Check out the wonderful pics and coverage of Mike Wheeler at the Montpellier Blues Festival in France in SOUL BAG MAGAZINE!!!

Montpellier Blues Festival 2025 July 1-3, 2025.

If the first French date of the Chicago Blues Summer Tour (Mike Wheeler on guitar and vocals, Cleo Cole on drums, Larry Williams on bass, Russ Green on harmonica and Faye “Peaches” Staten on vocals) set the pace from the first evening, it was above all the performance of the sublime Crystal Thomas that definitively won over the very demanding Montpellier audience, between two tastings of American-style dishes. All the more so since the volcanic singer and trombonist from Louisiana was particularly well accompanied on the small stage of the Gazette with the cream of European blues: Luca Giordano (guitar, vocals), Damien Daigneau (keyboard, backing vocals), Antoine Escalier (bass, backing vocals) and Pascal Delmas (drums). 

A look back at these two blues evenings which further raised the already high temperature in Montpellier at the start of summer’

Text and photos: Frédéric Ragot  

MIKE WHEELER, guitar, Peaches Staten, vocals, Larry Williams, bass

MIKE WHEELER BAND!! Jesse Lockridge, keys, Mike Wheeler, vocals, guitar, Larry Williams, bass, Cleo Cole, drums

CLEO COLE, drums

Mike Wheeler in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, FRANCE

MIKE WHEELER BAND in Cognac, France

WHAT A CROWD ! Mike Wheeler’s fans in SPAIN!!!

MIKE WHEELER BAND in La Broque, France

Chicago Blues Festival

Requested for years, the annual Chicago Blues Festival tour, which will celebrate its 55th edition next fall, will be available in a summer version for the summer of 2025, with an all-star lineup 100% Chicago!
On the same principle as its big sister born in 1969, the tour will present an assembly of several recognized musicians from the scene of the capital of electric blues.
At the head of the group formed for this first edition, Mike Wheeler, one of the pillars of contemporary Chicago blues who has established himself for fifteen years as one of the worthy successors of his model Buddy Guy, scouring the clubs and festivals of Illinois!
Trained in the best school by years of experience as a sideman in various formations, he had the chance to play alongside many legends such as Son Seals, Koko Taylor, Willie Kent and of course Buddy Guy.
After a long stint in the band of Big James and the Chicago Playboys between 1998 and 2010, Mike began his solo career, which allowed him to sign with the historic Delmark label in 2012 and release three albums, unanimously acclaimed by critics.
The musicians who form his group are all among the most renowned on the blues planet on their respective instruments, as proven, among others, by the “all-star” rhythm section formed by Cleo Cole on drums and Larry Williams on bass!
At his side, two old acquaintances invited to complete the group with Russ Green and Faye “Peaches” Staten!
On the harmonica, Russ Green is today one of the best specialists of his instrument. His tours with John Primer and Lurrie Bell made him known to amateurs, to the point of recording under his name for Delmark. while Peaches draws her influences from Koko Taylor and Etta James!

All three are used to playing on the Chicago club circuit and regularly sharing the stage.
Their complicity and talent, combined with their dynamic onstage presence, guarantee us a wonderful first edition of the Chicago Blues Summer Tour!

MIKE WHEELER at SPACE in Evanston, IL for BLUE MONDAY, July 21, 2025

DAVE SPECTER and MIKE WHEELER at SPACE in Evanston. Mike is holding an action b/w shot of himself taken by photographer/bluesman extraordinaire DAVE SPECTER!