Top ten blues shows coming to the Chicago area

Shemekia will be at Space in Evanston March 8.  She has a fine new album out called 33 1/3 and a recent appearance at the Star Plaza in Merrillville, Ind. where she was part of the Monster Blues II show with Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang.  Johnny is alive and well and doing a lot better these days thanks to the help of guitarist Paul Nelson.  The story is his former manager ripped him off and kept him medicated so he wouldn’t notice.  All of that has changed now. Johnny is touring non-stop and releasing a series of live bootleg concerts.  Come out to see this slide guitar master on March 5 & 6 at the City Winery at 1200 W. Radolph in Chicago.Come out to Fitgerald's on 2/23/13 to see some Cajun blues and the conscience of the Louisiana bayou.  Tab has crusaded tirelessly for the preservation of the rapidly vanishing wetlands.  He got no help from Hurricane Katrina and that evil British oil drilling company.View the list »
Joining Lil’ Ed on Fat Tuesday (2/12/13) at Fitgerald's will be Ronnie Baker Brooks.  The benefit is to help with medical costs for C.J. Chenier’s guitarist Tim Betts.  Fitzgerald’s will also have hurricanes, jambalaya, beads and other Mardi Gras favorites.   

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There are plenty of blues clubs in Chicago with nightly entertainment. There are many musicians or bands that you can find playing regularly somewhere in Chicagoland. Listed here are shows coming through Chicago or are happening for a special reason. They are listed in chronological order.

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Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials will be at Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn. It will take place on Fat Tuesday and will also be a benefit. Fat Tuesday is Feb. 12. Show time is at 6:00 p.m. Cover is $15.00.

Tab Benoit, another Louisiana favorite will also perform at Fitzgerald’s on Saturday Feb. 23. Show time is 9:00 p.m. Cover charge is $20.00.

Hot Tuna performs at the Old Towne School of Folk Music on Saturday Feb. 23. There will be two acoustic shows at 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Tickets are $38.00. Hot Tuna is a spin-off of Jefferson Airplane. Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen have been performing blues since 1969.

Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers hit Reggie’s on Friday Mar. 1. Reggie’s is located at 2105 S. State St. The show is part of the venue’s Made in America series. Show time is 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $15.00 in advance, $20.00 day of the show. The tune ‘Take My Blues’ was featured recently on the season premiere of the FX series Justified.

Legendary slide guitarist Johnny Winter hits the City Winery Chicago on Mar. 5 and 6. Show times are 8:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:00. Tickets are $40.00 to $50.00.

Shemekia Copeland returns to the Chicago area in Evanston’s Space on Friday Mar. 8. Show time is 8:00 p.m. Tickets range from $22.00 to $42.00.

About a week later Sam Lay will also grace the Space stage on Saturday Mar. 16. Show time is 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $30.00.

Back at the Old Town School of Folk Music on Thursday Mar. 21 will be Keb Mo’. He will be performing shows at 7:00 p.m. and again at 10:00 p.m. Tickets are $40.00. He is a three time Grammy winner for Best Contemporary Blues Album. His latest album is 2011’s ‘The Reflection’. He has performed at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival.

Eric Sardinas rides into town at the House of Blues Back Porch Stage on Friday Mar. 22. Show time is 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $14.00 in advance and $16.00 the day of the show. His latest album, ‘Sticks and Stones’ was produced by Matt Gruber who has worked with Scorpions, Lit, Carrie Underwood and Ricky Martin. The Florida born blues/rock guitarist has been playing since the age of six.

Last but not least is the always imaginative and creative Chicago born guitarist Otis Taylor. He will be playing at Space in Evanston on Thursday Mar. 28. Show time is 8:00 p.m. Tickets range from $17.00 to $32.00. Otis’ new album ‘My World Is Gone’ is his 13th. It features Mato Nanji of the band Indigenous.

View the list
  • Joining Lil’ Ed on Fat Tuesday (2/12/13) at Fitgerald's will be Ronnie Baker Brooks.  The benefit is to help with medical costs for C.J. Chenier’s guitarist Tim Betts.  Fitzgerald’s will also have hurricanes, jambalaya, beads and other Mardi Gras favorites.   
  • Come out to Fitgerald's on 2/23/13 to see some Cajun blues and the conscience of the Louisiana bayou.  Tab has crusaded tirelessly for the preservation of the rapidly vanishing wetlands.  He got no help from Hurricane Katrina and that evil British oil drilling company.
  • Johnny is alive and well and doing a lot better these days thanks to the help of guitarist Paul Nelson.  The story is his former manager ripped him off and kept him medicated so he wouldn’t notice.  All of that has changed now. Johnny is touring non-stop and releasing a series of live bootleg concerts.  Come out to see this slide guitar master on March 5 & 6 at the City Winery at 1200 W. Radolph in Chicago.
  • Shemekia will be at Space in Evanston March 8.  She has a fine new album out called 33 1/3 and a recent appearance at the Star Plaza in Merrillville, Ind. where she was part of the Monster Blues II show with Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang.  
  • Come out to see legendary drummer, sometimes guitarist and vocalist at Space in Evanston on March 16.  Sam has  played with Little Walter, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, Bob Dylan, Paul Butterfield and the Siegel-Schwall band.  He’s also a hall of famer for the Blues Hall of Fame in Memphis, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the Jazz Hall of Fame in L.A.
View the list
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, Chicago blues Examiner

Joe Skotnicki is a blues afficionado with hundreds of live performances witnessed throughout the Chicagoland area since the 1970's. In 2006, Joe was a contributing writer and photographer for the Northwest Indiana NewSlang magazine/Calumet Press newspaper. As a reviewer, both local and national...

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