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A man named Willie Dixon once said: “blues is the roots, all other kinds of music are the fruits.” Dixon, who is considered one of the best blues songwriters of all time, was right.  

Blues has laid the foundation for many American music genres including jazz, soul, country and rock — especially the rock ‘n’ roll of the British Invasion.

Blues is an internationally admired sound and is celebrated worldwide every first Saturday in August for International Blues Music Day (IBMD) and the Acadiana Blues Society is on the map.

Join them for the 7th annual “Mini Blues and Rock Fest” this Saturday night at Artmosphere Bistro. 

The party starts at 8 p.m. and will feature some of the greatest hits and local blues talents. Fun awaits with  door prizes and a silent auction of local artwork.

The nightlong celebration kicks off with the Ragin’ Blues Band, UL Lafayette’s for-credit band, at 8:30 p.m. They will be followed by Michael Juan Nunez at 9:30, Keith Blair at 10:30, and a midnight jam with surprise guests until the night can’t jam anymore! …So, bring your comfy shoes.

Lafayette-native Michael Juan Nunez is a singer and guitarist who is the innovator of “Marsh Rock” that melts together blues, funk, New Orleans R&B and rock ‘n’ roll. His music was featured in the HBO hit series “True Blood.”

Keith Blair is a Lafayette musician and blues guitarist who can be found playing weekly at Legends Pub and Murphy’s Law Sports & Cigar Bar.

General admission to the Mini Blues and Rock Fest is $15 but if you check in on Facebook in advance it’ll reduce your price to $12. Tickets are $10 for anyone with a student or military I.D.

Proceeds from the night will go first, to the bands, then to the Blues Foundation projects Generation Blues, a music camp for musicians 21 and younger, and Bricks for the Blues. 

“Paying the bands is always my No. 1 goal,” said Tina Richard-Krieg who runs the Acadiana Blues Society. “After we pay the bands we hope to raise $500 for the Generation Blues Children’s Camp and $250 for Bricks for the Blues that will help pay for a Lafayette brick at the Memphis Blues Museum.”

Every year Krieg puts on the Mini Blues and Rock Festival to keep the genre alive in Lafayette, and who could blame her? Louisiana is drenched in blues roots that trace to legends such as Buddy Guy, Slim Harpo, and Lafayette-local Paul “Lil’ Buck” Sinegal. 

“It’s a genre of music that I love,” said Krieg. “It’s important to celebrate Blues, we are losing our elder blues musicians both locally and nationally at a rapid pace and it is vital to expose this genre of American roots music to larger audiences, especially to youngsters across Acadiana, in hopes to keep it thriving for future generations.”

Krieg’s love for the music started in her early teens when she first turned over a Led Zeppelin CD.

“My cousins loved Zeppelin and when I heard the sound I knew it wasn’t like any other rock ‘n’ roll I’ve heard before,” said Krieg. “‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’ what is that? Looking on the back, there it was, ‘written by Willie Dixon.’ I had to find out who this guy was.” 

That’s where it all started and Krieg has been fascinated with the genre since—and she’s happy she did. Her fascination for the Blues that has led to remarkable stories, such as the time she sat side by side with Pinetop or when she met B.B. King at the 1992 Blues Music Festival held at Blackham Coliseum. 

“I was working in forensics at the time and running late getting home,” said Krieg. “Me, my husband (at the time) and my son (who was 8) jumped in the car convinced we would miss part of the show.  Parking was limited so we made a parking spot, jumped out of the car and ran across the parking lot past his bus. His driver said ‘Hey, slow down, the show hasn’t started yet. B.B. wants to talk to y’all.’

“Mr. King came to the door of the bus and thanked us for taking the time to bring our son to one of his shows. My son followed him inside to see the bus, B.B. gave him several items including a ‘Lucille’ lapel pin and signed his ticket. They both went on talking as if they’d known each other for years while we stood in awe. He said he would give us plenty of time to get inside and find our seats before he started the show and he did!” 

“As we found our seats, people around us were telling us ‘don’t worry y’all haven’t missed anything.’  My son said ‘We know we were visiting with him on his bus and he said he wouldn’t start until we found our seats.’ Everyone laughed and patted his head telling him what an imagination. I just winked at him, acknowledging his visit with the Mayor of Bluesville.”

Krieg is a private member of the Blues Foundation and has run the Acadiana Blues Society since the ’90s. She has hosted Lafayette’s International Blues Day celebration for the past seven years and makes the trek to Memphis annually for the International Blues Challenge. 

Krieg hopes to transform the Acadiana Blues Society into a local nonprofit to have a greater presence in Lafayette, a town booming with blues-inspired genres such as zydeco and swamp pop. 

This year’s Mini Blues and Rock Festival festival is sponsored by Raising Cane’s, KRVS Blues Box Host Raoul Breaux, the Sugar Mill Pond Athletic Center, and Dr. John J. Sullivan.

Join the Acadiana Blues Society Facebook Group to keep up with events and don’t miss this Saturdays festival at Artmosphere Bistro, 902 Johnston St., Lafayette.

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