Past PDX Blues Event Archives - Page 50 of 75

Brody Buster – One Man Band, Schedules a Trio of Performances In Oregon

Brody Buster hails from Lawrence, Kansas and gained international attention this past January at the International Blues Challenge where he not only earned the second place win in the solo/duo competition as a one-man band, he also took home the award for best harmonica player. But though still a young man, he has been around the music scene for a number of years. A former harmonica child prodigy, he has been featured on countless TV shows, including the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Dateline, Crook & Chase, and the Jon Stewart Show. Even Baywatch Nights and Full House showcased Brody’s musical talents. Brody has shared the stage with Quincy Jones, Keb Mo, Chaka Kahn, Lee Oskar, and was a regular performer at B.B. King’s Blues Club. In fact, the late B.B. King once noted that “despite his age, Brody Buster is one of the greatest harmonica players of our time.”

“The music that Brody Buster performs is authentic, engaging, lively, and real; “no artificial sweeteners added.” – Barry Kerzner, American Blues Scene

Brody Buster will be bringing his one-man band performances to Oregon for the first time this August with three dates throughout the state.

He will be appearing at The Pines 1852 Tasting Room, 202 Cascade Avenue, Suite B, in Hood River on Friday, August 11. Please contact the venue for show time and admission information at 541-993-8301.

On Saturday, August 12, he will be in Eastern Oregon as part of the sensational line-up at the Bronze, Blues & Brews Festival in Joseph.

Then on Sunday, August 13, he will once again travel across the state for an afternoon performance at The Birk, 11139 Hwy 202, in Birkenfeld. Show time is 2:00 pm with an admission of $10.00 at the door.

Blues Dance! With Julie Amici, Mitch Kashmar, Ben Rice, and Dean Mueller

Past PDX Blues Event

Four of the areas most respected and exciting blues musicians, Julie Amici, Mitch Kashmar, Ben Rice, and Dean Mueller, will be performing together in the intimate setting of the Lake Theater & Café on Monday, August 14. For this show, the theater will be clearing space for dancing, and the music will be geared more for dancers. This is a rare opportunity to see this group perform together as they are usually out fronting their own bands. These four musicians will be mixing it up all night in what is sure to be a creative and intimate one-time performance.

Julie Amici has been a rising star in the Portland Blues scene for a couple of years, who along with partner bassist Dean Mueller, was nominated for Muddy Awards in 2015 and 2016 and recently won the Journey To Memphis Solo/Duo competition to earn the honor to represent the CBA at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis January 2018.

West Coast harmonica player Mitch Kashmar is one of the California disciples who soaked up the sound and the soul of Chicago and Mississippi and Cali-customized it. Now living in Portland, this Blues Music Award nominated musician’s blues harp playing is second to none for creativity, drive and excitement. And he’s also just as witty and imaginative in the role of songwriter

Ben Rice is deeply rooted in traditional blues, yet at the same time fiercely original. His guitar playing earns labels like “fearless,” “inventive” and “powerful,” and he routinely brings audiences to their feet with his stunning and emotionally honest vocal delivery. Ben is as much home fronting his electric blues band as he is captivating a crowd solo with nothing but his voice and resonator guitar.

Dean Mueller is a local icon, playing bass with legendary Duffy Bishop as well as being a founding member of the Insomniacs. Dean curates the Music Monday series and performs with Julie Amici across the region.

Tickets are available online at laketheatercafe.com for $15.00. The Lake Theater & Café is located at 106 N State Street in Lake Oswego. Show time is 7:00 pm.

Direct From New York to The Goodfoot Lounge — The Rad Trads

Past PDX Blues Event

When The Rad Trads formed in the Spring of 2012, they were meeting each other in New York City’s East Village for the first time, transplants from Chicago, Portland, and Washington D.C., looking to play with the best musicians they could find. Their horns, guitars, drums, and love for the classics like The Band, Allen Toussaint, and Dr. John brought them together — and of course, beer. Making rent playing four-hour gigs in every bar and beer hall that would have them, the guys dominated New York City and Brooklyn with their punk-rock energy and showmanship, so they decided to take their show on the road. Almost five years later, the Rad Trads have played on four Continents, headlining tours and opening for acts such as Tom Jones, Charles Bradley, Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, Margaret Glaspy, The Lone Bellow, Con Brio, and Dustbowl Revival. They have toured Europe six times, played in 14 countries, 32 U.S. States and are soon releasing their second full length album of original music with its own creative direction and sound. Members of The Rad Trads have performed or recorded with renowned acts such as St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Deer Tick, Lee Fields & The Expressions, Jon Batiste & Stay Human, Sarah Jarosz, Christopher Paul Stelling, David Duchovny, Lenny Pickett, Red Baraat as well as leading their own critically acclaimed bands.

The Rad Trads will be coming to Portland on Thursday, August 17 as part of a double bill alongside Reno’s funk soul outfit The Sextones taking place at Goodfoot Lounge, 2845 SE Stark Street. Show time is 10:00 pm. Contact the venue at 503-239-9292 for admission information.

Blues Troubadour Ray Bonneville Comes to The White Eagle

Past PDX Blues Event

Falcon Ridge Folk Festival 8-2-15
Photo by Stuart Berg

Ray Bonneville is a poet of the demimonde who didn’t write his first song until his early 40s, some 20 years after he started performing. But with a style that sometimes draws comparisons to JJ Cale and Daniel Lanois, this blues-influenced, New Orleans-inspired “song and groove man,” luckily found his rightful calling. Born in Quebec, his family moved to Boston when he was 12. He served a year in Vietnam as a Marine, struggled and overcame drug addiction, earned a pilot’s license in Colorado, then moved to Alaska, then Seattle, and Paris and New Orleans. But it took a close call while piloting a seaplane across the Canadian wilderness to make him decide it was time to get busy writing songs – gritty narratives inspired by a lifetime of hard-won knowledge set against his gritty, soulful guitar and harmonica playing.

He’s since earned many accolades, including a Juno Award for his 1999 album, Gust of Wind. His post-Katrina ode, “I Am the Big Easy,” earned the International Folk Alliance’s 2009 Song of the Year Award, and in 2012, Bonneville won the solo/duet category in the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge.

An Austin resident since 2006, Bonneville still puts the rhythms and soul of New Orleans into much of his music as evident in his latest release Easy Gone. His songs carry a groove and momentum that’s uniquely his — and will always be a part of him, no matter where he roams.

Ray Bonneville will be coming to McMenamin’s White Eagle Saloon, 836 N Russell Street, on Thursday, August 17, for an 8:00 pm show. Tickets for this 21 & over performance are $15.00 and they can be purchased in advance at CascadeTickets.com.

Hot August Nights: A Melissa Etheridge Tribute with Sonny Hess & Friends

Past PDX Blues Event

Celebration of Women In Music Melissa Etheridge Tribute with Sonny Hess & Friends

Melissa Etheridge established herself as a popular and influential rock performer after the release of her debut recording in 1988, and since then she won two Grammy Awards and an Oscar, performed on Broadway, and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Known for hit singles such as “Bring Me Some Water,” “I’m The Only One,” “Come To My Window,” and “Ain’t It Heavy,” she continues to explore new boundaries with her latest musical foray honoring the artists of Stax Records with the album Memphis Rock And Soul.

Numerous musicians cite Etheridge for the inspiration her music has had on the direction of their careers. Locally, blues guitarist and band leader Sonny Hess is one of those. In Etheridge’s honor, she has collected a group of the region’s finest female artists to hold a tribute show at McMenamin’s Mission Theater on Saturday, August 19. Those musicians taking part along with Sonny Hess will be LaRhonda Steele, Lisa Mann, Leah Hinchcliff, Ward Griffiths, Kathryn Grimm, and Nayibe Rojas.

Show time for the Melissa Etheridge Tribute Night will be 8:00 pm. The Mission Theater is located at 1624 NW Glisan Street. This is a 21 and over event. Tickets can be purchased through CascadeTickets.com for $22.00 advance, or $25.00 at the door day of show.

Jody Carroll Comes Home For Performance At The Lake

Past PDX Blues Event

Jody Carroll (McMurrian) may have moved from Portland to the East Coast, but he continues to immerse himself into authentic American roots styles and expand his boundless creative work. His music is original and deeply situated within the past and the modern.

The L.A. Times stated, “No cliché stuff here. No predictable, typical blues schlock here – only smart, eloquent, modern music that is at the same time well soaked in old weird American traditional music. Daring, original, deep, sweet, dark, exciting are some of the adjectives that come to one’s mind when listening to him. You are greeted with a whirlwind of sounds that he creates with his guitar and voice. Deep as the wood’s and delta where he comes from, dark as the river water he grew up swimming in and uplifting as the traditional American melodies and stories he was raised with.”

His performances are a sight to behold as he effortlessly creates modern interpretations of old Blues masters, his own amazing songs and stories or improvisational musical journeys. It’s like watching a Robert Johnson or Son House of old if they had been influenced by everything that came after them. He is a Finger style/slide guitar master and amazingly soulful singer like no other. His ability to freeform in the moment to create constant new renditions of traditional songs and original material sets him far apart from others. He blends flavors of old country Blues, Folk, Hill Country music, Jazz, and Rock all together into a true American gumbo.

Jody Carroll will be returning home to the Portland area for a night at The Lake Theater & Café, 106 N State Street, Lake Oswego, on Monday, August 21 at 7:00 pm. He will be performing music from his upcoming release Back To The Country along with favorites from his earlier albums.Tickets for this show are available in advance for $15.00 at Laketheatercafe.com. VIP tables situated closest to the stage, seating four, are $80.00.

The Aladdin Theater To Host Blues Guitar Icon Coco Montoya

Past PDX Blues Event

“Coco Montoya is a show-stopper…Heartfelt singing and merciless guitar with a wicked icy burn…he swings like a jazz man and stings like the Iceman, Albert Collins. He is one of the truly gifted blues artists of his generation.”— Living Blues

The old Willie Dixon adage, “blues is truth,” perfectly describes the searing, contemporary blues-rock of world-renowned guitarist and vocalist Coco Montoya. Taught by the “Master of the Telecaster,” Albert Collins, but with a hard-edged sound and style all his own, Montoya mixes his forceful, melodic guitar playing and passionate vocals with memorable songs, delivering the blues’ hardest truths. He earned his status as a master guitarist and soul-powered vocalist through years of paying his dues as a sideman with Collins (first as a drummer) and then with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, before launching his solo career in 1993. Five years of constant touring with Collins and ten years with Mayall turned him into a monster player and dynamic performer. Montoya has released nine solo albums and has played at clubs, concert halls, and major festivals all over the world. Guitar Player describes Montoya playing as “stunning, powerhouse blues with a searing tone, emotional soloing, and energetic, unforced vocals.”

Always a popular performer in Portland, Coco Montoya draws big audiences to his shows. He will be returning to The Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Avenue, on Wednesday, August 23 at 8:00 pm. Purchase tickets in advance at Ticketfly.com and also day of show for $25.00.

The Birk Presents Soulful Singer & Guitarist Kara Grainger

Past PDX Blues Event

Australian-born blues singer/guitarist Kara Grainger may draw initial comparisons to Bonnie Raitt — both play slide guitar and sing soulfully, but Grainger offers her own distinctive style that evenly balances the blues with soul and roots rock. Kara Grainger’s music career began in a small suburban town of Sydney, Australia and since then has taken her on an incredible journey throughout the globe. She has a heartfelt approach to songwriting, with a truly unique sound that will leave you uplifted, inspired and always wanting more. Now living in the United States, Grainger has appeared at major festivals and events such as the Waterfront Blues Festival, Colorado’s Blues From The Top and Austin City Limits. She has four critically-acclaimed recordings, including her latest L.A. Blues.

Kara Grainger is an exciting performer and she will be performing at The Birk on Friday, August 25 at 7:30 pm. The Birk is located at 11139 Hwy 202 in Birkenfeld. Admission is $10.00 at the door.

Mary Flower and Mark Shark – Acoustic Guitar Masters Together At Catfish Lou’s

Past PDX Blues Event

Catfish Lou’s is proud to present a combination that doesn’t happen too often. Two guitarists joining forces for what is certain to be a magical night of outstanding acoustic music. Mary Flower and Mark Shark will be sharing the stage offering dazzling fingerpicked and slide guitar, with maybe a little mandolin, banjo, or ukulele thrown in

Mary Flower’s immense fingerpicking guitar and lap-slide prowess is soulful and meter-perfect, a deft blend of the inventive, the dexterous and the mesmerizing. Her supple honey-and-whiskey voice provides the perfect melodic accompaniment to each song’s story. A two-time finalist is the National Fingerpicking Guitar Championship and a multiple Blues Music Awards nominee, Mary tours world-wide, playing such renowned festivals as Merlefest, Kerrville, King Biscuit, Prairie Home Companion, Calgory Folk Festival, and the Waterfront Blues Festival

Mark Shark is an accomplished musician, composer, and multi-instrumentalist whose work over the past three decades in California has taken him around the world and offered him an education unique to those not attending formal studies. He teaches various stringed instruments at both Five Star Guitars and Portland Music Company. Throughout his career he has had the pleasure to have played and recorded with many of his own personal heroes, including the likes of Jesse Ed Davis, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, John Trudell, Taj Mahal, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Terry Evans, and many more.

Portland is fortunate to be home to both of these highly-regarded musicians, and they’ll be making their Catfish Lou’s debut together in a rare collaboration appearance on Thursday, August 24 at 8:00 pm. Tickets for this incredible night can be purchased at TicketTomato.com for $10.00. Catfish Lou’s is located at 2460 NW 24^th Avenue.

Blues Guitarist Doyle Bramhall II – Slated To Visit The Mission Theater

Past PDX Blues Event

Doyle Bramhall II is one of today’s most distinctive vocalists, guitarists, composers, and producers in contemporary music. Indeed, none other than Eric Clapton, with whom Bramhall has worked with for more than a decade, lauds him as one of the most gifted guitarists he has ever encountered. As the son of the late Texas music legend Doyle Bramhall, he was raised in a home filled with the blues and rock ‘n’ roll styles indigenous to Texas as well as having close ties with the Vaughan Brothers, Stevie Ray and Jimmie. In addition to his work with Clapton, Bramhall became an in demand composer, guitarist and producer and has worked with major artists including T-Bone Burnett, Elton John, Gary Clark, Jr., Gregg Allman, Dr. John, Robert Randolph, Allen Toussaint, Derek Trucks, Sheryl Crow, and many others. His latest release, Rich Man, is a watershed achievement for Bramhall, both in terms of the many music styles in the tracks-which begin and end with his fundamental American blues influences and in between follow his global music explorations and arrangements and the inner examinations resulting in the spiritual growth expressed in the lyrics.

Witness the guitar mastery of Doyle Bramhall II for yourself at McMenamin’s Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan Street, on Saturday, August 26. Show time is 8:00 pm and tickets can be purchased in advance at CascadeTickets.com for $20.00; admission is $22.00 day of show. This is a 21 & over event.