This coming Memorial Day weekend, the good folks of the Mimbres Region Arts Council will present: The 16th Annual Silver City Blues Festival, Memorial Day Weekend, May 27, 28 & 29, 2011. Starting on Friday and wrapping up Sunday afternoon, presented in Silver City's Gough Park with additional activities and events throughout Silver City. The festivities kick off on Friday night with The Coolers, who are Tucson's premier nine piece horn band, their motto is "More Horns Equals More Soul." On Saturday The Kat Crosby Band from Las Cruces/El Paso will kick things off, to be followed by The Continental Blues Band from Silver City, SHRI from Prescott, Az. (who play a cool blend of blues & rock), The Reba Russell Band (a group made up of prominent Memphis blues musicians) and Zac Harmon of Jackson, Mississippi, a veteran and recognized blues guitarist who will close out the first day of live concerts. The one man blues tornado, CW Ayon of Las Cruces will open on Sunday, followed by Big Jim Adam & John Stilwagen from Colorado Springs, Co., The Pleasure Pilots, who play r&b swing and feature several veterans of both the Albuquerque and Santa Fe music scenes including Terry Bluhm currently of Felix Y Los Gatos, who has also played with Bonnie & The Boomerangs, Thunderama, Animal Opera and Bayou Seco (Ken Keppeler and Jeanie McLerie, now make their home in Silver City) Harry Manx the self described “Mysticssippi” blues man will close the festival. Manx was born on the Isle of Man, but his family emigrated to Canada when he was a child. As a young man, Manx took off to Europe where he made his living as a busker, Manx proudly states that "I've worked only as a musician since then." Like CW Ayon who is also on the bill, Manx once plied his trade as a one man band, and as he explains "I still have that one man band sound" What really makes Manx unique, is that having spent several years seeking spiritual guidance and studying music in India, he now blends ragas and the blues to create something truly unique. All performances are free of charge except for The Coolers and Saturday's Post-Fest Jam Session (theres's a $12 cover charge)
Silver City Blues Festival 2011 Lineup:
Friday Night, May 27, 2011 at the Buffalo Dance Hall9:00 pm - 1:00 am The Coolers
Saturday, May 28, 2011 at Gough Park
12:30 - 1:30 pm Kat Crosby Band
2:00 - 3:15 pm Continental Blues Band
3:45 - 5:00 pm SHRI
5:30 - 7:00 pm Reba Russell Band
7:30 - 9:00 pm Zac Harmon
9:00 pm - 1:00 am Post-Fest Jam at the Buffalo Dance Hall
Sunday, May 29, 2011 at Gough Park
12:00 - 1:00 pm C.W. Ayon
1:30 - 2:30 pm Big Jim Adam and John Stilwagen
3:00 - 4:30 pm The Pleasure Pilots
5:00 - 6:30 pm Harry Manx
Dirt City Chronicles is not associated with or endorsed by the Mimbres Region Arts Council, I'm posting this as a public service to fans of blues music everywhere!