From Blues Fest to Beale Street! 

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. 

This spring, the Cascade Blues Association will host the semi-finals for the Journey to Memphis Competition across two nights. Twelve acts will perform 20-minute sets each night, competing in front of a panel of three judges. Finalists will move on to the championship round, held aboard the Cruisin’ to Memphis Blues Cruise at the Waterfront Blues Festival on July 3. Visit the Cascade Blues Association for more information.

During the cruise, two separate competitions will take place: on the lower Columbia Deck, two bands will face off, while on the upper Starlight Deck, two solo/duo acoustic acts will compete. The winners from each category will be named the Cascade Blues Association and regional representatives at the 2025 International Blues Challenge in January.

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 2025, Nikki Jones Band and Lilla represented the PNW at the competition.

The Journey to Memphis finals will take place on the Cruisin’ to Memphis Blues Cruise on Friday, July 3. The lineup will be released soon!