B.B. King Blues Club Announces Updated Winter Schedule

B.B. King Blues Club has announced their updated lineup including some recently added and changed performers and performance times. Complete upcoming schedule of added and adjusted shows is as follows:

New Openers Added:  Friday, November 14
BIG DADDY KANE - 20th Anniversary featuring
***SOUND PROVIDERS, CONNIE PRICE and THE KEYSTONES with
guest DJs BIZ MARKIE, MISTER CEE, SKAZ DIGGA + J. PERIOD and more
Presented with Mahogany Entertainment and Lyrics to Go
File Under:  Hip Hop
NB:  SRO –  No Cameras Allowed
Doors at 8:00pm, Show at 9:00pm
$30
VIP Seating:  $50 per ticket, must buy tickets in blocks of four or eight

New Opener Added:  Friday, December 5
B.B. KING
***- ALEXIS P. SUTTER
File Under:  Blues, Celebrity
Doors at 6:00pm, Show at 8:00pm
$125
Reserved VIP Booths available for 4, 5 or 6 people - $150 per person; must buy whole booth

New Show Added:  Monday, December 22
TALIB KWELI, RES and GRAPH NOBEL are IDLE WARSHIP
Produced by Jill Newman Productions
File Under:  Hip Hop
NB:  SRO
Doors at 7:00pm, Show at 9:00pm
$36 adv, $39 at door
Talib Kweli and singer Res make up the group Idle Warship. Idle Warship started as an attempt to make a fun dance song and has evolved into a full project. Kweli is of course known for his brand of conscious, street Hip-Hop and Res is known for her gritty rocked tinged vocal style. Res received critical acclaim and marginal success with her debut album How I Do in 2001, but since then has been out of the public eye. On Idle Warship both artists trade places, in some cases Kweli is the singer and sometimes, Res becomes the Emcee. The project is in its early stages, but the buzz surrounding the group started when they leaked "Fall Back" featuring Chester French (Pharell's new band) of their upcoming full length album. Fall Back is a literal shot at Hilary Clinton that was written before the former first lady decided to Fall Back from the Democratic elections. With the history these two artist have, we can be sure to hear more great music from them and hopefully we get the full length soon!

New Show Added:  Tuesday, December 30
LEELA JAMES
Produced by Jill Newman Productions
File Under:  R&B
NB:  SRO
Doors at 6:00pm, Show at 8:00pm

$18 adv, $20 at door
Leela James is an American R&B, soul, and neo soul singer-songwriter. James cites legendary singers James Brown, Roberta Flack, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Gladys Knight, Mavis Staples, and Stevie Wonder as her influences. Her deep, rich, gritty vocals have drawn comparisons to Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, and Tina Turner.  James' debut album, entitled A Change Is Gonna Come, was released on June 21, 2005. The album was conceived as a throwback to an earlier era of American soul music, building upon the legacy of 1960s and 1970s soul singers while incorporating elements of contemporary R&B, funk, and gospel.

New Show Added:  Tuesday, January 13
STRUNZ + FARAH
File Under:  World, Latin, Middle Eastern
Doors at 6:00pm, Show at 8:00pm
$25
Strunz & Farah have set off a chain reaction in the world of the guitar. Jorge Strunz and Ardeshir Farah, originally from Costa Rica and Iran respectively, have pioneered a new expression for the acoustic guitar. Bringing the cultural riches of their native lands to their highly virtuosic, rhythmic, and improvisation-rich original compositions, these "fieras de la guitarra" ("wild animals of the guitar") have profoundly influenced guitarists everywhere, creating a new genre.

New Shows Added:  Saturday, January 24
BLUE ÖYSTER CULT
File Under:  Classic Rock
1st Show:  Doors at 6:00pm, Show at 7:30pm
2nd Show:  Doors at 9:30pm, Show at 10:00pm
Each Show:  $27.50 adv, $32.50 at door
For the last 30 plus years, Blue Öyster Cult has been following their own unique path. Their motto "On Tour Forever" still holds, as the band plays over 100 dates per year. Most fans feel the band sounds better than ever--that the musical maturity and skill combined with over three decades of playing together has made BÖC a prime example of rock and roll at its best. Throughout Blue Öyster Cult's impressive career, the band has earned a well-deserved reputation as "the thinking man's heavy metal band." BÖC came out of Long Island, NY, and immediately delighted critics and fans. Not only was BÖC's music hard-hitting, the subject matter and lyrics of its songs were fresh and clever -- particularly for a style of music not exactly revered for its braininess. Science fiction, horror, violence and tongue-in-cheek humor are common threads in much of BÖC's material. Their mainstream breakthrough was the explosion of 1976's 'Agents of Fortune' and the hauntingly immortal smash hit single "(Don't Fear) The Reaper." Subsequent albums further cemented Blue Öyster Cult's status as one of the finest hard-rock bands in history, with mammoth hit singles like "Godzilla" and "Burnin' For You."

New Show Added:  Tuesday, January 27
SONNY LANDRETH
- THE CAMPBELL BROTHERS
File Under:  Blues, Rock
Doors at 6:00pm, Show at 8:00pm, $25
Legendary slide-guitarist Sonny Landreth has been working steadily for decades, amassing a devoted following among his fans and peers. Eric Clapton said he is "probably the most underestimated musician on the planet and also probably one of the most advanced." Indeed, as Landreth's way of playing is unmistakably his own – his method combines the bottleneck slide, palm and finger-picking techniques that produce a sound that is often said to resemble many instruments playing at once.

New Show Added:  Monday, February 2
ROBBEN FORD with special guest RUTHIE FOSTER
File Under:  Blues, Jazz, Rock
Doors at 6:00pm, Show at 8:00pm
$35 adv, $40 at door
Possessing a résumé that includes stints with an impressively broad range of musical personalities — Miles Davis, George Harrison, Little Feat, and the Yellowjackets, among many others — Robben Ford has demonstrated an uncanny adaptability similar to that of the MG's and the Muscle Shoals group. The guitarist has effortlessly traversed genres without compromising his exquisite, blues-based playing and singing.
If you haven't yet been introduced to the music of RUTHIE FOSTER, you're in for a major epiphany. And if you've been following Foster's career ever since her self-released, 1997 debut, Full Circle, or even since her 2002 breakthrough, Runaway Soul, you're in for an even bigger surprise, because you really haven't ever heard Foster until you hear her now. Simply put, mama's gotta brand new bag.

New Show Added:  Friday, February 20
BAND ON THE RUN:  A Tribute to Paul McCartney and WINGS
Presented with CEG Productions
File Under:  Classic Rock, Tribute
Doors at 6:00pm, Show at 8:00pm
$15 adv, $25 at door
Get set for the ultimate Paul McCartney & Wings spectacular! Band On The Run brings to the stage all of the electrifying magic of this chart topping 1970's supergroup. By authentically re-creating a "rock concert" presentation comprised of Paul's solo career, along with his most memorable Beatles compositions. These award-winning musicians bear an uncanny physical and vocal resemblance to the original members of WINGS, and were voted 2007's BEST TRIBUTE SHOW IN CHICAGO and are a two-time winner of the National BEATLEFEST competition. This amazing presentation comes complete with costuming, horn section and stage effects.

New Show Added:  Friday, March 6
PAULA POUNDSTONE
File Under:  Comedy, Theater
Doors at 6:00pm, Show at 8:00pm, $35 adv, $38 at door
Appearing on stage with a stool, a microphone, and a can of Diet Pepsi, PAULA POUNDSTONE is famous for her razor-sharp wit and spontaneity. The Boston Globe said, "Poundstone improvises with a crowd like a Jazz musician…swinging in unexpected directions without a plan, without a net." Paula is so quick and unassuming that audience members at her live shows often leave complaining that their cheeks hurt from laughter and debating whether the random people she talked to were "plants".

New Show Added:  Thursday, April 2
An Evening with Karla Bonoff
File Under:  Singer/Songwriter, Folk, Rock
Doors at 6:00pm, Show at 8:00pm, $25
During her nearly 40-year career, Karla Bonoff has enjoyed critical acclaim, commercial success, enduring popularity and the unwavering respect of her peers. In addition to achieving chart success with her own recordings, Karla has seen her songs become hits for such stellar artists as Bonnie Raitt, Wynonna Judd and Linda Ronstadt. Many of Bonoff's ballads are now pop classics. With her regular touring band, including longtime friend and collaborator Kenny Edwards and noted guitarist Nina Gerber, Bonoff's moving vocals on her rich, expressive songs is like standing beneath a sparkling waterfall--refreshing, exhilarating, restorative. And hearing them live can be transformative.

Date Changed:  Friday, April 17
Y&T, Presented with Eddie Trunk Rocks on Q104.3
File Under:  Rock, Classic Rock
NB:  Rescheduled from 11/13/08 and 4/16/09 – All prev. sched. tickets honored
Doors at 6:00pm, Show at 8:00pm
$20

New Show Added:  Sunday, May 3
Fire and Rain:  The Music of James Taylor featuring DAVE BINDER
Presented by Peter Abraham Productions
File Under:  Classic Rock, Tribute
Doors at 6:00pm, Show at 8:00pm, $25
The music of James Taylor continues to be part of the fiber of pop music culture. This program is an annual event on many campuses and is the show that has made Dave a legend on the college circuit.  The "Fire & Rain" program will shed new light on the words and music of this timeless performer. Close your eyes and you're sure James is in the room. Open your ears and learn about the life and times of Taylor. Sit back and enjoy watching a packed house of students, parents, and friends singing along to some classic tunes.  After 25 years of touring college campuses and over 3000 shows, Dave Binder concerts have become "A Tradition" on many campuses throughout the country. Dave began his career in 1979 and has since showcased in six regions at 12 showcases including a national showcase in Nashville.

Photo courtesy of BB King Blues Club

To post a comment, you must register and login.