(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.