Get ready for Grammy winning blues & smokin’ ribs – Sat. Oct. 1

As the summer is winding down and fall festivities begin, make sure you’ve got one of Roanoke’s Best Festivals marked on your calendar.  The fifth annual SunTrust Big Lick Blues Festival will take place on October 1, 2011 in Elmwood Park downtown Roanoke.

This year we’ve got an award winning musical line up in store.  Three time Grammy winner, Delbert McClinton is back to headline this rockin’ blues festival and he’s not coming alone!  As members of Texas R&B/country Delbert McClinton’s band, the musicians of Dick50––Steve Mackey, Kevin McKendree, Rob McNelley, Lynn Williams will be sharing the stage with the soul legend. SunTrust Big Lick Blues Festival is thrilled that we were included in one of the few U.S. shows that Bernard Allison has scheduled this year. Bernard Allison totes the same smokin’ six string shooter that his late father Luther Allison assaulted the blues with. And he is blessed with his father’s soulful voice, spiritual devotion, and a musical freedom which experiments with the blues.

As if these tremendous national acts weren’t enough, a local legend, The Fat Daddy Band will grace the stage at BLB.  Since 1995, The Fat Daddy Band has been delivering what many call exceptional Blue Ridge blues to the Roanoke Valley and beyond.  This band’s success has allowed them to open for headliners such as The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Train, Susan Tedeschi, and the legendary Nighthawks!  To start this day of fantastic blues music, from early funk, blues, rock and soul, Skinny Velvet will be sure to get you on your feet and groovin’ to the smooth sounds of your favorite blues tunes.  Who is Skinny Velvet? That’s a great question that is not easily answered. As a man, Skinny is an enigma….a dark, southern, musical mystery. As a band, Skinny Velvet is the brainchild of four of the Carolina’s most talented and determined troubadours!  Skinny Velvet was conceived from several of North Carolina’s finest groups. These boys have toured the U.S. in their well respected bands for years and now come together to make one of the strongest line-ups around!

The music is not the only award winning aspect of this festival- what goes hand in hand with blues music? Mouth watering ribs- not only mouth watering but award winning!  That’s right; we’ve got your favorite rib vendors back again to battle it out for the bragging rights of best rack in town!  It’s not just the familiar veterans such as Martin’s Downtown Grill, Blue 5, Thelma’s Chicken & Waffles and Bastians.; there are some rookie competitors stepping up this year!  And for those of you with a competitive edge yourself; be sure to sign up for the popular Martin’s Rib Eating contest.  This festival is sure to leave you with a full stomach and a satisfied soul!

The 5^th annual SunTrust Big Lick Blues Festival kicks off at 2:00pm on Saturday, October 1.  Music begins at 2:15pm with the winner of the Blue Ridge Blues Society competition, Skinny Velvet. And in case you’re wondering how you are going to be able to catch the game and enjoy all this event has to offer- we thought of that too! We will have a game day area with a big screen showing college football as well as all your favorite tailgate games brought to you by Tailgaters United! Tickets are $24.00 in advance and if you’re a SunTrust customer, it’s cheaper than that! Tickets are available at all local SunTrust branch locations as well as online at www.BigLickBlues.org