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We wanted to address a few questions we’ve been receiving about what attendees can and cannot bring to Big Muddy this weekend.

Attendees are more than welcome to bring folding chairs and sealed water bottles. Pets, coolers, grilling equipment or outside food/drinks, however, will NOT be permitted. Festival staff can confiscate these items at their discretion. Purses and backpacks will be checked when entering the main stage area.

Please plan accordingly and have a great time!

Yes, yes we know, how could you possibly just pick one. We have such a amazing lineup this year that we know we couldn’t decide, so we’re here asking you. If you had to pick one performer that you just had to see, who would it be?

All who have seen Cee Cee James perform live can agree that this woman steals the show. Her intensity and passion is undoubtedly the reason why her fans can’t get enough. While some say she is the perfect homage to Janis Joplin, others think her lyrics and sound are one of a kind.  In 2010 she released her newest album, “Seriously Raw,” an appropriately live concert, where she gave her fans everything she had. For the past year Cee Cee has been around the world, but is coming back to St. Louis to show our blues fans what they have been missing.  She’ll be rockin’ the stage on September 3^rd at 5:00pm, so don’t be late!

The main stage is set for this year’s Big Muddy Blues Festival, and we’re excited to announce our closing performer, Sonny Landreth, who will take the main stage at 9:00 pm on Sunday, September 4th as the festivals final performance.

Landreth is arguably the most talented and inventive slide guitarist out there today. Starting at a very young age, the “king of slydeco” began practicing his craft, experimenting with new ways to play and discovering new sounds. Using a pinky slide for more freedom of movement, Landreth now incorporates everything from plucks, taps and slaps even while layering in difficult chord fragments above the slide.

“Unbelievably talented guitarist” isn’t his only claim to fame though. Landreth is an accomplished songwriter as well, having collaborated with the likes of Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Jimmy Buffett, Eric Johnson and Joe Satriani. To date, Landreth has released 10 albums, including the 2009 re-release and expansion of Levee Town and 2008′s From The Reach on which he utilized many of the previously mentioned artists.

Landreth with be playing at the Budweiser Main Stage (700 N. First Street) on Sunday, September 4th, starting at 9:00 p.m. Access wristbands for the main stage are available day-of-show for $10.00 per day or can be ordered online in advance. Visit the Big Muddy Blues Festival Event Page to learn more and order your tickets.

The hot, hot heat of another St. Louis summer is ready to break, and that can only mean one thing – another flurry of entertaining Labor Day weekend events across the region. For the 16^th year, Big Muddy Blues Festival is taking to the stages on the cobblestone streets of Laclede’s Landing, with 30 bands, 3 stages and two full days of great Blues music on Saturday, September 3 and Sunday, September 4 from 1:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

This year’s main stage acts are a tribute to the varied sounds and styles that Blues music continues to pervade and influence. From the California rockabilly/boogie of Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys to the spirited hymns of the Psalms Gospel Quartet, from the passionate and throaty soul singing of Cee Cee James to the classic Blues/Rock mix of Kim Wilson (of the famed Fabulous Thunderbirds), the 2011 edition of Big Muddy Blues Festival brings a different flavor for each performance.

Old and new come together too with closing sets from 73-year-old Bluesman Roy Gaines (Saturday, Sept. 3, 9:00 p.m.), who just last year released his critically-acclaimed Tuxedo Blues, and Ronnie Baker Brooks (Sunday, Sept. 4, 9:00 p.m.), son of famed Blues musician Lonnie Brooks and a talented blues musician in his own right. The rest of the main stage line-up can be viewed below.

Budweiser Main Stage (700 N. First Street)

Saturday, September 3^rd 2011

1:00 pm – Kim Massie
3:00 pm – Big Sandy and his Fly-rite Boys
5:00 pm – Cee Cee James
7:00 pm – Kim Wilson
9:00 pm – Roy Gaines

Sunday, September 4^th, 2011

1:00 pm – Psalms Gospel Quartet
3:00 pm – Blues City Allstars
5:00 pm – Shawn Pittman
7:00 pm – Ronnie Baker Brooks
9:00 pm – Sonny Landreth

Time for the first of many announcements to come about this year’s Big Muddy Blues Festival. As a quick reminder, the 2011 edition will — as it has for every year prior — take place Labor Day weekend (Saturday, September 3 and Sunday, September 4) from noon to 11:00pm each day on the historic Laclede’s Landing riverfront district in downtown St. Louis.

Now with that out of the way, let’s get to the announcement:

Image pulled from www.hohnerusa.com

As you’ve probably guessed from the title already, this year’s festival main stage will play host to Kim Wilson and his Blues All Stars! Kim, a skilled harmonica player with an unmistakable stage presence and bellowing, boisterous voice, is best known for his many years with The Fabulous Thunderbirds. We all know the Thunderbirds, and if you don’t , you definitely know some of their songs — “Tuff Enough,” “Wrap It Up,” “Powerful Stuff,” among others.

While still playing and singing the songs that were hit singles for the Thunderbirds, Kim continues to embrace his Blues roots as a solo act using the skills he learned and earned playing with some of the “Who’s Who’s” of Blues music — Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy and Big Walter Horton, to name a few. When Kim and his band take the stage this Labor Day weekend, you can be sure you’ll hear some old-fashioned rhythm and blues and some wicked harmonica solos.

The full schedule (and some of the performers) are still being finalized, so keep checking in and re-posting to friends and family to see when and where Kim and the other great 2011 Big Muddy Blues Festival performers will be playing.

95 degree days are back in St. Louis, and you know what that means, don’t you? Only three more months of hot, humid 95 degree days! The Big Muddy Blues Festival Blog is back, blues lovers (with a slightly shorter URL), so refresh your bookmarks and fire away with any questions or comments you may have.

Thanks to your support, the 2010 Big Muddy Blues Festival was the most successful ever, with an estimated attendance exceeding 60,000 and a Sunday crowd that almost matched that of Saturday! We’re counting on all the hardcore Blues fans — of which we have many — here and in the region to turn out  en masse to make that happen again.

Well, it’s good to be back and we’re very excited to put together yet another Big Muddy Blues Festival. Keep checking in as we break out some big announcements over the next couple of months about this year’s festival and the performers you’ll get to see.

Starting….now!

Double-click for a full-size map.

 With 30 Blues, Soul and R&B musicians playing over two days, two stages is better than one. At Big Muddy Blues Festival, we know that three stages are even better! Check out the map above for this year’s stage locations. The Anheuser Busch main stage (Location B) is at 700 N. First Street at the base of the “grassy knoll.” This is where you can go to see Booker T, Moreland & Arbuckle and all the best national performers. ‘Location A’ is at Second & Lucas  and ‘Location C’ is located at 2nd and Morgan. These two satellite stages will feature local and regional Blues musicians.

With all three stages going at once, music fans have a lot of options on where to go and who to listen to at Big Muddy Blues Festival. Check the full schedule in our ‘About’ section and plan on visiting all three stages!