The Bourbon Street Blues Festival will be celebrating its 10th anniversary ….  at a new location!

It was announced this month that the festival, which had been held in Lebanon Township since its inception, will be held this year at the historic Fields of Waterloo Concert Field in Allamuchy Mountain State Park. The festival, which will be held the weekend of May 20-21, is the first major music event on the concert field in nearly two decades. In the past many legendary artists have performed there including the Allman Brothers, Bob Dylan, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead among others.

“We are very excited to be working with the state park to bring this historic site back online as a go to music venue” said John Kennedy of Point Mountain Entertainment.  “We’ve got a great team in place, lots of good partners, and a terrific lineup of music.”

This year’s headliners include Kenny Wayne Shepherd (photo above), Robert Cray, Bernard Allison, Bonerama, and Mike Zito. Regional favorites such as The Fins, Bob Lanza, Billy Hector, Lee Delray  and The Above Ground Blues Band are also part of the lineup.

The lineup is simply amazing, led by Shepherd and Cray.

There are few artists whose names are synonymous with one instrument and how it’s played in service to an entire genre. But that’s Shepherd.

Utter the phrase “young blues rock guitarist” within earshot of anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the modern musical vanguard and the first name they are most likely to respond with will be Kenny Wayne Shepherd. The Louisiana born axeman and songsmith has sold millions of albums while throwing singles into the Top 10, shining a light on the rich blues of the past and forging ahead with his own modern twist on a classic sound he has embodied since his teens.

In a 20-year recording career that began when he was just 16, Shepherd has established himself as an immensely popular recording artist, a consistently in-demand live act and an influential force in a worldwide resurgence of interest in the blues. From television performances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (amongst others) to features in Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Maxim Magazine, Blender, Spin, USA Today and more, his musical career has been nothing short of phenomenal.

Cray, meanwhile, has been bridging the lines between blues, soul and R&B for the past four decades, with five Grammy wins and over 20 acclaimed albums. He has clearly withstood the test of time and has the “resume” to prove it!

In addition to great music there will be vendors, food and beer.

For more information about the festival including the full lineup and ticket details, visit www.bourbonstreetbluesfest.com.