Blues guitar duo performing.
The city of Austin is thumping with the rhythm of the blues once again, all thanks to the return of the Austin Blues Festival. This year’s iteration of the festival promises to be a musical fiesta, with legendary blues guitarist Buddy Guy and the powerfully tuneful Brittany Howard from Alabama Shakes taking the stage as the headlining acts. The festival is penciled in for April 27 and 28, and will be set in the scenic grounds of Waterloo Park’s Moody Amphitheater.
Buddy Guy, one of the founding fathers of blues music as we understand it today, is no stranger to the Austin Blues Festival. A Chicago luminary, Guy’s name is well-recognized across the bustling music landscape of Austin. The man’s illustrious career has seen him play alongside other stalwarts of the genre, including Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Gary Clark Jr., and Stevie Ray Vaughan, as well as Vaughan’s older brother, Jimmie. This year’s festival will see Jimmie Vaughan playing alongside the Tilt-A-Whirl Band on Saturday. The honor of the day’s closing act, however, goes to Buddy Guy.
The commanding vocalist and rhythm guitarist Brittany Howard from Alabama Shakes will be Sunday’s star performer. Brittany’s solos are known for their depth and resonance, and she is described as a “sublimely uplifting avant-soul savant.” The four-time Grammy winner is noted for her deeply emotive, unhurried howls.
The lineup of the Austin Blues Festival isn’t limited to masters of the 12-bar blues and solo singers. Festival-goers will be treated to a plethora of sounds, ranging from Creole blues (zydeco), to Afro-Cuban funk, and even New Orleans hip-hop (bounce). Creating history at the festival are The Original Pinettes Brass Band, touted as the world’s only all-female brass band. They will be playing their infectious tunes both days of the festival.
The Austin Blues Festival has its roots in the Antone’s Blues Festival, first hosted at Waterloo Park in 1999, which counted Buddy Guy amongst its pioneering performers. With its return, the Austin Blues Festival represents a much-anticipated revival of Austin’s deeply cherished musical roots.
Tickets for the two-day festival are still on sale, and can be purchased from the official Austin Blues Festival website. The festival has also partnered with KUTX radio, which will broadcast artist showcases and interviews as the big weekend approaches. The Austin Blues Festival 2024 promises to be a roaring celebration of the blues, and an event that lovers of music and culture cannot afford to miss.
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