Three days of the blues are coming to downtown Aurora this June.
The Venue announced the debut of Blues & Brews, its three-day outdoor music festival running June 10-12 at Mundy Park.
Tickets go on sale at noon March 14.
“Aurora has a huge history with blues — June is sort of a blues month in the city,” said Scott Tipping, music event producer at The Venue. “We are happy to celebrate this American art form.”
The festival promises a variety of artists — some rising in the ranks, some legends.
“I think our lineup is what makes this event super-special,” Tipping said.
There are a total of eight acts slated over the weekend.
“We have some up-and-coming artists like Ivy Ford or Joey J. Saye — who is from Aurora — people who are keeping tradition while moving music forward,” Tipping said. “There are touring artists with incredible resumes that maybe don’t make it our way very often, like Bear Williams Band, Anne Harris and Dave Herrero, and The Mike Wheeler Band.”
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Headliners include Toronzo Cannon on Friday and The Kinsey Report on Saturday during the June festival.
“Toronzo Cannon is an Alligator Records recording artist who finds himself touring constantly and sitting in with people like Gary Clark Jr.,” Tipping said. “The Kinseys are legends. Their work with their father, Big Daddy Kinsey, is monumental in keeping the blues alive.”
The final day of the festival will be a tribute of sorts.
“On Sunday our Album Covers series will be performing the Robert Cray record ‘Strong Persuader,’ which was one of the biggest blues records in the ’80s,” Tipping said. “Should be a great way to end the festival.”
The full lineup includes Ivy Ford at 7 p.m., The Bear Williams Band at 8 p.m. and Toronzo Cannon at 9:15 p.m. June 10; Joey J. Saye at 6 p.m., Dave Herrero and Anne Harris at 7 p.m., The Mike Wheeler Band at 8 p.m., and The Kinsey Report at 9:15 p.m. June 11; and Album Covers Presents: Robert Cray’s “Strong Persuader” at 7 p.m. June 12.
Tickets for Friday and Saturday are $25 each day. Sunday is $15.
“We feel like we are squeezing in a lot of music for a very decent price,” Tipping said.
As for the brew part of the festival, plenty of beverages will be on hand.
“We work locally with a ton of great breweries and will have some incredible craft beer on tap as well as soft drinks and canned cocktails,” Tipping said.
This is a rain-or-shine event, so be sure to dress for the weather. Attendees can bring their own chairs, or chairs will be available for a $5/chair rental fee.
“We hope that people come out and enjoy some amazing music in an amazing park in our amazing city,” Tipping said. “We are very proud of what we’ve put together here and hope you come celebrate with us.”
The Venue Presents: Blues & Brews
When: June 10-12
Where: Mundy Park, 13 Water St., Aurora
Tickets: $15-$25
Information: 331-212-8490; themusicvenue.org
Jen Banowetz is a freelance writer for the Beacon-News.