Bayou Blues Festival
Spring Concert Series Expands to Include Homegrown Blues Festival
Award-winning blues singer Annika Chambers is proud of her Houston roots and eagerly takes advantage of many opportunities to perform in her hometown. After back-to-back years of successful Mother’s Day concerts at the Houston Botanic Garden, she is expanding her partnership with the Garden to showcase more of the city’s incredible blues musicians.
The inaugural Bayou Blues Festival on Saturday, April 27, will feature a talented lineup of artists, headlined by the Chambers DesLauriers Band, featuring Chambers and her blues-rock guitarist and singer husband, Paul DesLauriers.
“A lot of great blues artists have come out of Houston or are based in Houston, and I have often thought the fourth largest city in the nation should have a blues festival,” said Chambers.
Her positive experiences at the Garden and the passion of the attendees convinced her that she had found a venue for her vision.
“When I was at the Garden the last time, I told the staff it would be such a nice place to do a mini blues festival,” she recalled. “We talked about it in the following months, and they ultimately agreed to host and let me be in charge of the lineup and the theme.”
More Than Music
The Bayou Blues Festival is the latest addition to the annual Music in the Garden Concert Series. Each concert offers a family-friendly outdoor cultural experience and combines live music with cool acoustics and the visual beauty of nature.
Chambers truly appreciates this atmosphere, but more importantly, she considers it reflective of the city she loves so much.
“The Garden is so beautiful, so serene, so welcoming,” said Chambers. “All the colors and everything just reminds me of Houston and the beautiful rainbow of cultures that we have here.”
The musical lineup for the event, curated by Chambers, kicks off with Houston native The Mighty Orq. Trudy Lynn, Houston’s queen of the blues, is also set to take the stage with her band. The Chambers DesLauriers Band will close out the concert with some help from special guests Jonn Del Toro Richardson and Leonard ‘ Lowdown’ Brown.
“We’re also planning to have a big, super-mega Houston jam at the end before we send folks on their way,” said Chambers.
Bring the Whole Family
Chambers encouraged music lovers of all ages to make plans to attend and emphasized that it would be a very family-oriented event.
“Bring your ears, bring your love for music, bring an open mind, and just come enjoy some of the best music you can hear from real live musicians,” said Chambers. “Of course, it’s also a great event to bring your kids if you want to introduce them to the blues.”
Concessions from local food vendors will be available, including adult beverages from the festival’s sponsor, Saint Arnold Brewing Company.
“I’m honored to be able to do this and make this dream come true with the Houston Botanic Garden,” she added. “I love being able to represent Houston all around the world, but nothing compares to when I come home. There’s no better crowd than in my hometown, and I think it’s going to be great.”
The Bayou Blues Festival is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, with the first tunes set to begin at 1:45 p.m. Lawn seating is included in the cost of general admission, and guests are encouraged to bring lawn or camp chairs. Ticket prices are $15 for adults and $10 for children 3 and older, as well as students (with current ID).