Seventh Annual Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival at Cannery Casino & Hotel June 20

Cannery Casino & Hotel presents a triple-threat weekend with the seventh annual Blues, Brews & BBQ Festival Saturday, June 20. Headlining entertainment includes Marcia Ball, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, John Lee Hooker, Jr. and Ironing Board Sam. In addition, delicious summer barbecue and handcrafted beers and ciders will be served up by several of Las Vegas’ best restaurants and breweries. The festival begins at 5 p.m. at The Club’s indoor/outdoor festival grounds. Admission is $5 at the door.

Local restaurants will be serving up some of Las Vegas’ best BBQ and more than one dozen brands of micro brewed beers and hard ciders from around the world will be available. H&H Barbeque will be grilling up its signature ribs and hotlinks, Seven Seas Seafood will serve Southern specialties including catfish and gumbo, Smoking Sam’s will dish up pulled pork and turkey legs and Martino’s BBQ will offer ribs and garlic fries. Brews start at just $5 and, for those who cannot decide, the “Brews Sampler Pack,” offering eight-ounce samples of up to ten different beers is available for just $20.

Singer and pianist Marcia Ball will get the crowd fired up with her smoldering blend of southern boogie, roadhouse blues, heartfelt ballads and playful piano pounding. The Texas-born, Grammy nominated musician has been making strides in the Blues music industry taking home awards such as The Blues Music Awards’ “Best Album of the Year,” “Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year,” and “Best Piano Player of the Year.” Ball will be breaking it down singing tunes from her newest album, Peace, Love and BBQ, showcasing her broad repertoire of deep soul ballads to can’t-sit-still party songs.

Mixing vibrant instrumental pieces with simmering, scorching vocal numbers, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band is one of the most prolific modern New Orleans brass bands today. Established in 1977, the eight-piece band revolutionized the New Orleans brass band style by incorporating electric instrumentals into innovative blends of traditional New Orleans and modern jazz sounds. In 2006, The Dirty Dozen released their newest album, What's Going On, their version of the entire 1971 Marvin Gaye landmark disc What's Going On as a response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina that struck New Orleans.

John Lee Hooker Jr. was born in Detroit "Motor" City with Delta blues-filled blood running through his Motown veins. The son of the great John Lee Hooker, he was exposed the life of the blues from a young age, performing in prestigious venues such as Detroit's Fox Theatre with acclaimed musicians like Jimmy Reed by the time he was 16. Hooker Jr. was able to develop his own sound of blues mixed with modern, contemporary arrangements. Now, with five albums under his belt, John Lee Hooker Jr. has built upon his colorful past as he continues to distinguish himself as a contemporary "Bluesman."

Ironing Board Sam, born Sammie Moore, learned to play the piano at an early age before forming his own band and in 1959. Without the regular legs to support his keyboard he improvised, using an ironing board stand and earning his name, “Ironing Board Sam.” In 1974, after moving to New Orleans, Sam was billed as “The Eighth Wonder of the World,” due to his ability to strap the keyboard around his shoulders and walk through the club as he played his tunes. Ironing Board Sam continues to please crowds with his great entertaining style.

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