On Sunday, June 8th, at the Lycoming County Fairgrounds in Hughesville, PA, thousands of people will converge on this quaint borough for a day-long celebration of blues music at the 19th Annual Billtown Blues Festival... and this year's lineup will prove to be nothing short of stellar by most any blues fan's standards.
The day will kick off at noon, with performances by Blind Peg Leg Paul and The Ann Kerstetter Band. Both acts were this year's winners of the local Billtown Blues Challenge, at which Billtown Blues Association members vote on competing band & solo artists to select the opening acts for each year's festival.
These winners are also then given the opportunity to represent the BBA in the International Blues Challenge, held each year in Memphis, Tennessee. These two opening acts for the festival won against some extremely talented competitors, which included such popular blues powerhouse bands as Nate Myers & The Aces and The Blind Chitlin Kahunas, and the acoustic duo of Doug McMinn & Hannah Bingman. More information about this year's Billtown Blues Challenge and the competitors can be found at www.billtownblues.org.
 As the day of music progresses, blues fans will be treated to the musical artistry of Gina Sicilia, Jason Ricci, Alexis P. Suter, The Homemade Jamz Blues Band (featuring Ryan, Kyle & Taya Perry), Jimmy Thackery, and The Nappy Brown Orchestra (featuring Bob Margolin and Big Joe Maher).
Worthy of note, is that The Homemade Jamz Blues Band is comprised of three very talented musicians barely into their teen years, and they took second-place honors at this past year's International Blues Challenge.
The Billtown Blues Festival also features the Bill Brown Memorial Acoustic Blues Tent, separated from the main stage and offering a more intimate atmosphere to enjoy some great blues music. As in many years past, there will be a "Kids Harmonica Workshop" hosted by harmonica player Andy Barnhart and Big Mitch Ivanoff (of the highly-respected blues band "Krypton City Blues Review").
Also appearing in the acoustic tent, and in a rare treat, will be Bob Margolin & Friends. "Steady Rollin' " Bob Margolin is a staple fixture on the national blues scene and formerly played with the legendary Muddy Waters.
 From humble beginnings in 1990, at a small, riverside campground in nearby Montoursville, PA and with only a few hundred dollars "in the kitty" the Billtown Blues Festival has grown into a nationally-recognized blues festival, drawing people from across the state and beyond. Aside from the fabulous music, there are dozens of food and craft vendors. But, what sets this festival apart from many other multiple-band festivals in other musical genres, is that this festival has a proud history of being family-friendly and incident-free! A testament to both the blues music fans in attendance and the Billtown Blues Association. It's truly a day of musical celebration and friendship.
There's something else that has always made this particular festival a success, and something that almost every visiting musical artist has vocally appreciated, and that's the people "behind the scenes" who work tirelessly, and in relative anonymity, toward the success of the Billtown Blues Festival. Planning for the Billtown Blues Festival begins within days of each festival's completion, with BBA officers Bonnie Tallman, Charlie Lockard, Bill VanCampen, Bernie Strosser (and many others) reviewing the previous festival, selecting the artists desired for the next festival, booking the sound & lighting crews, confirming the participating vendors and beginning the task of contacting the artists and working on contractual matters. Festival T-shirt designs must be created and the shirts then printed. Sponsors must be sought out. BBA member volunteers must be coordinated... as a virtual army of them is needed to man the gates, t-shirt booth, artist hospitality area and more. Security officers must be contracted, insurance policies obtained, caterers hired for the artist hospitality area, and the list goes on and on.
The majority of the physical work, however, begins just a few days before each festival, as rental equipment (or "backline" gear such as amplifiers & drums) is gathered from a variety of sources, as each visiting artist often has very particular requirements.
At daybreak on the day of the festival, and sometimes even the night before, the sound crew begins their work setting up a mountain of speakers and running what seems like miles of cables. The stage crew sets up the drums, amplifiers and staging, and their work day continues with very few moments to relax, as the stage crew is responsible for changing all the equipment to suit each artist before their set. Lighting is hoisted high above the fairground's stage and positioned. The sound system is checked to insure that everything is working properly, which can take up to an hour or more alone.
A bit later in the morning, the previously-mentioned army of volunteers arrives to direct the vendors to their chosen spots and set up other booths for festival t-shirts and the artists' merchandise. Food arrives for the artist hospitality area, as each artist typically has specific, healthy requests for food and beverages.
Nothing extravagant or silly, mind you, such as a bowl of M&M candies with all the brown ones removed. Blues artists are typically (and refreshingly) very down-to-earth folks. After the morning has flown by in the blink of an eye, the artists begin to arrive and the stage crew meets & greets them with questions about their needs, even though most artists submit a "rider" far in advance of the show, which is a part of their contract that details what equipment they require and where they'd like it placed.
 As the first notes of music emanate from the stage, the crews breathe a collective sigh of relief, for the day is under way, and from this point forward, it's all about enjoying the performances and tending to the artists' simple needs. Cold, bottled water and towels are continuously brought out by the stage crew as well, as the artists' comfort in the summer heat is always kept in mind. The crews all keep a watchful eye on every performer to make certain that all is well on stage.
This attention to detail, organization and hospitality is a matter of pride with the Billtown Blues Association and the crews, and the artists have never failed to notice it. When the last notes fade into the night air, however, the crews are from done with their work... for what was set up, must now be taken down.
Their day that began at dawn will end in the wee hours of the next morning.
The "behind the scenes" people will be both exhausted and exhilarated, because once again another Billtown Blues Festival has come and gone, but their memories of the time spent with the gracious and ever-appreciative artists and the camaraderie of all involved will last a long time.
The thousands of blues music fans will eventually disperse and make their way home, and they'll have their own special memories of yet another outstanding Billtown Blues Festival. It's truly a day of musical celebration unlike any other.
More information about the Billtown Blues Festival, tickets, festival guidelines, River Valley Transit's free bus shuttle service to & from Williamsport, or becoming a member of the Billtown Blues Association can be found online at www.billtownblues.org or by calling 570-584-4480. |
Throughout the day, nearly 20,000 visitors will have a chance to spend a day in town, tempting their taste buds with local foods and shopping for wares from artisans from across the Northeast.
We have been so blessed to have all your support over the past four years. Each and everyone who has participated in any way to our rides have truly made a difference. We have been able to accumulate over $60,000.00 in the endowment fund with the Williamsport-Lycoming Community Foundation. These funds have been used to provide several scholarships for very deserving students pursuing a career in education as Lindsay would have done.