Clarksdale welcomes people who travel from all over the world to the Mississippi Delta, the birthplace of the blues.  Our downtown has a rich tapestry of venues where you can hear the blues live -- all 365 nights a year.

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To keep our community safe -- and the blues alive -- as people stopped traveling, we created...

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Live From Clarksdale  

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The last "normal" live music was in Hambone Art Gallery, where tourists and locals mingle with live blues (yes, on a small stage next to a small bar -- inside an art gallery) every Tuesday.  It didn't feel normal.

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The next night, Red's closed.  For the first Wednesday in years.  But Lucious Spiller doesn't miss a gig.  He took the party online -- becoming one of the first musicians to stream in the pandemic.

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We worked with him, then every other musician in Clarksdale, and eventually every venue in Clarksdale, to keep the blues alive every. single. night.

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For over a year.

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We wound up streaming for over 400* nights in a row.  The music never died in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

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Read highlights of our journey here, and follow @LiveFromClarksdale on Facebook and Instagram or join our spam-free mailing list for updates.

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*With one sad exception when Ben died and another for Blackout Tuesday.

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Now that we're finally back to "live blues -- all 7 nights a week" in person, Live From Clarksdale continues to broadcast highlights for our friends across the world.  It's a virtual community that interacts with the musicians and each other live on Facebook.

 

As each show is scheduled, we'll keep this calendar updated with where to find them.  Big thanks to the Visit Clarksdale team for sponsoring this project and supporting musicians in our town.

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Thanks to your online tips and Visit Clarksdale's support, we've kept over 55 musicians working.  Not a single one of Clarksdale's core musicians left during the pandemic.  In fact, a couple more have now moved here.

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Thanks to them -- and you -- the blues never died in Clarksdale, Mississippi.

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It's a new kind of virtual travel adventure we're embarking upon together.  Buckle up and join us!

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Current Schedule

All Clarksdale-times: CDT

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Links are also updated on our page at www.LiveFromClarksdale.org

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Saturday 8/6

• 8pm Marquise! Knox! is finally coming to Clarksdale: he'll be at Ground Zero Blues Club in Biloxi on Friday, and here on Saturday.  Tune in with us online or get! your! tickets! now :)

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Friday 8/12

• 5-7pm Open house happy hour at our Shared Experiences HQ, 121 Delta Ave.  All are welcome to join us in raising a glass to the Sunflower Festival.

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Saturday 8/20: A Day in the Life of Clarksdale

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Watermelon Slim AND 19th Street Red AND the Stone Gas Band AND Bill Abel AND Edna Nicole AND Muddy Alexander all in a single day...  What is this new festival?!

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It's just another day in Clarksdale!  We mean it when we say we have "live blues ALL 365 nights a year"... and not just in one venue, but 4 or 5 or 6.  THIS is why you don't need to wait for the next festival to visit Clarksdale!

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Experience blues bar-hopping and juking with us ALL day at Facebook.com/LiveFromClarksdale   We'll go live at the top of each hour (promptly as possible but please have patience for real Delta bluesmen on Delta Time!) for:

• 10am  Watermelon Slim at the Bluesberry Cafe​

• 11am  Randy "19th Street Red" Cohen at Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art

• 3pm  Our first Shared Experiences: Farm Tour kicks off with Howard Stovall and local farmers giving a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the Mississippi Delta's world-class ag operations  (in person at 6499 Oakhurst Stovall Road; book online for $5! www.SharedExperiencesUSA.com/farmtours )

• 4pm  Stone Gas Band at Stovall Store

• 8pm  Bill Abel at the Shack Up Inn

• 9pm  Muddy Alexander with Edna Nicole at Ground Zero Blues Club

• ...and if we're lucky, another stop or two elsewhere along the way ;)

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Saturday 8/27

• 8pm Fonky Donkey -- the full Fonky Donkey 6-piece band including sax! -- plays the "Juke Chapel" at the Shack Up Inn.  Tune in to their Facebook page for the first set, or come party with them all night at the Shacks.​

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Saturday 9/3  (Labor Day Weekend!)

• Red's Old-Timers Festival! starts with 95yo Cadillac John and Bill Abel at noon.​  Lucious Spiller will broadcast his set live -- he's almost 60!  Tune in and wish him HBD.

• UPDATE:  Lucious' set is around 7:00pm, and can be found on his FB page:  www.facebook.com/ImNoFool1

 

Thursday 9/8

• 8pm Anthony "Big A" Sherrod hosts Ground Zero Blues Club's Thursday jam night.  We'll broadcast Big A's first set on the GZBC Facebook page.  Come on down in person -- and BYO instrument to join him on the next set!  Yes, YOU can be onstage in this "ground zero" for the blues.  With none other than Big A this week... and always someone great, every Wednesday and Thursday.

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​Saturday 9/24:  Mighty Roots Music Festival

• 10:20pm Cam Cole brings his one-man band to Stovall's late-night stage.  Come join the party online at Facebook.com/LiveFromClarksdale  Or get tix to be here in person all weekend: www.mightyrootsmusicfestival.com

 

Friday 9/30

• 8pm Lala Craig's birthday bash at Ground Zero is open to the public -- and online!  Come celebrate Lala with us, either in person or on our Facebook page.

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Sunday 10/9: Pinetop Perkins Festival

• 6pm  Pro-Am Showcase, including Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Bob Stroger, Bob Margolin & Pinetop students will be live at Hopson and on our FB page.

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Friday 10/14: Tennessee Williams Festival

• 2pm  Curtis Wilkie & Ralph Eubanks in conversation about the civil rights movement in Clarksdale and beyond, streamed live from the Cutrer mansion and on our FB page.

• 4:30pm Coahoma Community College Choir quartet will be streamed live during the festival kickoff on our Facebook page.

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Friday 10/14: Deep Blues Festival

• 8pm Buffalo Nichols in Clarksdale for the first time at the Deep Blues Festival.  Come see him live at the New Roxy or on our Facebook page.

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Saturday 10/29: Hambone Festival

• 2pm Pat Moss brings the blues from Oklahoma to Clarksdale for the Hambone Festival.  The afternoon is free! both at Hambone and on our Facebook page.

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Monday 10/31: Halloween at Bluesberry

• 8pm Mississippi Marshall, Stan Street & Reverend Robert will be live for the Halloween costume party at the Bluesberry Cafe -- come join the fun on Bluesberry's Facebook page.

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Sunday 11/6

• 2pm Libby​ Rae Watson & Bill Steber celebrate our new Shared Experiences HQ!  With special guest appearances by our friends Vic Barbieri, Alan Cohen, Henri & Charlie Musselwhite, Carol & Gary Vincent, Alison with Sweet Brown Sugar food truck and more! :)  All on Facebook.com/LiveFromClarksdale

• THANKS to Heartland Forward & the Builders+Backers program for supporting this pop-up!

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Sunday 11/13

• 3pm Edna Nicole Luckett & Muddy Alexander host a Family Jam at our new HQ!  (UPDATE: it was sooo sweet!  Definitely worth a replay if you missed it live.)  Also on Facebook.com/LiveFromClarksdale with a cameo by Alison and Sweet Brown Sugar, and extra thanks to Heartland Forward & the Builders+Backers.

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Tuesday 11/15

• 8pm Mississippi Marshall live at the "Hopeless Case Bar" inside Hambone Art Gallery -- and on his Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/MississippiMarshall  ...And you can now go to www.MississippiMarshall.com for his merch and full calendar!

• This'll be our last livestream before Thanksgiving -- be safe and have a wonderful holiday with your nearest and dearest.  We'll stream live again after the holiday -- but live blues continues in person all 365 days a year (including Thanksgiving) in Clarksdale. Check it out at CatHead.biz/music-calendar and come visit if you just can't wait for the next show ;)

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Sunday 12/4

• 10:30am Watermelon Slim's last show #LiveFromClarksdale before his shoulder surgery -- pop in and say hi!  We'll be eating French toast at the Bluesberry Cafe, and online at www.Facebook.com/BluesberryCafe

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Friday 12/9

• 10:30pm Christone "Kingfish" Ingram returns to Ground Zero Blues Club.  Join us at www.facebook.com/GroundZeroBluesClub

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Saturday 12/10

• 8pm Anthony "Big A" Sherrod is "drumming up funds" for the Clarksdale Care Station in honor of Ground Zero's co-founder Bill Luckett.  The Care Station does incredible work feeding and supporting the community here; we can't wait to support them!  We'll stream the first set live on our or Ground Zero's FB page.

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Saturday 12/17

• 9pm Christone "Kingfish" Ingram's Homecoming at Red's Juke Joint will be streamed live for our friends around the world on our page at Facebook.com/LiveFromClarksdale

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Saturday 12/31 - Happy New Year's Eve!

• 10ish Anthony "Big A" Sherrod will be streamed live from Ground Zero Blues Club's New Year's Eve party!  Then...

• 11ish Superchikan & the Fighting Cocks return to the stage for a few songs.  Join us online, or come on down to join the midnight countdown!  You'll get to see Miss T, Morgan & the whole gang, whichever time zone you're in.  Both streams are on Ground Zero's page at www.facebook.com/GroundZeroBluesClub​​

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Saturday 1/12

• 8:30pm Ghalia Volt returns to the Shack Up Inn at Facebook.com/LiveFromClarksdale

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Monday 1/16

• 7pm Nestor Pardo esta aqui de Espana at the Bluesberry Cafe: drop in to say bienvenidos at Facebook.com/LiveFromClarksdale

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Clarksdale Film & Music Festival

• 1/27-29 features films and live blues daily!  Join us for 5pm receptions Saturday & Sunday with Big A Sherrod and Terry "Harmonica" Bean, or come all Sunday afternoon to hear Libby Rae Watson, Lady Australia Jones Neal, Sean "Bad" Apple & Lucious Spiller.​

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Friday 2/3

• 8pm Frank Sultana is hot off his win at the International Blues Challenge -- and playing at Levon's in Clarksdale!  Levon's and Frank both have Australian roots, and we're thrilled to host him here.  Dinner is served earlier, and music will start at 7:30p.  We'll share it live around the world on www.Facebook.com/LiveFromClarksdale at 8pm our time, 1pm Sydney-time.

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Friday 2/10

• 8pm Johnie B. & Queen Iretta Sanders return to Ground Zero Blues Club, where we've got the first set live (say hi to Abryia, working her first show #LiveFromClarksdale) on www.Facebook.com/LiveFromClarksdale.

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Saturday 2/25

• 4-8pm Lady Trucker's CD release party is at Hambone Art Gallery -- we're so proud!  Come buy a CD and celebrate with her and so! many! of the 'Womens in Blues.'

• 9:30pm Kent Burnside will stream his second set live at www.Facebook.com/GroundZeroBluesClub with perhaps a cameo from Lady Trucker.  He's coming from celebrating Chris Johnson's 60th Birthday at the Den (happy birthday Chris!!) on Friday, and she'll be coming straight from her CD release party.  Stop by to celebrate with them in person, or join us online on Saturday 9:30!

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Wednesday 3/1

• 7pm The Black Legacy Project is doing incredible work here with Music in Common.  Join the final night onstage at Coahoma Community College, with original music from Keith Johnson, Edna Luckett, Alice Hasen & Tricia Walker and a performance from the CCC Choir.  Update: the team will not stream this live (you can catch it published on their YouTube channel later; follow them to find out when).  So you have to come Visit Clarksdale to experience it in person!  It's free, and the after-party is jamming at Red's.​

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Friday 3/3

• 10pm Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band will livestream the first 30mins of their set at www.Facebook.com/GroundZeroBluesClub -- it's only the SECOND stop on their Spring tour, their first time playing here outside the Juke Joint Festival, and about to be a BIG. damn. show.

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Saturday 3/4

• 8pm LaLa Craig's All Women's Blues Revue kicks off Women's History Month at www.Facebook.com/GroundZeroBluesClub  and we're HERE for it.  She'll be tearing it up with Jacqueline "Jaxx Nassar," Chiemi on bass, and Jamiesa Turner on drums.

• Note that Ground Zero features FOUR badass women in the month of March (and we're about to feature a dozen onstage at the second annual Women in Blues festival: mark your calendar for the weekend of May 20...).  Find the full calendar at www.GroundZeroBluesClub.com​

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Friday 3/10

• 8pm Django Knight plays #LiveFromClarksdale for the first time!  We'll be at Ground Zero and if you haven't seen+heard his guitar in action yet, come join us to experience this new force of blues.​

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Saturday 3/18

• 3-6pm Jimbo Mathus in Residence at Shared Experiences' Clarksdale HQ starts...NOW.  Visit Clarksdale to come welcome him Delta-style, and join us for his big unboxing event.

• 5pm Jimbo plays & streams live at www.Facebook.com/LiveFromClarksdale  Curious to see what it's all about?  You can join us online for a few songs -- but we strongly encourage you to #getaroom to join the hands-on experience all weekend long ;)​

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Thursday 3/30

• 7pm Jimbo Mathus is at the GRAMMY Museum Mississippi for a special night of Words & Music.  It's only in person! so grab tickets at https://www.grammymuseumms.org/events

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Friday 3/31

• 6pm  Share an Experience with us and Jimbo ​barhopping through a very happy hour in downtown Clarksdale.  We'll give our online friends a sampling of Clarksdale's bars, restaurants, venues & everything in between!  Live at: www.Facebook.com/LiveFromClarksdale

 

Saturday 4/1

• 3pm Jimbo Mathus in Helena, Arkansas at Delta Dirt Distillery

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Visit Clarksdale to experience live blues nightly (check the Cat Head calendar), and

book a Shared Experience including Deak Harp's Blues Experience and our Black History Experience,

-- both in downtown Clarksdale and available now.​​

 

If you can't travel yet, explore from home via our virtual tour or the Blues Trail Revisited podcast from award-winning filmmaker (and blues fan!) Ted Reed:  bluestrailrevisited.podbean.com

 

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We miss y'all, and can't wait to see you soon.

Till then, we'll look forward to juking up together online!

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