League City, Texas was the place to be a few weeks back when this great town threw a 50 year birthday blues bash at Walter Hall Park. The first annual Boogie, Blues and Brews festival lasted one long weekend from September 21-23 and featured some of the best blues sounds Texas has to offer.

Friday night kicked off at 6pm with Zydeco music featuring some of Houston’s finest champions of the sound.

First off, Nick Gaitan and the Umbrella Man got the crowd shufflin’and primed for the evenings headliners Step Rideau and the Zydeco Outlaws. 

Rideau and company have been on the Houston music scene for quite some time and they are the be all end all when it comes Zydeco-rockin’.

Saturdays entertainment lineup included The Octanes and Houston favorites Luther and the Healers for starters. 

Texas Johnny Brown, Houston’s own living legend of the blues, was featured around 4pm. Brown started out in the mid-1940s with Amos Milburn’s “Aladdin Chickenshackers” and has played with Bobby Blue Bland and Junior Parker so you know he’s the real deal when it comes to knowing something about the blues.

Swamp boogie queen Marcia Ball took over the show after Brown’s set and really got the crowd percolating with her New Orleans flavored barrel house blues. Ball has received her fifth Grammy nomination this year for Best Blues Album, “Roadside Attractions”, and is over due to take one home.

Everyone in Texas loves Jimmie Vaughan and that was pretty obvious from the crowds ovation when this blues great and his band came on stage around 9:00pm.

Vaughan has carried the blues torch for many years starting with his former band, ‘The Fabulous Thunderbirds ‘with his brother Stevie Ray and of course as a solo artist.

Also featured with Jimmie Vaughan on Saturday night was long time blues belter Lou Ann Barton. Barton’s whip crackin’ attitude of a voice and just all around bad girl performance is always a thrill to witness especially when her and Vaughan sing duets. As always, Jimmie Vaughan put on another stellar performance and shouldn’t be missed if you get a chance to see him.

Sunday’s proceedings kicked off in the early afternoon with a Gospel Blues Brunch that featured a few local gospel groups belting out some incredibly inspiring and righteous music. There’s nothing quite like the harmonies of good old time gospel music to get a crowd shoutin’ and testifying and that’s exactly what went on during this perfect opening to another perfect day of great music.

Sunday’s show only featured three sets of music, including the Gospel opener, but it was none the less filled with more of some of Texas’s finest sounds.

Houston sax man Grady Gaines and his band the Texas Up-setters have been on the Houston music scene for many years now and have not missed a beat.

Back in the day Little Richard met Gaines when he was the band leader for Peacock Records in Houston. Richard liked what he heard so Gaines was asked to join the band. Grady Gaines can be heard on some of Little Richards most famous numbers such as “Long Tall Sally” and “Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On”.

Other acts Gaines has performed with include Sam Cooke, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Bo Diddley, Etta James, Jackie Wilson and more.

His show on this day featured a fantastic mix of R&B, blues and soul and Gaines sax playing is still as good as it gets.

With over six decades in the music business Grady Gaines is still the sax players’ sax player and pleasure to see in concert.

Last, but by no means least on Sunday’s bill was Texican Rock and Rollers, Los Lonely Boys.

This power house trio of brothers from San Angelo has been smoking the music business with their blend of blues, tejano and rock and roll since 2003 when their Grammy award winning single “Heaven” set the music industry on its ear.

Sunday’s show was an incredible performance that featured many of the band’s hits and quite a few numbers from their latest release, “Rockpango”.

With some unbelievable harmonies and off the chart guitar playing from brother Henry, this set ended up being the absolute highlight of the three day show.

League City really knows how to throw a birthday party and by all indications they might just do it again next year with the “Boogie, Blues & Brews” part two. Make plans now to attend, I’ll be there for sure.