Shake the winter blues and come to the Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival, January 20 through February 21, and stay at the nearby and affordable Chicago Lake Shore Hotel!
With such headliners as the great Steve Earle, legendary acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke, The String Cheese Incident, New Orleans Suspects, Mark Broussard, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, and many more acts, the Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival has something for everyone! Venues include City Winery, House of Blues, and the Aragon Ballroom, all accessible by public transportation.
Steve Earle began playing guitar when he was eleven years old. His breakthrough album was “GuitarTown,” in 1982. A winner of three Grammy Awards, Steve Earle’s songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris and many more. Leo Kottke has been a mainstay of bluegrass music since the 60’s. His first album, “12-String Blues,” introduced fans to a unique guitar picking style, born of necessity by tendon damage in his right arm. String Cheese Incident (their band name comes as the result of a food fight involving cheese), out of Colorado, features extended virtuoso solos that run as long as eight minutes. Their latest album, “A Song in My Head,” was produced by Talking Heads artist Jerry Harrison.
For tickets and a complete schedule of events and artists, go to cbbfestival.com.
Make your Chicago Bluegrass and Blues Festival experience more enjoyable by staying at the Chicago Lake Shore Hotel, in Hyde Park. Chicago Lake Shore offers free shuttle bus service to and from the Loop area and is close to bus and train services. The Lake Shore Café offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. AND Jazz and seafood buffet, Friday nights.