Brooks. Ronnie lead the group on the Gibson 339 guitar and was backed by an amazing keyboard player and bass and drum. Chicago electric blues is my favorite. Ronnie opened with “I’ll Play the Blues for You” just as sultry as the original with an amazing organ solo. Ronnie was promoting the Times Have Changed album, co-written by Big Head Todd. “Doin’ Too Much” featured a modern chord progression, but Ronnie’s solo was pure Chicago. Ronnie covered several of the blues forefathers with a John Lee Hooker tribute and covers of Howlin Wolf and a fantastic version of “Let Me Love You Baby”. Ronnie was my favorite performer. As blues lover’s we can listen to the old records, or we can listen to rocked out versions of the old songs. Ronnie is one of the few performers I’ve heard who offers a truly updated version of the Chicago blues with the passion and the pain adapted for today.

John Mayall
John was the closing act for the festival. Sadly, he exposed one of the weaknesses of the event. The sound check took 45 minutes for a trio. John Mayall is not young, he was a very early British Invasion blues star. His voice was creaky, but his harmonica playing was as tight as ever. John switched between two keyboards, harmonica and guitar. He played his own songs like “Moving Grovin Blues” and covers like Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Help Me.” John closed the show with an awesome version of “Congo Square”. John did come back for an encore and played his big hit “Room to Move.” This was the highlight of his show.

So if you have the chance next summer, try to catch the Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival. You are sure to catch some excellent acts in a very enjoyable park with none of the crowds we have at the waterfront.

Spirit Mountain Presents George Thorogood and The Destroyers Rock Party Tour

Past PDX Blues Event

Legendary rock band George Thorogood And The Destroyers has stormed the rock & roll charts for more than 40 years, and now the group is putting their talents to work by helping The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) find cures and ensure access to treatments for blood cancer patients. Thorogood and the Destroyers will be donating $1 from each ticket sale of their “Rock Party Tour” to LLS. The tour will continue through September 16 at Oregon’s largest casino, Spirit Mountain Casino, in Grand Ronde, OR.

With more than four decades years of touring and recording, 15 million albums sold, and 8,000 live shows, George and his longtime band – Jeff Simon (drums, percussion), Bill Blough (bass guitar), Jim Suhler (rhythm guitar) and Buddy Leach (saxophone) – remain among the most relevant classic rock acts on tour today. The band has amassed a catalog of hits that includes “Who Do You Love,” “I Drink Alone,” “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” “Move It On Over,” “Get A Haircut” and the anthemic, “Bad To The Bone.” The band has released sixteen studio albums – including six Gold and two Platinum discs on Rounder, EMI and Capitol – but it’s their powerhouse live performances that have made George Thorogood And The Destroyers legendary.

Spirit Mountain Casino is located at 27100 SW Salmon River Hwy, in Grande Ronde, OR. This 21 & over show starts at 7:00 pm and tickets can be purchased atspiritmountain.com with prices ranging from $31.00 to $51.00.

The Uptown Dance Party: BB King & Boogie Cat Birthday Celebration

Past PDX Blues Event

Join us for an evening of up-tempo, funky grooves with your dancing shoes while we celebrate the birthday of “The Boogie Cat” Norman Sylvester who shares the date with the late, great BB King, on Saturday, September 16.

If you ever have attended one of Norman’s Birthday parties… the room is transformed into a Southern Blues “Juke Joint” filled with special guests and surprises. For your dancing enjoyment, The Norman Sylvester Band will host the evening, featuring vocalist Lenanne Sylvester and saxophone master Renato Caranto honoring both the King of the Blues and our own local blues icon. There will be a free photo booth available, so make sure to dress to impress and put on your “uptown best.” There will be a limited food menu plus two full no host bars set up serving cocktails, a nice selection of wines, microbrews — and even champagne!

It all happens at The Adrianna Hill Ballroom located in heart of downtown Portland on the second floor of the Pythian Building, 918 SW Yamhill. It has a huge ballroom dance floor with a raised stage and a balcony. Plenty of parking nearby at Smart Park for $5.00 for the full night and a Max light rail stop is right outside the entrance door. Street parking is free after 7:00 pm.

Presented by Ron Beardon, tickets are available in advance through Tickettomato.com for $10.00. Admission at the door is $12.00. Show time begins at 7:00 pm.

Nathaniel Rateliff to Headline Widmer Brothers Oktoberfest

Past PDX Blues Event

Celebrating their thirteenth annual Oktoberfest, Widmer Brothers Brewing will be holding this year’s event in Pioneer Courthouse Square in the heart of downtown Portland on Saturday, September 30. The longest running Oktoberfest in the city will be bigger than ever featuring all of your favorite brews from Widmer, plus small-batch brews only available for the event. There will be plenty of music happening, too, with local bands and DJs and this year’s headliner Nathaniel Ratefliff & The Night Sweats.

The Denver-based band, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats’ popularity has been soaring the past couple of years, becoming an in-demand act at festivals and venues all around the country. Their style of Americana music blends a soulful mix of R&B, country, folk, and rock, and are perhaps best known for their hit single “SOB” from the band’s debut album.

Pioneer Courthouse Square is located at 701 SW 6^th Avenue. This is an all ages event (under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian), but you must be over 21 to purchase drink tokens. It all starts at 2:00 pm and runs until 10:00 pm. General admission tickets are $35.00 in advance ($40.00 day of show) and include a commemorative beer stein. Premium admission includes reserved viewing for the concert on an elevated area, access to a private speed bar, a commemorative stein and gift, and one free beverage for $75.00. There is also a Meet & Greet VIP admission for $150.00 that includes everything in the premium ticket as well as being able to meet Nathaniel Rateliff and the band, have a downloadable photo taken with them, and a VIP lanyard. A portion of the proceeds for the Meet & Greet admission will benefit Rock & Roll Camp for Girls. Tickets are available at Getmyperks.com.

Dustbowl Revival Brings Their Unique Americana Back To The Lake Theater

Past PDX Blues Event

It really says a lot about how amazing a band truly is when the LA Weekly names an Americana act the best live band to see in a city as musically diverse as Los Angeles. But that is exactly the title that they handed out to Dustbowl Revival. Fresh off their recent outstanding performance at the Waterfront Blues Festival in July, Dustbowl Revival returns to the Portland area for a show taking place at The Lake Theater & Café on Monday, September 11.

Music City Roots further describes a recent performance as: “We’ve had big brassy funky vintage soul-meets-country-blues bands before, but none has had more chair-by-chair excellence in musicianship, showmanship and vocal power than The Dustbowl Revival out of Los Angeles. They kicked off with a bit of Beale Street rumba blues then slid into a sharp and funky film noir vibe built on the acoustic bass of James Klopfleisch. He and the other instrumentalists showed incredible polish and schooling. But the band’s signature vibe radiates from lead vocalists Liz Beebe and Zach Lupetin. He is stylish and charismatic, with great rhythm. She’s a vocal powerhouse with shaky-shaky seductiveness. “

Don’t miss out on a band that is definitely on the rise. The Lake Theater & Café is located at 106 N State Street in Lake Oswego. Show time is 7:00 pm. Tickets are available at Laketheatercafe.com for $20.00 general admission or purchase a VIP table for four with seating right up close to the stage for $100.00.

Gov’t Mule Returns To Rock The Roseland

Past PDX Blues Event

Gov’t Mule is steeped in the roots and mystique of rock, blues, soul, and jazz. The quartet — Warren Haynes, Matt Abts, Danny Louis, and Jorgen Carlsson — is equally recognized for its stirring songwriting and storytelling as it is for the improvisational virtuosity that fuels their countless live performances. Their music has galvanized a fan base of millions around the world, reaching a place of preeminence as one of the most timeless, revered, and active bands in the world whose place among rock titans remains unshakable.

Touring in support of their latest release, Revolution Come … Revolution Go, Gov’t Mule returns to The Roseland Theater in Portland on Tuesday, September 19 for another certain- to-be-rocking night of music for an appreciative audience. Presented by Double Tee, this 21 & over event will take place at 8:00 pm. General admission tickets for the floor are $29.50 and reserved seating in the balcony is $40.00. Tickets can be purchased at Cascadetickets.com. The Roseland Theater is located at 8 NW 6^th Avenue.

Award Winning Danielle Nicole Returns To The Birk

Past PDX Blues Event

Kansas City’s Danielle Nicole has lived a lifetime of music and knows how to command a stage. It is easy to see just how much of herself she puts into her music, whether belting out a fiery song or working her bass. Originally breaking out big time with her brothers in the band Trampled Under Foot, winning the 2008 International Blues Challenge, and since going solo to high success, Nicole has won Blues Music Awards, recorded with the likes of Curtis Salgado and the North Mississippi All Stars, and has been touring recently on a bill also featuring Los Lobos and the Tedeschi Trucks Band. She will be heading back to Oregon for one night only, supporting her most current Blues Blast Award winning release Wolf Den.

On Thursday, September 21, Danielle Nicole will appear at The Birk, 11139 Hwy 202, in Birkenfeld, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available in advance through Tickettomato.com for $10.00 or can be purchased at the door day of show for $15.00.

Catfish Lou’s to Host The Kings Of Blues Tribute

Past PDX Blues Event

B.B., Albert, and Freddy King have all departed but not before leaving an infinitesimal legacy of Blues. Every blues guitarist on this planet has been inspired, schooled, and enthralled by the works of these three Kings.

With that in mind, The Kings Of Blues Tribute Band will be paying homage to these masters in a rare confluence of three of Portland’s premier guitarists at a special event happening at Catfish Lou’s on Friday, September 29. A collective 150 years of experience resides in these masterful string benders. The list of accomplishments and collaborations of these players are endless but a sampling of their work includes Michael Osborn as lead guitarist for John Lee Hooker for 13 years; Kenny Blue Ray playing and recording with Marcia Ball and Stevie Ray Vaughn; and Peter Dammann as Paul deLay’s lead guitarist and the musical director of Portland’s Waterfront Blues Festival. While Albert, Freddy, and B.B. each had their own signature and style, so it is with Michael, Peter, and Kenny. Each of these gentleman will showcase the nuances of the original kings of blues and add their own magic as well. Michael also promises to sing a few for you.

With all great blues bands, a solid rhythm section is imperative. On drums is Portland veteran John Moore whose resume reads like a who’s who of blues including stints with people such as William Clarke, Curtis Salgado, and Bill Rhoades. Holding down the bottom line on bass is multiple Muddy Award nominee KG Jackson, who will also assume vocal duties and belt out, as only he can, many of your Kings favorites as well as some excellent originals.

This will be an amazing show that is surely not to be missed. Never again will we see the original Kings but this is your chance to recall your favorite songs by BB, Albert, and Freddy. The Kings of Blues have spent a lifetime studying the original blues greats and vow to keep their spirits alive. Come celebrate this tribute to the masters at Catfish Lou’s in what’s sure to be a blues party like no other!

Catfish Lou’s is located at 2460 NW 24^th Avenue. Show time is 9:00 pm. Admission is $10.00.