19th Blues at the Crossroads Set for September 13-14

On Friday and Saturday, September 13-14, several thousand people and 19 bands will unite at 7th and Wabash for two days of music and fun as the Blues at the Crossroads Festival returns to Terre Haute.  Friday night’s kickoff begins at 6:00 pm and will continue until 1:30 am or thereabouts; the festivities kick back up Saturday at 3:00 pm and will finish whenever everyone is gone in the early morning hours of Sunday.

This year marks the 19th year of the popular festival, which organizer Connie Wrin laughs about, because last year was also the 19th year, simply because the somewhat busy owner of the Verve got a bit mixed up on her dates.  “So this is actually the 2nd annual 19th Blues at the Crossroads,” she says.  Bring a lawn chair and sit on Wabash Avenue facing the stage set up on 7th Street, or go inside The Verve nightclub and listen, or go back and forth, and you will find something to make you smile.  Oh yeah: there will be plenty to eat and drink as well, and a silent disco tent.

Connie is particularly excited about some of the acts that will be appearing this year. The always-popular Jennie Devoe returns Saturday night with her unique blend of soul and blues and storytelling, and James Neary and the Bevy Blue will hit the main stage for the first time.  And Monte Skelton, whom Connie calls “an amazing prodigy from Evansville,” will be performing Friday night. The complete lineup is listed below.

Tickets will be available for purchase at the gates. General admission is ten dollars.  Tickets are five dollars for ISU students, faculty, and staff and members of the military, police, and firefighters.  Children under sixteen are admitted free.

This year Blues at the Crossroads is excited to pair up with the YMCA to offer parents a chance to attend the festival “kid-free” as well as offer kids the opportunity to enjoy a concert on their own. Parents can drop their kids off at the YMCA beginning at 5:00 and pick them up by 10:00 to enjoy the inaugural Blues for Youth Music Weekend.  Registration is required.  Registration is available at www.ymcaswv.org under the Vigo County Youth Services tab or by visiting the Vigo County YMCA. The YMCA member cost is $15 for the first child and $10 for each additional child. The nonmember cost is $25 for the first child and $15 for each additional child. A discount will be offered to parents who sign children up for both nights.

The first evening, September 13th, the Y will open its doors to ages 18 months – 12 years for a live acoustic concert presented by Blues at the Crossroads performers in the private playground behind the Y. Papa Johns is donating pizza for all participants. Music-themed games and activities will also take place throughout the course of the evening.

Then, on Saturday, September 14th the Y welcomes in our older kids for a Blues DJ dance party. A stage will be set up, as well as tables for pizza donated by Azzip Pizza. Games including volleyball and basketball will be offered in the main gym. The music and dance party will begin at 7:00pm.

The YMCA’s Erin Gregory and Blues at the Crossroads organizer Connie Wrin are working together to extend the relationship between the Y and the BOC by making the Y a big part of the Music is Key Program, which Wrin established a few years ago as a beautiful way to return profits to the community and to foster interest in music for area youth.  Proceeds from the Blues at the Crossroads event will go towards providing children in the community, who might not have access to instruments or lessons, the opportunity to take part in music. Through the YMCA scholarship program, children who qualify for financial assistance can receive up to 50% off program fees. They also hope to establish a dedicated and equipped music room at the YMCA. More information can be obtained from Erin Gregory, YMCA Director of Marketing and Membership: egregory@ymcaswv.org or 260-413-7397.

Check out more info on the festival at https://vervenightclub.com/?page_id=4362 or on

Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/Blues-at-the-Crossroads-134825183529/

This year’s Blues at the Crossroads entertainment lineup (times are approximate):

Friday

MAIN STAGE ARTISTS

6:15 Against the Clocks 8:00 South City Revival 9:45 Milk Walker 11:30 Monte Skelton and Team Skelton

VERVE STAGE ARTISTS

7:00 Tommy Kelly 8:30 The Nobodies 10:00 Soupbone Blackwater Mission 11:30 The Nerve

Saturday

MAIN STAGE ARTISTS

3:15 Jazz Metamorphosis 4:45 Midnight Motive 6:00 James Neary and the Bevy Blue 7:45 Blind Mississippi Morris 9:15 Jennie Devoe 10:45 Austin Sterling 12:00 COFRESI

VERVE STAGE ARTISTS

6:00 Nick Gibbs 8:00 Jeff Randall and The Cohorts 10:00 Cosmic Situation 12:00 Jazz Metamorphosis

[author title="About Mark Wright" image="https://gyrewide.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/mark-wright-2.jpg?w=225&h=201"]After almost 40 years teaching high school English—most of them at South Vermillion—Wright now teaches composition part time at ISU. A member of the Wabash Valley Musicians’ Hall of Fame, Wright and his Band—The Crowe Committee—have become a popular attraction in the Terre Haute music scene. [/author]