Charlie West Blues Fest coming to Charleston
2011 is bigger than ever with two days of FREE blues music
Charleston, W.Va. - A new decade, a new venue, but the same down-and-dirty blues that have made the Charlie West Blues Fest a must-see event! This year the Charlie West Blues Fest (CWBF) will be a FREE two-day family event held in Charleston at Haddad Riverfront Park, May 20-21.
Charlie West is a Blues Fest with incredible American music that will get your toes tapping and your body moving. Enjoy talent from an amazing collection of artists, including upcoming stars and legendary musical greats. Charlie West Blues Fest also pays tribute to our military and their families.
“With recent military events taking place, now more than ever we need to show how much we appreciate our citizens in military service. The WV Blues Society holds the Charlie West Blues Festival as a USO type event to increase patriotism in our citizens while enjoying blues music all at the same time,” said Jack Rice, president of WVBS, Inc. “We are so proud of the military men and women in uniform.”
This festival is produced to honor the men and women in the military and what they do for our country. The festival now has all branches of the military involved in addition to community organization partners like WV Mental Health Planning Council, which provides free services to active and veteran military in the areas of PTSD, depression, and family financial planning.
Sponsors for the event include Suddenlink, WV Mental Health Planning Council, Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Twisted Tea, Miller Lite, Central WV Convention and Visitors Bureau, WV Air National Guard 130th Airlift Wing Division, Morgantown Printing & Binding, United States Marine Corps, United States Navy, Farmer Cline and Campbell Attorneys at Law, Quaker Steak and Lube, Rock 105, Mike Ferrell Toyota, White Eye Care, H & H Enterprises, National Guard, Lest We Forget, The Boulevard Tavern, Dusty Blues, BB&T, Holiday Inn Express, Chesapeake Energy, Budget Tapes and Records, and WV Lottery.
Both days will kick off with the presentation of full military honors and colors. Organizers are hoping to secure a military fly over for Saturday. City, county and state government are involved and have given the WVBS and CWBF their full support.
The festival will be adding a second stage this year to showcase local talent. There also will be a children's play area complete with a Jupiter Jump and Rock Climbing Wall. The CWBF is set up to look like a military base camp complete with military tents and hardware on display.
Food, art, craft, and beverage vendors will be on site for festival attendees. Arts and craft vendors can contact the Blues Society at, bkravenhawk@hotmail.com for booth information. Vendor information and hotel rates can be found at www.charliewestbluesfest.com.
Local Charleston taverns also are partnering with WVBS and CWBF to offer even more blues music to festival attendees. WVBS will be holding after jams both festival nights and a live acoustic blues brunch Saturday morning at the Kanawha Boulevard Tavern. A great blues man from Florida, Slim Fatz, will be the music entertainment for the brunch. Below is the festival lineup, with both the main stage acts and the second stage acts scheduled times.
CWBF will have more than 18 acts performing on both stages. The WVBS has secured discount rates at area hotels. Hurry and make your reservations today as rooms are going fast. Just ask for the Charlie West Blues Fest discount for great rates at these hotels: Ramada Inn Charleston Downtown, (304) 344-4092 or Holiday Inn Express, 1-800-HOLIDAY.
Charlie West Blues Festival Lineup
Main Stage Second Stage
Friday, May 20
Sit Down Baby 4:00 - 4:45
Izzy & Chris 5:00 -5:45
6 Kinds of Crazy 6:00 - 6:45
Lil Brian & The Zydeco Travelers 7:00 - 8:00
Davina & the Vagabonds 8:15 - 9:15
Joe Louis Walker 9:30 - 11:00
Saturday, May 21
Lionel Young Band 1:00 - 1:45
Slim Fatz 2:05 - 2:50
Mojo Theory 3:20 - 4:25
Sean Carney 4:45 - 6:00
Kristine Jackson 6:20 - 7:20
Smokin’ Joe Kubek & Bnois King 7:40 - 9:10
Ana Popovich 9:30 - 11:00
Friday, May 20
Stewart Hill Band 4:45 - 5:00, 5:45 - 6:00
Tastes Like Chicken 6:45 - 7:00, 8:00 - 8:15
Diablo Blues Band 9:15 - 9:30
Saturday, May 21
Lascivious Deacons 1:45 - 2:05, 2:50 - 3:20
Spurgie Hankins 4:25 - 4:45
Amy Hart Band 6:00 - 6:20, 7:20 - 7:40
Tastes Like Chicken 9:10 - 9:30
About Charlie West Blues Fest
The Charlie West Blues Fest is produced by the West Virginia Blues Society, Inc. The USO type festival was named after Yeager Airport and our own WV National Guard troops. Its initiatives include:
• Promoting and preserving Blues music as an American art form.
• Honoring the men and women of the Armed Forces and their families.
• Recognizing Yeager Airport- fondly known as “Charlie West” and home of the 130th Airlift Wing of the WV Air National Guard.
•Sharing the healing powers of the Blues.
Visit www.charliewestbluesfest.com or www.wvbluessociety.org for event details and up to the minute concert line-up.
# # #