The
30th
Edition of Kentucky's longest running music festival, the Kenlake Hot
August Blues Festival will feature some past favorites, along with
some national stars!
The
festival begins Thursday, August 22nd, with the traditional free show
on the lawn of the Kenlake State Park Lodge. Last year's Blues Jam
was so popular, they're going to do it again with local favorites
Adam and the H Bombs and 2 Years Wasted hosting the jam from 6-10pm
Friday,
August 23rd,
the festival moves over to the amphitheater as the gates open at 3,
and music begins at 6.
Friday will feature three of Harper Guitars' top guns, beginning
with John Sutton. Sutton is known from Western Kentucky to South
Florida for his free-wheeling performances which fill up the dance
floors. Sutton will be followed by a past favorite, Alonzo
Pennington and the Xtraordinary Gentlemen. Pennington is a multi
thumb-picking national champion as well as semi-finalist at Memphis'
International Blues Challenge. Finishing up Friday is Jonathon Long.
The former Guitar Center King of the Blues is coming off a breakout
year in which his self-titled CD, produced by Samantha Fish, drew
much critical acclaim and landed him on the radar of Blues guitar
guru Joe Bonamassa, who signed Long to play alongside him on his
Mediterranean Keeping the Blues Alive Cruise. In fact, Long's first
appearance following the cruise, will be Hot August!
Saturday, the gates open at10AM, and the music starts at
noon with Nightfish, one of the original bands from the first Hot
August Blues Festival in 1990. Nightfish may well be the regions
longest tenured band, having performed continuously for the past 39
years. Nightfish will be followed by The Gough-Martin Blues Band
from South Union, Kentucky. Next up is The Beat Daddys. The former
Malaco recording artists return to Hot August due to popular demand.
The Beat Daddys will be followed by another former Guitar Center King
of the Blues, Boscoe France, who will be making his Hot August debut
after showcasing his six string skills around the nation and the
world. Louisiana's legendary Big Al and the Heavyweights are next,
returning to Hot August Blues for the first time since around the
year 2000.
The festival brings a hot dose of Memphis Rhythm and
Blues next with The Memphis All-Stars. They played with a who's who
of Memphis music royalty, including Al Green with a legacy that goes
back to the heyday of Memphis music with Stax Records. Speaking of
Memphis, the next artist received a brass note on Beale Street just
this past year as recognition for her contributions to Memphis' rich
musical heritage. The Hot August Blues Festival is proud to bring
back, by popular demand, The Reba Russell Band. Finally, fans will
want to stick around for the evenings final act, Chicago's
undisputed Queen of Blues Rock, and one of the finest slide players
in the world, Joanna Connor. Her Youtube videos have gone viral and
racked up millions of views just this year, and her marathon shows at
one of Chicago's most famous Blues clubs, Kingston Mines are
legendary!
The Kenlake Hot August Blues Festival is set for
Thursday through Saturday, August 22-24 at Kenlake State Park in
Aurora, Kentucky. Discount tickets are available at
KenlakeBlues.com. For a limited time, combo tickets for both Friday
and Saturday are only $25, but at the gate will be $45. Patrons will
be allowed to bring in their own coolers for the event, for a $15
fee, which covers both Friday and Saturday of the event.
Organizations benefiting from this year's Hot August
Blues Festival include the Marshall County Rescue Squad, which
receives 100% of it's funding from donations and fundraisers., as
well as The Shriners, who will be operating festival shuttles with
all tips and proceeds going to the Shriners' Childrens' Hospitals and
the Knights of Columbus.
