You’re officially invited to rock out at the 1st Annual Phoenixville Blues Festival on Sept. 11 from 2 to 9 p.m. (rain or shine) at the Reeves Park bandstand, just off Main Street in Phoenixville.
The day-long festival, presented by the Steel City Blues Society, will be free.
Organizers expect around 2,000 people to turn out for the festival, which will feature seven blues bands, including the headliner, Ben Arnold. Attendees are welcome bring their own blankets and lawn chairs, or use the park’s benches. Food vendors will include Flippin’ Pizza, Petrucci’s and Tex’s BBQ. Organizers also plan on special announcements between sets including a guitar auction, 50/50 raffles and more.
Plans for the festival began just over a year ago, when Phoenixville resident and blues lover Jim DiGuiseppe (along with wife, Linda) envisioned a community-oriented music festival featuring blues. The goal was to support the development of musical interests of our area’s youth.
“We live here, and see Phoenixville as being a regional musical gathering place,” DiGuiseppe said. “On any given day, you can see kids on the sidewalks with guitars, live music on the streets, in coffee shops and on stages like The Colonial Theatre. It just made sense to have a blues festival here as a perfect complement to Phoenixville’s thriving music scene, and to give back to the community.”
Not long after he began dreaming of the day-long music festival, DiGuiseppe met Phoenixville resident Erin Riley. Riley, a 30-plus year veteran of the music industry (and president of Phoenixville’s own Rock & Roll After School), had recently begun the non-profit organization “Give the Gift of Music Foundation,” whose aim is to assist underprivileged children in Phoenixville get instruments, music lessons and after-school programs.
“I’ve seen how learning to play, perform and create music is so enormously empowering for kids,” Riley said. Riley and DiGuiseppe began working together to solidify plans for the Blues Festival.
“The Phoenixville Blues Festival is a day to enjoy the sights and sounds of Phoenixville, and to support local youth with the gift of music,” DiGuiseppe said. “All proceeds from The Phoenixville Blues Festival will go toward the
foundation, and will directly support the musical aspirations of our area’s youth.”
Headliner Ben Arnold, a Philly-based singer-songwriter and WXPN radio favorite, has appeared on “The World Café” and on NPR radio’s “Mountain Stage,” as well as making numerous live appearances throughout the region and internationally.
Here’s the day’s lineup (Visit www.pvilleblues.org for detailed information):
2 p.m. – Slim Bob and the New Electrics
3 p.m. – The Porkroll Project
4 p.m. – Beacoup Blue
5 p.m. – Paul Michael & The Blues Recruits
6 p.m. – Sister Blue
7 p.m. – Ben Arnold
8 p.m. – HotLanta: The Allman Brothers Tribute Band
Get your blues on early by attending a Pre-Party Fundraiser being held at P.J. Ryan’s Pub (231 Bridge St.) on Sept. 10 from 7 to 11 p.m. Tickets are $20 and include a two-hour open beer bar (8 to 10 p.m.) as well as free appetizers. You’ll
be treated to a performance by The Slim Bob Trio.
You’ll also be able to take home a piece of the fun. T-shirts, CDs and other merchandise will be sold at booths on the festival grounds. Volunteers and donations are still needed to help make this event successful. If you would
like to volunteer, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.pvilleblues.org to donate online. And be sure to mark your calendars, because organizers plan to make this an annual event. Now that’s (blues) music to my ears!
