Being the Capital of the Blues, Chicago appropriately has a Blues Society. The Windy City Blues Society (WCBS) is the premier Blues Society for Chicago. It seems like yesterday I was writing about it’s inception and they are already celebrating their 10th anniversary as a non-profit organization and public charity.
"Windy City Blues Society is the premier Blues Society for Chicago"
The WCBS is our local affiliate of The Blues Foundation and one of the 200+ Blues Foundation Affiliates. The WCBS sponsors the local preliminaries in the Chicago Blues Challenge. The winners of the local Challenge go onto represent Chicago in the Foundation’s International Blues Challenge (IBC). Next year’s 2020 IBC will be the 36th Annual and will be from January 28 – February 1 in Memphis.
Through the hard work of Dave Madlener and dedicated volunteers, the WCBS has grown to where they host their own Blues Fest separate from the great Chicago Blues Fest. Certainly if any town could have more than one Blues Festival, it is Chicago. The Windy City Blues Fest in 2019 will be on September 8th at Cermak Woods in Lyons, IL.
"If any city can have more than one Blues Fest, it is Chicago."
The Windy City Blues Society also has an annual presence at the Chicago Blues Festival, and will be there again for this year’s 36th annual Chicago Blues Festival.
Stop by their booth which will be in NW corner of Millennium Park where they have a great view of the Front Porch Stage.
Membership is a modest $20 for an individual membership. There is a senior/student membership for $15 which I can take advantage of and I am not a student. There is a Lifetime Membership available. Doing the math this would not seem to be a great deal for me, but remember it is a worthwhile charity.
The WCBS website mentions perks to membership, but I joined because I love the Blues, I love Chicago Blues and I am very very cool. You should be cool too.
You do not have to be from Chicago to enjoy membership so please consider joining and even advertising on their website. Chicago Blues Beat is for the Whole Wide World, so it would be great to get new Windy City Blues Society members from the distant suburbs of Chicago like the UK, Latvia, Israel, Italy and many other Chicago suburbs.
Stay in touch blues fans and if you do decide to join WCBS, please let us know. If a dozen fans from outside the US join Windy City Blues Society before the Chicago Blues Fest closes, Chicago Blues Beat will have a drawing for this year’s Chicago Blues Fest Commemorative Shirt (shown below).
