Presented by Cascade Blues Association
From Blues Fest to Beale Street!
Have you ever wanted to play at the Blues Fest? Does your favorite local blues band deserve a spot in the bright lights? Since 1999, the Cascade Blues Association has been hosting a contest, Journey to Memphis, to send local acts to represent our region at The Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN. Applications will open soon, with the semi-finals hosted in June and the finals hosted on July 4 on the Front Porch Stage. And if winning isn’t exciting enough, the Waterfront Blues Festival always commits to booking the Journey to Memphis winning acts to play on the main stages at the following year’s festival. Visit the Cascade Blues Association for more information and details on how to apply.
Past Cascade Blues Association acts have fared well in Memphis: Karen Lovely and Ty Curtis were second-place finishers; Rae Gordon finished third; Ben Rice Band made it to the IBC finals, while Ben won the coveted ‘Albert King’ award for best guitar; and Ben Rice & Lucy Hammond made it to the finals as a duo. In 2023, TJ Wong Duo and Kivett Bednar Band represented the PNW at the competition.
The schedule for this year’s Journey to Memphis Finals is:
- 11:35am -12pm: Nikki Jones
- 1210-12:35pm: Jason Thomas
- 12:45-1:10pm: Dave Fleschner
- 1:20-1:45pm: Beacon Street Titans
