Shemekia Copeland - photo by Amy Brat

Two of my best girlfriends are going to be in the same place tonight!  Granted, for many of us it’s a little too far to drive home from late at night, but still…  Mavis Staples and Shemekia Copeland will be performing tonight (Friday) at 8 at Northern Lights Theater at Patowatomi Casino in Milwaukee. As far as I can tell tickets are still available and go for as little as $25. (Please, check them out online or give a call to confirm.)

Shemekia will be joining us as co-host of our Blues Breakers Blues Fest Broadcast from Legends on the 7th of June. See more about that HERE. Mavis is going to be real busy this season as she’ll be on the Bonnie Raitt tour soon (though not in Chicago) but she’ll be back in our town to headline the Chicago Blues Festival on Sunday, June 10. (See complete Blues Fest schedule HERE.)

Mavis Staples

Meanwhile, here’s a few ideas closer to home, all good performers, all good clubs.

The Kinsey Report did one of the best shows I’ve seen recently last weekend at Kingston Mines. They’re back this weekend. Playing Legends tonight. Muddy Water’s son Big Bill Morganfield will be at Legends tomorrow.

Billy Branch and the Sons of the Blues play real blues at a real blues club both tonight and Saturday at Rosa’s.

Toronzo Cannon has a real good new album out, Leavin’ Time, on Delmark Records that’s been getting a lot of good reviews recently. He can often be found North at B.L.U.E.S. or South at Lee’s Unleaded Blues but this weekend he’ll be West at The Harlem Avenue Lounge in Berwyn on Saturday night.
Right after the Derby Dash at Hawthorne Park and a visit to your favorite record store tomorrow, go out and see some live Blues this weekend.

More from Tom Marker.

Visit the Blues Breakers page.