Upcoming Events
The Thunder Bay Blues Society board of directors is proud to announce the two co-headlining bands for Blues Shakedown 2026 Saturday October 17, 2026 at the DaVinci Centre (340 Waterloo St South). Both bands are signed to Alligator Records (the worlds’ largest independent blues record label). It will truly be an evening of “Genuine Houserockin’ Music”.
Closing the evening at 9:30pm will be The Chris O’Leary Band!
Early in harmonica/vocalist Chris O’Learys’ career, his talent caught the eye of The Band’s drummer Levon Helm, who, while still recovering from throat surgery, would frequently go to O’Leary’s local gigs and sit in. Before long, Helm invited O’Leary to move to New Orleans to front his house band, The Barn Burners (which also included his talented daughter Amy Helm), at Helm’s Classic American Café. O’Leary worked five nights a week, often performing with legends including Hubert Sumlin and his hero, James Cotton.
After the club closed, O’Leary toured North America for six years with Helm and The Barn Burners, until vocal issues led him to temporarily stop performing. While recovering, he worked as a federal police officer, but his passion for music persevered, as he continued to tour and perform on his days off. He made his recording debut on Hubert Sumlin’s About Them Shoes in 2003, an album produced by The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards and including his friend and Muddy Waters’ band alumni, guitarist Bob Margolin. In 2010, encouraged by Margolin, O’Leary released his first solo album, Mr. Used To Be, earning critical acclaim and multiple awards. Four more solo albums solidified his influence in the blues world, marked by electrifying performances and a deep connection to his musical roots.
Chris O’Leary’s journey in music took a significant leap with the release of his Alligator Records debut, The Hard Line, in January 2024, and Blue Collar scheduled to be released July 10, 2026. These days, O’Leary’s name is mentioned alongside the greats of the genre, with fans filling his concerts. O’Leary has always been a monster road warrior, performing hundreds of shows a year all over the world. Outside of the U.S., he’s played in Canada, Ireland, Spain, France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, the Czech Republic and Portugal. This show will be his Thunder Bay debut.
7:30pm will feature the return to Thunder Bay of Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials after a twenty-year absence!
For nearly 40 years together, Blues Hall Of Famers Lil’ Ed Williams & The Blues Imperials have been delivering gloriously riotous, intensely emotional, wickedly playful Chicago blues to audiences around the world. Lil’ Ed – like his musical forebearers, slide guitar masters J.B. Hutto (Ed’s uncle), Elmore James and Hound Dog Taylor – is among the giants of the genre. His celebratory slide work, deep blues string bending, fervent vocals and riveting original songs, all powered by The Blues Imperials’ rock-solid, road-tested, telepathic musicianship, are as real and hard-hitting as Chicago blues gets. According to Guitar World, “The band is a snarling boogie-blues machine.”
Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials recently released their 10th Alligator Records album, and perhaps the crowning achievement of their entire career. Mixing smoking slide guitar boogies and raw-boned shuffles with the deepest soul-burners and heart-wrenching slow blues, Lil’ Ed Williams and The Blues Imperials bring it all back home, playing with an impassioned sense of wild abandon.
The group has won just about every award the blues world has to offer. In 2024, Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials were inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. We are proud to bring the band back to Thunder Bay.
BLUES SHAKEDOWN 2026 … an evening of “Genuine Houserockin’ Music” you will not want to miss!
Blues Shakedown 2026 Presale Information
The Thunder Bay Blues Society (TBBS) is thrilled to announce the return of our popular reserved table presale option for TBBS members. No need to worry if you’re running late for Blues Shakedown 2026 on Saturday, October 17. Seats at your table will be waiting for you. Food and drink will be available for purchase as soon as the doors open. Bring your appetite and dancing shoes!
The sooner you book, the greater the odds of securing your requested table.
This is an offer exclusive to TBBS members only. The presale starts 12:00 am Tuesday September 1. Not a TBBS member? Membership is very reasonable at $15/single or $20 joint membership (two people living at the same address) and can be purchased with your group reservation.
Each TBBS Member is limited to a maximum of 4 seats at a reserved table and seats are priced at $60 each (a savings of $10 per seat compared to the advance ticket price). If you have a joint membership you can purchase up to 8 seats in total.
TBBS will be taking reserved table requests for groups of all sizes up to 10 (including single seat requests) from September 1 to September 15. Please take the time to read the information below carefully.
Floor map is attached with table numbers. Tables marked with ”X” are reserved for sponsors and are unavailable. There are eight seats at each table. However, tables 17, 21 and 26 will be larger in size and will seat ten. If you are booking a table of nine or ten, at least three people in your group will need to be TBBS members. Those tables are limited in number, please book early to avoid disappointment.
IMPORTANT: To book seats at a table, email TBBS President Rob Croves at rcroves@shaw.ca no earlier than September 1 and no later than September 15. The time stamp on your email request must be no earlier than September 1. If your request is sent too early, you’ll be notified and will need to resend it within the proper time frame. Third-party email requests from non-TBBS members will not be accepted.
Please indicate:
– Group size – include four preferred table numbers in order of preference (minimum group size 2, maximum group size 10)
– A contact number to receive a text (in case the tables you requested are unavailable); otherwise, that notification will be sent via email
Single seat requests will be randomly assigned to tables with groups of 3, 5, 7 or 9.
All requests will be contacted back in order of receipt. Confirmation of your email request will be received within 12 hours. Your confirmation email will include instructions for payment and the table number held for your pending payment. Payment must be by e-transfer (preferred) or cash. No cheques or credit cards are accepted. Reservation is not final until payment is received (no holds over 48 hours).
When paying by e-transfer, please do not pay until you receive your table confirmation email with the correct ticket payment e-transfer address. It is set up for auto deposit.
Fine print: All sales are final (no refunds unless the entire event is cancelled due to uncontrollable circumstances). You are responsible for all tickets for your group.
Any unsold tables after September 15 will be designated as ”General Admission Tables”. $70 General Admission Advance Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday September 25 at locations to be announced at a later date.
Questions or need clarification on something? Contact TBBS President Rob Croves at rcroves@shaw.ca
We look forward to seeing you at Blues Shakedown 2026 … an evening of “Genuine Houserockin’ Music”.
2026 EVENTS
The Thunder Bay Blues Society (TBBS) is pleased to announce the dates of our upcoming events for 2026.
As with all our shows, TBBS members will receive first notice of the artists performing on the listed dates.
Thank you to all blues fans for your support during 2025…we look forward to seeing you out at our 2026 shows!