2018 Best of the Blues Awards: April 15 at Northwest Music Hall in Everett
Washington Blues Society and
Brewery Present:
The 2018 Best of the Blues Awards (“BB Awards”) April 15 at the Northwest Music Hall
The Washington Blues Society’s annual Best of the Blues Awards presented in partnership with the Anacortes Brewery (“BB Awards”) returns on Sunday, April 15th to honor musicians, artists, events and venues nominated by blues society members in 32 award categories. The 2018 BB Awards show features performances by select nominees, including the nominees for “Best Band,” during the awards presentation and at the after party in the adjacent hall. The event also recognizes new inductees into the Washington Blues Society Hall of Fame.
The nominees once again represent the very best Blues performers from throughout the Pacific Northwest. Blues women of the region have begun to show their prowess with over twenty-five nominations going to female artists or female-fronted acts and completely dominating the blues performer, songwriter, and album of the year categories. Long-time favorites The Stacy Jones Band leads the field with twelve nominations including Best Blues Band. Having both made the semifinals at the 2018 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, the CD Woodbury Trio earned five nominations including Electric Guitarist, Blues Bass, and Drums, and the Brett Benton & Gordon Townsend Duo earned four nominations as well. First-time nominees include vocalist Tiphony Dames, saxophonist Brandon Hailey, guitar man John “Greyhound,” Maxwell, as well as new music venues the CCR lounge and 192 Brewing Lake Trail Tap Room.
The Washington Blues Society is proud to welcome Anacortes Brewing as our title sponsor of the 2018 Awards show. The award-winning brewery and it’s two venues; The Rockfish Grill and H2O have been hosting live music events featuring top regional and national acts for two decades. The brewery boasts over 16 varieties of craft beer while the restaurants use local seasonal ingredients and feature coffee, bread and desserts from area purveyors. The Washington Blues Society has partnered with them on several successful benefits shows and as a host of our annual International Blues Challenge semifinals. More info can be found at (http://www.anacortesrockfish.com/brewery.cfm)
The 2018 Best of the Blues Awards will be held on Sunday, April 15th at the Northwest Music Hall, 1402 Southeast Everett Mall Way, Everett, WA 98208
The Washington Blues Society in partnership with Anacortes Brewery announce the performers for the Annual Best of the Blues Awards presented Sunday, April 15 at the Northwest Music Hall, in the Everett Mall. The awards show begins at 3 p.m. honoring musicians, artists, events and venues nominated by blues society members in 32 award categories. This year’s show will feature dynamic performances from the nominees for Best Band, along with special guests from other categories. Opening the show will be The Stacy Jones Band who lead the field with twelve nominations including; Best Female Vocalist, Blues Songwriter, Blues Harmonica and Blues Performer for Stacy Jones. They will be joined by Best New Band nominee members of the Madison Ave Blues Revue, Sean Denton and Mike Marinig. Fellow multiple-nominee for Blues Performer, Blues Songwriter & Blues Recording, bandleader Polly O’Keary will take the stage with her band The Rhythm Method, (Electric Blues Guitar, Blues Drummer) and they will be joined by nominees and previous BB winners Angelo Ortiz and Michael “Papa Bax” Baxter. First-time nominees in the band category, the big blues ensemble Mark Hurwitz and Gin Creek offer a stellar lineup with Blues Harmonica nominee Joel Astly and guests Sheryl Horn and Brandon Hailey, both nominated for Blues Horn. Powerhouse Female Vocalist nominees Tiphony Dames and Sheri Roberts Greimes will pay tribute to the musical artists we lost this past year with a special memorial slide show by Rocky Allen. Recent semifinalist at the 2018 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, the CD Woodbury Trio, earning five nominations including Electric Guitarist, Blues Bass, and Blues Drummer, will lead an all-star finale wrapping the awards portion of the show.
In the grand tradition of the BB awards, everyone with a ticket is invited to join the after party, thrown in the adjacent room at the Northwest Music Hall. This event will keep the joy flowing with dance music provided by Slide Blues Guitar and Traditional Blues Band nominees Brian Lee and the Orbiters, followed by the duo Bret Benton and Gordon Townsend, IBC semi-finalists multiple category-nominees including Best New Band. Also nominated for Best New Band, The Nick Mardon Trio will make their BB Awards debut before the beloved drumming troubadour and BB Award-Winning Drummer Richard Sabol leads an all-star band and jam session to close out this incredible evening.
Doors at 230 PM with a 3 pm awards show time and after party from 7-10pm
Advance tickets are $20 for Washington Blues Society members, $30 for non-members, and $25 for seniors. VIP Seating $300.00-A front of house table for six with hors-d’oeuvres. Youth 15 and under $15.
Concessions include Craft Beer from Anacortes Brewery and Mike Schacht BBQ
Tickets go to https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3373979
The Washington Blues Society is an all-volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and advancing the culture of blues and roots music in Washington State and is affiliated with the Blues Foundation (www.blues.org) in Memphis, Tennessee. More information: www.wablues.org