The Waukesha Rotary Club has announced that Mitch Ryder and Marcia Ball will headline this summer’s 18th Annual Waukesha Rotary BluesFest.
The legendary Detroit rocker Ryder – of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels – will headline Friday, Aug. 8 and New Orleans pianist Ball will top the bill on the second night, Saturday, Aug. 9.
Ryder is touring in support of his forthcoming blues/rock record, "With Love," while the barrelhouse pianist Ball will perform with backing from Wisconsin's The Jimmys.
The full festival lineup will be released in coming weeks.
The event takes place at Naga-Waukee Park in Delafield, and gates open at 12:30 p.m. each day. Music runs from 1 until 10 p.m.
Advance tickets go on sale May 1 online at waukeshabuesfest.com and in person at Waukesha State Bank locations and White House of Music in Waukesha.
Advance tickets will be $30 per day or $50 for a two-day ticket. Reserved "Elite" seating at the front will be available for $75 per day in advance.
Proceeds from the festival support projects in the community, including arts and culture; children, youth and families; basic needs, such as food, clothing and shelter; reducing isolation of and maintaining independent living for the elderly; employment and training; educational enrichment activities beyond the core curriculum; environmental conservation, restoration and education; assisting individuals who lack basic access to health care; and assisting persons with physical or mental disabilities, including addictions.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
