The 2016 Blues Bash has a double blast of excitement in store with The Edgar Winter Band and Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown headlining the Hackettstown area’s premier winter concert showcase March 18 and 19.

The 7^th Annual Blues Bash, held at the Sitnik Theater at Centenary College, has earned a solid reputation of delivering great music – and memories – to the area. The Blues Bash has become a tradition with an array of national acts gracing the stage in the past, including legendary Johnny Winter to Peter Tork and Samantha Fish.

Once again, great regional acts will be included in the Centenary line-up, with free pre-shows at Marley’s Gotham Grill in Downtown Hackettstown Friday and Saturday. To cap things off, Marley’s will host the traditional post-show party on Saturday night.

The Edgar Winter Band headlines Friday, March 18, while Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown, celebrating 50 years of music this year, leads the way on Saturday. Tickets range from $35 and up, with discounts for two-day flex passes. Parking is free.

Edgar Winter, whose late brother Johnny played the Blues Bash three years ago, is best known for his mega-hits “Frankenstein” and “Free Ride.” Winter, however, has found success not just in music, but in film and television. His music can be heard in no fewer than fifteen film and television projects, including “The Simpsons,” “Wayne’s World,” and “My Cousin Vinny,” as well as recognizable advertising campaigns.

This Renaissance Man is an inventor and author, too. He designed the keyboard body strap, an innovation that allows him the freedom to move around the stage during his high-energy multi-instrument performances. His writing repertoire includes a a volume of poetry and a collection of exciting stories. 

British Blues/Rock pioneer Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown is now celebrating 50 continuous years, 45 albums, and more than 5,000 gigs from the Royal Albert Hall to Carnegie Hall to the Fillmore East and West and now the Sitnik Theater at Centenary College! 

“Savoy Brown is a very musical band,” Simmonds says. “We’re not comparing ourselves to others. We appeal to an audience who wants to hear what we are up to now, what we are rehearsing, creating as a band. I think my guys and my team are empowering me to do this.” 

That’s what Kim lives for and invigorates him – playing for audiences who are hungry to listen for new heights in artistry – not just living off 50 years as an architect of the British hard blues scene. 

Simmonds was a lynchpin of perhaps the most exciting music scene in history, establishing Savoy Brown in the first wave of British blues-boomers, signing to Decca, opening for Cream’s first London show and being namedropped in the same breath as peers like Clapton and Hendrix (with whom he jammed).  Soon, Savoy Brown had achieved what most British bands never did – success in America – and became a major Stateside draw thanks to their high-energy material and tireless work ethic.

On September 18, the 45^th release by Kim Simmonds, The Devil To Pay hit the stores with quick acclaim, showing what 50 years giving one-hundred and ten percent can do. 

The Blues Bash is presented by Joe Hirsh Productions in association with the Centenary Stage Company, major supporters of Blues Bash 2016 include PNC Bank, Kope Electric, Mr. Music, Inn at Millrace Pond, Good Impressions Printing & Mailing, Village Family Clinic, Karmabridge Acupuncture, Hackettstown Business Improvement District, Marley’s Gotham Grill, Cathy Miller Photography, HTV Media Productions, WNTI.org, CHP Communications, and guest hosts Pete Hoff and Mike Watterston of WNTI.org.

Other related Blues Bash event information can be found at joehirshproductions.com or “like” the Blues Bash NJ Facebook Page. Tickets at http://www.centenarystageco.org. Click on Special Events for the Blues Bash ticket page (ticket price includes all fees).