BRAD HOOPER will be amongst the collected talent at this year's Maine Blues Festival in Naples. Here's a list of performers and performance times:
Friday Night - June 19th, 2015
No Wristbands required
Cover Charge possible
Bray's Brewpub & Eatery
Biergarten
6:00-9:00pm
Blue Steel Express
Inside Pub
9:00- Close
Jimmy and the Soul Cats
Freedom Cafe
9:00 - Close
Mark Miller and Friends
Rick's Cafe
9:00 - Close
Delta Knights
Sandy's on Long Lake
7:00 - 9:00pm
Annmarie Smith
Songo River Queen II
Blues Cruise
7:00 - 9:00pm
Black Cat Road
Dockside
9:30 - 11:30pm
Larry Peterson Blues Project
For more info on tickets for SRQII go to
www.songoriverqueen.net/blues
Point Sebago
Open to the Public
7:30 - Close
Matt and the Barnburners
Captain Jack's at Naples Marina
6:00 - 8:00pm
Poor Howard & Bullfrog
8:00 - 10:00pm
Jeff N' Jere
Merced's on Brandy Pond
7:00 - 9:00pm
Denny Breau
Saturday - June 20th, 2015
Wristbands Required All Day
As Always.....Shuttle Buses Provided
Village Green
(Open to public, no wristband required)
Tony's Foodland Gazebo
Don't miss our Vendors, Artisans and
Children's Activities - 11:00am-5:00pm
12:00 - 1:00pm
Luther James and the River Kings
1:00 - 2:30pm
Brad Hooper
2:30 - 4:00pm
JLD Project
4:00 - 5:00pm
LRHS Blues Band
Freedom Cafe
Granite Coast Entertainment Stage
1:30- 3:00pm
Black Cat Road
3:00 - 4:20pm
Preservation Blues Band
4:20 - 5:40pm
Blues Mafia
5:40 - 7:00pm
Forest City Drifters
7:00 - 8:30pm
Blues in the Works
9:00 - 11:30pm
JC and the Aces
Sandy's on Long Lake
Digitaliteracy Stage
Blues Breakfast at 7:00
All Acoustic Blues
1:30 - 3:00pm
Ed Murphy
3:00 - 4:20pm
Beam & Fink
4:20 - 5:40pm
Sandy's on Long Lake continued
Samuels, Migely and Trippe
5:40 - 7:00pm
Mary Murphy
7:00 - 9:00pm
Trailer Trash
Rick's Cafe
Turner Publications Stage
2:00 - 4:00
Acoustic Blues
Big G and the Rhino
9:00 - Close
Electric Blues
Mama's Boomshack
Captain Jack's at Naples Marina
Bonneau's Sausage Kitchen Stage
2:30 - 4:00pm
Annmarie Smith
4:00 - 5:30pm
Mike and the Mojo
5:30 - 7:00pm
Blood Orange Martinis
7:00 - 8:30pm
Johnny and the Blues Dogz
9:00 - 11:00pm
Ragged Jack
Songo River Queen II
Soul Tramp Amps Stage
(There is an additional charge but you can take 1, 2, or 3 Cruises)
www.songoriverqueen.net/blues
Blues Cruise - 12:00 to 2:00 - Brookside Blues Band
Blues Cruise - 3:00 to 5:00 - The Blues Hounds
Blues Cruise - 6:00 to 8:00 - The Roy-Hudson Band
Dockside - 9:00 to Close - Dr. Dann and the Brothers
Merced's on Brandy Pond
WMWV Stage
1:30 - 2:30pm
Memphis Lightening
2:30 - 4:00pm
Mark Miller and friends
4:00 - 5:30pm
Blue Steel Express
5:30 -7:00pm
The Blind Lemons
7:00 - 8:30pm
The Colwell Brothers
9:00 - Close
Downeast Soul Coalition
Bray's Brewpub & Eatery
WMPG Stage
1:30 - 2:30pm
LRHS Skazz Kats
2:30 - 4:00pm
Jimmy and the Soulcats
4:00 - 5:30pm
Juke Joint Devils
5:30 - 7:00pm
Maxwell Street
7:00 - 8:30pm
Denny Breau
9:00- Close
10th Annual All-Star Blues Jam
Hosted by New Blues Review
American Legion Post #155
1:00 - 4:00pm
Matt and the Barnburners
Happy Fathers Day!
Sunday - June 21st, 2015
No Wristbands required
Cover Charge may apply
Freedom Cafe
1:00pm
Mark Miller and Friends
Songo River Queen II
Blues Cruise - 12:00 to 2:00pm - Bellamy Jazz Band
Blues Cruise - 3:00 to 5:00 - Poke Chop & the Other White Meats
Captain Jack's at Naples Marina
1:00 - 4:00pm
Brad Hooper
4:00 - 7:00pm
DW Gill
Bray's Brewpub & Eatery
Biergarten
1:30 - 4:30
Larry Peterson Blues Project
6:00- 9:00pm
Blues Mafia
Inside Stage
9:00pm
Bray's Sunday Blues Jam

NAPLES — It was a little more than 10 years ago when a physics professor walked into his favorite pub and said, “What do you think about starting a blues festival?”

It was an idea that had teeth, something that has grown for a decade and become a yearly event like no other.

When co-founders Kevin Kimball and Mike Bray put together the first Maine Blues Festival they began what would become a one-of-a-kind yearly event, something bigger than the Lake Region had ever seen.

This weekend, thousands of blues fans will descend on Naples to be entertained by no less than 50 Maine-based blues bands and artists at the 10th Annual Maine Blues Festival.

While most local music festivals salivate at the idea of snagging a national headliner or two, the Maine Blues Festival rejects the notion. With a jam-packed lineup of over 50 Maine blues acts and the steadfast belief that “blues begins in the neighborhood,” the annual festival has been committed to serving up hometown Maine blues — and only Maine blues — since 2006. Per tradition, the Maine Blues Festival will showcase the best of Maine blues acts this Father’s Day weekend, June 19-21 in Naples.

The festival is spread out among 10 different venues — many within walking distance of each other — and attracts about 5,000 visitors every year. Blues junkies come from as far away as Arizona and Texas to take in the finest Maine blues artists, causing area motels, restaurants and campgrounds to overflow the entire holiday weekend.

Uniquely, the festival features two-hour “blues cruises” throughout the weekend on a paddle-wheel riverboat for a relaxing tour of the Lake Region.

The fun begins Friday night with 10 shows at eight venues, starting at 6 p.m. and continuing through closing time. Friday night performances can be seen at Freedom Café, Sandy’s on Long Lake, Rick’s Café, Songo River Queen II (Blues Cruise), Bray’s Brewpub, Captain Jack’s at Naples Marina, Point Sebago Resort and American Legion Post #155.

On Friday night, the American Legion Post #155 is open to the public and Maine Blues Festival tickets are on sale there. Veterans can buy tickets at the Legion on Friday night for only $10.

Saturday, the official day of the festival, will kick off once again at 7 a.m. at Sandy’s on Long Lake with a blues breakfast and the train just rolls on from there. This year, the Maine Blues Festival will salute their many performers on Saturday night, June 20, with a fireworks display on Long Lake scheduled to begin around 8:30 p.m.

Free shuttle rides are available for hopping from venue to venue and to get to and from motels and campgrounds.

Saturday will roll all day and night with performances at 10 venues, no less than three Blues Cruises and more than 20 vendors on the Village Green. Vendors this year include handmade instruments, jewelry, crafts, homemade breads and goodies, T-shirts, walking sticks, Red Cross child safety tent and much more.

Each year, the Maine Blues Festival provides free music all day at the Village Green.

“No wrist bands are required for the Village Green and it has been a major focus of the Maine Blues Festival committee this year,” said Kevin Kimball, cofounder of the festival. “We have done a better job of promoting the Village Green vendors and have improved our focus on kid’s activities. We provide the entertainment as our way of supporting the players and saying thank you to the people of Naples for hosting our festival and Maine musicians.”

Sunday this year has grown with four venues and eight performances on the list. Sunday shows start with a Blues Cruise on the Songo River Queen II at noon and will continue throughout the afternoon and evening at Bray’s, Freedom Café and Captain Jack’s and the Songo River Queen II.

Performers this year include Denny Breau, The Bad Daddys, Memphis Lightning, Brad Hooper, The Delta Knights, Mark Miller and Friends, Luther James and the River Kings, Blues Mafia, Black Cat Road, Trailer Trash, Jimmy and the Soulcats, Matt and the Barnburners, the Colwell Brothers — the list goes on. The complete schedule is posted now on the Maine Blues Festival website, www.mainebluesfestival.com

Tickets can be purchased on the day of the festival at the following locations: Naples Shopping Center (Rite-Aid), Freedom Café, Naples Village Green and on the Causeway (next to the Songo River Queen II). All ticket booth locations are located on Route 302/Roosevelt Trail.

Wristbands for the Maine Blues Festival are $16 in advance and $18 on any day of the festival. Go to www.mainebluesfestival.com to purchase tickets, find a listing of area ticket sale locations or to view the 2015 lineup.

The 10th Anniversary Maine Blues Festival has received tremendous support from area businesses and is presented by three major event sponsors. Port Harbor Marine, WMTW8 and Shipyard Brewing have all stepped up to bring the best fest yet. Each of these event sponsors have proven records of their commitment to Maine and the local communities. Their support this year is yet another instance of their tradition of giving back to the State of Maine. If you see these generous sponsors at the festival please take a moment to say “thank you” for helping to make this great annual event something really special.

The festival is also sponsored by these community-minded businesses: The Bridgton News, The Umbrella Factory, Granite Coast Entertainment, Soul Tramp Amps, Digitaliteracy, Bonneau’s Sausage Kitchen, Turner Publishing, WMPG, WMWV, White Mountain Boogie and Blues and a multitude of smaller area sponsors. To see a complete listing of area sponsors or for more information go to: www.mainebluesfestival.com