Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials - album pre-release party!
Watermelon Slim
Nick Moss

Genre: Blues

Click on the pictures for more info on these bands.

             

Alligator recording artists Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials are celebrating the release of their new album, FULL TILT (release August 26). Chicago slide guitar master Lil' Ed Williams and his blistering, road-tested band, The Blues Imperials - guitarist Mike Garrett, bassist James "Pookie" Young and drummer Kelly Littleton - are celebrating an amazing 20 years together. The new CD (and the band's seventh Alligator release) FULL TILT is simply the rawest, truest, most electrifying blues being made today.  FULL TILT captures all of Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials' legendary live energy on disc. From foot-stomping boogies to emotionally charged slow blues to rocked out celebrations.  The addition of horn players Eddie McKinley and David Basinger and pianist/organist Johnny Iguana on a few songs add even more punch and power to the proceedings. Lil' Ed boasts a direct bloodline to blues history-his uncle and musical mentor was the great Chicago slide guitarist, songwriter and recording artist J.B. Hutto.
According to The Chicago Tribune, "Williams represents one of the few remaining authentic links to the raucous, pure Chicago blues."  Live, Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials simply can't be beat as Ed breaks out the deepest back-bends, the highest toe-walks, and the most authentic electric slide-guitar blues being played today.  Adding to the legend is Ed's storybook rise, taking him from working in a car wash to entertaining thousands of fans all over the world.
In 2006 he made multiple appearances on Late Night With Conan O'Brien (including a hilarious film with Lil' Ed teaching Conan how to play the blues) culminating with Lil' Ed on stage jamming with O'Brien in front of a television audience in the millions.  

The Washington Post describes Williams' music as "contagious wildness."

The Philadelphia Inquirer expresses it as "raucous and hugely entertaining."

But no matter how you describe it, Lil' Ed's seriously inspired music will take you on a fast trip from your chair to your feet. Now, with FULL TILT and a schedule that will take the band on another non-stop tour across the country and across the ocean, Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials will continue to rip, roar, rock, roll, bend and fully tilt into the hearts, minds, souls and dancing shoes of Ed Heads all around the world.

"The world's #1 houserocking blues band." -The Boston Globe

Thursday August 7
Doors: 7 PM
Showtime 8:30 PM
Tickets: $22
Ages: 18+ to enter. VALID ID required