Celebrating the Blues in
Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
Celebrating the Blues
in Champaign-Urbana
Illinois
ABOUT THE BLUES SOCIETY
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If you didn’t attend the 8th annual Prairie Crossroads Blues Festival on Friday and Saturday August 7th and 8th at Bunny’s Tavern in Urbana, then you missed a wonderful event and the opportunity to hear five terrific bands and some great music.
The festival kicked off Friday night with The Painkillers Blues Band with special guest Dawn Clark. The band played an awesome hour and a half set of blues favorites and even called some local jammers to come join them on stage as a special treat.
You can usually catch The Painkillers Blues Band with its great Harp player David Adcock playing around the C-U area, so make time to see this band again real soon. You won’t be disappointed.
Candy Foster and The Shades of Blue were Friday night’s second band and put on a great show highlighted by the bands rhythm section who didn’t miss a beat. Now in his sixtieth year of entertaining audiences in our area and beyond, Candy Foster and his band had the crowd up and dancing from the get go.
Dawn Clark from The Painkillers Blues Band joined Candy Foster and The Shades of Blue on stage for a couple of songs and to the delight of those in attendance. This band really knows how to put on a great show and Friday night was no exception as they left the audience asking for an encore. What an encore it was!
The 8th Annual Blues Festival kicked off its Saturday afternoon line-up with another local favorite The Bubble City Playboys. This well-rounded band can play it all. Their outstanding festival show featured twin lead guitar players Caleb Cook and Clayton Thompson as well as Mark Kalson on Fiddle and Michael Peloquin on Harp and Sax. Dawna Nelson a long-time local favorite helped out on Vocals.
Holding court at Pipa’s in West Champaign every Wednesday afternoon, The Bubble City Playboys are a group of well-seasoned musicians who feature a special guest each week. Check them out when you get a chance.
Another longtime local favorite Andrew Duncanson & Take A Ride with Special Guests Gerry Hundt & Lee Kanehira made their first appearance at the 8th Annual Blues Festival with a bang after The Bubble City Playboys.
The band for the performance included two piano players including the 2018 Chicago Blues Piano Players Championship winner Lee Kanehira from Japan. The band’s set also featured the amazing talents of multi-instrumentalist Gerry Hundt who besides guitar played mandolin, kazoo and just about everything else.
Duncanson who is well known from his other projects including the Kilborn Alley Band and the Dig Three really knows how to put on a show and highlight the talents of his fellow band members.
Having traveled to many festivals overseas as well as in the states, Duncanson and his band always leave their audiences asking for more. Make sure you put this band on your list of must see.
Alligator Records recording artist Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials closed out the 8th Annual Prairie Crossroads Blues Society Blues Festival with a bang. Known as a slide guitar master Lil’ Ed and his band were off and running from their first number and the crowd was right alongside enjoying every bit of the way.
Having played the night before in Detroit, Lil’ Ed and his band didn’t show any effects of a long drive as they plowed through their first few songs. During their one hour and thirty-minute set, Lil’ Ed and his band also featured many of the hits off his latest release "Slideways."
But the highlight of the evening came towards the end of the set when Lil’ Ed walked down off the stage into the crowd. He joined them walking around with his guitar playing slide and singing at the same time. It was truly amazing to witness this great entertainer do what he is best known for. Lil’ Ed thanked the crowd several times and told them he would love to come play for them again.
The 8th Annual Prairie Crossroads Blues Festival was a big success. On behalf of all our blues society volunteers, we thank all those who attended. We also say thank you to all of our sponsors and restaurants and local companies who contributed raffle prizes and to the folks who provided our sound this year.
Most of all thank you to our host Bunny’s Tavern who contributed so much to the success of this year’s festival. We hope to present the 9th Annual Blues Festival again next year…
— Rich Cibelli