The late and legendary bluesman John Lee Hooker is widely credited as saying, “The blues tells a story. Every line of the blues has a meaning.” Blues on the Mesa is telling the story that the blues still matter in Colorado Springs.
The fourth annual Blues on the Mesa will happen Sept. 28 at Gold Hill Mesa. Combining five excellent artists playing six hours of live music in the beautiful, grassy outdoor setting and it’s no surprise that Blues on the Mesa keeps getting bigger and better every year.
“This town right now has a lot of music but not a lot of blues,” says Amy Whitesell, co-owner of A Music Company Inc. which organizes Blues on the Mesa. “The blues is a niche genre, and I think people enjoy the festival because they get to see several acts at one time. And it’s outside — the setting is absolutely spectacular whether it’s the sun shining over the mountains or the rainbow shining over the eastern plains.”
Whitesell and her husband, George, have been bringing blues to the Springs for a long time. She says she still gets questions about the former Blues Under the Bridge downtown. That popular festival ran for 13 years and ended in 2019. But coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, Whitesell and Gold Hill Mesa saw a need for a new rendition. Blues on the Mesa was begun in 2021.
“We all needed that music outlet after we had kind of been not allowed to go out and socialize for a long time,” Whitesell says. “It started out small, and each year it’s growing a little bit, which is nice because that means each year we can get a different caliber of entertainers to come to the festival.”
This year’s Blues on the Mesa has a strong lineup of musicians from top to bottom.
Preview the Bands of Blues on the Mesa 2024
Tommy Castro & the Painkillers
The blues veteran Tommy Castro’s sound ranges from horn-fueled R&B to piping hot blues to fiery, stripped-down rock ‘n’ roll, all built on a foundation of 1960s-influenced guitar-fueled blues. Blues Music Magazine has written, “Castro is one of the brightest stars in the blues-soul genre. Voracious blues energy and ultimate soul power … impassioned vocals and pure inventiveness in his stellar guitar solos.”
Davina & the Vagabonds
Davina & the Vagabonds is a jazz blues band based in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, founded by frontwoman Davina Sowers who is known for her unconventional style and stage presence. “I find Davina to sound a lot like Amy Winehouse, who I absolutely adored,” Whitesell says. “So I’m curious to see what other people think.”
Rolling Stone agrees, writing, “Davina Sowers creates her own Americana mishmash — a little Amy Winehouse-worthy neo-soul here, a little Great American Songbook-influenced songcraft there.”
Eef & the Blues Express
Eef and the Blues Express has been grooving Colorado stages since 2010, and they were a semifinalist at the 2017 International Blues Challenge in Memphis.
Rex Peoples & X Factr
Rex Peoples plays a classic blues and R&B sound influenced by the likes of Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Etta James. He has been awarded “Best Blues Vocalist” by the Colorado Blues Society and been an international semifinalist at the International Blues Challenge.
Johnny O. Band
The Johnny O. Band brings smoking hot jams and funky grooves out of Boulder. their music is both captivating and danceable. The band has a danceable style, whether they’re playing their own originals or classics by blues masters of the past.
“I am very, very excited to have the Johnny O. Band,” Whitesell says. “Get there when gates open because they are a phenomenal trio.”
What to Expect at the Blues on the Mesa Festival
Blues on the Mesa is a music-first festival, Whitesell says, and she especially enjoys watching concertgoers grooving along, whether they’re up and dancing the whole time or swaying along in their chairs.
The setting in Gold Hill Mesa gives the festival a neighborhood feel. While it’s geared to adult music fans, it’s definitely family friendly. Kids 16 and under get in free with an adult admission.
Food trucks, breweries, distillers and others will be serving food and drinks all day. Whitesell says there will be options to accommodate all types of special diets and allergies. Water will be free for everyone compliments of the festival and Colorado Springs Utilities.
The food and drink lineup includes:
Tossed
High Grade Foods
Stump Dogs
Jackpot Coffee
Elev8 Pizza
Papa Bear’z Grill
Whistle Pig Brewing
OCC Brewing
Red Leg Brewing
1350 Distilling
Apple Valley Cider Company
Distillery 291
Branch & Barrell Distilling
Sovereignty Wines
There will also be a health fair and vendors. One lucky winner will go home with a special Blues on the Mesa guitar, painted by local airbrush artist Roberto Rodriguez and autographed by all the artists.
The festival runs from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. For those who want to keep the good time rolling, the VIP Party continues until 8:30 p.m. With an additional ticket, festival-goers 21 and older can meet and mingle with the artists in the Gold Hill Mesa Community Room. VIP tickets include complimentary food from Patty Jewett Bar & Grill, Heart of Jerusalem Cafe, Buffalo Gals Grilling Company, the Chuckwagon 719 and Nothing Bundt Cakes. There will also be a cash bar, serving drinks by Distillery 291, 3 Hundred Days of Shine, Uva Wine Bar, Voodoo Brewing and Whistle Pig Brewing.
You can find all the details and tickets at bluesonthemesa.org. Tickets range from $60 to $140 for VIP. Note that military service members and students with ID are half off at the door. Don’t worry, it won’t sell out thanks to the spacious outdoor venue, but online ticket prices will rise closer to the festival.
