Blues Fest 2022 will be held on Friday and Saturday, September 16-17, at the historic LeClaire Park in Davenport, Iowa. This year we have over 10 food and merch vendors!
Tickets can be purchased in advance at MVBS.org or at the gate on September 16th and 17th. Attendees 16 and younger get in FREE with an adult!
For the past 35-plus years, the Mississippi Valley Blues Society has continued to bring both national and regional Blues legends and rising stars to the Blues Fest. Also featuring over 10 food and merch vendors!
This year's Blues Festival will be at the historic LeClaire Park. A 400-acre public park located along the Mississippi River in downtown Davenport. Situated between Centennial Park on the west and River Heritage Park.
LeClaire Park
400 Beiderbecke Dr, Davenport, IA
Get directions.
Voted "Best Casino" in the region, the Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf is also Iowa’s largest hotel, with over 500 rooms. It is nestled right on the banks of the Mississippi River, and its well-appointed rooms and excellent restaurants make this a terrific deal.
Rates are deeply discounted for Blues Fest 2022 attendees and are available from September 15th to September 18th! Get booked by September 9th.
We want every fan to feel safe at the festival. Specific questions regarding safety, security, medical, and any others can be directed to the MVBS.org contact form. If you have an immediate need while on-site seek out any festival staffer, police, or security personnel.
MVBS seeks to present a welcoming summer festival and community. As a festival guest, you have an active role in creating an enjoyable and accepting environment for your fellow attendees, including speaking out when you see unacceptable behavior. MVBS has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment or discrimination of any kind.
No weapons of any kind. No pets, unless it is a service animal. No outside food or drinks. No coolers, unless empty. No video recorders and no cameras with detachable lenses.
There are no refunds available for Blues Fest. In the event of an artist cancellation, MVBS reserves the right to substitute a suitable replacement performer.
We have taken enhanced health and safety measures for you, our artists and staff. You must follow all posted instructions while attending Blues Fest.
Dr. V’s BlueSkool is an interactive workshop where you can learn the history of blues, listen to blues, and play the blues. It is open to all ages on Saturday, September 17th. Kids 16 and under get into BlueSkool and Blues Fest FREE!
Kevin is recognized as one of the Midwest’s top blues heritage educators. He has also written and published a classroom harmonica method book called “Just Play It: an introduction to blues harmonica.” His approach is simple, education through entertainment. His program has been going strong since 1994. Burt plans to continue this work as well as his community work with Children and the arts.
Dr. Tanya has been leading her own band for over ten years and launched her Healing with the Blues website two and half years ago with help from her husband and bassist, Ed.
Billy Branch is a Blues education pioneer. He was one of the first artists to develop a Blues in Schools curriculum. Since 1978, in addition to recording and performing, he has taught hundreds of thousands of children around the world. His internationally recognized Blues in Schools Program is committed to teaching students of all ages about the Blues as the roots of America's music. His curriculum and instruction strategies open his students eyes to music history, music theory.
In addition to the phenomenal acts on the historic bandshell stage, the Mississippi Valley Blues Society is proud to present what has come to be known as the Pedigo-Jones Stage. Named after long time volunteers Steve Pedigo and Jimmie Jones, this is where we feature both local and regional talent.
Avey Grouws Band met at a blues jam on the Iowa side of the Quad Cities along the Mississippi River, and have since put their Quad Cities sound into the world with the release of their debut album 'The Devil May Care' in March of 2020. The album hit #10 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart, #24 for 2020 on the Roots Music Report Top Contemporary Blues Album Chart, “Rise Up” was named top song of 2020 in the Ben Vee Roadhouse 66 top songs of 2020, “Come and Get This Love” won top honors in the Unsigned Only Songwriting Competition and in the International Songwriting Competition, Avey Grouws band was nominated for the 2020 BBMAs for Debut Album New Artist and was nominated for 4 awards in the 2021 Independent Blues Awards, including Best New Artist, Best New Artist Album.
Hot on the heels of their Billboard charting album, ‘The Devil May Care’, AGB is released their sophomore album ‘Tell Tale Heart’ September 24, 2021, which debuted #7 on the Billboard Blues Album chart. Recorded in Nashville at East Iris Studios and The Purple House (Leiper’s Fork, TN) with Grammy-winning engineer/producer Casey Wasner at the helm. Featuring 10 original songs, ‘Tell Tale Heart’’s music (described by Wasner as “rock and roll blues soul”) demonstrates the label-defying band’s command of a wide swath of American roots music - - including blues, classic rock, country, R&B, funk, introspective balladry and unbridled rock and roll.
"...Jeni Grouws is a remarkably demonstrative vocalist, fully capable of delivering sturdy rockers, blustery blues, or...a tender heartfelt ballad. For his part, Chris Avey comes across as a prototypical guitar ace, one whose searing fretwork is both dazzling and decisive. Together with bassist Randy Leasman, drummer Bryan West and keyboard player Nick Vasquez, they make for a formidable ensemble...Many of these songs could easily be mistaken for standards given the band’s adept arrangements, clear confidence and a decidedly agile approach as far as the shift in styles...an explosive offering indeed.'" (Lee Zimmerman/Goldmine)
This 5-piece band brings together three members of Iowa's popular "Blue Band" - Violinist Molly Nova, Guitarist Bryce Janey and Drummer Turk E. Krause, along with Corey Baker (Guitar, Bass & Vocals) and Russ Moore (Keyboards).
Nova and Krause spent decades playing together in The Blue Band from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Having grown bored of playing covers, the two decided to write their own music, a hurdle every great artist needs to make. It was decided that they wanted to focus on Nova’s custom made electric violin. The departure from The Blue Band was necessary and the two struck out for Minnesota. Influenced by Southern rock legends like Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers, the two call their music style “sweet rockin’ roots and blues”.
Joining Molly in the spotlight is blues-rock & roots performer, songwriter, music producer and Grooveyard Recording artist Bryce Janey. With over 10 million Spotify streams and 8 studio albums to his credit, Bryce’s music is also featured with Molly Nova and The Hawk stepping up and putting their own touch on his original music. The band is playing live shows and working on exciting new music at Southwest Studios, an analog and pro tools recording studio owned by Bryce Janey.
Interspersing covers with their original tunes, Molly Nova and the Hawk have many years of performances playing all kinds of music, resulting in a style of music that is all their own – original timeless music with ballads, rockers and grooves not limited to any genre. It’s just sweet rockin’ roots and blues!
Kent Burnside was born in 1971 in Memphis Tennessee, and spent his early years in Holly Springs, Mississippi. He is the oldest Grandson and one of the closest pupils of the legendary R.L. Burnside.
Kent first heard the blues while watching his grandfather R.L. perform on the family farm to the locals. Kent used to sell sandwiches to audience members for a dollar a piece during these performances. The first lesson RL taught Kent was that to be a bluesman you have to find your own rhythm on the guitar. You can't play someone else's rhythm - as rhythm comes from your heart.
It started with Buddy Guy. Kent got his real start in the music business playing with Jimbo Mathus (Fat Possum Records) and going on tour with Buddy Guy in the early 2000's. That was when he started developing his signature style of blues: dark, hypnotic, inviting and very danceable.
Kent performed for Samuel L. Jackson to help Jackson prepare for his role in Black Snake Moan (2007) and has also worked on The Blues Brothers' stage shows with Dan Aykroyd. Aykroyd is a huge fan and supporter of Kent's work.
Kent has spent decades performing at festivals and has toured all over the world. Most recently in 2019 he performed at the Blues Rules Festival in Switzerland, and played a two week tour of Australia with The New Savages.
Since the 1990s, The Soul Searchers have been one of the most in-demand live music groups in Iowa. The group, whose music is best described as boogie-woogie blues, typically performs more than 100 dates a year at music festivals, bars, wineries, breweries, company gatherings, wedding receptions, and graduation parties. The band's members, Scott Eggleston (guitar and vocals), Neil Stoffregen (piano and organ), Erich Gaukel (electric and upright basses) and Mark Grimm (drums), are in-demand musicians in Iowa and have toured and performed onstage with Pieta Brown, Bo Ramsey, The Nadas, Sam Salomone, The Turner Center Jazz Orchestra, R.J. Mischo, Rockin' Johnny, Aki Kumar, Jim Viner's Incredible B3 Band, among many others.
What industry and media people are saying about the band's eponymously-titled CD:
"This was a very enjoyable listen; everyone playing the blues with a real sense of the tradition, no desire to show off, and real ensemble work. Nicely done; thanks for sharing the good music." - Bruce Iglauer, Founder, Alligator Records
"Whether it’s a five-course meal, or a romantic interlude, or sultry blues, anticipation is what stimulates the senses and makes the payoff rewarding. Such is the case with Des Moines’ hippest blues band, The Soul Searchers. It took the group about 15 years to record its full-length album, but in the end, it doesn’t disappoint. Like their live shows, ‘The Soul Searchers’ is a slow burn that gets hotter as the music progresses.” - Michael Swanger, Cityview
“Great debut! I've played this album with great pleasure in my radio show! Can't believe that this is only their debut, these guys know how to swing/jump/rock! Great songs, tight band...gimme more!” - Bernhard Schulte, Radio Host from Germany
Matt Woods is both a native of Iowa, and a longstanding purveyor of its diverse music scene. As a seasoned performer of many local, regional and national venues, Matt has developed a distinct style while staying true to his love of traditional American music. Woods is well versed in the many shapes this music can take; from traditional delta, hill country and urban electric blues, to gospel, country and folk music.
Woods has been performing regularly since 2002 and to date has released 5 independent albums (3 solo albums, and 2 albums backed by his unparalleled band, The Thunderbolts). He has also won the Iowa Blues Challenge and gone on to represent the state in the International Blues Challenge an unprecedented 3 times. Matt’s first solo album, “If I Was a Fish”, finished in the top 5 of The Blues Foundation’s “best self-produced CD” category in 2006. His two subsequent albums with The Thunderbolts, have also gained national attention. 2007’s “Be My Friend”, was referred to as “blistering” by Dirty Linen magazine, and Living Blues magazine called 2010’s “Matt Woods and The Thunderbolts”, “a smoking amalgam of Hound Dog Taylor and Freddy King”. Additionally, Blues Revue called the album; “raw, hypnotic and very appealing”. In 2015 Matt released “Sawdust and Gasoline”, his first solo album comprised completely of original material. It went on to receive extensive airplay in the U.S. and Europe and also finished in the top 5 of The Blues Foundation’s “best self-produced CD” category for 2015. “Sawdust and Gasoline” was also nominated by Blues Blast Magazine for album of the year in the “Acoustic Blues” category!
Over the course of his career, Matt has shared the stage with many notable acts, including; Hubert Sumlin, James Cotton, Pinetop Perkins, Louisiana Red, Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, John Primer, Rj Mischo, James Harman, Nathan James, Delbert McClinton, The Arc Angels, Dr. John, Kelly Hunt, Joe Price and many more. In 2010, Matt Woods and The Thunderbolts opened for Pat Benetar and REO Speedwagon at the famed Iowa State Fair Grandstand to a crowd of 10,000+!