DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE ON PLEASURE ISLAND
THE 22nd ANNUAL SEAFOOD BLUES & JAZZ FESTIVAL PRESENTS
DR. JOHN & THE NITE TRIPPERS AND SHEMEKIA COPELAND
Kure Beach, NC – The air is crisp, the nights are cool and the sky is blue – Welcome to
Pleasure Island in the Fall. And there is no better way to bring in Autumn than to attend the
22nd Annual Pleasure Island Seafood Blues & Jazz Festival on October 10
th & 11th. This
years’ Festival brings a beavy of unique talent to the twenty-one year history of this great
Festival. Again, we are bringing you DOUBLE HEADLINERS - International renowned artists
will headline on Saturday and Sunday.
First up is the legendary DR. JOHN & THE NITE TRIPPERS on Saturday night, October 10
th
.
With 6 Grammy Awards and a 2011 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Dr. John will
bring his unique fusion of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues and classic funk to the shores of
Pleasure Island. Best known for his hit “Right Place Wrong Time”, the gravely voiced
American singer-songwriter and pianist is known to combine blues, pop, jazz as well as
zydeco, boogie-woogie and rock & roll.
The original Dr. John was a voodoo practitioner from New Orleans (by way of Haiti) who was
known as a medicinal and spiritual healer. Malcolm John “Mac” Rebennack adopted this
persona in the early 60’s along with a Mardi Gras inspired theatrical stage show complete with
elaborate costumes and voodoo ceremonies. Dr. John has recorded with The Rolling Stones,
Ringo Starr, James Taylor, Neil Diamond, Derek Trucks and many others.
Closing out the Festival on Sunday, October 11
th
, the “Queen of the Blues” - SHEMEKIA
COPELAND will return to the Seafood Blues and Jazz Festival by popular demand following
her drop dead performance at last year’s showl. Shemekia is a two-time Grammy nominee
who has opened for The Rolling Stones, shared the stage with Buddy Guy, B. B. King and Eric
Clapton, performed at the White House and is the daughter of Texas blues guitarist and singer
Johnny Copeland. With roots in North Carolina, Harlem, Chicago and Texas, Shemekia is a
force to be reckoned with her huge, blast-furnace voice and in today’s Blues musical scene.
In support of the outstanding talent offered up by DR. JOHN & THE NITE TRIPPERS and
SHEMEKIA COPELAND, the Festival will also offer other national recording acts including:
- Opening for DR. JOHN will be KARA GRAINGER – Kara is an Australlian currently
living in LA who is an undeniably strong vocalist, fiery slide guitarist and a heartfelt
songwriter. Kara has traveled the world with her unique style and has opened for
Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal and Jonny Lang (to name a few).
- Opening for SHEMEKIA COPELAND, we are very excited to bring you the red-hot
Texas rockin’ blues of SMOKIN’ JOE KUBEK AND BNOIS KING who have been
thrilling music fans for over 20 years with their raucous roadhouse blues, fiery guitar
licks and soulful vocals. This unique duo has shared the stage with legendary artists
such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King, Freddie King and B.B. King.
In Addition to these four, there will be ten other blues and jazz groups on two stages over the
two-day festival brought to you by the Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce at the Fort
Fisher Air Force Recreation Area, along with Bryant Real Estate and Jeff Gordon Chevrolet.
The Food selection, as always, will be outstanding as well with the best of the best presenting
their culinary wares for your enjoyment. The amazing FREE Kidzone will be back with
magicians, face painting, laser tag, educational exhibits and inflatables and much more! You
can also get a little shopping in at the many and varied vendors as well as having a glass of
wine or a bottle of beer.
Tickets are just $50.00 in advance for a two-day pass or can be purchased at the door for
$60.00 for Saturday (DR. JOHN & THE NITE TRIPPERS play Saturday night) and $25.00 for
Sunday (SHEMEKIA COPELAND is the Sunday closer). Kids 12 and under are free. We ask
that you do not bring coolers or pets, but bring your chairs, towels and blankets for a Pleasure
Island style weekend. See you there!
For more information please call the Chamber at 910-458-8434 or email at
greg@pleasureislandnc.org
