Friday – 3/13/26

6:30PM – Birddog Blues Band

The Birddog Blues Band is a group of Midwest musicians, primarily from Wisconsin, known for their blend of blues, rock, R&B, and soul. The band features award-winning musicians including Mel Ford on guitar and vocals, Tom McCarty on bass and vocals, Ken Olufs on harmonica and vocals, and Joel Brantmeier on drums. They play an eclectic mix of ‘dance-inspiring’ Blues, Rock, R&B and Soul.

8:30PM – The Blue Notes – featuring Jay Stulo

Jay Stulo has been playing, fronting, and leading blues bands since the late 1980’s. He has toured the nation several times and released 5 CD’s. Jay first picked up guitar at the age of 14, learning some basic chords from his father, a early rock-a-billy guitarist. He joined his first working bar band Gypsy Rose at the age of 17.

Jay hit the road early with blues legend Luther Allison, then later with James Solberg. Jay co-founded The Mighty Aces in 1996 and toured full-time for a decade leading the The Jay Stulo Band. After taking some time away from music in 2006, Jay picked up his guitar returned to the stage in 2016. It did not take long to get back on top of his game, first as part of the West Coast style Jay Edward Band and now leading an all new Blue Notes – featuring Jay Stulo Band.

Influenced by multiple genres, Jay is not a traditional blues artist by any means, and this is not your grandfather’s blues — versatile, high energy guitar pyrotechnics, rock-tinged hooks, and gut-bucket vocals make for a show to remember.

The Blue Notes featuring Jay Stulo deliver an uptown blues sound that’s equal parts grit, groove, and sophistication. Rooted in deep blues traditions but driven by a love of danceable R&B and old-school funk, the band brings a horn-fueled, high-energy show that moves effortlessly from smoky blues to pocket-tight grooves.

Fronted by guitarist and vocalist Jay Stulo, The Blue Notes blend soulful vocals, expressive guitar work, and a powerful rhythm section with a bold horn line that gives the band its unmistakable punch. Their sound nods to classic urban blues clubs, late-night funk, and vintage R&B dance floors — music meant to be felt as much as heard.

Saturday – 3/14/26

2:00 PM – Big Al Dorn & the Blues Howlers

“Big” Al Dorn brings an original, authentic raw blues sound with a nod towards West-Coast Swing and Mississippi Hill Country Blues to go along with it. Smokin’ Hot Grooves coupled together with powerful harmonica and stinging guitar. He plays original tunes and classic covers by John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, RL Burnside, The Chicago and West-Coast Harp Legends. This hard working, rising young star is a force to be reckoned with and a definite “Must See”!!

 Born and raised on the Eastside of Milwaukee, Al began his career busking on street corners for pocket change until a chance encounter with local Blues Artist Reverend Raven catapulted him into local stardom. Through the Reverend, this astonishing young star has toured with and opened for some of the biggest names in the Midwest such as Lil’ Ed Williams, & Charlie Love.

“Big” Al Dorn is a true professional, honoring his influences and keeping the legacies alive, all while remaining original in his approach to music.

4:00 PM – Leilani Kilgore Band

A Nashville transplant hailing from the West Coast, Leilani Kilgore serves aggressive hard-hitting rock with a touch of meaningful blues and fearlessly honest emotional expression. Over the years, I have studied under accomplished and skilled musicians that have helped me achieve multi-genre experience as a guitarist/singer, including attending Berklee College of Music as a scholarship student. Now a regular performer in Southern California, both as a soloist and band leader, I continue to work as a professional musician and make a name for myself in the blues and rock genre. I am continuously inspired by musicians such as Jack White, Joe Bonamassa, Robben Ford, Gino Matteo, Chris Cain, Tom Waits, Son House, Jimmy Page, John Hiatt, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, John Scofield, B.B. King, Beth Hart, Etta James, Albert King, and others.

6:00 PM – The Stephen Hull Experience

The Stephen Hull Experience gives the blues community exciting evidence that the future of music is in good hands. Born in 1999, a native of Racine, Wisconsin, Stephen Hull started playing blues at age 14 and never stopped, taking cues from Albert King and B.B. King as he developed his sweet, soulful guitar sound.

Balancing that with his absolutely stellar lead vocals and infectiously buoyant personality, Stephen has been rising fast in the blues clubs of Chicago and venues across southeastern Wisconsin. Appearing  in blues magazines such as Living Blues (U.S.) and Blues & Rhythm: The Gospel Truth (UK), Stephen has been interviewed by a myriad of media including Lake Effect (broadcast on Milwaukee’s NPR). From the Chicago Blues Fest to the Mississippi Valley Blues Fest, The Stephen Hull Experience is making headlines.

8:00 PM – The D.K. Harrell Band – Louisiana’s New Bluesman

Guitarist, vocalist and songwriter D.K. Harrell, one of the most formidable young stars of the current blues resurgence, sounds like no one else on the scene today. With his stinging, single-note string bending, deep soul vocals, and attention-grabbing original songs, the 27-year-old Harrell — a major draw at blues festivals around the world — is already in a league of his own. 

Now, with his Alligator Records debut album, Talkin’ Heavy, D.K. Harrell cements his place among the leading voices of the new generation of blues players. This Blues Music Award-winning guitarist with a soul man’s voice and a well-earned reputation as a mesmerizing live performer delivers fresh, emotion-packed blues informed by the tradition he loves and played with the foot-pounding fervor of a revival tent preacher.

Talkin’ Heavy continually surprises with twelve instantly memorable original songs filled with Harrell’s biting guitar work and authoritative, church-born vocals. Produced by studio wizard and musician Christoffer “Kid” Andersen and recorded at Andersen’s now-famous Greaseland Studio, the album shows Harrell as a generational guitar talent with a wide-eyed vision and a street-smart singing style bringing life to the timeless songs he’s writing. He goes deep on the title track, taking a hard look at his surroundings before declaring, “the world is just heavy with the blues.” From blazing album opener A Little Taste to the proudly taking-care-of-business Grown Now to the feel-good groove of Vibe With Meto the foot-stomping closer Praise These Blues, Talkin’ Heavy is an affirmation of the sheer power of modern blues. 

D.K. Harrell was born D’Kieran Harrell in Ruston, Louisiana in 1998. He first heard B.B. King at age two and responded by singing along. He sang in his church choir as a boy while continuing to be drawn to the blues. Films like The Blues Brothers, Cadillac Records and Raymade him eager to sing and play. He received his first guitar at 12, and by 16 was writing his own songs. Initially inspired by B.B. King, the youthful Harrell spent hours studying every video of King he could find, learning not just King’s licks but ultimately his tone, his finesse, his stage craft, and his band leadership skills. Harrell’s first paying gig was as an invited guest to the B.B. King Symposium in Indianola, Mississippi — where he played The Thrill Is Gone on King’s iconic guitar, Lucille — backed by members of King’s touring band. 

In 2022 Harrell won the B.B. King Of The Blues Award for Preserving Traditional Blues Heritage from the Jus’ Blues Music Foundation. In addition to B.B. King, Harrell fell under the spell of blues masters including Albert King, Freddie King, Elmore James, Muddy Waters and others, and made their styles part of his musical vocabulary. His debut album, The Right Man, was released on the Little Village label in 2023 to rave reviews and wildly excited fans. Rock & Blues Muse said, “D.K. Harrell raises every roof in town…he’s a phenomenon coming across like a lifetime blues master…an outstanding singer and guitarist with a big-league presence. Amazing . . . he’s an absolute beast.” His massive, immediate success led him to win the prestigious Blues Music Award for Best Emerging Artist from The Blues Foundation.

Harrell has toured the U.S. and Europe multiple times, astonishing audiences everywhere he plays. People all over the world can’t get enough of D.K. Harrell’s high-energy and always unpredictable live shows. In 2024 alone he performed across the U.S. and Canada, and toured all over the European continent, with shows in Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, France, Belgium, Spain and Norway. Blues Blast called him, “The fastest-rising talent in the blues today . . . his stinging, single-note runs hit like a hurricane. His rich tenor swings like a pendulum. A new star is born.”

Joining Alligator is a thrill for Harrell. “I’m a huge Hound Dog Taylor and Koko Taylor fan,” he says. “When I was a kid maybe 15 or 16, before I really knew how to play, I sent Bruce (Iglauer, Alligator Records president and founder) some videos that were not very good. He got back to me with all kinds of encouragement, telling me to keep at it.”

Now, with Talkin’ Heavy, D.K. Harrell is ready to bring his new music directly to his fans and to his peers. He already has more than 20 festivals booked for 2025 and that number continues to swell. Using his expansive blues lexicon to create his own inimitable sound, Harrell is forging his own path with every performance he gives. As he explains, “The past gives a blueprint that you can add yourself to. I keep progressing by keeping all the genres in the mold. And I keep exposing my music to younger folks everywhere I go. I am hell-bent on crossing the blues over to a new generation of fans.” With a future as limitless as his talent, D.K. Harrell will be welcoming new fans to his music for generations to come.  

Acoustic Act in between mainstage bands – Alexander Craig Larson