Blind Willie McTell Music Festival Returns September 25, 2021
Tickets on sale now for this small festival with big personality in Thomson, Georgia.
Tab Benoit performs at the 2013 festival.
Stellar musical talent, tasty food and drink, neighborly camaraderie, and a convivial vibe are standards at the Blind Willie McTell Music Festival. Whether you prefer to sit in the shade, dance on the lawn, or mix up both approaches, a foot-tapping good time is a sure thing at this small festival with big personality.
Performance Schedule:
TODD ALBRIGHT……..12:00 pm
BLAIR CRIMMINS AND THE HOOKERS…………………..1:15 pm
PINE LEAF BOYS………2.30 pm
ARIEL POSEN……………3:45 pm
SON VOLT…………………..5:10 pm
NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS……………………6:45 pm
Get more info here.
Tickets are on sale now for the 27th annual Blind Willie McTell Music Festival set for Saturday, September 25, 2021, in Thomson, Georgia. This celebration of music steeped in tradition routinely features American Music Award winners and Grammy nominees who bring the audience to its feet.
Since its postponement last year, fans have been yearning for the chance to enjoy live music at this open-air festival. The wait is over! Event organizers were able to book almost the exact same lineup that was originally scheduled for May 2020. The Blind Willie McTell Music Festival is bringing roots music and the blues back to Thomson.
Named for Georgia native Blind Willie McTell, a 12-string guitar pioneer and influential musician best known for writing Statesboro Blues, “the annual celebration of music is one that Blind Willie himself would have really enjoyed,” says Elizabeth Vance, executive director at Thomson-McDuffie County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “A true music lover, McTell performed everything from blues to ragtime to popular hits, spirituals to hillbilly yodels to sentimental tunes. His influence touches multiple musical genres, and that variety of styles is staged here in McDuffie County where he was born.”
Talent Lineup
The 2021 lineup features five acts. North Mississippi Allstars’ blend of blues and bluegrass has earned brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson multiple Grammy nominations for ‘Best Contemporary Blues Album’ as well as a Blues Music Award for ‘Best New Artist.’ Son Volt, led by Jay Farrar, is known for its alt-country mix of rock and Americana influenced by decades of folk, rock, blues, and country styles. Percussionist, drummer, and pianist Joachim Cooder performs eclectic material as part of a trio. With a deep repertoire of historic blues numbers, Todd Albright is a vocalist and the only contemporary 12-string guitarist in his genre of country blues. Blair Crimmins and the Hookers perform high-energy ragtime and Dixieland music, mixing originals and rollicking covers from the early 20th century. See our lineup update below.
Free Kick-Off Concert
Randall Bramblett Band
A free concert showcasing the Randall Bramblett Band will kick-off the festival in Historic Downtown Thomson the evening of Friday, September 24. An esteemed singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist—he plays keyboards, saxophones, guitar, mandolin, and harmonica—Bramblett has recorded 12 albums influenced by blues, folk, and gospel.
Having performed at the Blind Willie McTell Music Festival multiple times over the years, Randall Bramblett says, “It’s a very laid-back blues festival with a Southern feel that’s very relaxed and a lot of fun. It has great music, great food. I’ve enjoyed it every time I’ve played it. The audience is enthusiastic about the music.” The band will perform tracks from its new record Pine Needle Fire alongside hits from previous albums.
Tickets for the Saturday concert—to be held rain or shine—are $35 in advance and $45 at the gate; children 12 and younger get in free. Bring a blanket, folding lawn or beach chair, and/or tailgate tent. Food, blues/music-related art and other items will be for sale from various vendors. No coolers, no pets. For more information, visit blindwillie.com.
UPDATE 8/18/21: We have an unfortunate lineup announcement that we have to make. Joachim Cooder will not be able to perform this year. As a parent with small unvaccinated kids at home, he decided that travel from the West Coast to the East, and particularly moving through two of the busiest airports in the world, would be risky for his family, upon his return. Dang. We hope to see him in years to come.
To fill this gap in the roster, we are happy to announce that Pine Leaf Boys will be coming in as Cooder’s replacement. Led by Wilson Savoy, they are the very best of the new generation of musicians playing Louisiana roots music. A 5-time Grammy nominee, they are deeply rooted in the bayou tradition, driven by accordion and fiddle, great singing and high energy….you know….fun! We often overlook this genre as we book each year’s event but not this year. You can learn more about them at www.pineleafboys.com.
UPDATE 8/27/21: We have added a sixth and final act, Ariel Posen, to the roster! Posen is on the heels of his new album, Headway, filled with incredible songwriting and playing. He is no stranger to our little corner of the world and we are looking forward to seeing him (and you) again on September 25th!
UPDATE 9/2/21: The 27th BWM Music Fest is just a few short weeks away! As we prepare to put on our first show since May of 2019, we’re working on the site, organizing volunteers, and thinking about the safety of everyone involved. To that end, let’s talk about some guidelines and rules:
If you or someone you know has been exposed to COVID-19, or you are immunocompromised, we ask kindly that you stay home. We’ll see you in 2022.
COVID 19 vaccines are the most direct path out of this mess- we wish that everybody who is there on the 25th would be fully vaccinated. If you are, great!
If you are not vaccinated, we ask that you bring a mask and wear it properly when you are in shared spaces with people you don’t know (food court, beer line, down in front of the stage, etc). Our volunteers and vendors will do the same.
When you and your friends are enjoying the music in your own tent/chairs then masking up is your call.
Disposable masks will be available at the front gate and hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes will be available throughout the site.
We’ve got a big space with plenty of room to spread out. Please leave space between you and the folks next door when setting up your tent and/or chairs. No need to be crowded.
We postponed the festival to September in hopes that these safety measures would be a thing of the past. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Along with enjoying the music, food, friends and family, let’s work together to respect each other, be kind, and do our best to have a blast, safely. Thank you in advance and see you on the 25th.
Discover Thomson
While in town for the festival, take time to explore Thomson-McDuffie County. Located just outside of Augusta on the west side of Clarks Hill Lake, the area offers abundant natural beauty, fascinating local history, wallet-friendly shopping, tasty local cuisine, compelling agritourism stops, well-worn trails plus little-known surprises, and lots of ways to relax or get adventurous. Don’t miss McTell’s 12-String Strut, a collection of seven-foot tall, hand-painted Stella guitar replicas on display throughout downtown Thomson. Stop by the Thomson Depot to see one of the guitars and listen to an audio presentation about Blind Willie McTell. Also, be sure to look for the Blind Willie McTell Mural at the end of Central Avenue.