The 13th annual Western Maryland Blues Fest will take place from May 30 through June 1, 2008 in Hagerstown, Maryland. The event will take place at the City Central Lot on N. Potomac Street on Friday and Saturday, and at the City Park Bandshell on Sunday.
2008 Blues Fest Line-Up
Through the years, the festival has grown to become one of the premiere events on the East Coast, featuring a mix of local, regional and national musical talent. This year's Blues Fest line-up may be one of their best, featuring British blues-rock legends Savoy Brown, Creole bluesman Buckwheat Zydeco, harp player Charlie Musselwhite, and soul singer Bettye LaVette. Other performers for this year's Blues Fest include:
- Stack O' Blues
- Gina Sicilia
- Jimmy Thackery
- Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials
- Nappy Brown
- The Blue Sky Traffic
Special Guests – Scofield, Medeski & Deitch
This year's Blues Fest can boast of the coup of landing Scofield, Medeski & Deitch in a rare appearance as the trio closes the Bud Light Stage on Saturday night. Guitarist John Scofield is widely considered to be one of the world's finest contemporary jazz instrumentalists. Keyboardist John Medeski is one-third of the popular jam band and perennial festival draw Medeski, Martin & Wood. Drummer Adam Deitch has played with a diverse range of artists, from Scofield and R&B singer Daniel Bedingfield to rappers Talib Kweli and DJ Quick.
Family Blues Picnic
On Sunday, the Western Maryland Blues Fest features a free family blues picnic, held at the City Park Bandshell. The line-up for this event includes the Bobby Flurie Band, the Eric Byrd Trio + 4: Ray Charles Tribute Combo, Nora Jean Bruso, and Guitar Shorty. Check with the Blues Fest website for more details on the event.
