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For Immediate Release!
Silver Spring Town Center Inc. announces the
15th Annual Silver Spring Blues Festival
Saturday, June 15th at Downtown Silver Spring
featuring the Return of the Legendary Nighthawks, Deanna Bogart,
Teeny Tucker, Memphis Gold, Gabe Stillman and more!
Silver Spring, MD - Silver Spring Town Center Inc. (SSTCi) is proud to present the 15th annual Silver Spring Blues Festival taking place Saturday, June 15, 2024, 10am-10pm at Downtown Silver Spring located at 920 Ellsworth Drive.at Downtown Silver Spring.
The first five hours of the event feature acoustic Blues provided by longtime event partner the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation (AEBHF) with Willie Leebel emceeing the acoustic stage for his 15th year.
The Festival Day opens at 10am with the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Ensemble, aka the Archie Edwards Barbershop.
At 11am, Virginia native Rick Franklin brings Piedmont Blues guitar pickin' and song to the Festival stage.
At Noon, Stormi & the Blue Skies bring traditional Blues led by Stormi Weaver. Since 2018, S&BS has performed Blues as well as R&B, Rock & Roll, Country, and popular songs. Stormi & the Blue Skies will also host a special Barbershop Tribute to Phil Wiggins at El Golfo Restaurant's Patio, on Thursday, June 13, 6 pm-9 pm. Featuring an array of Archie Edwards Blues Heritage performers, this tribute performance will honor National Heritage honoree, Blues harmonica player Phil Wiggins who passed away last month.
At 1pm, Louisiana native and longtime purveyor of the Piedmont Blues tradition Eleanor Ellis performs. Eleanor was a regular collaborator with legendary Blues artists including Piedmont Blues Archie Edwards and Blues / Gospel street performer Flora Molton.
At 2pm, harmonica players of all abilities are invited to a Harmonica Workshop off-stage led by "Stingy Brim" Geoff Seals. Participants should bring a "C" harmonica. Some harmonicas will be provided by Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation.
Then at 3pm, the Festival Stage gets "electrified" with the School of Rock "Doin' the Blues." Youth performers on guitar, bass, percussion, keyboards, and vocals fire things up with an energetic Blues Rock show.
At 4pm, internationally acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Deanna Bogart returns to the Silver Spring Blues Festival Stage. Bogart is a five-time winner of the Blues Music Awards Horn Instrumentalist of the Year (2023). Adored by her fans, her artistry shines through her dazzling keyboards, soul-stirring saxophone performances, smokey and soulful vocals, and her exceptional songwriting prowess. Her unique ability to fuse genres and create transcendent melodies sets her apart in the music world and crafts an unforgettable live music experience.
At 5pm, Memphis Gold who appeared in the first Silver Spring Blues Festival takes stage with his Scrap Iron Band. By the age of 8, Memphis Gold was a regular on historic Beale Street in Memphis where he played the guitar and danced for pocket change from the crowd. For more than a half century, guitarist Memphis Gold has shared the stage with an array of international stars from Blues and beyond, including James Brown, George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic All Stars, Shemekia Copeland, Robert Cray, Taj Mahal, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Bobby Parker, Charlie Sayles, Guitar Shorty, Mavis Staples, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Jimmy Vaughan and The Temptations, just to name a few. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Memphis Gold is a proud Vietnam Veteran who has toured internationally playing blues festival and concerts, including many performances for US troops around the globe.
At 6pm, debuting at the SSBF, the Gabe Stillman Band hits the stage in high gear as they embrace all corners of American Roots Music with their impromptu selection of original gems and carefully chosen covers. Since landing in the final 8 of the 35th Annual
International Blues Challenge in Memphis TN, and further honored as the recipient of the Gibson Guitar Award, Gabe and his band have been focused on expanding their footprint on a national and international level. A graduate of Boston’s Berklee College of Music, Gabe’s honors include an invitation to support ZZ Top, Eric Gales, Blues Traveler, George Thorogood, and more; he was a Blues Music Award nominee in the Best New Emerging Artist Album category; and The Gabe Stillman Band was selected as the Best Blues Band at the 3rd Annual Central PA Music Awards and has been nominated in the category in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
At 7pm, making their debut on the SSBF stage, the Teeny Tucker Band hails from Columbus, Ohio. Touted as one of the most gifted, vibrant, stimulating, and imaginative personalities on the Blues scene today, Teeny Tucker wows the crowd with a powerful, soulful voice. Winner of the Monterey Bay International Blues Festival, Tucker has received wide praises and nominations, including three-times nominated for the Blues Music Awards Traditional Female Blues Artist of the Year. Teeny Tucker is also a visual artist and will be featured in a program "Healing the HeART: In the Studio with Artist Teeny Tucker" on Tuesday, June 11 at 8pm on Zoom as part of Silver Spring Blues Week.At 8pm, longtime favorites of the Silver Spring Blues Festival, the legendary Nighthawks return with gusto. The Nighthawks are an American blues and roots music band, based in Washington, D.C, featuring the amazing Blues harp player Mark Wenner (vocals and harmonica), Dan Hovey (lead guitar), Paul Pisciotta (bass guitar), and Mark Stutso (drums). Originating more than 50 years ago in 1974, The Nighthawks are still having a "Damn Good Time!" And so will you!
As a 15-year-long tradition, the Festival culminates in a show-stopping finale with our Silver Spring Blues Festival All-Star Jam gathering together the main performers from our electrified performances. The Jam will be led by the Nighthawks and feature Teeny
Tucker, Gabe Stillman, Memphis Gold and others.
The first Silver Spring Blues Festival was organized under Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. by founding producers attorney Alan Bowser and Jazs Web, #BluesinMD. We are pleased to present some of our original performers including Memphis Gold and musicians from the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation, including Eleanor Ellis. WPFW-FM's Don't Forget the Blues Host Ida Campbell has emceed the electrified stage since year one. Bill Wax, host of WPFW-FM's Roots & Fruits, will appear as a special guest.
The Festival also features an array of arts and craft exhibitors from 3 pm to 10 pm along Ellsworth Drive at Downtown Silver Spring. Festival-goers are invited to enjoy a wide variety of food and drink from area merchants throughout the day and evening, including delicious offerings from restaurant sponsors J. Hollinger's Waterman's Chophouse, Nando's Peri-Peri, and McGinty's Public House.
Silver Spring Town Center Inc., also invites the public to take part in Silver Spring Blues Week kicking off Sunday, June 9 with a special performance by Boogie Woogie Bluesman Daryl Davis and Angela Hill at 6 pm at Post 41. Nightly events around Downtown Silver Spring will be taking place at various locations.
The Silver Spring Blues Festival and Silver Spring Blues Week are made possible with generous support from Montgomery County, the Arts & Humanities Council of Montgomery County, United Therapeutics, Montgomery College, Maryland State Arts, and many others including Downtown Silver Spring.
For more info, contact Silver Spring Town Center, Inc. Executive Director Lisa Martin at lisa@silverspringtowncenter.com or at 240.595.8818. Visit www.silverspringblues.com and www.silverspringtowncenter.com as well on social media.
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