Monday, September 16, 2024
The Indian Crossing Casino, located at the channel between Columbia and Limekiln Lakes, will host the 13th annual Chain Blues Fest Friday and Saturday, Oct. 4-5.
Built in 1925, this historic dance hall has showcased such legends as Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Dorsey, Les Brown, Beach Boys, Everly Brothers, Woody Herman, Neil Young, Bobby Vinton, Herman’s Hermits and Ricky Nelson.
The Chain Blues Fest continues the nearly 100-year tradition of great bands performing at the ICC restaurant and bar.
This year’s event features the Jay Edward Band at 7 P.m. and Ivy Ford at 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4.
At 3 p.m. the following Saturday, Ian and the Night Thieves opens the second day of the Chain Blues Fest, followed by Midtwon Mannish Boys at 5 p.m., Jay Stulo and the Mighty Aces at 7 p.m., and closing out the night with Toronzo Cannon at 9 p.m.
Tickets
Tickets for Friday night are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Tickets for Saturday are $25 in advance, $30 at the door;. A Weekend Pass is $30 in advance, $35 at the door.
Advance tickets are available online until noon Friday, Oct. 4. Tickets purchased online will be held at “Will Call.” Pick up at the ICC beginning at 6 p.m. Friday, Oc. 4 or beginning at 2 p.m.. Saturday, Oct. 5.
Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.ChainOLakesBluesFestival.com or by calling 715-258-7343. Advance tickets are also available for purchase at the Indian Crossing Casino, at E1171 County Trunk Q. in Waupaca.
Individuals under 21 years of age will not be admitted to the Festival. Chairs are provided at the event.
The Indian Crossing Casino is a restaurant and bar, so food service and refreshments will be available during the festival.
The event will include complimentary shuttle service from Waupaca area lodging facilities to and from the Blues Festival.
For more information, including lodging, dinning, shopping, events and things to go to www.VisitWaupacaChainOLakes.com.
Bands
Jay Edwards Band: Jay started playing in local bands in Oshkosh, when he was 15 years old. At 20, he moved to Southern California to pursue his music career further. He is known for his soulful harmonica playing.
He returned to Wisconsin in 2016 and continued performing with The Jay Edward Band. In 2018, the band was nominated for its first Wisconsin Area Music Industry Award (WAMI) and in 2019, the band won the WAMI for “Best Blues Artist.” They also released their only album, “Chest Pain,” featuring guitar great Jay Stulo.
Other members of the band include bass guitar player Tony Menzer, drummer Tony Wagner, guitarist Jim Prideaux and organist Dennis Wage.
Ivy Ford: One of the up and coming stars in the blues world, She and her band were finalists at the 2019 International Blues Challenge, based in Memphis, Tennessee. They have self-released two albums and played at music festivals across the U.S. and Canada.
A singer and multi-instrumentalist, Ivy is known as “The Chicago Blues Kitten.” She currently lives in Kenosha. Her music blends a rockabilly vibe with Delta blues and soulful vocals.
In a review of her album, Club 27, in “Deep Roots” magazine, critic David McGee noted, “It would not be inaccurate to say that from first note to last, Ivy Ford delivers a bravura performance that elevates her into the forefront of young blues artists in America. From concept to execution – in writing the songs, playing all the instruments, taking all the lead and backup vocals – she doesn’t slip up for a second. It’s all believable, honest and rather breathtaking in her assured grasp of idiomatic variations.”
Ian Seaholm and the Night Thieves have been delivering powerhouse blues, rock and soul music since their first show in Chicago in 2021. Ian Seaholm has opened for Buddy Guy and received the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award and Outstanding Soloist at the 2003 UWGB Jazz Fest, and the Joe Bonamossas Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation music grant.
His four-peice band, the Night Thieves, plays a range of Chicago and Austin based blues, ranging from Muddy Waters and the three Kings, to The Vaughan brothers, Clapton and other blues legends.
The Madtown Mannish Boys are a Madison-based blues band influenced by artists such as Muddy Waters, Junior Wells, Otis Spann, Paul Butterfield and Little Walter. Some of their tunes are harmonica-driven, played with gritty fervor and intense energy. Others are soulful ballads.
Paul Schwoerer plays harmonica. Jesse Steinberg plays guitar, Tim Payne on bass, John Sickerdick is the drummer and Todd Phipps is the keyboard player.
Jay Stulo began his career in music playing for a bar band at age 17. He later performed with with blues legend Luther Allison, then with James Solberg. He co-founded The Mighty Aces in 1996 and then led Jay Stulo Band for a decade.
Noted for his high-energy, fast-paced guitar and wrenching vocals, Stulo will be joined by guitarist Doug Kroening.
According to a review at MNBlues.com. “Jay Stulo plays the heck out of a guitar, everything from wicked, howling, fast-picking slide to slow, subtle, soulful playing.”
Toronzo Cannon grew up on Chicago’s South Side, listening to the blues with his grandfather and to soul, R&B and contemporary rock on the radio.
“I want my songs to be heard and experienced, not just listened to,” Cannon said, regarding the stories his lyrics and music tell in his original songs.
According to Blues Music Magazine, “His guitar playing has all the fire and spontaneity of the Chicago legends he carries; his songwriting is a timely and original look at the world he sees by day on a bus and in blues clubs by night, and his assertive voice is the perfect vehicle to deliver the message.”
