2023 Blues, Brews & Barbecue
Saturday, June 24, 2023 | 12 Noon – 10 p.m.
500, 600, 700, & 800 Blocks of Hamilton St.,7th Street North & South
The Downtown Allentown Business Alliance in partnership with the City of Allentown is proud to present the 15th Annual Blues, Brews & Barbecue Festival! Come out for amazing Blues music and great food and drink! This outdoor music festival draws BBQ and Blues music aficionados from all over the region and is FREE and open to the public!
2023 HEADLINERS
Sugaray Rayford
Annika Chambers & Paul DesLauriers
Sugaray Rayford returns with In Too Deep, the follow up to his 2020 Grammy® nominated Somebody Save Me, an album which also earned Rayford two major Blues Music Awards for B.B. King Entertainer and Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year (2 straight years).
Recorded with Producer Eric Corne (John Mayall), In Too Deep combines classic soul melodies with funky R&B grooves and raw blues power, mashed up with modern sensibilities. The album takes on issues, such as PTSD, civil rights and social justice. With vibrantly detailed arrangements tailored to showcase Rayford’s deft portrayals and interpretations, In Too Deep is a poignant album that seeks to inspire and uplift.
Albumism described Rayford as having “a sound that’s undeniably fresh and inspired,” while PopMatters declared it “will appeal to fans of Gary Clark Jr. and Chicano Batman.” At his core, Sugaray Rayford is a galvanizing uniter. His live shows are a party. Some conversations may be had, and some self-reflection may occur, but at the end of the day, people leave feeling a sense of joy and togetherness.
Both on stage and in private life, these two internationally acclaimed artists share incredible chemistry! Their first introduction (lasting only a few seconds) in the crowded lobby of the historic Orpheum Theatre during the 2018 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee left a lasting impression on both of them. It was not until a year later, at a recording session during 2019 IBC that their professional acquaintance blossomed into a love affair, culminating in marriage in August of 2019! Since that time, renowned Canadian Blues-Rocker Paul DesLauriers and acclaimed American Soul-Blues singer Annika Chambers have unified their artistic destiny, much to the joy of everyone who’s had the pleasure of hearing and seeing them together!
Houston, Texas native ANNIKA CHAMBERS, like most great American singers, began singing as a child in the Southern Baptist church. Though Gospel music is her mother tongue, it is in the Blues that she found her true voice, and what a voice it is!! She is the 2022 Blues Music Award Winner for Soul-Blues Female Artist of the Year. After winning her first Blues Music Award for Soul-Blues Female Artist of the Year in 2019, she gave us her third release entitled “Kiss My Sass” on the VizzTone Label Group. It debuted at #4 on the Billboard Blues Chart and won the 2020 Living Blues Award for Best Southern Soul album. Annika performs regularly at top Blues festivals across North and South America as well as Europe.
Deeply rooted in the blues-rock idiom, guitarist-singer Paul DesLauriers is the winner of the Maple Blues Awards (Canada’s national Blues Award program) for Entertainer of the Year (2016, 2017), Electric Act of the Year (2016), Guitarist of the Year (2013, 2019) and Acoustic Act of the Year (2013). In 2016 he took 2nd Place at the 32nd International Blues Challenge held by the Blues Foundation in Memphis, Tennesee. His most recent recording « Bounce » (Bros/Vizztone) debuted at #1 on Canada’s Roots Music Report and held the top Spot for several weeks. In November 2019, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Joh Lord of Deep Purple fame’s Concerto for Group & Orchestra, the Paul DesLauriers Band were invited perform the piece at Palais Montcalm in Quebec City, Canada along with Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden and L’Orchestre Symphonique de Québec under the direction of Paul Mann.Paul DesLauriers’ international touring schedule includes regular performances at top Blues Festivals in North America and Europe including the Montreal International Blues Festival, Ottawa Blues Fest, Edmonton Blues Fest, Calgary Blues Fest, Big Blues Bender Las Vegas NV USA, White Mountain Boogie n’Blues NH USA, Heritage Music Blues Fest Wheeling WV USA, Passion Blues Cognac and Cahors Blues Festivals in France, the Sierre Blues Festival, Switzerland, and Grölsch Blues Festival Shöppingen Germany to name a few.
INFORMATION CENTER
2023 LINEUP
2023 MAP – TBA
WANT TO PITCH IN?
Blues is a massive festival with a lot of moving pieces. DABA is always looking for extra support from the community.
NEWS
Allentown Blues, Brews & Barbecue returning end of July
Article written and published by WFMZ
ALLENTOWN, Pa. | After a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Downtown Allentown Business Alliance in partnership with the Allentown Chamber of Commerce and the City of Allentown will present the 13th Annual Blues, Brews & Barbecue Festival.
Officials announced on Friday that the festival will be held on on Saturday, July 31, from 12 noon until 10 p.m. in downtown Allentown…
Blues, Brews and Barbecue Festival comes back to Allentown and we have the details
ARTICLE WRITTEN BY JENNIFER SHEEHAN (The Morning Call)
PHOTO CREDIT (The Morning Call)
Think of it as a lucky 13th. Allentown’s Blues, Brews and Barbecue Festival returns after a one-year hiatus for its 13th year with a big lineup of in-person performances, delicious food, beer and more — noon to 10 p.m. July 31 in downtown Allentown.
Like all of last summer’s large-scale festivals and events, Blues, Brews and Barbecue 2020 had to be canceled due to statewide restrictions on gatherings due to the pandemic.
SPONSORS
The AMP Card is the perfect gift for family and friends! This special gift card program is designed for merchants in the Downtown Allentown area, and is the perfect way to show your appreciation. With the AMP Card, you can explore the unique restaurants, shops, and entertainment of Downtown Allentown. Give the gift of Downtown Allentown today and get an AMP Card!