2015 Blues Fest lineup announced
Published 8:04 am Wednesday, April 8, 2015
The 2015 Bogalusa Blues and Heritage Festival musical lineup has been announced.
The fourth annual festival is scheduled for Sept. 25-26 at Cassidy Park.
An oldie but goodie is the Saturday, Sept. 26, headliner on the Blues Stage. The Fabulous Thunderbirds top the bill for that evening.
According to the band’s website, the group has been performing for more than 30 years with hits including “Tuff Enuff” and “Wrap it Up.” Band co-founder, Kim Wilson, is the sole original member.
In addition to Wilson, the current band includes Jay Moeller on drums, Johnny Moeller and Mike Keller on guitar and Randy Bermudes on bass.
The Blues Stage will have music both evenings. The smaller Heritage Stage will have performances on Saturday only.
The Friday, Sept 25 headliners are Tinsley Ellis and Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers. Dopsie and the Hellraisers performed at the 2014 event.
The Friday Blues Stage performers begin with Lil Red and Big Bad, featuring Nancy Gros, followed by Little Freddie King.
The Sept. 26 Blues Stage lineup begins with the Cedric Burnside Project. He is followed by Mia Borders, Johnny Sansone and Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen. The Royal Southern Brotherhood, which features Cyril Neville of the New Orleans-based Neville Brothers, Cleary.
The Sept. 26 Heritage Stage lineup includes Remedy Rock, Beware of Bear, Tea J. Moore and Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue. Tea J. Moore is a native of Washington Parish who went to school at Dillard University in New Orleans and currently makes Houston her home.
Blues Festival Executive Director Malinda White said the musical lineup is second to none.
“We’re excited about the lineup. We’ve reached out and put together another lineup that displays the different sounds of blues, from the Mississippi Hill Country Blues to Louisiana Swamp Blues to piano blues, and New Orleans Funk and Texas Blues,” White said. “It’s going to be the best one yet. There is going to be plenty of music to please everyone’s appetite.”
Promotions Chair Marcelle Hanemann agreed.
“Once again, we’re stepping up,” Hanemann said. “We’re including all different kinds of blues music this year. We want to give people who come to the festival a good sampling of all different kinds of blues music. We feel like we have it again this year.”
Hanemann said the Thunderbirds are sure to bring people out to the park.
“People are familiar with the music of The Fabulous Thunderbirds. They are just solid blues and are very exciting,” she said.
White said harmonica lessons will again be offered during the festival and more camping facilities will also be available.
“We’ve got the names to draw visitors from far and wide to Bogalusa,” White said. The 2014 Festival drew more than 7,000 people.
For additional information online about the Bogalusa Blues and Heritage Festival, see www.bogalusablues.com.