Coast to coast blues at CSULB

The Long Beach Blues Festival, presented by KLON (FM 88.1) will take place Saturday Sept. 9 and Sunday Sept. 10 at the University Athletic Field at Cal State University Long Beach. The gates will open for the festival at 9 am. and performances will begin at 10 a.m.

Many of the attractions at this year's blues festival will feature many different blues artists from the United States.

"The overall theme is 'blues from coast to coast", said Chuck Drinkworth, media coordinator for the Long Beach Blues Festival. "There will be an array of different styles of blues generated from across the United States, including New Orleans, Memphis, New York, Los Angeles and Texas."

Guitarist Buddy Guy, who opened for the Rolling Stones last October, will headline the show on Saturday, which will also feature performances by singer and pianist Charles Brown and keyboard player Dr. John.

Highlights for Sunday's performances will include Mavis Staples, the Memphis Horns, Booker T and the MGs, who recently served as the back up band for Neil Young, and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, featuring Orange County native Kid Ramos as the new lead guitarist for the group.

Food ranging from hamburgers to spicy Jamaican Jerk Chicken will be sold, but the main attraction of the festival will be the music, Drinkworth said.

The festival is in its 16th year as Southern California's largest and longest running blues festival. Twenty thousand people are expected to attend the event. "It's good music and just a really good time," Drinkworth said.

Discount tickets, available to students and faculty, may be purchased at the University Student Union through Friday, Sept. 8 for $20. General admission is $28 at the door. Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster.