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Clarksdale, Mississippi's Deep Blues Festival:
"Definitely not your daddy's blues festival!"
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CONTACT:
Email (recommended) - info@newroxy.com
Web site - www.deepbluesfest.com
Robin Colonas (New Roxy) - 662-313-6220
Roger Stolle (publicist) - 662-624-5992
9th Deep Blues Festival brings grassroots, alternative blues fans to the land of the proverbial Crossroads — Clarksdale, Mississippi
Clarksdale, Mississippi — The Magnolia State boasts many music festivals centered around blues. But, according to organizers, none are anything like Clarksdale, Mississippi's annual Deep Blues Festival in October.
WHAT THE HECK IS IT?
"There's nothing typical about this blues festival," said Robin Colonas, co-organizer and owner of the New Roxy concert venue. "This is a celebration of outsider and alternative blues. It's a crazy-cool mix of Hill Country blues, roots rock and Americana. As my favorite blues label Fat Possum used to say, 'It's not the same old blues crap.' This music is alive."
The festival runs from Thursday, October 13 through Sunday, October 16, 2016. It encompasses two "official" indoor venues plus many busking stages and other related events at clubs and juke joints around town.
"Our venues are as unique as some of the acts that play them," explained Colonas. "The Shack Up Inn's Juke Joint Chapel stage is literally built inside an old cotton gin, and the New Roxy is a two-stage venue built in the remains of an old movie theater — half inside and half with no roof. And that's not even getting into the crazy juke joint scene here."
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The 2016 Deep Blues Festival $75 weekend pass offers the best deal. The pass acts as a "joint cover" and gets you into the festival's two main venues (the New Roxy and Shack Up Inn's Juke Joint Chapel) for three nights plus Sunday morning — October 13-16. Daily, single-venue tickets (price TBA) will also be available day of show, while they last.
Buy weekend passes online now at http://www.newroxy.com/product/deep-blues-festival-2016-weekend-pass/
There will be many FREE daytime performances around town as well at places like the Jeff Norwood Memorial Stage at Shacksdale, Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art and the Rock & Blues Museum. Other related nighttime venues will have their own usual cover charges at the door.
WHO'S ROCKIN' AT DEEP BLUES?
"We've got Deep Blues acts coming from as far away as Canada and Europe," noted Colonas. "We anticipate enthusiastic turnouts, especially for crowd favorites like Chicken Snake, James Leg and Possessed by Paul James."
And it's no wonder. As an example, Possessed by Paul James regularly receives accolades like these: "One-man folk wonder." - New York Times. "Akin to a live electric socket missing its cover." - Paste.
Other acts sure to please hardcore blues fans include Watermelon Slim, Cedric Burnside and Hezekiah Early & Robert "Lil Poochie" Watson.
The basic lineup is online now with more related events to be posted in the coming weeks.
WANT MORE? BECOME A BENEFACTOR!
"This year, the Benefactor's Ball is at Red's Lounge — Clarksdale's quintessential juke joint," said Roger Stolle, Cat Head store owner and Red's fan. "It's one of the last long-running jukes in existence. I strongly recommend that folks not only buy weekend passes but also become Benefactors, so they can attend. R.L. Burnside's son Garry Burnside is set to headline the event."
Become a Benefactor at http://www.newroxy.com/product/deep-blues-festival-benefactor/
A BRIEF HISTORY OF DEEP BLUES
In 2007, BBQ master Chris Johnson held the first Deep Blues Festival in a field just outside of the twin cities — Minneapolis-Saint Paul — well north of the Mississippi Delta. While Johnson is no longer an active organizer, he is still a big fan of the festival and its eclectic blues-inspired music. This is the 3rd year for the reinvigorated Clarksdale event.
Festival information: www.deepbluesfest.com
Weekend pass venues: www.newroxy.com, www.shackupinn.com
This project is partially funded through Visit Mississippi and Coahoma County Tourism.
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MEDIA: For hi-res images and festival graphics, email info@newroxy.com
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