Gorgeous summer weather greeted attendees at the Kalamazoo Blues Festival this weekend, but there were indoor shows of merit in West Michigan, too. Check out the photo galleries at Local Spins.
Blues Passion: The Danielle Nicole Band on stage at Kalamazoo Blues Festival. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
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The 26th annual Kalamazoo Blues Festival topped off a beautiful weekend of gorgeous weather on Saturday, with headlining performances by Davey Knowles, Sabin Williams Band and local favorites Seventh Son on the second and final day of this summer staple at the Arcadia Creek Festival Place in downtown Kalamazoo.
With an impressive crowd estimated at 1,500 attendees on Friday and 3,500 on Saturday, it was easy to see how this festival has bounced back from its detrimental one-time move indoors to Wings Stadium two years ago.
Boasting multiple and unique food vendors, local beverage sponsors such as Founders Brewing Co. and Three Chord Bourbon, and a diverse and energetic lineup of local and national acts, Blues Fest was back in full force over the weekend.
Opening the festival’s second day was Kalamazoo-based five piece Nothing But The Blues, followed by Blue Veins, Big Trouble and regional favorites Crossroads Resurrection, all playing for enthusiastic, dedicated blues and non-blues fans alike.
The Crowd: Saturday’s festival lineup drew a big crowd to Arcadia Creek Festival Place. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
Biscuit Miller & The Mix, a four-piece funk/blues outfit from Indianapolis, gave ecstatic listeners a near-perfect rendition of “Purple Rain” set to a practically purple sunset backdrop.
And Davey Knowles, all the way from The Isle Of Man off the coast of Great Britain, gave audience members a sublime mix of what one attendee described as “Three Dog Night meets Bob Seger from across the pond.”
Gearing the crowd up to help finish the evening was a blisteringly hot set from The Danielle Nicole Band, propelled by the frontwoman’s powerful vocals and dynamic bass work, which recently earned her a nomination in the Best Contemporary Blues category at the 2019 Grammy Awards.
Afterward, Kalamazoo-based newcomers in the Sabin Williams Band showcased their steady mix of contemporary and classic blues, followed by Southwest Michigan’s oldest blues outfit and regional favorites Seventh Son, who closed out the festival with a rousing set for a jam-packed, celebratory crowd in Kalamazoo — making it safe to say that blues music is still thriving in Southwest Michigan. – Megan Dooley
PHOTO GALLERY: Kalamazoo Blues Festival – Day 2
Photos by Derek Ketchum
Photos by Derek Ketchum
PHOTO GALLERY: Gringo Star, Lazy Genius, Elroy Meltzer at The Pyramid Scheme
Photos by Katy Batdorff
