Attendees are more than welcome to bring folding chairs and sealed water bottles. Pets, coolers, grilling equipment or outside food/drinks, however, will NOT be permitted. Festival staff can confiscate these items at their discretion. Purses and backpacks will be checked when entering the main stage area.

Please plan accordingly and have a great time!

Online pre-sales end this Friday, Sept. 2nd at 5pm. Tickets purchased online this week may be picked up at WILL CALL at the North Entrance of the Main Stage (near Show-Me's) . General admission tickets will be available for cash-only purchase at the Main Stage ticket booths both days of the event.

VIP perks include a personalized chair right in front of the stage, cocktail service throughout the show so there's no waiting in line and a saved seat to return to as you check out the other stages or enjoy food and beverages at one of the Landing restaurants. Don't miss out on the best seat in the house at Big Muddy 2011!

The 16^th annual, Big Muddy Blues Festival is this weekend and there have been a few questions on why all of sudden the event has an admission fee.  As Executive Producer of this event, I felt it is my duty to explain to our fans the reasoning behind this new format.

The unfortunate truth is that since the recession, each year our sponsorship funding has decreased. Big Muddy is a Labor Day weekend tradition for so many Blues fans throughout the Midwest and it is important to us that we maintain the event at the same great level it has been at for so many years.  In order to do that, this year we have come up with a partial-pay-for admission model.  The two side stages located at Morgan St. and Lucas St. remain FREE and open to the public.  The Budweiser Main Stage has a general admission fee of $8.00 per day (advance purchase), $10.00 per day (at the gate – cash only) and a limited VIP seating section for $25.00 per day (advance purchase only) grants you a seat in front of the main stage with cocktail service throughout the event.

The main stage area will be fenced off all the way out onto N. First St.  There will be two entrance/exits on the north end and south end of N. First St.  A wristband will allow you in/out privileges at the main stage so you can also enjoy the side stages throughout the day.  Attendees can bring folding chairs but are asked not to bring any coolers, grilling equipment or outside food/drinks, festival staff can confiscate these items at their discretion.  All parking lots will remain accessible throughout the event.

Going from totally free to partial pay, we wanted to keep the admission price as reasonable as possible, similar to what you might pay as a cover charge at most Blues clubs.  Big Muddy is presented by, Laclede’s Landing Merchants Association, a nonprofit 501c6 organization.

We thank you all for being such great supporters of Big Muddy Blues Festival throughout the years and we look forward to seeing you this weekend!

Sincerely,

Emily Kochan

Executive Producer, Big Muddy Blues Festival

Check back soon! We're going to be doing a lot of posting in the near future! And go ahead and mark your calendars for September 3rd and 4th now!

Candy Coburn - July 4th, 5-6:30pm

We are so excited to announce the 2011 Rockin' on the Landing line-up for 4th of July weekend! Rockin' on the Landing offers three full days of performances from some of St. Louis' best original bands and cover groups, as well as a great selection of food and beverages from Laclede's Landing's great restaurants and bars. Come explore the historic St. Louis riverfront, listen to some entertaining music and watch the world-class St. Louis riverfront Fireworks display.

Sat. July 2

2:00 - 4:30pm -- Super Jam
Voted in as the Riverfront Times “2010 Best Tribute Band,” Superjam evokes an entire time period – specifically, the arena-rock ere of the 70’s and 80’s. With songs from the likes of Journey, Kansas, Styx, and Boston, the five-man group delivers the musical goods even while playing the part of larger-than-life rock stars – noodling guitars, displaying goofy grimaces and flamboyant outfits, and generally having full-hearted fun with the sometimes preposterous glam rock era. When Superjam’s in town, houses will, inevitably, rock.
www.superjamstl.net/wordpress

5:00 - 7:30pm -- Contagious
Contagious is proud to be a cover band. Where other cover groups simply sing the songs others made famous, the vivacious boys of Contagious perform flawless recreations of everything from 80’s rock to modern-pop. Their high-energy stage show and ability to imitate the original songs note-for-note is a marvel to see (and hear!) and crowds across the region love singing and dancing to these masters of mimicry.
www.clubcontagious.com

8:00 - 9:30pm & 10-11pm --  Metal Studz
Mesh shirts. Silk bandanas. Leather Pants. Screaming vocals. Unexpectedly heartfelt rock ballads. All are synonymous with the 80’s and all are weapons in the arsenal of the mythical Metal Studz. Decked out fully in flamboyant 80’s glam rock get-up, Metal Studz performs raucous sets to audiences across the Midwest with a tenacity and exuberance not seen since, well, the 80’s. A crowd pleaser, to be sure.
www.metalstudz.com

Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

2:00 - 4:30pm -- McLovin
With an all-star cast of experienced musicians stemming from bands such as Dr. Zhivegas, Live Nudes, Mixed Image, DonkeyPunch and more; McLovin is a Rock Poppin', Country Rappin', Soul Funkin' groove machine that keeps the dance floor shakin' all night long. Loaded with 4 part vocal harmonies and a ridiculous variety of songs, Mclovin will entertain any crowd, anywhere like no other; Mclovin entertains the St. Louis nightlife till last call. No matter your taste, McLovin has yo Flava!!!
http://www.myspace.com/mclovintheband1

5:00 - 7:30pm -- Trixie Delight
One of St. Louis's favorite cover bands, Trixie Delight has two females fronting the band that play your favorite songs from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and today. With amazing guitarists and rhythm section behind them, these two girls can rock the stage and command their audience.
www.trixiedelight.com

8:00 - 9:30pm & 10:00 - 11pm -- DirtyMuggs, featuring Dee Dee James
In St. Louis – a town known for producing some of America’s best and most-loved musicians – rhythm and blues is king. Coming up through the city’s passionate and talented R&B community, The Dirty Muggs Band prides itself on the soul, sound and style it brings to each of its performances. Band members have either played or collaborated with several famous acts including Outkast, George Clinton, Paula Adbul, T.L.C and Bootsy Collins.
www.dirtymuggs.com

Monday, July 4th, 2011

2:00 - 4:30pm -- Rickie Lee Tanner
An accomplished musician and songwriter, Rickie Lee Tanner’s polished rock-country sets have earned him weekly gigs across the Midwest, from large festivals to intimate lounges. If you had to pin him down to one artist he sounds like…well, you couldn’t. Tanner has a little of Garth’s soul, a bit of Bruce’s heart and some of Jerry Lee Lewis’ crowd-pleasing stage-presence to make each of his appearances a unique and entertaining experience.
www.rickieleetanner.com

5:00 - 6:30pm -- Candy Colburn
From the moment she hits the stage, Candy Coburn has the audience eating out of her hands. This up-and-coming country-pop superstar can wail on her emerald green guitars and has the singing chops (and the looks) to complete the package. As one of Budweiser’s summer concert series’ stars and her first CD “Lucy” on the way, you can expect big things in the next couple of years from the energetic and talented Candy Coburn.
www.candycoburn.com

7:00 - 9:30pm -- Whiskey Dixon
Whiskey Dixon has gained regional fame with its spot on renditions of today’s Top 40 country hits. The quartet has performed in front of some of Country-Rock’s heavy-hitters, including Dierks Bentley, Mark Wills and Joe Diffie, to name a few. Whiskey Dixon takes the songs we love and transforms them into something even better, resulting in a lot of tender feet and sore throats from the dancing and singing attendees.
www.whiskeydixon.com

Clear your calendars now because you know you're spending 4th of July weekend on the Landing! Admit it...

For now, we'd like to ask you to help us out -- what are your memories of Laclede's Landing? Did you meet that future special someone down here? Maybe you had a bachelorette party that has a particularly interesting story behind it. In the last thirty years, our cobblestone streets have been the scene of many unforgettable nights (and a few -- just a few -- broken heels), dozens of live shows and concerts, and a lot of great restaurants, dives and clubs.

Let me know in the comments, folks. Your story is a big part of ours.

Booker T loves you 'thiiiiis much'.

Well, the 2010 edition of Big Muddy Blues Festival is over -- and it was amazing! All roads led to Laclede's Landing seemingly, as fans from the Mizzou-Illini Arch Rivalry Game and those downtown for the weekend Cardinals series against the Reds showed up en masse. From the organizers of Big Muddy Blues Festival and the many restaurants, shops and bars down on Laclede's Landing, here's a loud, enthusiastic 'thank you!'

But let's not forget this region's rabid Blues music fanbase, who came out to support the music they love so much. In years past, it's been hard to guess what Sunday attendance will look like without the Arch Rivalry game there to fill out the streets and stages. It's always good, of course -- we expect nothing less from a city who's history, heritage and appreciation of Blues music is as strong (or stronger!) as New Orleans, Memphis and. Chicago -- but the Sunday crowd was beautiful to behold! The main stage lawn was busy all day and the twin satellite stages had Second Street packed through the last bands at 11 p.m. So to you, true Blues fans, an even bigger 'Thank You.' You really answered the call and showed that the Blues are alive and thriving in this city.

You can go here or here for local video coverage of the festival. Here's just a few pictures of last weekend's Big Muddy Blues Festival. Send your own to us (info@lacledeslanding.com) or friend Laclede's Landing on Facebook and tag us. We'll try to post more throughout the winter as we reset and prepare for next year's festival.

The calm before the chaos...

Freedom, the United States Navy's traveling Blues band kicks off the 2010 Big Muddy Blues Festival at the Anheuser-Busch main stage.

Nick Curran & The Lowlifes

Booker T sits down at his Hammond B-3 for some Green Onions.

Kim Massie & The Solid Senders celebrate Etta James and Aretha Franklin with their "Tribute to Women & Soul."

Crowds begin filling up in front of the main stage on Day 2 of Big Muddy Blues Festival

...And the crowd by nine-oh-clock Sunday night.

At the same time, Marsha Evans & the Coalition was wowing the crowd on Second Street.

Magic Slim took to the Anheuser-Busch main stage and close out BMBF 2010. Thanks Blues fans!

Kim Massie's 'Tribute to Women & Soul' Friday, Sept. 3 at The Beale on Broadway

Big Muddy Blues Festival is this weekend - Saturday, Sept. 4th and Sunday, Sept. 5th - and it should be a great festival! We have 30 amazing bands lined up here on Laclede's Landing and perfect weather is in the forecast! But the entertainment doesn't stop there -- we have three partnering shows to give you an up-close look at some of this year's BMBF performers.

On Friday, September 3rd, Kim Massie is at The Beale on Broadway (701 S. Broadway) for a sneak-peek performance of her new 'Tribute to Women & Soul" dedication, featuring the music of Aretha Franklin and Etta James. St. Louis' favorite soul diva brings her amazing voice and presence to The Beale starting at 10 p.m. Tickets are $10.00 and the her show starts at 10:00 p.m. Call (314) 621-7880 or visit www.bealeonbroadway.com for more information. Kim and the Solid Senders take to the Big Muddy Blues Festival main stage (700 N. 2nd Street) Sunday, Sept. 5th at 5:00 p.m.

Eric "Guitar" Davis - Saturday, Sept. 4 at 10pm at The Beale on Broadway

On Saturday, September 4th, Eric "Guitar" Davis has the unique honor of both opening for the legendary Booker T (of Booker T and the MGs) and following him. As part of the festival's Big Muddy After-Party series, Eric will appear at The Beale on Broadway for a 10:00 p.m. show. You can see Eric first at the Big Muddy Blues Festival main stage at 7:00 p.m., leading in to Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Booker T's headline set, then head over to The Beale for more of his high-energy Blues, Funk and R&B sounds. The show starts at 10:00p.m. Tickets are $7.00.

Roland Johnson -- Sunday, Sept. 5th from 9pm to 1am at Casino Quenn's SEVENS lounge.

Finally, our presenting sponsor Casino Queen will wrap-up the Big Muddy After-Party series with Roland Johnson & The Voodoo Blues Band at its SEVENS lounge and nightclub (200 S. Front Street). A longtime St. Louis favorite, Roland first plays a 3:00 p.m. main stage set at Big Muddy Blues Festival on Laclede's Landing, following with his free SEVENS appearance from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Casino Queen will be providing complimentary shuttle service to festival attendees throughout the weekend.

Big Muddy Blues Festival is excited to build on its long-running success by adding these special shows to its line-up. Through our partnerships with The Beale on Broadway and Casino Queen, Blues fans and music lovers will be treated to an amazing line-up this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

And remember to check our 'About' section for the full line-up and stage details.

Double-click for a full-size map.

With 30 Blues, Soul and R&B musicians playing over two days, two stages is better than one. At Big Muddy Blues Festival, we know that three stages are even better! Check out the map above for this year's stage locations. The Anheuser Busch main stage (Location B) is at 700 N. First Street at the base of the "grassy knoll." This is where you can go to see Booker T, Moreland & Arbuckle and all the best national performers. 'Location A' is at Second & Lucas  and 'Location C' is located at 2nd and Morgan. These two satellite stages will feature local and regional Blues musicians.

With all three stages going at once, music fans have a lot of options on where to go and who to listen to at Big Muddy Blues Festival. Check the full schedule in our 'About' section and plan on visiting all three stages!

• Anheuser Busch
• Lohr Distributors
• Casino Queen
• Clear 4G
• Regional Arts Commission
• Missouri Arts Council
• Captain Morgan
• Crown Royal
• St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission
• St. Louis Parking Company
• Landshire, Inc.
• Laclede’s Landing Redevelopment Corporation
• Beale on Broadway
• La*De*Da Entertainment and Events

Thanks!