Carnival of Soul

As long as the good weather holds, opportunities to hear great music continues to grow. Many of the venues with outside space are getting back on track with their entertainment, with music to suit all tastes is being seen across the state, as well as plenty of virtual performances. .

Friday evening is an UnWINEd Concert with Tom “The Suit” Forst at Priam Vineyards in Colchester. They are planning a great night of live music and wine. The band features Tony Delisio, Vinnie Brike and Big Thurrsty.

The gate opens at 5 p.m., with the concert from 6-9 p.m. Food will be available for purchase, and picnic baskets are also welcome. As with many events during this time of COVID-19, tickets are limited. For tickets go to www.priam-vineyards.com/events-1/unwined-concert-tom-the-suit-forst/pick-tickets. Kids under 12 are admitted free.

Sunday, visit the Mattabesett Canoe Club and enjoy an afternoon on the patio, right on the river, with Slim & St. George at 3 p.m. Enjoy the cool breeze off the water along with some live blues and Americana. Slim & St. George present a diverse repertoire that runs the gamut from Neil Young to Bob Dylan, with several stops along the way for the blues. The Mattabesett Canoe Club has an expansive patio with plenty of room for diners to keep their distance.

Ryan Newman Justin Chan & The Vices are having a Party on the Patio at Crystal Bees Friday.

Eran Troy Danner goes solo acoustic at 5 p.m. Friday, at Paradise Hills Vineyard and at 6 p.m. Saturday, at Daveluy’s Tavern. Sunday, David Stoltz is at the Flying Monkey with friends.

This past Wednesday, the Brass Horse Cafe started the Jam On the Patio. The Brass Horse Cafe is a legendary roadhouse tavern with a long history. The new open jam is hosted by Hatch & The Night Riders. Musicians, bring your instruments; amps, keyboard and PA are provided. Singers please bring your own mic so that mics don’t have to be shared. The party is rain or shine — in the event of rain, we will move inside, socially distanced, of course.

Area venues are already planning for the fall. Wall Street Theater is getting ready for some rocking performances later this year, including the Allman Betts Band; The Machine, which performs Pink Flyod’s album The Wall cover to cover; and Satisfaction gives an International Rolling Stones Tribute.

Ron Bates from Blues on Broadway at the Norwich Arts Center had some good news to report. He has been authorized to start booking for Blues on Broadway starting the second Wednesday in September. Be sure to mark your calendars and tell all your blues-loving friends to do the same.

Also in Norwich at Dodd Stadium is “Rock the Docks.” Here is the lineup for the 2020 RTD Summer Concert Series. Reservations, which started Monday, will be required for the events as space is limited to 500 people. A confirmation is an admission ticket to the event. Individual FB Events will also be released. Expected to play this summer are F & Blues Band; Eight to the Bar; Coyote River Band; and Melaena Band.

Bobby Rush returns to his roots on “Rawer than Raw” due for release Aug. 28. The Grammy winner’s popular acoustic concerts inspired this stripped-down tribute to the rich blues history of Mississippi.

The 2020 Blues Blast Music Award Nominees have been announced. The nominees are listed below and also on the Blues Blast Magazine website at:http://www.bluesblastmagazine.com/13th-annual-blues-blast-music-awards-nominees. Click on the artist’s name in the list for the website, more information and to buy their music.

The nominees were decided in May by a group of nlues music industry professionals including music critics, journalists, festival promoters, music venue managers, producers, musicians and other Blues music industry professionals. They nominated the best in blues music in twelve categories.

Fan voting to determine the winners begins July 20, and continues until Sept. 5, at http://www.BluesBlastMagazine.com. Voting is free and open to anyone. Subscribers can only vote one time.

The Legendary Rhythm and Blues Cruise Open Cabin Sales has started. Open sales have begun for the October 2021 cruise and open sales will begin for the January 2022 cruise on August. For information, call 816-753-7979.

Connecticut Artists and National Acts have banded together to ask Congress to support U.S. independent music venues in the quest to #SaveOurStages.

Stating that “the collapse of this crucial element in the music industry’s ecosystem would be devastating,” more than 600 of the nation’s most cherished musical artists, many with ties to Connecticut and many who have played at Connecticut stages. State artists and hundreds of others issued a letter to Congress asking legislators to provide urgent financial support for independent venues and promoters in the U.S., which are in grave peril due to the pandemic.

Formed at the onset of the COVID-19 shutdown, the National Independent Venue Association now has nearly 2,000 members in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. These independent venues and promoters were the first to close and will be the last to fully reopen. They are at real risk of closing permanently if Congress does not take quick and specific action to address the unique circumstances of this still-shuttered component of the small business sector, which normally fuels substantial economic growth for the communities they serve. So far, people across America have written more than 500,000 emails asking Congress to #SaveOurStages.

Any questions or comments should be sent to Domenic Forcella at TWBlus@aol.com.