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The 9th annual Houghton Lake Blues Festival is set for Friday and Saturday July 17th and 18th with acts coming in from all over the state and Chicago. The festival will be free to public this year, but donations at the door are appreciated. The festival takes place outside on the festival lawn behind the Houghton Lake Chamber of Commerce. Bring your lawn chair.
Festival times are Friday 6-10 p.m. with three band playing and a blues jam planned at the end of the night.
Saturday times are 3-10 p.m. with four groups performing including headliner and Blues Hall of Famer “Lil Ed”, who for almost 40 years has been delivering emotional and snarling boogie-blues to audiences around the world. Ed’s deep blues string bending along with his fervent vocals and slide guitar are backed and powered by The Blues Imperials’, a rock-solid, road-tested hard-hitting Chicago blues band.
Also joining the festival lineup this year is the legendary Jim McCarty the blues rock guitarist from Detroit, Michigan who played with Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, the Buddy Miles Express, Cactus, The Rockets, the Detroit Blues Band. Along with his band Mystery Train, Jim is bringing along a special guest, the singer harp player extraordinaire Calos Caballero. This will be hard blues rock ala Detroit at it very best.
Other attractions: Signed guitar raffle, food truck vendors, beverage tent.