BCBF 2011 Update 7/26/11

Ticket sales are hot and heavy.  In Byron we are having a competition between the sponsoring bar and restaurant employees.  The top three tickets sellers will win a cash prize!  If you are local, support local bars and restaurants and help your favorite employees to win by buying your advanced tickets from them.
Tickets are available at:

Byron
Cave Inn 
Fifth Alarm and also at:
Karla’s and Poor Pauly’s Pub
Leombruni’s Italian Village
Spanky’s Byron Inn Tavern
Sunrise II Restaurant
Tailgater’s Sport Bar

Byron Bank
Snyder's Grocery and Pharmacy
Byron City Hall

Rockford
Guzzardos Music
Adriatic Cafe and Bar


Oregon
Snyder's Pharmacy

Beloit
Paradise Guitars
  
Our most recent press release:

The Second Annual Byron Crossroads Blues Festival is coming up on August 27th! Byron is situated just 11 miles south of metro Rockford along IL HWY 2 and the beautiful Rock River. The format for this year's fest remains the same as last year- keep the costs low so people can have an affordable day listening to great music. At only $5 for advanced tickets ($10 at the gate), the fest remains affordable and accessible despite the economic woes of our nation and area. Food and beverages will also remain fairly priced for the event as they were last year.

Headlining this year's festival is the Braille Blues Daddy himself, Bryan Lee and the Blues Power Band! They go on at 7:30 PM and featured both Bryan and the up and coming Brent Johnson on guitars. Originally from Two Rovers, WI, Bryan has been one of the top acts in New Orleans for a long time and regularly tours the globe with his fine band! This will be an awesome set of music and there are also four other bands for music lovers to appreciate. Prior to Mr.Lee and Company is the Kilborn Alley Blues Band at 5:30 PM. This band is on the move with young and talented members Andrew Duncanson on guitar and vocals, Josh Stimmel on guitar, Chris Breen on bass and Ed O'Hara on drums and vocals. These guys are hot and you won't want to miss them! After Bryan are the Jimmy's. Led by the ebullient and eloquent Jimmy Voegeli on B3 organ, keyboards and vocals, they also feature Mauro Magellan on Drums, John Wartenweiler on Bass, Ken "Birddog" Olufs on Harp/vocals, and the ever-popular Dave Potter on Guitar/Vocals; one of the keys to the band's great sound is their horn section of Bryan Husk on Sax, Chad Whittinghill on Trumpet and Pete Ross on Sax. At 9:30 PM they will start the dance party and close out the day.

The Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin' Altar Boys go on at 3:30 PM. Rik Raven hails from Milwaukee and fronts one of the top bands in Wisconsin year in and year out. These guys are awesome and feature Big Al Groth on sax and a cast of experienced blues men backing them, they offer up some traditional Chicago blues done right! Opening the day at 1:30 PM are Glen Davis and Matt Goodwin Westside Andy Linderman on harp play together and as a trio and two different duos in addition to performing with their other bands. Respectively from Elkhorn, Beloit and Madison WI, this trio offers some great blues pulled from their vast depth of experience and talents. That's five bands and almost 10 hours of great music for one low ticket price.

Tickets are available on line at http://byroncrossroadsbluesfestival.blogspot.com/, and also at all sponsoring bars and restaurants in Byron, Byron Bank, Snyder's Grocery in Byron, Byron City Hall, Paradise Guitars in Beloit, Guzzardos Music in Rockford, the Adriatic Cafe and Bar in Rockford and from Crossroads Blues Society members.

One specialty of this festival is that the food is awesome and not the regular corn dogs and stuff you get at normal festivals. Our menu this year includes:

• Homemade Italian Sausage Sandwiches
• Brisket of Beef Sandwiches
• Chicken George
• BBQ Spare Ribs
• Pizza
• Gumbo
• Jambalaya
• Fresh Corn on the Cob
• Brats
• Hamburgers
• Polish Sausages
• Hot Dogs
• Walking Tacos
• Italian Beef
• Gyros and more!

 All food is sponsored by the sponsoring bars and restaurants in the festival area. Sponsored by Crossroads Blues Society and the Downtown Byron Bar Association, this festival will be held in downtown Byron at the intersection of 2nd and Union Streets. Our sponsors are:

Platinum: $1000 and up
 · Commonwealth Edison Byron Nuclear Station

 · Crossroads Blues Society

 · The Cave Inn

 · Fifth Alarm

 · Karla’s and Poor Pauly’s Pub

 · Leombruni’s Italian Village

 · Spanky’s Byron Inn Tavern

 · Sunrise II Restaurant

 · Tailgater’s Sport Bar

 Gold: $500 to $999

 · Byron Bank

 · American TV and Furniture

 · City of Byron

 · Byron Forest Preserve

 · Byron Chamber of Commerce

 · Blues Blast Magazine

 · Backstage Blues Magazine

 · Cumulus Broadcasting (96.7 The Eagle and WROK 1440)

 · Underground Printing (Custom Printed Apparel)

 · EA Jones Design

 Silver: $200 to $499

 · Steve and Annette Jones

 · Miller Electric

 · King Blacktop

 · WNIJ 89.5 FM
 · Area Rental

 Basic Business: $100

 · Kiwanis Club of Byron

 · Adriatic Cafe and Bar

 · Fourwinds Landscaping

 · IMFS Inc. Lighting

Basic Individual: $50
 · Jim and Sally Krebs

Get your tickets now. Do bring chairs,, umbrellas, sun screen and personal items. Outside food and beverages are not allowed in the festival area, and no pets please. Re-entry to the fest is allowed. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Children 5 and under admitted free. The nearest hotels are in Rockford, Oregon and Rochelle. Camping sites are available in Byron at Lake Louise and in nearby Oregon at Lowden, Rock Cut and White Pines State Parks. Call 779-537-4006 for more information.