The Blues Café was initially put together by Tom Schlief, one of the original and long-time organizers of the Big Bull Falls Blues Festival. Uncle “Daddy” Marcus Nickel was the emcee of the event, originally designed to raise funds for the Marathon County Historical Society.
The event ran for a couple of years and then disappeared. When the Great Northern Blues Society was formed in 1998, reviving the Blues Café was discussed as a way to raise money. It took a couple of years of planning to put on an event of its size, with the first “reincarnated” Café being held at Marathon Park’s Youth Building in 2000. (Now known as East Gate Hall.)
The event took place there until 2008, when it was moved to the Stoney Creek Inn. The Blues Café came full circle in 2010 and moved back where it started in 1993 – the historical Rothschild Pavilion.
If you, or anyone you know, has photos from the event at the Youth Building or Stoney Creek, we’d love it if you’d share them with us. Send us your prints to P.O. Box 2276 • Wausau WI 54402-2276 so we can scan and get them back to you quickly.
GNBS Blues Café Lineups:
2025: (25th Anniversary Show)
Friday Night
Mojo & Friends
Blues Cafe All-Stars – Hosted by the Jay Edward Band
Saturday
*Acoustic Sets – Howard “Guitar” Luedtke
Dirty Red & The Soul Shakers
Brandon Santini Band
The Avey Grouws Band
The Altered Five Blues Band
2024: 
Friday Night
Kyle Renfro Band
Big Mouth & the Power Tool Horns
Saturday
*Acoustic Sets – Reverend Meantooth
Stefan Geisinger Band
Chris O’Leary Band
Joyann Parker Band
The Cash Box Kings
Dylan Salfer Band
2023:
Friday Night
Tommy Bentz Band
The Peoples Brothers Band
Saturday
*Acoustic Sets – Andy Zynda
Alex Wilson with Big Al Dorn
The Avey Grouws Band
The Stephen Hull Experience
Vanessa Collier
Nick Moss Band with Dennis Gruenling
2022:
Friday Night
Harrison Street Band
Hip Pocket Band
Saturday
*Acoustic Sets – Michael Murphy
The Blues Disciples
Ivy Ford Band
Hector Anchondo
The Jimmys
The Altered Five Blues Band
2021: – Show Canceled by Coronavirus Pandemic
2020: (The Coronavirus Year)
Friday Night
Soul Symmetry – Canceled and replaced by Bobby Blues Tortured Soul
Aaron Williams & the Hoo Doo
Saturday
*Acoustic Sets – Sam Ness
Boom Boom Stevie V. & the Knockouts
The Bel Airs
Vanessa Collier – Canceled due to “Virus”
John Nemeth Band – Extended set to 2 hours
Ana Popovic – Extended set to 2 hours
2019: (20th Anniversary Show)
Friday Night
Howard “Guitar” Luedtke
Reverend Raven & the Chain-Smokin’ Altar Boys
Saturday
*Acoustic Sets – Macyn Taylor
The Mark Cameron Band
The Ivy Ford Band
The Cash Box Kings
The Danielle Nicole Band
Ronnie Baker Brooks
2018:
*Acoustic Sets – Cathy Grier
Big N’ Tasty
Norman Jackson Band
Southern Avenue
Victor Wainwright & the Train
Jeremiah Johnson Band
2017:
*Acoustic sets – Bing Futch
Joyann Parker Band
Jimmy Nick & Don’t Tell Mama
Ghost Town Blues Band
Brandon Santini
Becky Barksdale
2016:
*Acoustic sets – Dan Phelps
Aaron Williams & The Hoo Doo
Left Lane Cruiser
Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers
Lionel Young Band
Albert Cummings
2015:
*Acoustic Sets – Duck Shack Dave
Left Wing Bourbon
Crankshaft & The Gear Grinders
Bobby Messano
Chris O’Leary Band
Samantha Fish
2014:
*Acoustic Sets – Lonesome Dan Kase
Howard Guitar Luedtke & Blue Max
Altered Five
Rusty Wright Band
Shaun Murphy
Joe Louis Walker
2013:
*Acoustic Sets – Robert “One-Man” Johnson
Donnie Pick & The Road Band
Kilborn Alley Blues Band
Grady Champion
Sena Ehrhardt (Booked after Magic Slim Died)
Corey Stevens
2012: (March 31)
*Acoustic Sets – Bryan Anderson
Donnie Pick & The Road Band
Jumpship Blues Band
Howard & The White Boys
Albert Castiglia
Chris Duarte
2011:
*Acoustic sets – Lonesome Dan Kase
Jumpship Blues Band
Tallan Noble Latz
Red, White, and Blues Band
Joanne Shaw Taylor
Tinsley Ellis
2010: (March 27)
Red, White, and Blues Band
Meantooth Grin
Insomniacs
Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials
Shane Dwight
2009:
(March 28)
Mean Tooth Grin
Aaron Williams & The Hoo Doo
Charles Walker
Studebaker John & The Hawks
Walter Trout
2008: (March 22)
Geneva Red
Deep Water
Anthony Gomes (Ride Em’ Cowboy)
2007: (March 17)
Deep Water Reunion
Otis & the Alligators
Howard “Guitar” Luedtke & Blue Max
Janiva Magness
Debbie Davies
2006: (March 18)
Howard “Guitar” Luedtke
Bryan Lee
Studebaker John & the Hawks
Alvin Youngblood Hart
2005: (March 19th)
Sweet Tea
Shirley Johnson
Chicago Rhythm & Blues Kings
Jimmy Johnson
2004: (March 20)
Michael Murphy & The Mob
Rev. Raven & The Chain-Smokin’ Altar Boys
The Bill Perry Band
Magic Slim & The Teardrops
2003: (March 22)
The Blue Shadows
Howard “Guitar” Luedtke & Blue Max
Otis & The Alligators
Scott Holt
2002: N/A – no show on record.
2001: (October 20)
Jr. G & the Hellhounds
Dave Steffen Band
Catfish Stephenson Band
Willie Kent & the Gents
2001: (March 31)
Soul to Soul
Joe Moss Band
The Milwaukee Slim Blues Band
Melvin Taylor & the Slack Band
2000: (March 18th)
Blue Shadows
Juliano Bailey and the Gems
A.C. Reed & The Spark Plugs
Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials