The Daily Item, Sunbury, PA

Entertainment

Discussion

May 28, 2009

Blues bands to take the stage

By Wayne Laepple

SUNBURY — Seven blues bands will take to the stage at the Spyglass Ridge Winery on Saturday for the fourth annual blues fest and muscle car rally. While many of the bands are local and regional favorites, Tom Larsen of Ocean City, Md., returns to the stage as headliner.

Larsen, a slide guitar virtuoso, is celebrating his 30th anniversary on the stage this year.

In addition to the music, muscle cars, particularly Mustangs of any era, will be on display, and there will be plenty of food and wine.

Opening the show at 11 a.m. are Nate Myers and the Aces, a Harrisburg-based unit with roots deep in the valley. Front man Nate Myers is a Selinsgrove High School and Bloomsburg University graduate who cut his teeth blowing blues harp with the likes of Artie Renkel and Greg Burgess. This time around, Tom Rosencrans of Northumberland will sit in with Nate and the boys.

At 12:15 p.m., Zydecoal, a coal-cracker zydeco and blues band will take the stage. These guys are a regional phenomenon who’ve made their way in the tough music business with their appealing style.

Ann Kerstetter and her band, who represented the area at the 2009 International Blues Challenge in Memphis in January, hits the boards at 1:30 p.m. Ann’s been gathering kudos for her stylish covers and interesting original songs, and her band just won’t quit.

Altoona-based Blues Moon gets their chance at 2:45 p.m. With the powerful vocals of Trace Baker out in front, Blues Moon is guaranteed to get the crowd fired up for the headliner.

Tom Larsen is on stage at 4 p.m. with a dazzling slide guitar style that’s amazing to watch and hear. Anybody who’s seen him and his band at any one of numerous shore-side venues in Maryland and Delaware over the past three decades knows that Larsen delivers the goods.

Larsen’s show will be followed by area favorites, the Blind Chitlin Kahunas, at 5:50. The Kahunas are the boss power blues trio in the region, featuring the fabulous guitar work and vocals of Chris Bovard.

Wrapping up the day of great music at 7 p.m. are newcomers to Spyglass, Williamsport’s Dirty Nickels Band. This outfit includes the wonderful vocals of Rosie Short.

Admission is $15 for the day, and the gates open at 10 a.m. Spyglass Ridge Winery is just off plum Creek Road in Rockefeller Township. Take Route 890 toward Trevorton from Sunbury and bear left on Plum Creek Road. The winery is about a mile further along on the left, at the intersection of Carroll Road and Plum Creek Road.

Bring your favorite lawn chair to sit under the tent to watch the bands. And if you come in a muscle car, you get a 50 percent discount.

Text Only
Entertainment
The Daily Marquee
Entertainment Video
Parade
Magazine
Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.