Elvin Bishop with Special Guests James Cotton and Paul Thorn to Play Fred Kavli Theatre, 3/2

Bishop's musical biography is not a secret to anyone who has followed blues or rock over the past 40 years. Starting out on Chicago's South side when blues giants like Muddy Waters and Otis Rush could be found playing local joints. Elvin soaked it all up. In the 60's Bishop found a wide audience as a guitarist in the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. In the 70's he scored a top-10 solo radio hit with "Fooled Around and Fell in Love." Along the way, he's carved out a niche all his own, playing an appealing mix of rootsy rock 'n roll, R&B and barroom boogie, steeped in heavy blues.

The musical pedigree of Grammy award winner James "Superharp" Cotton brings up a veritable who's who in the world of blues. Inducted in to the Blues Hall of Fame in 2006, honored by the Smithsonian Institute in 1991, and winner of countless Blues Music Award, Cotton got his start in Howlin' Wolf's band and was Muddy Waters' harp player for 12 years before breaking out on his own as a band leader. Since then he's performed with B.B. King, The Rolling Stones, Santana, Janis Joplin and The Grateful Dead among many others.

Paul Thorn is hailed as the "Mark Twain of Americana" and has been pleasing crowds for years with his muscular brand of roots music - bluesy, rocking and thoroughly Southern, yet also speaking universal truths. His latest CD, "What the Hell is Going On?" puts his own gritty stamp on some of his favorite songs including the powerful title track, a blistering look at life in modern times that was penned by this friend Bishop, who also plays guitar on the track.

Single tickets are priced at $49-$29 with group discounts available. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or through the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Box Office, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard. For more information call 805-449-ARTS (2787) or visit www.civicartsplaza.com.