Big blues names coming to Aurora's fest on the Fox
Two days of big blues names are coming to Aurora for the 22nd annual Blues on the Fox festival June 15 and 16 at RiverEdge Park.
Three-time Grammy Award-winner Aaron Neville of The Neville Brothers, along with Sonny Landreth, Toronzo Cannon, Brandon "Taz" Niederauer, Elle King and Samantha Fish, form the lineup for the classic event of blues, brews and festival food on Father's Day weekend.
Fish and King will play a ladies-only lineup Friday, June 15, with gates opening at 6 p.m. Niederauer, Cannon, Landreth and Neville will take the stage after gates open at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 16.
Tickets for either day are $20 until May 31 and $30 starting June 1 at RiverEdgeAurora.com.
This year's fest opens with Samantha Fish at 7 p.m. Friday. Described by critics as "an impressive blues guitarist" who "sings with sweet power," Fish, a Kansas City native, has released five studio albums since 2009.
Following Fish is Elle King, best known for her hit "Ex's and Oh's." Born Tanner Elle Schneider as the daughter of British model London King and former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Rob Schneider, King played guitar by age 13 and released her debut album "Love Stuff" in 2015.
Saturday's shows start at 3 p.m. with 14-year-old guitarist Brandon "Taz" Niederauer, who acted in the Broadway production of "School of Rock" and has played with Gregg Allman, Buddy Guy, Stevie Nicks, Lady Gaga and Slash, among others.
At 5 p.m. the stage will belong to Toronzo Cannon, who drives a CTA bus by day and plays blues by night, both across the country and around the world.
Slide guitarist and blues master Sonny Landreth is set to take the stage at 7 p.m. Saturday. Since 1981, Landreth has released 17 albums and collaborated with guitar artists including Eric Clapton, Jimmy Buffet and Derek Trucks.
The fest's headliner this year is Aaron Neville, a New Orleans native R&B singer and musician known for his voice and his 1966 hit "Tell It Like It Is." Neville, who used to perform with his siblings Art, Charles and Cyril as The Neville Brothers, will bring his vocals to life at 9 p.m. to close out the concert.
All tickets to RiverEdge Park are general admission. Guests can claim a limited number of bench seats toward the front of the park or bring lawn chairs and blankets and spread out across the grounds of the stage at 360 N. Broadway.