THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING

Chicago Blues Challenge Result

BILL GRADY, the last performer of the Challenge, The soloist, got the highest score and will move on to the finals in the Solo Duet Category.

BRENDA TAYLOR & THE EARTH SHAKERS, The first act of the day, got the best score in the BAND category and will be moving on to the finals in the Band Category.

The Finals are at Buddy Guys Legends on Sunday Nov 13th. More details here

Blues Challenge Finals

Tip Bucket

Chicago Blues Challenge Result

Thank You so much for your generosity. You donated over $600 into the tip bucket for the Blues Challenge musicians. This money will be combined with the Tips collected at the Bolingbrook Blues Showcase and divided equitably between all 15 acts participating in the Chicago Blues Challenge.

PRIZE MONIES for the winning acts come from a separate fund.

For more info on Round 2 of the Chicago Blues Challenge click the link below.

Bolingbrook Blues Scowcase

The Crowd

Chicago Blues Challenge Result

The Crowd

It seems like we had almost 3,000 people throughout the whole day. Everyone was courteous, and well behaved. Everybody was friendly. People were nice to one another. Thank you so much to all the fans that helped make this such a wonderful event.

The Line-up

12:30 - 1:00 Brenda Taylor & The Earth Shakers

1:15 - 1:40 Weeds & Seeds

1:55 - 2:25 The Miles Minor Band

2:40 - 3:10 Fast Mikey Blue Eyes

3:25 - 3:50 Bill Grady

This concludes the Chicago Blues Challenge portion of the Show

4:10 - 5:10 The CROS Band & Jeff Stone

Jeff Stone exclusively plays Seydel Harmonica, he endorses their harps !

5:30 - 6:40 Willie Buck and The Right Sound Blues Band

7:00 - 8:20 Dave Weld & The Imperial Flames

8:40 - 10:10 The Steepwater Band

Village of Willow Springs Blues Fest

The Chicago Blues Challenge Rnd 1

The Chicago Blues Challenge is a timed, judged, and scored battle of the bands sanctioned by the Windy City Blues Society (WCBS) and backed by The Blues Foundation.

Acts are scored on 5 weighted criteria

1) Vocal talent (X 2)

2) Instrumental Talent (X 2)

3) Stage Presence (X 2)

4) Originality (X 3)

5) Blues Content (X 4)

Judges score the acts on a scale of 1 - 10 for each category.

1-3 Typical of a beginning blues band.
4-5 Typical of a local weekend band.
6-7 Typical of an advanced local band but not yet ready to headline a major blues club.
8-9 Typical of the quality of blues artists who headline major clubs.
10 Typical of those who play the main stage at major festivals such as Chicago or King Biscuit Blues Festivals.

Who Are the Judges ?

Record Label owners, festival promoters and talent buyers and those with decades in the blues music business.

(Scroll Down for info on the acts)

No outside Alcohol allowed.

Bring a lawn chair

Imperial Oak Brewing

Imperial Oak Brewing is a small (7 bbl) brewery that puts the beer first. Our focus is on imperial strength and barrel aged brews but we offer an ever changing variety of styles to satisfy a wide range of tastes.

Visit their website

Food Trucks & Great Pizza

A variety of Food trucks to munch from. A new pizza place " Pizza 750 " has opened next to the brewery. Pizza 750 specializes in wood fired pizza and wraps. Their pizza taste great.

DETAILS

Where do We Park ?

Look at the Map to the Right. There is plenty of parking. There will be people directing you to parking.

Can I bring a Cooler? My Pet ? A Lawn Chair?

Leave your Pet at home, but bring your chair. You can bring a cooler but no outside ALCOHOL is allowed. If you want Alcohol it has to be from IMPEARIAL OAK BREWING. We will confiscate your outside alcohol

The Fest is FREE

You read that correct. The festival is free thanks to our sponsors and Musicians playing in the Chicago Blues Challenge. There will be a TIP JAR for the Blues Challenge acts to split at the end of the competition

The Steepwater Band ~ High and Humble

If the old saying about talent equaling success were true, then The Steepwater Band would already be a household name, like Aerosmith, Bad Company and other like-minded travelers in our collective Rock ‘n Roll Fantasy. But that’s not how things always work. For them, the music life is a calling. Something primal lurks in their music. In a land of caricatures, it’s striking to come face-to-face with the real thing. Check out their website here ====> The Steepwater Band

Dave Weld & The Imperial Flames

Delmark Recording Artist, Dave Weld and The Imperial Flames, an authentic, real deal, Chicago Blues Band. High energy, versatile talent, and a cohesive show that includes original driving house-rockin blues, boogie and Soul. The originals are classic in nature, the standards are revitalized with striking three part vocal harmony. Passionate slide guitarist, Dave Weld mentored from Grammy Winning Master J.B. Hutto. Check out their website here ====> Dave Weld & The Imperial Flames

Willie Buck & The Right Sound Blues Band

Willie Buck arrived in the “Windy City,” Chicago, in the 1950s. His Blues career started with the help of a relative, Muddy Waters. At the renowned Sylvion Club on Chicago's West Side, Willie jammed with and learned from legends. Willie is most often stylistically compared to his relative, Muddy Waters. Today, Willie is one of the last representatives of the great Chicago downhome blues to rise from the shadow of legends and create and develop his own recognizable style.

Bill Grady

Where I Belong" live from Sound Vault Studios

Feb 25, 2019 Live performance of Bill Grady's original song, "Where I Belong" from his 2018 album, Nothing Runs Free. Featuring Jonathan Reed on percussion.

Feet Don't Fail Me Now" live from Sound Vault Studios

Oct 9, 2018 Live performance of Bill Grady's original song, "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" from his 2018 album, Nothing Runs Free. Featuring Jonathan Reed on percussion.

Bill Grady "Playing In The Band" - Dead Covers Project 2018

Jan 30, 2018 Bill Grady performing his solo slide arrangement of "Playing In The Band" for the 2018 #deadcoversproject.

Brenda Taylor and The Earth Shakers

Brenda Taylor and The Earth Shakers has a top-notch band who performs hard driving, gritty, raw, West Side Chicago Blues. Brenda is the oldest daughter of the Chicago legend Eddie ‘Playboy’ Taylor and she recently released her full-length debut album “Buggy Ride’ on Austria’s Wolf Records.
Brenda is a no-nonsense singer, in the best of the West Side tradition, who likes to keep things rolling and the party going. The Earth Shakers are a talented band with her brother Tim Taylor on drums.

Miles Minor Blues Band

Born in Florida, Miles grew up loving to play guitar. He decided to move to Chicago and start his musical journey. He got his foot in the door in the blues community at a young age and started playing at some of the most renowned blues venues in the city. Kingston Mines, Blues on Hasted, Buddy Guys, Honky Tonk BBQ, The Water Hole, Johnny’s Blitz, and so many more! He now has a residency at Harlem Avenue Lounge. Check out the facebook Page here ====> The Miles Minor Band

Fast Mikey Blue Eyes (Mike Felton Band)

The Best handle for Mike Felten’s distinctive musical approach would be “Chicagoana". The Windy City is deeply and inexorably ingrained in the veteran singer-songwriter’s mesmerizing musical odes. Blending folk, blues, and rock influences to tell his stories in song & spread the news. Right down to the names of streets that he’s wandered and the shady characters haunting them . Mike knows where all the bones are buried and he tells the secrets. Check out his website here ====> Mike Felten

Windy City Blues Society

THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING

Chicago Blues Challenge Result

Chicago Blues Challenge Result

Chicago Blues Challenge Result

Tip Bucket

Chicago Blues Challenge Result

Chicago Blues Challenge Result

The Crowd

Chicago Blues Challenge Result

The Crowd

The Line-up

12:30 - 1:00 Brenda Taylor & The Earth Shakers

1:15 - 1:40 Weeds & Seeds

1:55 - 2:25 The Miles Minor Band

2:40 - 3:10 Fast Mikey Blue Eyes

3:25 - 3:50 Bill Grady

4:10 - 5:10 The CROS Band & Jeff Stone

5:30 - 6:40 Willie Buck and The Right Sound Blues Band

7:00 - 8:20 Dave Weld & The Imperial Flames

8:40 - 10:10 The Steepwater Band

Imperial Oak Brewing

We are a small brewery that puts the beer first.

9526 Ogden Ave. , Brookfield, IL

501 Willow Blvd., Willow Springs, IL

Village of Willow Springs Blues Fest

The Chicago Blues Challenge Rnd 1

Imperial Oak Brewing

Food Trucks & Great Pizza

DETAILS

Where do We Park ?

Can I bring a Cooler? My Pet ? A Lawn Chair?

The Fest is FREE

Pizza 750

501 Willow Boulevard.

(708) 330-5541

The Steepwater Band ~ High and Humble

Dave Weld & The Imperial Flames

Willie Buck & The Right Sound Blues Band

CROS Band

Cros, 2022 IBC Finals

Jef Stone

CROS "Hey Joe"

Bill Grady

Where I Belong" live from Sound Vault Studios

Feet Don't Fail Me Now" live from Sound Vault Studios

Bill Grady "Playing In The Band" - Dead Covers Project 2018

Brenda Taylor and The Earth Shakers

Miles Minor Blues Band

Fast Mikey Blue Eyes (Mike Felton Band)

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