Butch Trucks Band To Headline 2016 New York State Blues Festival

Butch Trucks & Freight Train will be the headlining act for this year’s New York State Blues Festival in Syracuse, NY.

Trucks, a founding member and original drummer of the Allman Brothers Band, will be the closing act of the free, two-night festival in Syracuse, the festival’s leadership announced last night.

The festival will be held on July 8 & 9 in Syracuse’s Clinton Square. Other headliners include Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds, a Brooklyn-based, seven-piece band who will be appearing on Friday night’s bill. Blues guitarist Sonny Landreth will be appearing Saturday night.

Other national, regional and local bands appearing at this year’s festival include Chicago-based guitarist Toronzo Cannon, Memphis-based Brandon Santini, and the Soul of Syracuse featuring the Fabulous Ripcords with guests Pete McMahno, Maureen Henesey and Mark Hoffman.

The Westcott Jug Suckers, Midnight Mike Petroff Blues Harp Band, Skip Murphy & his Merry Pranksters, Funky Blu Roots, Mike Delaney & the Delinquents, Big D, Jeff Jones, Tom Dwer and Jane Zell will also be performing,

Upstate blues artist Tas Cru will perform at the festival and hold a musical workshop on Saturday afternoon. The Signature Student Series will also take part in the festival.

This year’s announcement was made by Blues Festival President Robert Dwyer Thursday night at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que during a fundraising concert by Mike Zito and the Wheel. The New York State Blues Festival is the largest, admission-free blues festival in the Northeast.

Last summer’s blues festival filled the square both nights with a diverse audience drawn from across the country and Canada. Crowd estimates were as high as 25,000 over the course of the weekend. Last year’s lineup included the Robert Randolph Band, the Devon Allman Band and a reunion of the legendary Syracuse blues band, The Kingsnakes.

 

COMPLETE 2016 SCHEDULE

FRIDAY JULY 8, 2016
4pm – MIKE DELANEY & THE DELINQUENTS – main stage
4:45pm – JANE ZELL – side stage
5:10pm – FUNKY BLU ROOTS – main stage
5:55pm – JANE ZELL – side stage
6:20pm – THE WESTCOTT JUGSUCKERS – main stage
7:10pm – JEFF JONES – side stage
7:30pm – BRANDON SANTINI – main stage
8:40pm – JEFF JONES – side stage
9:10pm – SISTER SPARROW & THE DIRTY BIRDS – main stage

SATURDAY JULY 9, 2016
12pm – Workshop w/ TAS CRU – side stage
1pm – SKIP MURPHY & HIS MERRY PRANKSTERS – main stage
1:40pm – SIGNATURE STUDENT SERIES – side stage
2pm – TAS CRU – main stage
2:55pm – SIGNATURE STUDENT SERIES – side stage
3:15pm – MIDNIGHT MIKE PETROFF BLUES HARP BAND – main stage
4:10pm – TOM DWYER – side stage
4:30pm – TORONZO CANNON – main stage
5:40pm – TOM DWYER – side stage
6:00pm – SOUL OF SYRACUSE w/ THE FABULOUS RIPCORDS w/special guests
PETE MCMAHON, MAUREEN HENESEY, MARK HOFFMAN – main stage
7:10pm – BIG D – side stage
7:30pm – SONNY LANDRETH – main stage
8:40pm – BIG D – side stage
9:10pm – BUTCH TRUCKS & THE FREIGHT TRAIN BAND – main stage