Free Blues Fest Returns to Hot Springs With Lineup Of Great Music, Food and Beer on Labor Day Weekend
HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK, Arkansas — The Hot Springs Blues Fest returns to the Spa City on Labor Day Weekend with a great lineup of free music plus food trucks and brewski.
Headliners for the two-day festival September 3 – 4 include the Ghost Town Blues Band, Reba Russell, and BB Queen, according to Visit Hot Springs Marketing Director Bill Solleder.
“We’re inviting all blues lovers to bring their lawn chairs down to Hill Wheatley Plaza at the south end of Bathhouse Row in the heart of downtown Hot Springs for two days of great music, food trucks and beer,” Solleder said. “There’s no charge for admission, and a great time is guaranteed for all.
“Our headliners will be the chart-topping Ghost Town Blues Band from Memphis, Detroit native BB Queen, and Memphis vocalist Reba Russell. They’ll be joined by local and regional blues performers. The music is free and the weekend will be great.”
The festival lineup includes:
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
5:30 p.m. — Spa City Youngbloods
6:30 p.m. — Trey Johnson & Jason Willman
8 p.m. — The Ghost Town Blues Band
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
5:30 p.m. — Port City Blues Society Players
6:30 p.m. — BB Queen
8:30 p.m. — Reba Russell
• Horns, harmonies and homegrown instruments combined with an energetic and roots-rich festival set make the Ghost Town Blues Band one of the must see live bands on the festival scene today. Both Andrew McNeill behind the drums and Matt Karner on the bass guitar are a punishing rhythm section behind multi-instrumentalist/frontman Matt Isbell with raunchy cigar box guitar licks and raspy "Dr. John-like, whiskey and gravel-soaked vocals." With the addition of trombonist Suavo Jones, Cedric Taylor on B3 organ and Taylor Orr on lead guitar, the grooves go from fresh to funky as the band gains more notice in the blues festival and jam circuit.
• BB Queen is a Detroit native, now residing Nashville. She started her musical career at the age of 5. Her talents include being a guitarist, singer and songwriter. She has shared the stage with the likes of Koko Taylor.
• Reba Russell now fronts the Reba Russell Band. She is a published songwriter, vocalist, guitarist, backing vocalist, bandleader and producer. She is a highly respected Memphis studio/session vocalist but she is perhaps more popularly known as a powerful live performer. She has been a backup vocalist for U2; BB King; the Million Dollar Quartet (Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins); Huey Lewis and the News and others.
For more information call Bill Solleder at 501-321-2027 or visit www.hot-springs.cjrw.rocks.
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