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Blues legend Joe Louis Walker to headline Scranton Cultural Center’s festival

Guitarmageddon

King Solomon Hicks will be returning to this year’s blues festival in Scranton.

SCRANTON — The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple announced its 6th Annual Winter Blues Guitarmageddon set for Feb. 25 and continue as a one-night Blues festival featuring an eclectic mix of local, regional, national, and international touring artists. Grammy-nominated, six-time Blues Music Award Winner and Blues Hall of Fame Inductee, Joe Louis Walker is confirmed to headline.

“We are beyond excited to be back this year as a one-night mini-fest, with plans of expanding to a weekend event in 2023,” says organizer Maria Santomauro. “The last two years were challenging, but we are grateful to be back presenting live music to the greater Northeastern Pennsylvania regions again!”

Boasting a career that spans over 50 years, Headliner Joe Louis Walker is regarded by NPR as a “legendary boundary pushing icon of modern blues” and is a true guitar powerhouse with distinctive vocals. He has toured the world’s most renowned music festivals sharing the stage with Muddy Waters, Thelonious Monk, Ronnie Woods, John Lee Hooker, Willie Dixon, Charlie Musselwhite and John Mayall, to name a few.

In addition to his own 25 albums, Walker has played on Grammy-winning records by B.B. King and James Cotton and collaborated with a diverse group of first-rate artists including Branford Marsalis, Tower of Power, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, and Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown.

His latest album “Electric Electric,” features a diverse mix of blues-stomping and horn-powered originals as well as a few out of the ordinary covers, like “Werewolves of London” (Warren Zevon) and “Hotel California” (The Eagles).

Dustin Douglas and the Electric Gentlemen are slated to perform at the annual Winter Blues Guitarmageddon in February.

Adding to the lineup is King Solomon Hicks, who returns by popular demand, after his debut in Scranton at Winter Blues Guitarmageddon: Next Generation in February 2020. At that time, he was just releasing his latest work, “Harlem” which was awarded Best Emerging Artist Album at the Blues Music Awards. The album was produced by three-time Grammy Winner, Kirk Yano, who has worked with Miles Davis, Public Enemy, Mariah Carey and more.

Rounding out the lineup are local blues rock power trio Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen and the soulful, Philadelphia-based Deb Callahan Duo featuring Allen James.

The concert will take place in the Scranton Cultural Center’s Grand Ballroom at 7 p.m. with the doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Seating is reserved and tickets range from $40-50 in advance and $45-55 day of show. They can be purchased at the Fidelity Bank Box Office at the SCC in person or by calling (570) 344-1111, or via Ticketmaster.

The 6th Annual Winter Blues Guitarmageddon is sponsored by UGI Utilities, Inc. and LT Verrastro. It is supported by Lackawanna County and the PA Council on the Arts.

Masks are required for all patrons, regardless of vaccination status. They can be removed for eating or drinking in the designated area, which will be located on the Lower Level. For additional information about the SCC’s current COVID-19 Mitigation Policies, visit SCCMT.org/COVID.

For additional information and a full schedule of events, visit SCCMT.org.

The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple’s 2021-2022 Season is sponsored by Fidelity Bank and LT Verrastro and supported by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the Lackawanna County Office of Arts and Culture, and Commissioners Jerry Notarianni, Debi Dominick, Esq. and Chris Chermak. A special thank you to its media partners: Access NEPA, Allied Services, Audacy, Citizens’ Voice, Lamar Advertising, MAC Signs, The Times-Tribune, Times Shamrock Communications and Eyewitness News — WBRE/WYOU — pahomepage.com.

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