The inaugural Blues Night in the Park, brought to you by the Downtown Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District (SSMID), co-produced with Iowa Brewing Company, kicks off the Downtown Cedar Rapids event season on Friday, May 19, 2023.
Attendees will enjoy performances from headliners, Kevin B.F Burt and the Keeshea Pratt Band, plus Mathias Lattin and Ken Valdez as opening acts!
Kevin Burt is a 2019 Blues Music Award nominee and International Blues Challenge winner in three categories. For more than 25 years, Kevin has been electrifying audiences throughout the Midwest dispelling the myth that true blues has no roots in Iowa. His soul-inspired presentation is unique, which consistently gets him compared to a range of artists like Bill Withers and Aaron Neville, with the ability to build an audience rapport that has been compared to B.B. King.
The Houston-based, International Award-Winning Keeshea Pratt Band possesses the skill and artistry reminiscent of Blues old school Motown; a rarity among bands of any genre today. The 9 piece musical collective, lends its energy and passion to traditional blues, contemporary blues and offers a preview to the future of blues.
Mathias Lattin is an emerging young Texas guitarist and product of the acclaimed Kinder High School for Performing and Visual Arts. He’s heavily influenced by music legends B.B. King, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Albert Collins, and Wes Montgomery. At 20 years old, Mathias Lattin won 1st place at the 2023 International Blues Challenge in the band category and was awarded Best Guitarist by the judges.
The music starts at 6PM in Greene Square and costs $5 to enter. Bring your own chairs for comfortable enjoyment of classic blues in the beautiful downtown CR park.
Gates open at 5:00 for refreshments.