Blues on the Fox festival returning to Aurora in June

By Eric Schelkopf

Following a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic, the Blues on the Fox festival will return to Aurora in June with a stellar lineup that includes Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy. 

Although Chicago is known as the blues capital of the world, Aurora has also contributed significantly to the history of blues music. In 1937 and 1938, Sonny Boy Williamson, Henry Townsend and other notable Bluebird artists made recordings at the Leland Hotel in downtown Aurora.

The festival will take place June 17 and June 18 at Thomas J. Weisner RiverEdge Park, 360 N. Broadway, (Route 25), Aurora. Chicago’s own Shemekia Copeland will perform the first night of the festival followed by headliner Kenny Wayne Shepherd. 

In addition to Guy, other Chicago musicians will take the stage during the second day of the festival, including Billy Branch and Melody Angel. Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers also will perform that day.

Tickets are $15 per day through May 31; $25 per day starting June 1 and on-site. All tickets are general admission. Fees not included. For tickets and information, visit riveredgeaurora.com, call (630) 896-6666, or stop by RiverEdge’s satellite box office, Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd., Aurora, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday–Saturday.

Coinciding with this year’s Blues on the Fox Festival, the city of Aurora will host the grand opening of its new Wilder Park Promenade with a free event, Party on the Promenade, from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. June 18. Wilder Park is located on the west side of the Fox River at 350 N. River St.

Admission is free. Food and beer trucks will be lined up along Wilder Park’s newly paved promenade, serving up a variety of festival fare including barbecue, burgers, brats, pizza, ice cream and more. Live music will play between sets across the river at RiverEdge Park and there will be activities for kids.

The band HOSS brings holiday cheer to Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora while collecting toys for Hesed House

Joined by the Pawnshop Horns, Pete Lindenmeyer and his band HOSS performed at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora on Dec. 4 as part of the band's annual Hossmas holiday show and toy drive to benefit Hesed House homeless shelter in Aurora. The event did not take place last year because of the pandemic.

Santa HOSS, played by Wolfgang Holzl, brought plenty of holiday cheer to the festivities.

Fox Valley musicians Noah Gabriel and Ryan Carney provide night of memorable music

By ERIC SCHELKOPF 

Local musicians Noah Gabriel and Ryan Carney provided a night of many memorable moments during their Nov. 12 show at Brother Chimp Brewing in North Aurora. Gabriel is a singer-songwriter who writes honest, heartfelt songs. And Carney and his cello helped to wrap his songs in another emotional layer. That was most evident on songs like "Powder Blue," which Carney helped send into the atmosphere with his riveting finger work. Gabriel and Carney also provided innovative versions of songs like "Black Hole Sun" and "All Along the Watchtower." Let's hope we will see more collaborations between the two, both on stage and in the studio.

With a little help from my friends – fellow musicians pay tribute to the late musician Michael Heaton

 

 

Dave Sills performs on Aug. 29 at the Peg Bond Center in Batavia as part of a tribute concert to the late musician Michael Heaton. 

 

 

 

 

 

A few of Michael Heaton's musician friends performed Aug. 29 at the Peg Bond Center in Batavia as part of a tribute concert to the late musician. The concert capped a fundraising effort by family, friends and fans to create a permanent plaque at the Peg Bond Center that will highlight Heaton's life, music and philanthropy, as well as create a Michael Heaton musical scholarship, which will be awarded annually to a local student. 

The scholarship will provide the student with a new guitar and a year of guitar and songwriting lessons. Rick Cremer of North Aurora-based Cremer Guitarworks is supplying the guitars, and Jeff Matters of Music Matters School of Music in Batavia is providing the lessons. The scholarship will be managed by the Batavia Foundation for Educational Excellence.