2026 Queen City Blues Fest

Start: Saturday, November 7, 2026 7:00PM
End: Saturday, November 7, 2026 10:30PM

* LOUNGE: John Ford (Acoustic): 7pm-8pm - It’s prewar blues, old school country, southern gospel and the history behind the music. John Ford assimilates the blues of the 1920’s and 30’s, the blues of Robert Johnson and Son House, a bit of 1940's country and a pinch of gospel rhythm, and comes up with his own brand of the roots experience. Reece Murray (Acoustic): 8:15pm - 9:15pm - Urban and Delta blues, Southern rock soul, and folk storytelling only begin to describe Reece Murray’s sound. Hailing from Lebanon OH, Reece began playing guitar at age seven and took the stage by eleven. He studied with Ron Block (guitar/banjo for Alison Krauss & Union Station), and upon graduating high school in 2022, he was honored with the Louis Armstrong Award for musical excellence and dedication. * UPSTAITS: Jamie Carr Band: 7:30pm - 8:30pm - With his new releases under the Jamie Carr band moniker, he has finally embraced stepping in to the center stage as both vocalist and guitarist. His new music displays a wide range of musical influences while still embracing his love for the blues and rock guitar. Cat Cambell & The $2 Pistols: 8:45pm - 9:45pm - Cat Campbell & The $2 Pistols are described as a fast-paced, high-energy act that brings a “vibrant flare” to every performance. The group’s name and style suggest a blend of blues swagger and rock attitude, with a focus on engaging, crowd-friendly shows. * MAIN STAGE: Laurie Jane & The 45's (Louisville, KY): 8pm - 9pm - Proudly representing Louisville, Kentucky's musical legacy, Laurie Jane and The 45s are a band of best friends, brothers, and a husband and wife. Their sound is a melting pot of 1950's big city electric blues with the high energy sounds of early rockabilly and soul. Laurie Jane's jazz influenced vocals, sincere and restrained, float across the churning depths of Cort Duggins' twelve-string slide guitar and deep blues picking. Jason Embry's upright bass and Scott Dugdale's drums lay down raucous swinging back beats. Noah Wotherspoon Band: 9:15pm - 10:15pm - As you listen to Noah, there is an undeniable outpouring of soul and feeling. It many times has people curious, what musical influences have inspired him over the years. “...within the first few years of playing I became immersed in the music of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix. By way of guidance from Dayton musicians Tim Arnold and Shake ‘n Dave Hussong, I dug deeper into learning about the blues and fell in love with classic Texas/Chicago blues artists such as Otis Rush, Albert King, Magic Sam, as well as Dayton’s own musical legends like Robert Ward. I’ve also always drawn inspiration from the Beatles and great songwriters in the realm of Bob Dylan, Elliott Smith, Jeff Buckley and Doyle Bramhall II. Reading Jack Kerouac as a teenager was a big eye-opener and got into a lot of my writing. I also love world music and listen to a lot of artists from India especially.” What is the Queen City Blues Alliance? - It is our goal to enhance the local blues scene by supporting all current, legacy, and future blues acts while educating the general public on the history of the blues. - In short, it’s a grass roots initiative to provide more blues to the Cincinnati area. We want to sponsor a number of events throughout the year that will provide opportunities for local blues artists to perform, and for local blues fans to enjoy those artists. In the future we plan to bring regional and national blues acts to our area