Events

For 50 years, Rhode Island-born jump-blues outfit Roomful of Blues has remained the most active and well known band of its kind. Through the decades, they’ve backed many fellow blues artists that’d gotten famous before their time like Earl King, Jimmy Witherspoon, Jimmy McCracklin, Roy Brown, Joe Turner and Eddie Vinson, while expanding the blues template by sharing the stage with more contemporary rockers like Carlos Santana and the late Stevie Ray Vaughn. In 1991, Roomful of Blues backed Pat Benatar (along with BB King and members of her signature band) for True Love, an album of blues standards that introduced Benatar to a new audience. The lineup changes have been many—around 50—but founding member and alto/tenor sax player Rich Lataille is still on board, while Phil Pemberton is handling lead vocals. The Tommy Z Band will open the show on Sunday, August 12 at Buffalo Ironworks.