The 23rd annual Blues From The Top officially kicked off Friday, June 27, at the Rendezvous Event Center in Winter Park, Colorado. At a little over 9,000 feet in elevation, the air was thin, and the cooler temperatures brought a welcome relief from the summer heat. For many first-timers, the festival is a hidden gem in the summer blues rock circuit. For artists and the multitude of repeat fans, this is a premier event. Since its inception in 2003, it has been a spawning ground for young and up-and-coming blues artists. Joe Bonamassa, Samantha Fish, and Danielle Nicole are just a few who were featured early in their careers in this beautiful mountain setting within eyesight of the Continental Divide.
I’ve been coming here annually since my first visit in 2017. The lineup, the venue, and the town itself continually impress. It was all made possible by a single visionary, John Catt. Catt founded the Grand County Blues Society in 2002 and, under his leadership, the society presented and produced multiple shows and festivals, including Blues From The Top.
John also founded Blue Star Connection in 2007, an incredible nonprofit that provides musical instruments to children with serious illnesses. Blue Star has reached thousands, mostly children, by donating instruments and gear to hospitals and mental health programs. Another Catt initiative, the Check Out the Music program, applies a public library concept to musical instruments and gear, focusing on kids and teens who cannot afford to buy them. Artists also support these programs by signing donated guitars that are auctioned during the three-day event. Sadly, the blues community lost a great champion when Catt passed away in 2017. His legacy lives on through this incredible event.
Joe Bonamassa’s Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation also has a presence here, funding the Kids Stage, a smaller, temporary stage set up for talented young artists as young as eight and as old as nineteen. They perform between acts on the main stage for 20 to 30 minutes and are truly inspiring for anyone wondering about the future of “our music.” Though the three-day general admission pass is relatively affordable by today’s festival standards, it’s heartwarming to know that some of the proceeds support these worthy causes.
The festival routinely features a mix of rising stars and established legends. Little Feat, JJ Grey and Mofro, Sonny Landreth, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds were joined this year by Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, The Record Company, Southern Avenue, and Joanne Shaw Taylor. The 2025 lineup added a Cajun flavor with Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers and Honey Island Swamp Band to spice up this year’s experience. There are also after-hours shows around town and a pre-festival Thursday evening free concert for early arriving fans. 2024 International Blues Challenge winner Joe Waters played the Thursday show, and Tyron Benoit, Tab’s accordion-wielding brother, performed at a local venue Saturday night.
Slide guitar maestro Sonny Landreth officially got things underway early Friday evening. Known for his innovative technique, often fretting notes behind the slide, Landreth and his band, featuring Dave Ranson on bass (with Sonny for 50 years!) and Brian Brignac on drums, were in the zone during a set filled with howling notes and psychedelic riffs. Highlights included Son House’s “Walkin’ Blues,” originals like “South of I-10” and “Firebird Blues,” and one of my personal favorites, “Congo Square.”
As the sun dipped behind the snow-capped peaks, JJ Grey and Mofro took the stage. Mofro is the moniker Grey uses for both his band and musical style. I’d describe it as Florida Southern Swampy Blues Rock with a dash of funk and soul. Whatever you call it, the music echoing off the mountainsides enchanted the crowd into a natural high that had nothing to do with elevation. “Olustee,” the title track from last year’s album, fan favorites like “Orange Blossoms,” “Lochloosa,” and “The Sun Is Shining Down,” and a stunning cover of “Seminole Wind” made for a magical night. As the crowd dispersed, the promise of two more days of blues bliss lay ahead.
Saturday began with a challenge. One of the longest lines I’ve seen here stretched down Main Street before the 10 a.m. gate opening. By the time we got in, Vince Converse and Big Brother had already started their set. Winners of the 2023 and 2024 Colorado Blues Society competition, they delivered an hour of gritty, guitar-driven blues with a funky twist. “Paso De Sol” and “Mean Little Woman” stood out as tracks to revisit later.
Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers were delayed by the infamous I-70 traffic, giving Vince Converse and Big Brother a little more time onstage. But when Dopsie and crew finally arrived, wow! Their vibrant, energetic Louisiana Zydeco filled the venue. Led by accordion virtuoso Dwayne Dopsie, son of the legendary Rockin’ Dopsie, the band had thousands of toes tapping. In between songs, Dopsie took a selfie with the crowd for his Instagram and shared that his greatest moment in life was joining The Rolling Stones onstage at the New Orleans Jazz Festival. They then launched into a cover of “Beast of Burden,” followed by “Boom Boom” and Jimmy Reed’s “Baby What You Want Me to Do.”
Joanne Shaw Taylor, another artist with early ties to Blues From The Top, made her third appearance, her first in over a decade. She paid tribute to John Catt before launching into a fierce, guitar-driven set. Having seen her more than ten times since 2018, I can say her performances always deliver amazing guitar work, an infectious smile, and signature hair flips. Her set pulled from a deep catalog, with standouts like “All My Love,” “Dyin’ to Know,” “Watch ‘Em Burn,” and “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long.”
The Record Company followed, opening with “In the Mood for You” from their Grammy-nominated album Give It Back to You. Chris Vos (vocals and guitar), Alex Stiff (bass and guitar), and Marc Cazorla (drums) featured songs like “Hard Day Coming Down,” “On the Move,” “Rita Mae Young,” and “Off the Ground.” But when Vos and Stiff went acoustic for “Gotta Be Movin’” and “Talk to Me” from The 4th Album, the performance felt especially intimate. They closed with a roaring version of The Kinks’ “All Day and All of the Night,” setting the stage perfectly for the evening’s final act.
Little Feat, a band that has been around since 1969 with various lineup changes and a hiatus between 1979 and 1987, brought a genre-blending set of rock, blues, R&B, boogie, country, and New Orleans flavor. They previewed their latest album Strike Up The Band with the humorous “Too High to Cut My Hair.” Their set was a nostalgic journey with classics like “Fat Man in the Bathtub,” “Time Loves a Hero,” “Willin’,” “Spanish Moon,” and “Dixie Chicken,” ending a phenomenal day of music.
Sunday morning felt like a hangover, whether musical or otherwise. The early crowd was much smaller, but that changed once the Honey Island Swamp Band hit the stage at 11 a.m. The New Orleans group brought their Cajun mix of R&B, funk, rock, blues, and country to life with “Prodigal Son.” Frontman Aaron Wilkinson sensed the crowd’s sluggish energy and encouraged everyone to get moving. A blazing harmonica solo on “Sugar for Sugar” helped get things going, and by the time they hit Pink Floyd’s “Dirty Woman,” the party was back in full swing.
The timing was perfect for Kim Wilson and The Fabulous Thunderbirds to take the stage. Formed in 1974, the band has had many lineup changes, but Wilson has always remained at the helm. Bonamassa has called him one of the best harmonica players alive, and he proved it early in the set. Their latest album, Struck Down, is nominated for two 2025 Grammys. After a fiery performance of “Wrap It Up,” the band delivered crowd-pleasing covers including “Baby, Scratch My Back,” “My Babe,” “Rock This Place,” and “Sugar Coated Love,” before closing with an extended, electrifying “Tuff Enuff,” highlighted by guitarist Johnny Moeller’s scorching solos.
Southern Avenue, named after a street in Memphis, first played Blues From The Top in 2018 and quickly became fan favorites. While guitarist Ori Naftaly founded the band, its heart is the trio of sisters, Tierinii (vocals), Tikyra (drums and vocals), and Ava Jackson (vocals, violin, percussion). Their soulful blend of R&B, gospel, and blues lit up the crowd. Their April 2024 album Family made up most of the set, including “Family,” “Rum Boogie,” “Long Is the Road,” “Upside,” and “Late Night Get Down.” Their cover of Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” was a hit, and they closed with “Sisters.”
The day had already been a potent blend of Cajun blues, classic rock, and Memphis soul. Now it was time to take it straight up, and few deliver better than Grammy-winning phenom Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. At just 26, Kingfish is a virtuoso with a growing list of Blues Music Awards. His set blended slow blues, funk, and jaw-dropping solos. He opened with “Voodoo Charm” from his upcoming album Hard Road, due in September, and followed with “Fresh Out,” “Hard Times,” and “Empty Promises,” a Michael Burks cover. True to form, he disappeared from the stage mid-jam during “Mississippi Night” and reappeared playing among the crowd, passing just a few feet behind me. You could spot him only by the circle of raised cell phones. He closed the set and the festival with “Outside of This Town,” “662,” and an encore of “Long Distance Woman.” His debut at Blues From The Top was a huge success.
Once again, Blues From The Top delivered another lifetime highlight reel. Thank you to the Grand County Blues Society, all the sponsors, vendors, and of course the artists, for another unforgettable weekend of music. The memory of John Catt continues to echo through this event and the causes he championed. I don’t need to see a lineup to make plans for next year. I already know it will be amazing.
The post Rock, Blues, and Rocky Mountain Views: Blues From The Top Delivers Again appeared first on Blues Rock Review.