Blues & Brews "Must Sees"

My favorite time of the year is back... The leaves are beginning to turn yellow, there's a cool breeze in the air, and the love for beer & blues music is at an all time high. 

The 17th Annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival kicks off this weekend with a killer selection of microbrews from across the country and even better musical lineup. With older legends like B.B. King and younger "Bonnaroo acts" like Galactic, this year's Blues & Brews weekend is setting up to be one for the ages. Here are a few absolute "must sees" for this weekend full of guitar pickin', beer drinkin', blue-sky dancin', town park fun:

Thursday, 5:00-7:00pm - Mountain Village: FREE concert featuring Matt Schofield and Gold Kings. Kick off the weekend with a FREE Sunset Concert Series at the Sunset Plaza in Mountain Village. Check out Matt Schofield's bio: http://tellurideblues.com/M4/artistpages/schofield.html

Friday, 7:00-8:30pm - Town Park Stage: George Thorogood & The Destroyers will put on a "Bad to the Bone" performance on Main Stage in Town Park. George is an absolute Blues legend who dedicates his tour to "all my fans". His 'Greatest Hits: 30 years of Rock' went gold and was Billboard's Blues Album of the Year for two years running back in 2004. Check out George Thorogood's bio:

http://www.tellurideblues.com/M4/artistpages/thorogood.html  

Saturday, Noon-3pm - Town Park: Grand Tasting with 50 Microbreweries. This is the kickoff to a stellar day of music and delicious beer drinking festivities. Tour around Town Park and taste the best microbrews from across the nation. Remember to vote for your favorite because they will be crowned best brew of the festival. Recommendations: SKA Brewing out of Durango and Smuggler's out of Telluride! 

Saturday, 4:00-5:10pm - Town Park Stage: JJ Grey & Mofro is one of the best Southern rock/blues musicians touring right now... "raw funk to deep soul" describes this Floridian's blues genre. Just trust me and make sure you are front and center for JJ's rockin' gritty funk. Check out JJ's bio:

http://tellurideblues.com/M4/artistpages/jjgrey.html  

Saturday, 5:30-6:45pm - Town Park Stage: They reign from the birthplace of blues - Galactic will absolutely bring the funk on Saturday night. These New Orleans artists have been jamming out sold-out Bonnaroo shows for years. Their new album, YA-KA-MAY, takes you back to their jazz, funk, head-boppin roots. Heavy bass, loud saxophone, and jammin' bongos will keep you dancing. Check out Galactic's bio:

http://tellurideblues.com/M4/artistpages/galactic.html  

Saturday, 7:15-8:30pm - Town Park Stage: No strangers to Telluride, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi Band play like they were meant for each other. Oh wait... they are. This happily married couple knows how to shred a guitar and absolutely love playing in Telluride. This is a must see to cap off an unbelievable Saturday full of Blues and Brews! Check out bio:

http://www.tellurideblues.com/m4/artistpages/dtstb.html  

Sunday, 3:00-4:00pm - Town Park Stage: I've heard nothing but good things about Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears... This Austin based band is sure to rock both Town Park Stage and a late night Juke Joint show at the Sheridan Opera House. Looking forward to checking out this "deliciously greasy-groove". Check out Black Joe Lewis' bio: 

http://tellurideblues.com/M4/artistpages/blackjoelewis.html  

Sunday, 6:00-8:30pm - Town Park Stage: Do I really need to explain how amazing the King of Blues is? The man who needs no introduction, B.B. King, returns to Telluride for another amazing performance that is a "must see" for any music lover. When B.B. King performed here in 2004, he sat on Town Park stage, looked at the mountains surrounding Town Park, and told the crowd, "Out if the 90 different countries I've been to, I've never seen anything more beautiful than what you have here." Check out B.B King's bio: 

http://tellurideblues.com/M4/artistpages/bbking.html  

We look forward to another amazing Blues & Brews weekend here in Telluride... For more information check out: 

http://tellurideblues.com/index.html 

CHEERS!

Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi