Best hot Atlanta area blues events coming up in August

Best hot Atlanta area blues events coming up in August
August 4th, 2010
Rhetta Akamatsu

t's August, the weather is hot, and so are the blues events! Here are some of my picks for best blues events in metro or within a day's drive of Atlanta for August:

One of the prime events is the Georgia BluesFest on August 21st, with a full day of music culminating in the legendary Johnny Winter and James Cotton taking the stage at 9 PM! This will be the first BluesFest in the Dahlonega, GA area and is taking place at the R-Ranch in the mountains not far from Dahlonega. For more information on the Bluesfest check the website and my article here.

In addition, Delbert McClinton is performing at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens with Atlanta Blues Society's own Heaven Davis opening for him on August 20th, and Johnny Lang appears at the Gardens with Arbuckle and Moreland August 25th.

Another venue offering exciting blues events this month is The Five Spot in the Little Five Points section of Atlanta. Delta Moon, former winners of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, and Chickens and Pigs are appearing there August 13th.These tickets are $10 at the door and the show starts at 9 PM. Then, on August 27th at 8 PM, The Five Spot hosts the CD release party for another local favorite, Joe McGuinness, celebrating the release of Tin Umbrella, Joe's latest. These tickets are also $10 at the door or $8 in advance at the website.

On August 7th, Northside Tavern features a very special event: True Atlanta legend Eddie Tigner's 84th Birthday Bash, with Uncle Sugar and Chicken Shack! Come out and help celebrate Mr. Tigner's 60+ years as a working musician!

To sum up:

August 7: Eddie Tigner's Birthday Bash

August 13: Delta Moon and Chickens and Pigs

August 20: Delbert McClinton with Heaven Davis

August 21: The Georgia BluesFest featuring Johnny Winter and James Cotton

August 25: Johnny Lang and Arbuckle and Moreland

August 27: Joe McGuinness CD Release Party

That should be enough to keep your August smokin'! And check back every Thursday here for the upcoming blues events as I get news of them.