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(BATON ROUGE, LA) – Start planning your weekend! The Baton Rouge Blues Festival returns to downtown this April 13th and 14th with a heavy hitting lineup featuring some of the biggest names in the blues world. The free and family friendly two-day festival originated in 1981 and is one of the oldest blues festivals in America.
There will be 45 performances and 9 interviews taking place across five stages. The largest stage, the Crown Royal LA 1 Stage, is located at the bottom of Repentance Park near River Road and features a variety of nationally and internationally acclaimed performers interpreting the blues in their own unique way. The stage’s namesake, LA Highway 1, connects all of Louisiana from Shreveport to Grand Isle, cutting through hometowns of Slim Harpo, Silas Hogan, Buddy Guy and Lazy Lester.
The Aetna Swamp Blues Stage, located under the Crest in Galvez Plaza, showcases homegrown talent and recognizes Louisiana blues history. This year’s Swamp Blues performers include nods to Lazy Lester’s Excello Records hits as well as Baton Rouge legends Raful Neal and Tabby Thomas through the next generation of talent, Kenny Neal and the Neal Family and Chris Thomas King.
With lively gospel and soul performances throughout the weekend, the Smoke-free EBR Soul of BR Stage pays homage to the setting where most blues performers first fell in love with music: through the church.
Front porches across the south have long been the scene of blues traditions being handed down from one generation to the next. The Front Porch Stage, located in the neutral ground at North Boulevard and North Fourth Street, pays tribute to that rich history, providing the opportunity to see living legends playing intimate sets and future legends continuing to hone their craft.
Offering a reprieve from the sun in the Old State Capitol Senate Chambers, the Blues Backstory Stage features informal interviews and impromptu performances from musicians on the lineup, sharing how the blues shaped their careers. Each interview will be recorded by NOVAC BR and released on the festival’s YouTube channel in late April.
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