First Blues'n March slated for March 9
by ELIZABETH TAUFA Reporter

The Blues Society of Western New York will present the first national blues festival ever held in Buffalo on Friday and Saturday, March 9 and 10 at the Creekside Banquet Facility, 2669 Union Rd., Cheektowaga.

"This is the first time we'll have multiple numbers of national blues acts in Buffalo for a two day festival," said blues society president, Dave Walker. "We have everything from the old (blues) to the new and everything in between."

The event will feature national blues stars Kelly Hunt and Band, who will be performing from 10 to 11:45 p.m. on Friday, and Jim Thackery and the Drivers, who will be performing from 8 to 9:15 p.m. on Friday as well.

Opening for Hunt and Thackery will be local blues artists The Patti Parks Band, who were winners of the 2006 Memphis Bound Competition.

In February, the Patti Parks Band headed to Memphis to compete with over 150 bands from 32 states and eight countries in 10 different venues.

"We took second place in our venue," said Parks, who is also the chairman of promotion for the Blues'n March event.

"Patti represented us very well in Memphis," Walker said.

Acts that will be featured on Saturday will include Zydeco Dance Lessons with Esther Brill from the Rochester Swing Dance Network; Mississippi Delta native Eden Brent; Joe Filisko and Eric Noden; Sharrie Williams and the Wise Guys; Cephas & Wiggins; T Broussard and the Zydeco Steppers; Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, a band who Walker noted plays the "old blues," staying true to artists like Muddy Waters; and Roomful of Blues.

Music performances begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and at 1:30 p.m. on two different stages on Saturday. The event is being indoors and food and drink will be available.

Parks noted that Toyota, one of the event's sponsors, will have its new line of Tundra Trucks on display on both days of the festival.

The WNY Blues Society boasts over 900 due-paying members. Walker noted that he hopes the event will provide funds for the society's educational goals.

"This is a way of raising money so the education component is given more emphasis," he said. "One of our mottos is Keeping the Blues Alive. The blues go all the way back to slavery and is in all forms of music. We're trying to keep it alive by going into schools and do workshops. Hopefully this (event) will give us money for that."

Tickets for the event are now on sale, but are limited due to the event being held indoors. They are $25 for non-blues society members for Friday's performance, and $20 for members, and $35 for Saturday's performances for non-members and $30 for members. Two-day ticket packages are $50 for non-members and $40 for members.

They can be purchased at U-Crest Music Center, 1268 George Urban Blvd., Cheektowaga; Hoylers Jewelry Shop, 125 Ellicott Square Bldg. (Main Street Entrance), Buffalo; Creekside Banquet Facility; American Harley-Davidson, 1149 Erie Ave., North Tonawanda; or at the Basil, Culligan, Northtown, West Herr or Fucillo Toyota dealerships.

For more information on the Blues'n March, visit the event Web site, www.bluesnmarch.com or the Blues Society of Western New York's Web site at www.wny blues.org.