Looking for fun filled blues related shows during CHICAGO BLUES FEST week???
Monday, June 2nd
Joel Paterson & Friends @ THE GREEN MILL 8pm-midnight
John Primer @ Muddy Waters Mojo Museum 5:30-7:30pm Free
Tuesday, June 3rd
John Primer @ Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn, IL for WDCB BLUESDAY TUESDAY, 7pm
Wednesday, June 4th
Big Llou’s Blues Fest Kickoff Party w/: Bob Stroger, Nora Jean Wallace, Brother John Kattke, Vince Johnson, Fernando Jones, Doc Payne, Matthew Skoller, Nellie “Tiger” Travis, Dawn Tyler Watson, Destini Rawls, Young Rell Davenport @ Buddy Guy’s Legends (Chicago)
Thursday, June 5th
Chicago Blues Fest kick-off party @ THE RAMOVA THEATRE
Delmark’s Julia Miller will be interviewing the legendary soul blues artist BOBBY RUSH!!
4-5 pm LIVING BLUES Magazine panel – featuring Jim O’Neal, Scott Barretta, Brett Bonner, Bruce Iglauer and Deitra Farr, Moderated by Dick Shurman, Introductions by Visit Mississippi’s Michelle McAdoo
5:30-6:30 – Up close and personal with Bobby Rush – moderated by Julia Miller, President/CEO of Delmark Records, Presented with The Recording Academy – Chicago Chapter
Shirley Johnson with BTS Express @ Blue Chicago (Chicago)
Chess Records 75th Anniversary Revue, Blues Heaven, 2120 S. Michigan Ave. (Chicago)
All-Star Harmonica Blast: Omar Coleman, Matthew Skoller, Rob Stone, Martin Lang, Tom Holland, Joey J Saye, Kenny Smith, Andrew Diehl, Lee Kanehira, Mike Scharf & special guests @ Reggie’s (Chicago)
Friday, June 6th
Mud Morganfield @ Fitzgerald’s, Berwyn, 8:30pm
John Primer with Johnny Iguana @ Buddy Guy’s Legends (Chicago)
Sheryl Youngblood @ Rosa’s Lounge (Chicago)
Super Session: Bob Stroger, Billy Flynn, Omar Coleman, Dave Katzman, Amy Lowe, Rodney Brown, Brother John, Patrick Seals, Mike Scharf @ Reggie’s (Chicago)
Mike Wheeler Band w/Demetria Taylor @ Blue Chicago (Chicago)
Saturday, June 7th
Bob Stroger & Friends @ Blues Heaven, 2120 S. Michigan Ave. (Chicago), 9pm – Chicago Blues Fest after-party!
Mike Wheeler Band w/Demetria Taylor @ Blue Chicago (Chicago)
Inetta Visor (from Mississippi Heat) & the Chris Christmas Band @ Lee’s Unleaded Blues (Chicago)
Willie Buck with Scott Dirks @ Fuller’s Pub, Irving & Kedzie, (Chicago)
Blues Brunch w/ Gerry Hundt @ Reggie’s (Chicago), 11am
Sunday, June 8th
CHRIS FOREMAN and SOUL MESSAGE BAND @ THE GREEN MILL 8pm-midnight
(new album for SOUL MESSAGE BAND with JIMMY BURNS coming soon on Delmark!!)
Sheryl Youngblood @ Blue Chicago (Chicago)
Mike Wheeler @ Buddy Guy’s Legends (Chicago)
Stephen Hull Experience with Johnny Iguana @ Rosa’s Lounge (Chicago)
Blues Brunch w/ Tom Holland @ Reggie’s (Chicago), 11am
Shorty Mack & The Magnificents @ Lee’s Unleaded Blues (Chicago)
Joe Pratt & The Source One Band @ Odyssey East, Chicago
2025 Chicago Blues Festival Schedule
Thursday June 5 through Sunday, June 8
THURSDAY, JUNE 5
Ramova Theatre
3520 S. Halsted St., Bridgeport
THE BLUES SESSIONS
4-5pm – Living Blues Panel Discussion
Featuring Jim O’Neal, Scott Barretta, Brett Bonner, Bruce Iglauer and Deitra Farr, Moderated by Dick Shurman, Introductions by Visit Mississippi’s Michelle McAdoo
5:30-6:30pm – Up Close & Personal with Bobby Rush
Moderated by Julia Miller, President/CEO of Delmark Records, Presented with The Recording Academy – Chicago Chapter
DOUBLE-BILL CONCERT PROGRAM
7:30-8:30pm – Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues
9-10:15pm – Bobby Rush
FRIDAY, JUNE 6
Jay Pritzker Pavilion
3:45-4pm – National anthem and “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
4-5pm – D.K. Harrell
5:15-6:15pm – Dawn Tyler Watson
6:30-7:15pm – John Primer with Steve Bell
7:30-9pm – B.B. King Centennial Tribute featuring Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, D.K. Harrell and Jonathan Ellison with the B.B. King Centennial Band, Co-presented with the B.B. King Museum & Delta Interpretive Center
Visit Mississippi Crossroads Stage (South Promenade)
Noon-1:15pm – Lady Adrena and LA Band
1:30-2:45pm – Vick Allen featuring the Velvet Soul Band
3-4:15pm – Johnny Rawls Soul Review
4:30-5:45pm – Eddie Cotton
Rosa’s Lounge Stage (North Promenade)
12:30-1:45pm – Ivan Singh
2-3:15pm – Jamiah “Dirty Deacon” Rogers and the Dirty Church Band
3:30-4:45pm – Rico McFarland
5-6:15pm – Sheryl Youngblood
6:30-7:45pm – “Last Call with WDCB” featuring The Mike Wheeler Band
SATURDAY, JUNE 7
Jay Pritzker Pavilion
3:45-4pm – National anthem and “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
4-5:15pm – Women in Blues Tribute to Denise LaSalle featuring Nellie “Tiger” Travis, Thornetta Davis, Nora Jean Wallace and Mzz Reese with Jonathan Ellison
5:30-6:15pm – Joey J. Saye, Stephen Hull and Harrell “Young Rell” Davenport
6:30-7:30pm – Latimore
7:45-9pm – Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Visit Mississippi Crossroads Stage (South Promenade)
Noon-1:15pm – 2 Blues for You
1:30-2:45pm – Jessie Robinson
3-4:15pm – Vickie Baker, The V Souls and The Groove Crew
4:30-5:45pm – John Primer & The Real Deal Blues Band with Johnny Iguana
Rosa’s Lounge Stage (North Promenade)
12:30-1:45pm – Stefan Hillesheim Band
2-3:15pm – Michael Damani
3:30-4:45pm – Lynne Jordan and The Shivers
5-6:15pm – Joe Barr and The Platinum Band
6:30-7:45pm – “Last Call with WDCB” featuring Theo Huff
Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace – Next Generation of Blues
11-11:45am – Wendy & DB
Noon-12:45pm – Chicago Blues Revival
1-1:45pm – Curie Metropolitan High School
2-2:45pm – BandWith
3-4pm – VanderCook College of Music
SUNDAY, JUNE 8
Jay Pritzker Pavilion
3:30-3:45pm – National anthem and “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
3:45-5pm – Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven Foundation presents 75th Anniversary of Chess Records
5:15-6:15pm – C.J. Chenier and The Red Hot Louisiana Band
6:30-7:30pm – Lurrie Bell and Frank Catalano
7:45-9pm – Mavis Staples
Visit Mississippi Crossroads Stage (South Promenade)
Noon-1:15pm – Stevie J and The Blues Eruption
1:30-2:45pm – Nellie “Tiger” Travis
3-4:15pm – Jonathan Ellison
4:30-5:45pm – Ms. Jody
Rosa’s Lounge Stage (North Promenade)
12:30-1:45pm – Harrell “Young Rell” Davenport
2-3:15pm – Jimmy Burns Band
3:30-4:45pm – Nick Alexander Blues Band
5-6:15pm – Sonia Astacio
6:30-7:45pm – “Last Call with WDCB” featuring 3 by 3 Crew: Freddie Dixon, John Watkins, Maurice Vaughn with Tim Taylor
Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace – Next Generation of Blues
11-11:45am – Wiggleworms featuring Amanda Payne & Will Fancher of Old Town School of Folk Music
Noon-12:45pm – Fernando Jones Presents the Knott Us Band
1-1:45pm – Kenwood Academy High School
2-2:45pm – Nicholas Senn High School
3-4pm – A Patch of Blues
Maxwell Street between S. Halsted St. and S. Union Ave.
10-11am – DJ James Porter
11am-noon – Marty “Big Dog” Mercer Duo
12:30-1:30pm – Omar Coleman Westside Soul
2-3pm – Harmonica Hinds Duo
Friday June 6th
BOB STROGER, BILLY FLYNN, Brother JOHN KATTKE @ Reggie’s Music Joint
11th Annual Bluesfest AfterParty with Chicago Blues SuperSession.
Bob Stroger Bass and Vocals, Billy Flynn Guitar and Vocals, John Kattke Keyboards and Vocals
CHICAGO BLUES SUPERSESSION
Every performance showcases Chicago’s finest and seasoned Blues Singers and Musicians. Each one is an established Chicago Blues Artist, and could easily carry a whole show on their own. However, by having them all together on the same stage it becomes a very special musical event.
Inspired by the Classic Blues Reviews of the 1950s & 1960s, The Chicago Blues SuperSession utilizes the same rhythm section (guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums) and then rotates the front singers. By changing styles and different rhythms the audience can enjoy an exciting and diverse performance. It’s like a complete Blues Festival all in one show.
The SuperSession has performed at the Ann Arbor Blues Festival, The Chicago Blues Festival, Milwaukee’s Big Barbeque, the Big Bear Blues Festival, The Chicago History Museum and many other venues all over the Midwest.https://www.youtube.com/embed/pIGpnxaC4Co?si=S6udYnJNRv9iRtJe?rel=0
BOB STROGER
Have Bass Will Travel…. I was born in South East Missouri in a small town Haiti, where I lived on a farm. I moved to Chicago in 1955. I lived in the back of a night club on the West Side, where Howling Wolf and Muddy Waters played. It looked like they were having a lot of fun and I made up my mind that what I wanted to do was play music. I got married at an early age and I used to watch my brother-in-law play music. His name was Johnny Ferguson and he and JB Hutto had a band they called the Twisters. They were working on 39’th and State Street in Chicago and I would carry them to work every night and watch them. Then at home I would try to teach myself to play. My cousin Ralph Ramey said that we should start a band and we did just that. We got my brother (John Stroger), who played the drums, to learn the songs we knew and in four months we were making some noise. We went to a club and played two songs and the man said we had a job. It was one of the better clubs, where musicians like… [read more]https://www.youtube.com/embed/T3KRgh30THE?rel=0
BILLY FLYNN
Billy Flynn is an American Chicago blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter.https://www.youtube.com/embed/c8Gog-APBT8?rel=0
BROTHER JOHN KATTKE
Brother John has played with Eric Clapton, Steve Miller, the Black Crowes, and acquired ringing endorsements from many other musicians of renown. For example: Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant had seen John play with Otis Rush at the Jazz Café in London. When Plant and Kattke met in person at the United Center in Chicago, Plant told Kattke: “You play a mean guitar!” George Benson came to the jam session that Kattke hosts at Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago. After hearing the opening set that John played with his band, Benson told him: “You’re fearless! I thought I was fearless! You’re fearless!https://www.youtube.com/embed/nUe9v0DCAPc?rel=0
JOHNNY BURGIN at Lizard’s Liquid Lounge
JUNE 6th – SHERYL YOUNGBLOOD at Rosa’s Lounge
Fri, Jun 6, 2025
Sheryl Youngblood Band: The Ultimate After-Fest Blues Party
Sheryl Youngblood, a Chicago Blues Hall of Fame inductee, envelops audiences with the rich tapestry of Gospel, R&B, and Blues in her ballads. Her soul-stirring performances transcend genres, captivating listeners with a blend of heartfelt melodies and high-energy rock. From her roots in a musically talented family to sharing the stage with icons like Jennifer Hudson and Buddy Guy, Sheryl’s musical odyssey is a testament to her exceptional talent and unwavering commitment to music. As a versatile artist – vocalist, drummer, songwriter, and bandleader – she continues to enthrall global audiences with her soulful renditions and passionate dedication to her craft.
SUNDAY JUNE 8th
JIMMY BURNS, JOHNNY BURGIN, BILLY FLYNN and more at Reggie’s Music Joint
11th Annual Bluesfest AfterParty “End Of Fest Pro Jam” with Special Surprise Guests
BILLY FLYNN
Billy Flynn is an American Chicago blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter.https://www.youtube.com/embed/c8Gog-APBT8?rel=0
JIMMY BURNS
Singer, guitarist, and songwriter, Jimmy Burns is a contemporary bluesman who combines his Delta roots with R&B and soul to come up with a sound uniquely his own. Burns is a charismatic performer with an expressive, soulful, voice and a melodic guitar style to match.
JOHN PRIMER
John Primer (born March 5, 1945, Camden, Mississippi, United States) is an American Chicago blues and electric blues singer and guitarist who played behind Junior Wells in the house band at Theresa’s Lounge and as a member of the bands of Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters and Magic Slim before launching an award-winning career as a front man, carrying forward the traditional Windy City sound into the 21st century.
JOHNNY BURGIN
In 2023 Johnny was nominated for a BMA for Best Traditional Blues Artist. He maintains a relentless tour schedule across the US, in Japan, Europe and Mexico. He’s also gained a loyal YouTube following for his ‘nooks and crannies’ guitar lessons posted every Monday. Vintage Guitar praised his ‘stellar guitar playing’ and Living Blues called him “talented and audacious”.https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/v=2/album=3634252999/size=venti/bgcol=BFC8C2/linkcol=fb7323/https://www.youtube.com/embed/lCRGNCttkHw?rel=0
MELVIN SMITH
Melvin has been playing bass guitar for over 25 years in venues from small clubs to large international festivals. His career has had him performing in bands with such luminaries as Koko Taylor, Lurie Bell and Billy Branch. He has also performed with Carl Weathersby, Big James and the Chicago Playboys, Jimmy Johnson, Phil Guy, Lefty Dizz, Melvin Taylor, Charlie Love, Jimmy Burns and many others. Melvin is one of the most sought out bass men in the Chicago blues scene today.
