One of the most missed events that had to give way in 2020 to the COVID-19 pandemic was the annual Billtown Blues Festival held every June at the Lycoming County Fairgrounds. It returns bigger and better than ever this year on June 11, 12, and 13. We at Webb Weekly talked to organizers of the Billtown Blues Festival about the return of this year’s Festival, as well as detailing what would be in store for blues fans that enjoy the event.
Do you think that the one-year absence has dampened any of the enthusiasm for the Festival?

No, we do not — the opposite. We sense a high degree of enthusiasm and lots of expressions of “well wishes” and “congratulations” We are also noticing ticket sales coming in from many first-timers. It all feels very good right now.
How will this year’s Festival be different from the others?

There are just a couple of changes:

1: We have eliminated our 11 multi-county ticket outlets. Ticket sales are being directed to our website for both credit card sales and mail orders with a check. Sales at the gate on the day of each show will remain as always.

2: We eliminated our craft vending area this year to allow for an increased area for those wishing to use canopies as a way of defining their own “space.”

3: We have added a greater discounted ticket called a 3-day bundle for music fans who wish to come all three days and come and go as they please with quick access.

4: We have invested in sanitation supplies and services with the purpose of doing the best we can to provide a safe and comfortable event for our patrons.

5: The world-class lineup of talent coming from San Francisco, Houston, New Orleans, Florida, Indianapolis, and beyond is more anxious and excited than ever. Some are telling me this is their first Festival in two years, some their first gig at all. The BBA is thrilled to be able to provide this special opportunity to the musicians and music fans.
How have you met the challenge of the Festival’s one-year absence?

The hardest decision was deciding whether to go ahead or not. It was a grueling time wanting to do the right thing. This was back in January when the future of this pandemic was still very much unknown. Once we agreed as an organization to move forward, everything fell in place as it always does. Our small group of active volunteers, many having been with us for 25 plus years, know what to do and how to do it.
For purposes of historical background, could you name some of the most notable acts to appear at the Festival through the years?

Of course, everyone who has appeared on our stage was selected because we knew they would bring something special and memorable to the audience. We don’t even use the term “headliner” because everyone we book, at the national level, has been a “headliner” somewhere. They are all headliners. Thinking back, however, to answer your question specifically, I have to place Luther Alison, Hubert Sumlin, Levon Helm, Johnny Clyde Copeland, Pinetop Perkins, Ann Rabson, and Canned Heat at the top of a long list of notables. Sadly, all but a couple of members of the original Canned Heat band are now deceased, so it is a bittersweet memory, but so grateful we were able to experience their music and greatness as an eternal part of the BBA history.

This year’s 31st Annual Billtown Blues Festival will be featuring 17 bands and acts; what follows is a run-down of this always highly anticipated event.

Friday, June 11, will be a very special day for the Festival. Unable to get the BBA’s signature Audition Concert in as usually planned, and after two cancellations, the BBA organizers have decided to roll the Audition Concert into the Festival on Friday. The annual Audition Concert will begin at 3 p.m., with gates opening at 2 p.m. for those wanting to attend the Audition Concert and the Friday Festival. Free admission to the Audition Concert will be granted to everyone holding a Friday Festival ticket or a 3-day bundle ticket.

At 6 p.m., the official festival activities will begin with The Uptown Music Collective Blues Performance Group.

Nate Myers, a local favorite, comes in from Harrisburg. Nate is an extraordinary entertainer, harmonica player, vocalist, and songwriter. Nate creatively blends traditional blues, R&B, and hip-hop into a style all his own.

Kat Riggins from Florida is undeniably a rising star in the blues. Kat is on a mission to keep the blues art form front, and center with her “Revival Blues” themed performances. Kat is honored with a 2021 Blues Music Award nomination for her Gulf Coast Records release “Cry Out.” Kat will be backed for her northeast debut by the Gabe Stillman Band.

Noah Wotherspoon hails from Cincinnati, OH but travels the world delivering his tasteful hi-energy and passionate blues performances. Noah is a 2015 Albert King Award (now Gibson Guitar Award) recipient.

The Saturday, June 12 lineup begins with the BBA Audition Concert Solo/duo and band winners. These musicians selected from Friday’s Audition Concert will deliver a full set of blues and move on to eligibility to compete in the Memphis-based International Blues Challenge, IBC.

Mikey Junior, Philadelphia-based, is one of the country’s most highly regarded harmonica players, having triple charted on Living Blues. Mikey is self-taught but learned from the masters by way of his vinyl collection as a teenager. Mikey is a strong vocalist and an impressive entertainer.

Next up on Saturday is the blues-rock Lower Case Blues Band coming to us from Delaware. The three-piece power trio includes BJ Munz on bass, Paul Weik on drums, and Jake Banaszak on guitar and vocals. The band is an inductee into the Delaware Blues Hall of Fame and 2019 semifinalists in the International Blues Challenge.

One of two “reverends” on the Saturday bill is Reverend Billy C. Wirtz. “I Went Back to My Fourth Wife for the Third Time and Gave Her a Second Chance to Make a First Class Fool Out of Me (By Rev. Billy C. Wirtz)”; one of Billy’s compositions that made the C&W song title humor list. Although Billy comes across as one of those “out there” wild and crazy performers, he does take the blues art form seriously. Billy is a top-notch blues piano player, singer, storyteller, and creative songwriter. And yes, he is apt to ask the audience to “testify” to the blues!

Coming in from Chicago are the award-winning Cash Box Kings. And yes, they will be bringing traditional Chicago blues, albeit “jumping and hollering into the 21st century,” as described by Dan Aykroyd. Living Blues Magazine says, “One of the best blues bands in the land. Any of these musicians could have played with the great bands of the golden blues era. Together they keep a sound alive that many thought was no more. Joe Nosek feels Little Walter and Slim Harpo in the essence of his soul. Singer Oscar Wilson could be right out of [Chicago’s famed] Checkerboard Lounge in its glory days. The Cash Box Kings are a dancing and listening pleasure.” This will be a great Chicago Blues set you will not want to miss!

Trudy Lynn will be coming to us from Houston, Texas. A properly named “stateswoman of the blues,” Trudy will deliver soulful Texas blues with sass and class. Although a singer in church and family affairs, her first public stage appearance came her way at age 17 at a local neighborhood bar when Albert Collins called her to sing a song. She chose Barrett Strong’s “Money” and killed it” That was fifty-seven years ago, and she hasn’t stopped since. Trudy has been at the top of the Billboard Blues charts and around the world, singing her songs. To keep moving forward. Trudy is a 2021 Blues Music Award nominee for Traditional Female Artist.

Closing out the festivities on Saturday night is the 2nd reverend of the day, Reverend Peyton and his Big Damn Band. Hailing from Indianapolis, this unique trio brings together an entertaining blend of traditional blues, contemporary folk and rocks them both. Not your typical blues trio; the band creates a distinguishable sound all their own. “Breezy” on washboard and background vocals, Max Senteney on drums (including a “bucket” as a part of his kit), and “the Rev” on guitar with his unique fingerpicking style, and vocals, deliver a memorable set each and every time. The band is as rich and true to the blues art form as any touring band today. “… the reincarnated Mississippi moan of guys like Son House… a burly soul punishing the senses with a Deltapunk attack and a heavy helping of rural realism. The band’s latest recording, “Dance Songs for Hard times,” puts a year-long set of challenges for the band into a song that most any listener can identify with. Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band is nominated for a 2021 Blues Music Award in the Blues Rock category.

Kicking off at 11 a.m. on Sunday is the Billtown Gospel Revue. Presented as a “test” for the first time in 2019, the Gospel Revue is making a return visit by popular demand. The “revue” will include a special group of local and regional musicians who will present gospel music from a time when gospel and blues were the same, with just different lyrics for the Sunday morning church-goers.

Clarence Spady is returning to Billtown! Clarence was one of the first acts presented after the Festival moved from its original Canfield Lane private property location to the Lycoming County Fairgrounds in 1995 and is no stranger to blues fans throughout the Northeast. Born in Paterson, NJ but now calls Scranton his home, Clarence writes with deep-felt conviction, honesty, and truth. His songs are memorable and connect on many levels with those who choose to listen to his message. He is also an accomplished guitarist and powerful singer.

Returning from much too long ago, 2008, is Jason Ricci. Jason is identified by his peers as one of the most contemporary blues harmonica players in the world. Before finding his sound and style, Jason’s journey started off playing in a punk-rock band and then traveled to valuable time spent with Junior and David Kimbrough. He plays with fearless ambition. Jason’s approach to his arrangements is based out of Louisiana traditions merged with his creative fire providing a powerful music experience. Jason is nominated for a 2021 Blues Music Award for Blues Harmonica.

It was 2009 when JP Soars placed 1st in the prestigious International Blues Challenge and took home the famed Albert King Guitar Award. Three years later, in 2012, JP showed us why as he set the Billtown Blues Festival stage on fire with his stellar performance. JP is always taking the core of his music, traditional blues, and cleverly re-tooling it into something fresh and modern for the times. While doing so, drawing the attention of a younger blues demographic while maintaining the respect and loyalty from his accumulated years of developed blues fans. In addition to his core work with his band, the “Red Hots,” Soars is often selected to round out other special projects such as Southern Hospitality along with Damon Fowler, Victor Wainwright, Chris Peet, and Terrance Grayson. Soars has released five albums, with Southbound I-95 receiving wide acclaim. Tab Benoit produced his latest release, “Let Go Of The Reins,” on Whiskey Bayou Records. JP is nominated for a 2021 Blues Music Award in the Contemporary Blues Male Category.

The Festival is going to Boogie-Woogie out with none other than the legendary, Los Angeles-based Mitch Woods and his Rocket 88’s. Mitch’s showman style is inspired from the great jump n’ boogie bands of the late 40s and early 50s; the jumpin’ n’ jivin’, shoutin’ n’ honkin’, pumpin’ n’ poundin’ bands of Louis Jordan, Wynonie Harris, Joe and Jimmy Liggins, Amos Milburn, and Roy Milton. Mitch adds a healthy dose of New Orleans rhythm and blues, drivin’ piano, and some of his own contemporary, playful lyrics, Woods and His Rocket 88s forge their own brand of music they call “rock-a-boogie.” The hand-picked Rocket 88’s” expected to join Mitch in Billtown come from some of the original Nighthawks, including Pete Ragusa (drums), Jan Zuckowski (bass), Dave Chappel (guitar), and Bruce Swaim on horn.

The organizers of the Billtown Blues Festival are working hard to provide a weekend of great music from the best in the business. “For long-time attendees, you will experience some changes that we are forced to employ to bring this much-needed weekend of musical enjoyment to our area,” said Bonnie Tallman, Billtown Blues Association Events Producer. “Our plans will revolve around producing a great and safe event for all. We ask you to bear with us and the adjustments we need to make and focus on the great music and your opportunity to enjoy a weekend with friends and family you may not have seen in a while. We suggest you travel to the Billtown Blues website often as plans continue to develop.”

Tickets for the event are available online through Brown Paper Tickets and by mail order. All BBA festival information, including ticketing and camping information, is available at http://www.billtownblues.org. The BBA suggests checking into the website often, as important updates will be posted.