(HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA) – The New Blues Festival, Southern California’s premier family blues festival, heads to Huntington Beach Saturday, April 27 at the Huntington Beach Sports Complex (18100 Goldenwest St, Huntington Beach, California)! Headlining sets by top Orange County-based artists Eric Sardinas, James Harman, The Verdoros and Legendary Bluesman Guitar Shorty plus eight additional acts! But wait, there’s more: a dozen great SoCal bands performing on the “Big Top Stage” both days. (Rain Or Shine). The inaugural Huntington Beach New Blues Festival showtime is 9am- 9pm (gates open 9am).
The Festival features an eclectic, Orange County-centric Main Stage lineup with eight of the twelve groups – Eric Sardinas, James Harman, The Rhythm Shakers, The Verdoros with Harliss Sweetwater, plus Warren Renfro and Brian Coakley (ex-Cadillac Tramps), The Broughams, Whiskey & The Wolves, and the Michael Mills Band – all calling the OC home. Blues legend Guitar Shorty, New Blues Revolution, Deb Taren Band, and Union Hobos are the other Main Stage acts. The Big Top Stage is headlined by Orange County staple, blues harpist Papa J and Crosscut Delux, plus Jason Robert, Sandy Haley Band, Beano/Mojohand, Runson Willis III, The Motion, Golden Butter Review, Up Jumped The Blues, Jim Fizz Jazztet, and the “6 String Showdown” winner, Teddy Lee Hooker.
Tickets are $40 (General Admission); $75 (Gold Ticket with assigned stage front seating, waitress service, access to all food vendors, merchandise vendors, bar, and beer trailer); $125 (V.I.P. with backstage access, artist meet-and-greets, stage front viewing area, catered food, non-alcoholic beverages, exclusive VIP Lounge with VIP Happy Hour, access to all food vendors, merchandise vendors, bar, beer trailer).
Eric Sardinas: Blues-rock vocalist and slide guitar ace is known for his mastery of the electric resonator guitar and searing live performances including lighting his guitar on fire onstage while soloing. Sardinas began playing guitar at age six and leaned toward vintage recordings Delta bluesmen Charlie Patton, Bukka White, Big Bill Broonzy, Elmore James, and Muddy Waters. Since the late-90s’ Sardinas has taken the stage thousands of times across the globe, with audiences growing exponentially each passing year. His six albums have displayed a distinct style that musically pushes the boundaries of rock and blues.
Guitar Shorty: Legendary guitarist/vocalist is a giant in the blues world and has been credited with influencing both Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy. Shorty has been electrifying audiences for over five decades with his super-charged live shows and incendiary recordings. What really sets Shorty apart is his unpredictable, off-the-wall guitar playing… reaches for sounds, riffs and licks that other blues players wouldn’t even think of. His 2004 Alligator Records debut, Watch Your Back, became his best-received, best-selling album to date. His 2006 follow-up, We The People, won the coveted Blues Music Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year.
James Harman: A one-of-a-kind song writer, producer, musician, showman, vocalist and internationally known bluesman, Harman has been nominated for 20 pestiferous W.C. Handy (Blues Foundation) awards, inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, and is the harmonica player of choice on many ZZ Top releases, as well as live with them on many international TV shows. He’s had 33 releases on many different labels and he’s been nominated for a Grammy Award, and won two Blues Music Awards for his contribution to the Blind Pig release, Remembering Little Walter in 2014. In 2015 Electro-Fi release Bonetime was nominated for an unprecedented five BMA awards: Song of The Year, Album of The Year, Traditional Album of The Year, Harmonica Player And Traditional Blues Male Artist of The Year.
The Huntington Beach New Blues Festival is presented in conjunction with the Long Beach Blues Society “Preserve the Past, Promote the Future.”
Info: (562) 338-4805 or visit the Website.
