2015, It's In The Books

What a year, 2015.  Here are some of our personal highlights:…

Fundraisers for beneficiaries we believe in, including the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention, Chris Leighton, the Firefighters of Eastern Washington, United By Music North America, SWOP (Sex Workers Outreach Project), Raven’s 15^th Annual Jam For Cans for Northwest Harvest, “Nick-a-Palooza”…

A memorable weekend with Maria Muldaur, the first evening with Her Red Hot Bluesiana Band and the second a multi-media retrospective “Way Past Midnight” where she did it all and gave the packed house a night none will forget…

Special Events like Chris Jones' & Ed’s Big Sexy Birthday Hoedown, Ridin’ with the King: a Musical Tribute to B.B. King, Mary St. Sin's Fried Chicken & Birthday Bash, Sex Worker Appreciation Day, Slide Monsters, A Tribute to Stevie Wonder & Motown, Bawdy Storytelling's "The Business of Pleasure”;  Burlesque by Lady Drew Blood, Maggie McMuffin, the Shanghai Pearl.  We presented shows at the Triple Door Theater, including Bobby Rush and a series of Sunday shows in their Musiquarium Lounge…

It has been a fun, exciting, interesting year by any measure.  Here's a partial list of who played here in twenty fifteen...

Acapulco Gold

Alice Stuart

Amanda Hardy Band

Andrew Norsworthy

Andy Stokes Band

Annie Eastwood

Ayron Jones & the Way

Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons

Ben Rice

Big Monti

Big Road Blues

Billy Stoops & the Dirty Angels

Bleed Together

Blues Rock Hudson

Brian Butler

Brian Kent

Brian Lee & the Orbiters

Brian Nova & Felonius Funk

Bruce Lavin

Bump Kitchen

Calvin Conway

Candye Kane

Carl Sonny Leyland

Carl Verheyen Band

CD Woodbury Band

Che Blaq

Chebon Tiger

Chris Eger Band

Chris Leighton

Chris Stevens

Chris Tussing

Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band

Country Dave Harmonson

Country Lips

Daniel Castro Band

Darrius Willrich

Dave Fleschner

David Raitt & the Baja Boogie Band

Dean Reichert

Dick Powell & Billy Stapleton

Dikki Du & the Zydeco Krewe

Dirty Rice

DK Stewart's Pocket Change

DoctorfunK

DreamWreck

Drummerboy's monthly series featured Tuck Foster, Little Bill, Jim King, Paul Green, Mark Riley, Billy Shew, Eric Rice, Leanne Trevalyan, Billy Stoops, John Kessler, Eric Robert, Norman Baker, Rece Jay Newton, Dan Berkery, Tim Shaughnessy, DreamWreck, Ben Smith, Brooke Lizotte, Jon Bayless...,

Dudley Taft  Band

Duffy Bishop

Duke Evers

Dwayne Darby

Emmanuel del Casal

Erin Rae Murray

EveryLeaf

Franco Paletta & the Stingers

Hank Shreve Band

Hard Money Saints

Heather Rayburn

Henry Cooper

Honkey Tonk Union

Hot Roddin' Romeos

Hot Wired Rhythm Band

Hunter & the Dirty Jacks

Jack Cook

Jack Geary & the Owl N' Thistle Band

Jack Rainwater

Jackrabbit Starts

James Howard Band

James King & the Southsiders

Jar of Flies

Jason Ricci & the Bad Kind

Jim McLaughlin

Jimmy Thackery & the Drivers

John "Scooch" Cugno & Mike Shea

John Bayless

John Hanford

John Hodgkin

John Nemeth

JP Hennessy

JP Soars & the Red Hots

Justin Kausal-Hayes

Karen Lovely Band

Ken DeRouchie Band

Kenneth Brian Band

Kevin Andrew Sutton & the Northwest All-Stars

Kevin Selfe & the Portland Blues All-Star Big Band Revue

Kim Field's Big Blues Revue w/ the Emerald City Horns, Ron Bailey & Mark Dalton;

Kurt Lindsay

LaTanya Horace

Liam o'Maonlai

Lisa Mann And Her Really Good Band

Lissa Ramaglia

Lloyd Jones Struggle

Lori Hardman

Mac Potts

Maria Muldaur

Mark DuFresne Band

Mia Vermillion & Friends

Michael Baxter

Midnight Rambler

Mike Marinig

Mississippi MacDonald

Mitch Pumpian

Modern Relics

Mojo Cannon

Moxie

Nancy Claire

Nathan James & the Rhythm Scratchers

Nearly Dan

Neil Brown

Nick Baker

Nick Vigarino's Meantown Blues

Northern Pacific

Patti Allen & Monster Road

Paul Green Blues Band

Payson

Polly O'Keary & the Rhythm Method

Rae Gordon

Rafael Tranquilino

Randy Oxford Band

Rashonn Johnson

Rick Bowen

Rick Estrin & the Nightcats

Ricky Lynn Johnson

RL Heyer

Robbie Laws Bigger Blues Band

Robin Moxey Band

Roger Fischer

Rose City Kings

Roseland Hunters

Ruby Dee & the Snakehandlers

Shawn Smith

Six Gun Romeo

Slim Jimmy

Smokin' Joe Kubek Band & Bnois King

Son Jack Jr.'s House of Bourbon w/ Michael Wilde & the Total Experience Gospel Choir;

Sourmash Stevedores

Stacy Jones Band

Stereo Embers

Steve Bailey & the Blue Flames

Studebaker John & the Hawks

Sugaray Rayford

Suze Sims

Terry Evans

The 24th Street Wailers

The Alkis

The Black Clouds Blues Band

The Charlatones

The Fabulous Roofshakers

The Forty Fours

The Funk E Fusion Band

The Guessing Game

The Highway 99 Spotlight Series featured Willy Straub, Polly O'Keary, Billy Hancock, Steve Sarkowsky, Dan Tyack, Miguel El Show, Jeff Russell, Brian Nova, Chris Eger, Patrick McDanel, Rod Cook, Scotty Harris, Tommy Wall, Marc Lagen, Dave Kennedy, Randy Norris, Ron Hendee;

The Poulsboys

The Scotch Tops

The Shaken Growlers

The Starjays

The Strange Tones

The Trailer Park Kings

The True Romans

The WIRED! Blues Band

The Yada Yada Blues Band

Tom V Jones

Tony Grasso

Too Slim & the Taildraggers

Whitney Monge

Xolie Mora & the Strange Kind

Happy Holidays!

37th Annual Blues Music Awards

From Ed: The 37th annual Blues Music Award nominees have been announced and once again the Pacific Northwest has been represented. Around the club we have always considered Seattle and Portland as one big backyard when it comes to international representation out of Memphis, (The International Blues Challenge, Blue Music Awards and The Keeping The Blues Alive Awards.) We'd like to congratulate all of the 37th annual Blues Music Award nominees. An extra special Northwest congratulations to Pacific Northwest nominees Jimi Bott, Lisa Mann, Karen Lovely and Mary Flower. Now if you don't have your Blues Foundation membership please follow the link below and check out all of the Blues Music Award nominees while you sign up!! 37th Annual Blues Music Awards

Peace & chicken grease

"It takes a village." During the holiday season, please consider doing what you can for others. Perhaps that means kicking a nickel to a cause you believe in, donating cans to a food drive, or volunteering your time somewhere. Participating as members of our community is essential to the goodness of any society. Whichever causes may speak to you... help. In the winter, it's natural to focus on food and water. Whether it's World Hunger Year, water.org, Northwest Harvest, or any other worthy organization doing good work for folks who need a little help, millions of good people need food and clean water to survive. Got an extra buck or two? Got a couple/few hours time on a Saturday morning? Whatever it is, we're all in position to do something for our fellow Brothers and Sisters of the world.

Happy Holidays and Moving Forward

From Steve: Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! We hope that all of our fans/artists/staff/friends are having a great holiday season and enjoying your time with friends and family. Since the news broke about our opportunity to extend our lease for another two years, the response from everyone has been heartwarming; to know that we have become a vital part of the city's music scene is very rewarding. We have heard from many of the artists that play the club and they are equally excited about our news. The Washington Blues Society (WBS) ran a nice photo and story about our "hanging around" in their monthly newsletter - the Bluesletter. As we prepare for the New Year, we are deep into planning some really great new things for the club; I don't want to do a "spoiler alert" but we are gonna knock some things around and make the club even better. So be on the look-out for that as we head into January. Since we did not get the news about the lease extension until a week or so ago; we were unable to book the first couple of weeks of January; so we figured this would be a good time to makes some changes, do some cleaning and get our house in order. Our plan right now is to be closed from January 1-12, 2016; and then re-open on January 13. I am putting the finishing touches on the booking for the balance of January and I think you'll like what you see. Plus, now that the agents across the country know we are back, many have been calling and looking for dates for some major talent to play the room. There is no question that we are excited about the future and the chance to keep the blues alive at Highway 99!! We will still have our challenges - and our neighborhood will apparently still be under construction. We appreciate all of you and the efforts you make to patronize the club. As always - keep in touch - come see us before the year is over - GET YOUR TICKETS FOR OUR NEW YEARS SHOW!! Are you kidding me? The 44's AND Kevin Selfe and his wicked pissa all -star band from Portland and Chebon Tiger and more..!!! This is going to be a grand evening and tickets are selling fast... Thanks for being there for us and supporting the club and the blues - and live music. Without you - this doesn't work - and we knew that our work was not quite done yet. Thanks.

Highway 99 Blues Club Announces Two-year Lease Extension, remains open for Business and Blues on Seattle Waterfront

SEATTLE, WA - November 13, 20015 -- Highway 99 Blues Club (www.highway99blues.com), an iconic music venue on Seattle's waterfront and eight-time recipient of the Washington Blues Society's "Best Blues Club" award, today announced that it has extended its lease by two years. Located in an historic 1909 brick building on Seattle's waterfront (1414 Alaskan Way), the club faced imminent closure at the end of 2015 due to planned rent increases, but club ownership and building management today signed a more tenable plan. Terms were not disclosed. Inspired by the juke joints of The South and neighborhood blues clubs of Chicago, Highway 99 has brought hundreds of local, national and international music acts to a 200-seat venue where performers and audience are only feet apart. It has become a favorite destination for musicians and audience members alike, making Blues and related genres more accessible and affordable than just about anywhere on the West Coast. The Club has also been noted for its Blues-inspired menu of Southern cuisine as well as a lively dance floor. Since it became known earlier this year that the venue would likely have to close because of significant rent increases, Club founder Steve Sarkowsky, operating partner Ed Maloney and their staff were "overwhelmed" by support from patrons, performers, and the broader Seattle community. Faced with the prospect of closing, Sarkowsky and Maloney visited dozens of other potential homes for Highway 99 Blues Club, but none matched the downtown location and vitality of its home for the past 11 years. "This is really a day to celebrate the continuation of a Seattle institution and for all of us at the Club to thank our friends, families and performers for their incredible support," Sarkowsky said. "As Seattle grows rapidly, it's more important than ever to retain places like this that can define a city's culture and character. We are committed to bringing Seattle and the Pacific Northwest access to the very best performers in the business and creating an onsite experience to match." For performers, the continuation of Highway 99 is also cause to celebrate: "I've played Seattle-area venues ranging from The Gorge to Key Arena, but Highway 99 is unique in bringing audiences and artists face-to-face, providing an entirely different and intimate experience; one that rarely exists anywhere today," said Carl Verheyen, widely regarded as one of the world's top guitarists and Supertramp's lead guitarist. "It's also uncommon to find a music club of any size where everyone from management down to wait staff truly loves music. My own band and I love playing there on our West Coast tours and couldn't be happier to know that Highway 99 will remain an important part of the region's music scene." Media Contact: Mark S. Peterson mark@pointerpr.com 206-390-0204 highway99blues.com Steve Sarkowsky, Founder, groupmbj@earthlink.net Ed Maloney, Proprietor, maloney.ed@gmail.com Highway 99 Blues Club, 206.382.2171

The Blues Is All Right at Bumbershoot

Disclosure Pre-ramble: in early 2012, the non-profit OneReel approached us about curating a “Blues Block” – working with their Program Director to facilitate the booking of a three-act segment on the Mural Ampitheatre stage at Bumbershoot. Within the confines of budget and consensus, we strove to present a block of music to showcase an exciting blend of local, regional and national talent combining the familiar with the hopefully soon to be familiar. In order of appearance, the 2012 Blues Block comprised the Ty Curtis Band, the Karen Lovely Band, and the Harmonica Houseparty starring Magic Dick & the Lee Oskar Orchestra; in 2013, it was Ayron Jones & the Way, Nikki Hill, and the Duke Robillard Band. While our arrangement with OneReel bore no mercenary interest for us, I felt it fair to lead with noting our (albeit limited) involvement in the festival. That out of the way, not a word of the piece below is influenced by what is disclosed above. OneReel’s Bumbershoot Festival is the annual consumer-friendly music, arts and culture event of record for the Pacific Northwest, perhaps the United States. With a reported attendance this year of 125,000 over three days and ticket purchasers from all 50 states plus 33 countries, it resides in the national rock & pop event conversation with Lollapalooza, Bonaroo, Austin City Limits, Sasquatch, and Coachella. The significant difference in programming is, while Bumbershoot’s music line-up alone stands next to the others, it also offers a well-rounded cultural palette of performing arts with deep content showcasing comedy, film, and in a given year anything from theater and art galleries to vaudeville and burlesque, flash mobs to literary readings, not to mention a knack for introducing audiences to tomorrow’s stars and a noticeably heavier hand for showcasing its homegrown local and regional talent. If there is less Blues than there used to be, that’s more indicative of the consumer landscape than the festival itself, which has always and continues to offer more of the genre than its competitors nationwide. For a price which registers at a fraction of what the other name-brand festivals across the land are charging, Bumbershoot gives the consumer a broader and more interesting presentation of music, arts and culture past, present and future – and more Blues – than any other rock & pop festival. Some have challenged Bumbershoot’s commitment to the Blues, and perhaps rightly so – but not so quick, as all things are relative to time and place. Admittedly, there used to be more Blues at the festival. There also used to be a whole lot more Blues in popular culture, on the radio and television. In the 70s, even as singer-songwriters commenced the decade while disco and punk closed it out, Blues-rock was filling stadiums and hanging in the Billboard Hot 100 throughout with Zeppelin, ZZ Top, the J. Geils Band, Clapton, the Allman Brothers, and the like. In the 80s, it was full-on mainstream via the height of commercial AOR (album-oriented rock) radio and MTV, helping to usher in the careers of Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Robert Cray, George Thorogood & the Destroyers, to name a few. Blues and its related family of genres was pop in the 70s and 80s, or at least a consistent resident of the Top 40, prominent magazine covers and such. Blues-as-mainstream began to taper off in the 90s, but not without the career renaissance of Buddy Guy and B.B. King, the introduction of Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and significant arcs in the careers of artists like John Hiatt and Bonnie Raitt. That’s why we saw more of it on the mainstream rock & pop festivals back then. The general public was consuming more of it. The one consistent piece to this examination is, Bumbershoot has been doing more of it than its competitors at every turn. In the 70s, while the other rock & pop festivals were programming music only and headlining Styx, REO Speedwagon, Ted Nugent, and Journey, Bumbershoot was rolling with the pop acts of the day but also with Willie Dixon, Etta James, and local heroes the Amazing Rhythm Aces, offering programming highlights by computer via touchtone phone starting in ’75, and adding extra elements like the Alternative Theater Festival, the OneReel Vaudeville Show, the San Francisco Mime Troupe, literary presentations, film workshops, dance and opera to its programming. When Live Aid ’85 gave us only George Thorogood, who used his mid-afternoon time slot well by having the otherwise-uninvited Bo Diddley and Albert Collins sit in, and a rough-sounding reunited Zeppelin with Phil Collins on drums, Bumbershoot gave us Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray, and Wilson Pickett. The US Festivals in ’82 and ’83 only came as close as Dave Edmunds one year and Los Lobos the next, while Bumbershoot gave us Thorogood, Bob Willis & the Texas Playboys, Tina Turner, and Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown – not to mention, Firesign Theatre and Henny Youngman on the comedy stage. Dollars for donuts in the 21st Century, it doesn’t get better than Bumbershoot. Using one example (all the other biggies fall in), Coachella’s advance pre-sale for 2014 was $349 for general admission to the three-day music festival, or $799 for VIP, plus $60 for a shuttle pass to get and from the parking lot, $150 for VIP parking, $85 for camping and a host of other options including fancy tents and tee pees ranging from $2200-6500. Even the base price is so lofty, it comes with a down payment and installment plan option – this is true, not a figure of speech. The pre-sale sold-out in early September and the line-up won’t be announced until sometime next year. The 2013 line-up was mostly an oldies & indie rock bill, arguably as strong and interesting as Bumbershoot’s music line-up but inarguably not as well-rounded and decidedly three times the price. The only Blues-friendly artist I noticed on Coachella’s lineup was the amazing Vintage Trouble, which also played Bumbershoot along with Eric Burdon & the Animals, the Duke Robillard Band, Nikki Hill, Ayron Jones & the Way, and Vicci Martinez. And that was just one day at the Mural stage. The numbers and Blues-friendliness are the same and similar for Sasquatch, Lollapalooza, Bonaroo, Austin City Limits, et al. Comparatively, Bumbershoot’s 2013 advance pre-sale was $45/day or $115 for all three days. Perusing the price points and respectively awesome artist line-ups at the other major rock & pop festivals, Bumbershoot runs the table by offering more value as it consistently produces a more interesting and exciting bill of entertainment and experience for a decidedly lower, accessible price. And more Blues. Ayron Jones (photo courtesy of Nate Hultman):

Duke Robillard (photo by us):

Nikki Hill (Matt Hill on guitar, photo by us):