Blues on the Fox
Blues on the Fox, part of the Downtown Alive! Festival Series, celebrates its 15th anniversary with an exceptional entertainment lineup, including Robert Cray and Buddy Guy, on Friday, June 17th and Saturday, June 18th. This year’s festival, presented by the Paramount Theatre, will take place at the North River Street Park on the banks of the scenic Fox River, just west of the Hollywood Casino in downtown Aurora. A nominal entry fee of $5.00 per day will cover the cost of admission and a wristband for the consumption of alcohol at the festival.
As part of the 15th anniversary this year’s talent will feature some past favorites including Eric Lindell on Friday at 6:30pm. His combination of sweet, blue-eyed soul, with foot-stomping R&B, swamp pop, funk and blues have won him critical and popular acclaim across the country. Robert Cray, a return Blues on the Fox performer, will take to the stage at 8:30pm. Cray’s soulful and creative guitar work has been a dominant force in blues.
At 2:00 pm on Saturday, The Hix Brothers Junior All-Stars, featuring local students of the blues, will kick off the day, followed at 3:00pm.by Billy Branch and the Sons Of Blues (SOBs), based out of Chicago. This group is one of the hottest blues bands working today and consists of some of the finest bluesmen in the world. Kenny Neal, known as a modern swamp-blues master and multi-instrumentalist, that draws musically from the sizzling sounds of his native Louisiana will play at 4:45pm. Charlie Musselwhite, whose worldly-wise vocals, and rich, melodic harmonica playing will perform at 6:30pm.To top off this incredible lineup of talent, the internationally acclaimed, Grammy winner, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Blues legend Buddy Guy will perform at 8:30pm. Buddy Guy is the world ambassador of the Blues and will kick the festival up to a level it has never experienced before. Performances end at 10:00 on both evenings.
Each year Blues on the Fox celebrates the rich music history of the RCA Bluebird recordings that were made in the 1930’s at the Leland Hotel (now Fox Island Place) in downtown Aurora. In the famous Sky Club, literally hundreds of songs were recorded by John Lee ‘Sonny Boy’ Williamson, Tampa Red, Big Bill Broonzy, Big Joe Williams, Roosevelt Sykes, Yank Rachell and others. These recordings were groundbreaking and set the tone for the early urban Blues that later became so popular and formed the backbone for modern day Rock ‘n Roll. The Blues on the Fox festival commemorates these recordings.
The historic Aurora downtown acts as a very pleasant backdrop to the two-day festival that includes not only great music but fantastic food, icy libations, music vendors and a relaxed atmosphere for the whole family to enjoy.
The 2011 Blues on the Fox Festival is presented by the Paramount Theatre and sponsored in part by the City of Aurora and the Hollywood Casino. For more information, directions and artists’ biographies along with details on the complete Downtown Alive! Festival Series, please visit www.bluesonthefox.com or call (630)896-6666.
