Fundraiser To Help NW Acts Heading To The International Blues Challenge in Memphis

On Saturday, January 7, come to the Trails End Saloon to support several of the Northwest acts that will travel to Memphis in February to compete in the renowned International Blues Challenge on that city’s famous Beale Street. Each of these acts have won their respective blues societies’ regional competitions, and this will be one more opportunity to help raise funds for their trips and give them a chance to prepare their sets prior to arriving in Memphis.

To help them prepare, the acts will perform in a situation like they will experience at the International Blues Challenge, with timed sets and judges scoring their performances.  Special celebrity judges will be on hand who have first-hand knowledge about competing in Memphis. They will be Kevin Sutton from the 2012 IBC  1st place winning band The Wired from the Washington Blues Society,  Karen Lovely, three-time BMA nominee and 2010 2nd place IBC winner from the Cascade Blues Association, Tommy Marsh from the Crooked Eye Tommy Band, 2016 Ventura County Blues Best Band from the Los Angeles area, and a 2012 IBC competitor representing the Santa Barbara Blues Society.

The acts performing at the Trails End are the Cascade Blues Association’s Rae Gordon & The Backseat Drivers, David Pinsky, and Timothy James (youth); the Washington Blues Society’s Polly O’Keary & The Rhythm Method; and NattyBone from the Rainy Day Blues Society. Following the individual judged performances there will be an All Star jam featuring the contestants.

The Trails End Saloon is located at 1320 Main Street in Oregon City. Admission is $10.00 at the door, plus there will be a silent auction and drawing all to help the acts on their trip to Memphis.