Briggs Farm Blues Festival
Briggs Farm Blues Festival is an annual event that takes place near Hazleton, Pennsylvania in the town of Nescopeck, Nescopeck Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania[1] since the summer of 1998. The festival is hosted every July[2] on the farmland owned by the Briggs family.
| Briggs Farm Blues Festival | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Blues |
| Location(s) | Hazleton, Pennsylvania |
| Years active | 1998–present |
Briggs Farm offers concertgoers a weekend of blues, camping, southern-style barbequed food, and an informal atmosphere. In 2014, more than 6,000 people attended the festival.[3]
History
The Briggs Farm Blues Festival was initiated in 1998 by Richard Briggs on a farm which had been in his family since 1768.[4] After working as a TV producer later in life, Richard decided to use his skills to produce a blues festival.[5] Since then the festival has grown and expanded each year, and draws attendees from all over the United States and around the world gathering to hear Delta-style blues.[6]
In 2015 the festival presented mainly blues-rock on the main stage. The Back Porch stage presented a mix of local, regional and national blues musicians.[4][7]
Camping
Many attendees at the Briggs Farm Blues Festival stay in the campground which is set up near the main stage, at the edge of cornfields, or in a wooded area. The campground accommodates RVs, trailers, and tents. Camping allows people to stay throughout the weekend and to meet other blues music enthusiasts.[8]
Program
- 1998 – Big Jack Johnson, BC & The Blues Crew, Frank Grace and the Detonators, Sting Ray's Blues Band, Krypton City Blues Revue
- 1999 – E.C. Scott, Lonnie Shields, Tom Larsen, Melissa Reaves, Little Red Rooster, Frank Grace & The Detonators
- 2000 – Johnny Rawls, Melissa Reaves, Harper, Peter Tork
- 2001 – Eddie Kirkland, Eddie King, Blind Mississippi Morris, B. C. & The Blues Crew, The Midnight Blues
- 2002 – Phil Guy, Osee Anderson, Dave Riley, Deb Callahan, Lonnie Shields, Harper, Sting Ray
- 2003 – Lil’Dave Thompson, Mary Taylor, Tom Larsen, Clarence Spady, Christine Santelli, Magic Red & The VooDoo Tribe
- 2004 – Sonny Rhodes, Joanna Connor, Harper, Clarence Spady, Wolfe, Little Budd
- 2005 – Big Jack Johnson, Terry "Harmonica" Bean, Dave Riley, Kelly Richey, Clarence Spady, Krypton City Blues Revue, Nate Myers & The Aces, Sarah Ayers Band, Magic Red & The VooDoo Tribe
- 2006 – Sam “Bluzman” Taylor, Sharrie Williams, Lightnin’ Malcolm, Collin John Band, Cornlickers, Deb Callahan, Christopher Dean Band
- 2007 – Big Jack Johnson, Alexis P. Suter Band, Harper, Lonnie Shields, “Big T.” Williams, Paul Mark & The Van Dorens, Lefty Williams
- 2008 – Big George Brock, Nora Jean Bruso, Johnny Rawls, Clarence Spady, Bobby Kyle, Colin John & Michael Hill, Kelly Richey, Sarah Ayers Band, Lonnie Shields, Bret Alexander, Mikey Jr., Mark Armstrong
- 2009 – Louisiana Red, Joey Gilmore, Teeny Tucker, Johnny Drummer & The Starliters, Alexis P. Suter, Tom Larsen, Scott Weis Band, BC & Company, Lonnie Shields, Nate Myers, Mitch Ivanoff
- 2010 – Louisiana Red, David "Honeyboy" Edwards, Mississippi Heat, Mac Arnold, John Primer, Moreland & Arbuckle, Clarence Spady, Harper, Deb Callahan, Lonnie Shields, Terry "Harmonica" Bean
- 2011 – Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones, Eddie Shaw & the Wolf Gang, Teeny Tucker, Alexis P. Suter Band, James Armstrong, Terry "Harmonica" Bean, Jimmy "Duck" Holmes, Lonnie Shields, Eli Cook
- 2012 – Jesse Loewy[9]
References
- "Briggs Farm Blues Festival set for July 8–9 - News". Standard Speaker. 2011-06-11. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
- "Up against a wall". Timesleader.com. 2015-06-18. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
- "Briggs Farm Blues Festival / Nescopeck, PA / July 11–12". Elmore Magazine. 2014-07-21. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
- "Festival review: Briggs Farm Blues Fest a not to be missed summer destination". The Morning Call, Jodi Duckett, July 13, 2015.
- "13th annual Briggs Farm Blues Festival to be bigger, better - News". Standard Speaker. 2010-06-27. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
- "Briggs Farm hosts 14th annual Blues Festival this weekend in Nescopeck Twp". The Times-Tribune. 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2015-12-14.
- "Live Show Reviews: Briggs Farm Blues Festival". Elmore Magazine, July 20th, 2015
- "BRIGGS FARM BLUES FESTIVAL: ‘A LOT OF HAPPY PEOPLE’". Highway81 Revisited, Interview by Michael Lello July 3, 2013
- "Havertown teen Jesse Loewy feels the blues - Life". Delco News Network. 2012-09-14. Retrieved 2015-12-14.