On September 25, notable Boston blues musicians will band together for a special benefit in honor of Joe and Wendy Dodd, owners of the popular blues venue Smoken’ Joe’s at the House of Blues, Foundation Room, in Boston.
Over the past eight years, Joe and Wendy Dodd have been dedicated to the promotion, education, and preservation of Southern culture through good down home cooking and lively entertainment. Through that mantra, they have become a cornerstone in the Blues community, giving numerous local bands the opportunity to take the stage – seven nights a week. After closing briefly last fall, Owners Joe and Wendy Dodd have continued to battle financial trouble and health woes. It has been an overwhelming burden. Smoken’ Joes, which closes on September 23, has been a bastion of local music and an embassy for Southern food and hospitality. They have spent their retirement savings and accrued a large debt to keep Smoken’ Joes open and to continue promoting the blues in Boston.
The continuous dedication to preserving the blues tradition has always been an integral component of their mission. They have showcased prominent national, international, and local performers as well as given emerging artists their first start. On September 25th, some of those musicians will come together at the House of Blues to say thank you to Wendy and Joe and to heat up the Foundation Room with some of the hottest blues in Boston. During the course of the event, there will be prizes and raffling off various memorabilia.
Featured bands include:
David Maxwell, Paul Rishell & Annie Raines, Chris Stovall Brown, The Peter Parcek Band, Chris Fitz, Eddie Scheer, Erin Harpe and the Delta Swingers, Charlie Keating Band, Bees Deluxe, Juke Joint Five, Professor Harp . . and more. The list will be updated and will be posted on the Smoken’ Joe’s facebook page as more musicians join this volunteer effort to aid Joe and Wendy Dodd who have been devoted to good food, good music and to providing a great venue for both at Smoken’ Joes. For those who cannot attend, the Boston Blues Society has very generously set-up a donation page for those who would like to contribute to the cause.
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Location: House of Blues, Foundation Room, Landsdowne Street, Boston MA 02215 Date: Thursday, September 25 Time: 5:30pm- 1am Price: $20
http://www.houseofblues.com/boston/fr
http://www.bostonblues.com/smokenjoes/
