Silver Spring Blues Festival - Highlights & Thank You

Dear Friends & Neighbors:

I am pleased to report that the 5th Annual Silver Spring Blues Festival at Downtown Silver Spring was a wonderful success, thanks to you! The Father’s Day weekend weather was perfect, all of the musicians were truly excellent, and the audience seemed to really, really, really enjoy the free performances at the Fenton Street Market and at the Fountain in Downtown Silver Spring.

Check out these Silver Spring Blues Festival Highlights

Learn the “Wang Dang Doodle” from Stacy Brooks at the Market Stage http://youtu.be/DrCexJyMN3E

“You Can Leave Your Hat On” by the Ursula Ricks Project - At the Fountain Stage - A Video By Chip Pye   http://youtu.be/HxL38DODqGs

Guitar Legend Bobby Parker – “You Better Watch Your Step” - A Video by Chip Pye http://youtu.be/XC8taeZDmJM

Silver Spring Blues Festival on YouTube (new!)  (Most Festival Performances) http://www.youtube.com/SilverSpringBlues

Slide Show of Festival Photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/avatar1/sets/72157634147705599/show/

Festival Photography by Raymond Fudge http://www.flickr.com/photos/avatar1/sets/72157634147705599/

Like our Facebook Page! https://www.facebook.com/SSBluesFest

As the Silver Spring Blues Festival’s Executive Producer, I wanted to publicly thank those of you who attended throughout the Festival day and those who have supported us year after year —this Annual Festival is for Silver Spring, and we couldn’t do it without you.

Thanks to our many wonderful musicians:  Warner Williams & Joyce Ettingoff, Swampcandy, Gina DeSimone & the Moaners, Roaddog, Fast Eddie & the Slowpokes, Archie Edwards Blues Ensemble, Gina DeLuca, Stacy Brooks, MSG-the Acoustic Blues Trio, Blue Panamuse, School of Rock, Bushmaster featuring Gary Brown, Bad Influence Band, Skyla Burrell Blues Band, the Ursula Ricks Project, and our headliner Guitar Legend Bobby Parker Blues Band.

Thanks to our Sponsors:  First and foremost, we need to thank Laurie Yankowski and the staff of the Peterson Companies/Downtown Silver Spring.  They have been the Festival’s principal sponsor since its inception in 2009.  Working with them for these five years as a partner has been a pleasure.  Thanks also to United Therapeutics (a new sponsor!), Monument Bank, Home Properties, Quinter Design (a new sponsor!), Montgomery County Government, WPFW-FM, Courtyard by Marriott, Montgomery Community Media, the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation, Prudential Foundation, Atomic Music, McGinty’s Public House, Montgomery College, Meditation Museum, Shake Shake, Pacci’s, Adega Wine Cellars & Café, Olazzo’s, Nando’s Peri-Peri, Society Lounge, and El Golfo Restaurant.  Our Festival is “free” because of the generous support of these organizations.

Thanks to Ms. Ida “Don’t Forget the Blues” Campbell of WPFW-FM 89.3, who returned for her 5th year as emcee of the Silver Spring Blues Festival.  Ida also serves as host the Festival’s cable TV program, produced by Montgomery Community Media (MCM). This year, she shared some of her hosting responsibilities with Mr. Tony Colter, the on-air host of Sirius/XM Radio’s “B.B. King’s Bluesville!” Thank you, Tony.

Thanks to our elected officials—Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett, County Councilmembers George Leventhal and Marc Elrich, and Maryland State Senator Jamie Raskin for their support of the Festival.

Very special thanks to Jazs, the Festival’s co-Executive Producer, who has been the heart & soul of the Festival since the beginning.  Her unrivalled experience with community festivals, blues & roots music, and media has been key to the success of the Silver Spring Blues Festival.  Thanks also to Lisa Martin, Executive Director of Silver Spring Town Center, Inc., the SSTCi Board of Directors, Lance Toomer of PierrePages.com, and Megan Moriarity, owner and director of the Fenton Street Market for their essential support.  Many thanks to Willie Leebel of the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation for producing the acoustic blues music on the Fenton Market Stage for the second year.

Thanks to Montgomery Community Media (www.mymcmedia.org) who videotapes the entire Festival for re-broadcast on the County’s cable TV stations.  MCM programming can be seen on channels 19 and 21 on RCN, Verizon and Comcast cable systems.   Thanks also to our photographers Raymond Fudge, Chip Pye, Andrea Schran, and Ron Weinstock whose work can be viewed on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/groups/silverspringblues2013/

The Festival is a project of the Silver Spring Town Center, Inc., our community-based non-profit organization which provides dynamic arts, entertainment & educational programming for the Silver Spring Civic Building & Veterans Plaza.   www.silverspringtowncenter.com

For more Silver Spring Blues Festival information, visit the Festival website at www.silverspringblues.com, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SSBluesFest,  

Thank you!

Alan Bowser