Sugaray Radford in the 2023 Mississippi Valley Blues Fest at LeClaire Park -- September 15 and 16.
Friday, September 15, and Saturday, September 16
LeClaire Park, 400 Beiderbecke Drive, Davenport IA
With award-winning, Billboard-charting, internationally touring artists performing on the banks of a mighty river, the Mississippi Valley Blues Fest returns to Davenport for its 37th incarnation on September 15 and 16, the LeClaire Park event – hosted by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society – featuring nine thrilling Main Stage concert sets, nine additionally incendiary sets on the neighboring Tent State, and the return of the MBVS' popular blues-education and -appreciation initiative Blueskool.
Four red-hot acts are scheduled to perform the Blues Fest Main Stage on Friday, September 15: Rick Berthod (5 p.m.), the blues guitarist who has performed at festivals and concerts in Europe, Canada,, and the United States for more than 40 years, and whose contemporary influences include Robben Ford, Warren Hanes , and Larry Carlton; Jose Ramirez (6:45 p.m.), the 32-year-old talent whose band won second place at the Blues Foundation 2020 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, and an internationally touring artist whose has played alongside Buddy Guy, Anson Funderburgh, and Janiva Magness; Mr. Sipp (8:30 p.m.), the artist born Castro Coleman who earned several Jackson Music Awards including International Male Blues Artist, Blues Artist of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year; and Ana Popović (10:15 p.m.), a Blues Music Award nominee and Blues Matters Award winner whose powerful, guitar-driven style has resulted in 25 years of touring and accolades, her latest album Power released this past May on ArtisteXclusive Records.
Another five scorching sets will grace the Main Stage on Saturday, September 16:Chickenbone Slim & the Biscuits featuring Laura Chavez (2 p.m.), California-based talents whose mosr recent album Serve It Too Me Hot climbed to number four on the Living Blues Album Charts and reached number two on the Roots Music Contemporary Blues charts; Kat Riggins (3:30 p.m.), whose talented led Midwest Records to label her "the spiritual granddaughter of Koko Taylor and Southern blues-show bands" and rave that she "has the stone-cold knack for hitting it out of the park that would make all the blues greats before her quite proud"; Jon Nemeth & the Blue Dreamers (5:15 p.m.), a popular touring ensemble led by the harmonicist who has received five Blues Music Awards for Soul Blues Male Artist, Soul Blues Album, Traditional Blues Album of the Year, Instrumentalist - Vocals, and Instrumentalist - Harmonica; Sugaray Radford (7:15 p.m.), whose latest album In Too Deep is the followup to his 2020 Grammy-nominated Somebody Save Me, a recording that also earned Rayford Blues Music Awards for B.B. King Entertainer and Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year; and The Blood Brothers featuring Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia (9:15 p.m.), whose recent Blood Brothers collaboration with Joe Bonamassa inspired the legendary blues guitarist to rave, "Mike and Albert have a special chemistry together when they plug in and play that few have ... . It was an honor to be involved in this project."
In addition to the Blues Fest's headlining musicians on the Main Stage, LeClaire Park's Tent Stage will feature performances by a number of local and national talents: Jo & Vicki Price (Friday, 4 & 6:15 p.m.); the Matt Woods Band (Friday, 8 & 9:45 p.m.); JP & the Blues Machine (Saturday, 1 p.m.); the Tanya English Band (Saturday, 3 & 4:45 p.m.); and the QC All Stars (Saturday, 6:45 & 8:45 p.m.).
Blues Fest 2023 will also bring with it the return of Blueskool, the popular interactive and informal educational workshop geared toward music fans of all ages, and designed for them to learn the history of blues music, listen to the blues, and learn to play the blues. This year's Blueskool workshops will be hosted on Saturday by popular local musician Bret Dale (3 p.m.); Blues Fest concert headliner Rick Berthod (4 p.m.); and festival favorite David Berntson (5 p.m.).
Admission to the 2023 Mississippi Valley Blues Fest is $25-37 for Friday's one-day pass, $35-47 for Saturday's one-day pass, and $55-72 for the weekend's two-day pass. More more information and tickets, contact the Mississippi Valley Blues Society at (563)322-5837 and MVBS.org/blues-fest.
