Boston's on the Beach celebrates America's 234th birthday with three days of this country's great indigenous art form -- the blues. Never mind that the music was created by the descendants of African slaves or that it's now dominated by white folk. The Delray Beach institution's Red, White, and Blues Festival promises a raucous good time. Former Hollywood resident Tinsley Ellis headlines Friday night's festivities, bringing his explosive blues rock back to South Florida and likely pulling tunes from his ripping new recording, Speak No Evil.
Saturday night, blues guitar great Elvin Bishop hits the main stage with the gritty licks he's been perfecting since his days with the Butterfield Blues Band. But local and regional blues faves will rule all three days, including Hill Country stomper Ben Prestage, veteran roots renewers Iko-Iko, the hut-shakin' Shackdaddys, soul-blues maestro Joey Gilmore, gut-punch guitar star Albert Castiglia, and 2008's International Blues Challenge winners JP Soars and the Red Hots.
-- Bob Weinberg
Action takes place Friday through Sunday at Boston's on the Beach, 40 S. Ocean Blvd. in Delray Beach. Admission costs $12 for Friday, $18 Saturday, and there's no cover for Sunday. Call 561-278-3364, or visit bostonsbluesfest.com. Fri., July 2; Sat., July 3; Sun., July 4, 2010