Lodging:If you're thinking about a motel, you need to book now and tell them that you are coming in for the blues fest, just in case we are blocking a room that they are not telling you about. You can even camp right at the fest grounds! Complete area lodging and camping information is available on
our website. We hope to see you at the Fest!
Tickets:You can order tickets
online or over the phone toll-free at
1-888-567-1567 . The handling and processing cost is lower through our
online shopping cart vs. by telephone. Tickets in advance are $25 for one day and $40 for both days. Advance pricing is good through July 14, 2012.
Venue and Directions:The Festival is held on historic St. Feriole Island, right on the Mississippi River.
Click here for detailed information on how to get to the Prairie Dog Blues Festival via automobile.
Information:For additional information about accomodations or about the city of Prairie du Chien call
1-800-732-1673 or visit
prairieduchien.org
Friday, July 27th, 2012
Gerome Durham & The All-Star Band5:00pm
Gerome has paid his dues working Delta cotton, Carolina tobacco and factory work in Jackson and Milwaukee. In 1965, Gerome moved to Milwaukee. He later met Johnny Rawls who took him under his wing and launched his music career.
This ain’t no rock ‘n roll, blues-rock, or any such stuff. He’s all about “the blues”, the “whole blues” and nothin’ but “the blues”. If you like Delta-gone-north, urban-based, electric, soulful, charismatic vocal “real” blues, the you’re gonna love Gerome Durham.
Trampled Under Foot7:00pm
Siblings Danielle, Kris and Nick Schnebelen grew up with the Blues. Their parents, Bob and Lisa, were active in the thriving Kansas City Blues scene, playing in local bands and competing in the Kansas City Blues Challenge. Bob and Lisa’s band didn’t make it to the International Blues Challenge in Memphis — but their kids did. When TUF arrived in Memphis for the 2008 IBC they were followed by huge, wildly enthusiastic throngs of hometown supporters, eager to cheer for their favorite musical family. And when TUF took First Place in the competition and Nick won the Albert King guitarist award, it was a sweet victory for the Schnebelen family and for Kansas City itself. TUF has been on a roll ever since, becoming one of the most sought after blues bands at clubs, festivals and cruises around the world. Trampled Under Foot’s brand new CD, Wrong Side of the Blues was produced by Tony Braunagel, and features guest appearances by Mike Finnigan and Kim Wilson.
Indigenous9:00pm
Mato Naji, the guitarist, singer, and songwriter of Indigenous. formed the band with his two brothers and sister back in the late ‘90s. They released their much-talked about debut, Things We Do, in 1998. While the band’s growing electric blues was totally legit and truly exciting, the little family band from the Nakota Tribe of South Dakota never expected the incredible, widespread reception they got from the blues and rock communities. “It was really surprising,” says Mato, of the siblings’ success. “We never anticipated the band going national so soon.” But so it did, and over the course of five years, Indigenous rode a wave of promise and acceptance they never dreamed of.
Then, after two more studio albums and a live set, Indigenous unexpectedly broke up. Today, Mato, along with his brother Pte are forging a new path for Indigenous. The new Indigenous album, Chasing the Sun, finds Mato expressing himself as never before.
Although known for his fiery guitar play, Mato has spent the last few years focusing on his vocals which have elevated this album on all fronts. When not performing with Indigenous, Mato is out touring with the Jimmy Hendrix Experience.
Rick Estrin & The Nightcats11:00pm 
For more than 30 years and nine albums, Rick Estrin fronted the jumping, swinging Little Charlie & The Nightcats, featuring guitarist Little Charlie Baty. With Baty’s recent retirement from touring, Estrin – along with the Nightcats’ longtime rhythm section of J. Hansen and Lorenzo Farrell and a new member, fiery guitarist Kid Andersen – takes the lead on his own.
Rick Estrin ranks among the very best harp players, singers and songwriters in the blues world today. His work on the reeds is deep in the tradition of harmonica masters Sonny Boy Williamson II and Little Walter Jacobs, while at the same time pushing that tradition forward.
Estrin won the 1993 Blues Music Award for his composition “My Next Ex-Wife” and has written songs for a growing legion of famous fans. Three of his songs found their way onto Grammy-nominated albums.
Besides Estrin’s songwriting and musical skills, he is among the most entertaining and colorful showmen around. His quick wit and his signature look – coifed hair, pencil-thin mustache and sharp attire – add even more color to his performances. “People don’t go out to see people who look like themselves,” says Rick. “They want to see something special. I was schooled in this business to be a showman, and that’s what you get when you come to see me perform.”
Matthew Curry & The FuryUnder the Tent
Matthew Curry & The Fury deliver energized blues along with great show. Matthew, at 16 and already a veteran performer, is astonishing audiences with his lead guitar playing, original songs, and soulful voice. Matthew Curry is backed by The Fury, pro players including Greg Neville, (drums) and Jeff Paxton (bass). Horns and back-up singers add to their solid sound. Their debut CD, “If I Don’t Got You”, was released to rave reviews in October, 2011. Quickly receiving wide acclaim, Matthew Curry & The Fury were recently featured as an Emerging Artist on the House of Blues Radio Hour.
Saturday, July 28th, 2012
Alex Wilson Band12:00pm
Alex picked up the guitar at five years old and never put it down and is running with one of the toughest bands on the scene today. A versatile musician, Alex effortlessly switches between genres. He plays everything from sweet Beale Street blues to West coast swing. From hard Texas grinders to stone cold Chicago grooves with a feeling that's said to be timeless. Alex's style and tasty originals matched with his undeniable stage presence and unmistakable guitar style will drive you to the dance floor. To say that Alex Wilson is one to look out for down the road is an understatement. Taking the Midwest by storm, this young musician is a force to be reckoned with.
Harper & Midwest Kind2:00pm
English born, but raised in Perth, Australia, Harper is a fiery singer-songwriter who blurs the lines between blues, soul, rock and world music. By combining traditional and modern influences and borrowing from Western and Aboriginal music, Harper has created a highly original, take-on-the-roots genre which many have labeled “World Blues”. His innovative use of electronic enhancement and feedback, breaks the traditional boundaries of the harmonica, giving his music its distinctive harmonies and effects. The powerful guitar sounds and the unique drone of the didgeridoo create raw yet eerie sonic textures, somehow sounding primal and contemporary at the same time.
With a home at a U.S. label and a growing appreciation for his music from American audiences, Harper made the permanent move to the U.S. His animated shows have been well received at blues world music and jazz band festivals around the world. He has toured with Canned Heat, Steppenwolf, George Thorogood and has been invited several times on stage to play harmonica with Journey. Harpers’ latest release hit number 10 on the Billboard Charts and the U.S. Roots Music Charts. “Stand Together” also reached #2 on the XM/Sirius Bluesville Charts.
Tweed Funk4:00pm
Formed in late 2010, Tweed Funk has quickly gained recognition nationally with the release of their debut CD, “Bringin’ It”, which spent 18 weeks on the RMR Blues Internet Charts. The band brings an edge to the music of their forefathers by wrapping together blues, funk, and soul in show-band style. The band also represented Wisconsin’s Grafton Blues Association in the 2012 International Blues Challenge.
Shemekia Copeland6:00pm
At a young age, Shemekia Copeland is already a force to be reckoned with in the blues. Born in Harlem, New York in 1979 and still in her 20s, she's opened for the Rolling Stones, headlined at the Chicago Blues Festival and numerous festivals around the world, scored critics’ choice awards on both sides of the Atlantic (The New York Times and The Times of London) and shared the stage with such luminaries as Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Taj Mahal and John Mayer.
At only 19, Shemekia released her debut recording, Turn the Heat Up!, and the critics raved. A year later, she appeared in the Motion Picture Three To Tango, while her song "I Always Get My Man," was featured in the film Broken Hearts Club. Copeland went on the produce three more albums and the awards and accolades piled up (Song of the Year, Blues Album of the Year, Contemporary Female Artist of the Year) and a GRAMMY nomination.
“I’ve had success in my career, and I’m happy with that” she says. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to continue to grow. In order for an artist to grow – and for a genre to grow – you have to do new things. I want to be innovative with the blues.”
The Steepwater Band8:00pm
Although The Steepwater Band got their start as devotees of delta blues, they have since been expanding on their influences taking on everything from psychedelia to Americana, and of course, rock and roll music. Formed in Chicago in 1998, the band’s signature sound is at once a nod to earlier rock n’ blues combined with a raw and gutsy musical approach. Band members Jeff Massey (vocals & guitar), Tod Bowers (bass) and Joe Winters (drums) have a synergy that comes from years of playing together.
The band’s infectious energy is equally evident in their live performances, as critics and fans hail their shows as forceful and intoxicating. It is their humble devotion to music, and a commitment to achieving their musical goals without compromising the integrity of their musical vision that make The Steepwater Band such a refreshing find.
TSB has maintained a grueling schedule throughout the last 10 years, averaging about 125 shows per year. They have toured and shared the stage with acts such as Gov't Mule, Buddy Guy, Wilco, Taj Mahal, Marc Ford, ZZ Top, T-Model Ford, North Mississippi All Stars, Leon Russell, Drive-By Truckers, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Cheap Trick, Bad Company and Heart.
JJ Grey & Mofro10:00pm
Growing up in the swamplands of northern Florida, down home roots, rock and soul artist JJ Grey became a realist early on. “You fall in love with a pig,” he says, “and then one day your granddad knocks it in the head and bleeds it for butchering. You tend to grow up with a certain amount of realism in your life.”
JJ Grey and his band Mofro exude rocking, funky, melodic, front porch realism in every song they play. Grey comes from a long tradition of Southern storytellers, and his songs oftentimes use the loss of his natural surroundings and the marginalization of the Southern culture he grew up in as a metaphor for universal truths. The band delivers his material with brilliant musicianship, resulting in music that is thought provoking rhythmically dynamic and mesmerizing.
Grey’s ear for detail inhabits his songs, whether it is a story passed down to him from his grandmother or the tribulations of a childhood friend. His voice delivers them with an unflinching strength that paints a vivid portrait of an exact time or place with words and music. Like his songs, his rich, soulful vocals are forceful and commanding, seemingly old beyond his years. And the music, from smoldering soul ballads to gospel-fried funk to straight ahead rock ‘n’ roll, brings it all home with danceable grooves and a melodic freshness that will stay with you long after their performance.
In 2001, a National Public Radio feature brought JJ’s music to more people than ever before. Doors at press, radio and venues opened across the country. JJ Grey & Mofro performed at Bonnaroo, opened for Widespread Panic, Ben Harper, Galactic, B.B. King and Jeff Beck. Word of their live show spread quickly, and bookings at festivals and concerts around the world increased, including jaw-dropping shows at The Austin City Limits Festival and The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Terry Quiett BandUnder the Tent
“…one of the hottest power-trio outfits on the scene today. They successfully mix the blues of the Delta with the psychedelia of the Sixties…”
From 6th Street to Austin to Beale Street in Memphis, they’ve mesmerized audiences with their original and contemporary blues-soaked sound. They’ve also paid their share of dues traveling the Rocky Mountains of Denver, the blue grass of Kentucky, and every state in between, winning fans and expanding their core grassroots audience with each performance. Along the way the Terry Quiett Band has shared the stage with international guitar legends including Jonny Lang, Robert Cray, 38 Special, the Doobie Brothers, Edgar Winter, Kenny Wayne Shephard, Walter Trout, Robin Trower, Tab Benoit, Robert Randolph and Devon Allman as well as numerous talented regional artists.
