Bradenton Blues Festival

Steve Arvey Horn Band at 2012 Bradenton Blues Festival

The Bradenton Blues Festival is an annual festival held in December in Bradenton, Florida. It is organized by Realize Bradenton,[1] a group which promotes Bradenton's Downtown as a destination for arts, culture, history and sports. The performers are both national and regional blues artists. The event takes place at city's Riverwalk Park, which opened in October 2012.[2]

2012 Festival

The inaugural event on December 1, 2012 featured Ruthie Foster, Kenny Neal, Dave "Biscuit" Miller, Johnny Sansone, Southern Hospitality, Homemade Jamz Blues Band, The Steve Arvey Horn Band featuring Henry Lawrence, and Ben Prestage.[3] Harry Potter book series illustrator Mary GrandPré produced a soft-geometry style poster for the event, the proceeds of which went to support local children's music programs.[4][5] The festival attracted a crowd of about 3000.[6][7]

2013 Festival

The December 7, 2013 event attracted about 3,500 listeners, and featured John Németh, Anthony Gomes, Trampled Under Foot, Eddie Shaw, Shemekia Copeland, Johnny Rawls, Albert Castiglia, and Doug Deming.[8]

2014 Festival

The event, which took place on Saturday, December 6, 2014 at downtown Bradenton's Riverwalk, attracted an audience of more than 3,200. Live streaming of the festival, a cooperative effort of Realize Bradenton, Blues Music Magazine and METV, had 3,250 views from all 50 states and 37 foreign countries, including music lovers from Canada, UK, Australia, Germany, France, Hungary, Finland, Brazil, Spain, Greece, Ireland, Thailand, Romania, South Africa, China, Japan, Italy, Belize, Belgium, Mexico, and more. New this year was a food court with southern-inspired cuisine from seven Bradenton-area restaurants and craft beer produced specifically for the festival by Darwin Brewing Co. [9] Acts on the bill for 2014 included Doug Deming, Dennis Gruenling and the Jewel Tones, E.G. Kight, Samantha Fish, Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues, Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials, Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers, Marcia Ball, and Dave Muskett.[10]

2015 Festival

The 2015 festival took place on December 5, 2015 and was attended by over 3000 fans. The Bradenton Herald described the festival as "The biggest live music event in Bradenton" and went on to say the 2015 event "was as big a hit this year as it has been each year since it began in 2012."[11] In 2015, website Blues 411 named the Bradenton Blues Festival "Best Festival of the Year." [12]The line-up for the 2015 show featured In Layman Terms, Girls with Guitars, Super Chikan and the Fighting Cocks, Larry Garner, Mike Zito and The Wheel, Joanna Connor, Rick Estrin and the Nightcats, and Janiva Magness.

2016 Festival

The 2016 Festival is planned for December 3, 2016, with a "Blues Appetizer" concert planned for December 2, 2016. In this, its fifth year, the festival is being promoted as a weekend-long event. [13]

Kicking-off the festival weekend is a free Blues Appetizer concert, December 2, 2016, 6:00–9:00 pm, featuring Ari and the Alibis and Damon Fowler. The main festival concert is on December 3, 2016, 11:00 am–8:00 pm, featuring the Slam Allen Band, Sugar Ray and the Blue Tones, Larry McCray, Jason Ricci, Victor Wainwright & the Wildroots, The Golden State/Lone Star Revue, and headliner Ronnie Baker Brooks. In addition, Ilana Katz Katz will play between each set. The weekend wraps up with a Blues Brunch, December 4, 2016, 10:00 am–12:00 pm, featuring Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones. [14]

References

  1. ↑ Smith, Jessi (2012-05-20). "Sarasota Ranked #1 Destination for the Arts in AmericanStyle Magazine's Annual List | Arts and Entertainment | Your Observer". Thisweekinsarasota.com. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  2. ↑ "Police: Riverwalk skate park attracts some troublemakers". Orl.cfnews13.com. 2012-12-12. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  3. ↑ Wade Tatangelo (2012-12-02). "Bradenton Blues Festival musicians elate capacity crowd". Bradenton.com. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  4. ↑ Wade Tatangelo, "'Harry Potter' illustrator Mary GrandPré's Bradenton Blues Festival poster unveiled," Bradenton Herald, 25 September 2012.
  5. ↑ "The Scenestress boogies with Bradenton Blues Fest VIPs". Ticketsarasota.com. 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  6. ↑ "Bradenton Blues Festival surpasses expectations". Mynews13.com. 2012-12-05. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  7. ↑ "Culture In Florida". Culturebuildsflorida. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  8. ↑ "Bradenton gets the pre-festival blues". Bradenton.com. 2013-12-07. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  9. ↑ "2014 Bradenton Blues Festival a Resounding Success—the Best Ever". Realize Bradenton. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
  10. ↑ "Line Up". The Bradenton Blues Festival. Retrieved 2016-01-13.
  11. ↑ "Hot music, warm weather and a cool wedding make 4th Bradenton Blues Festival a success". Bradenton Herald. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
  12. ↑ "Blues website honors Bradenton Blues Festival". Bradenton Herald. Retrieved 2016-06-09.
  13. ↑ "Bradenton Blues Festival Official Website". Realize Bradenton. Retrieved 2016-07-11.
  14. ↑ "Bradenton Blues Festival Announces 2016 Line-up". Sarasota Magazine. 2016-06-22. Retrieved 2016-07-11.

External links

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