The Village at Squaw Valley Hosts Bluesdays with Free Concerts Featuring Top Blues Acts
Bluesdays return to Squaw every Tuesday in July and August, featuring blues concerts, food specials and great deals


[Olympic Valley, Calif.] June 25, 2013 – This summer, Bluesdays return, bringing free concerts by some of the country and region’s best blues acts to The Village at Squaw Valley every Tuesday evening in July and August. Music lovers can enjoy music in Squaw’s spectacular mountain setting as they sample the delicious blue plate food specials like sushi, gyros or pizza, or kick back with a cold brew, glass of wine or cocktail from the Blues Bar. Bluesdays performances will take place in the Village Events Plaza at The Village at Squaw Valley from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m every Tuesday in July and August.

For the full Bluesday experience, guests can enjoy discounted rides on Squaw Valley’s aerial tram all day on every Bluesday. Squaw’s aerial tram rises 2,000 feet from the base area to High Camp, where families can enjoy mountaintop activities such as swimming, poolside dining, roller skating and hiking, including free daily guided hikes. Bluesday discounts include $10 off adult tram rides and $5 off child, youth and senior tram rides, as well as additional package discounts.

In conjunction with the weekly blues performances, The Village at Squaw Valley is offering a Bluesdays lodging package that includes an overnight stay in a condominium-style suite with an excellent view of the stage (based on availability). Good for Tuesday night arrivals, the package starts at just $104 per night ($52pp/pn). For more details, call 1-800-731-8021 or see squaw.com/the-village/lodging/lodging-packages-specials/bluesdays-lodging.

Featured blues acts for summer 2013 include:

July 2 - Chris Cain
Chris Cain, a master of blues guitar, blues vocals, blues keyboards and blues vocals, has been called “blues guitar at its finest, a must see.” Cain has established himself as a musical force to be reckoned with, and as San Jose Mercury News music reviewer John Orr writes, “more than anyone else, anywhere, Chris Cain represents the future of the blues.” www.chriscainmusic.com

July 19 – Mark Hummel and The Blues Survivors featuring Little Charlie Baty
The past two decades have seen the emergence of young harmonica-led blues bands. In Oakland, the northern capital of California blues, resides the incredibly powerful harmonica player and vocalist Mark Hummel, leader of The Blues Survivors, who has been a major force in shaping and defining this musical genre. The New Yorker writes, “A specialist in the West Coast blues, [Cain] is a seasoned showman who knows more than a thing or two about how to please an audience.” www.markhummel.com/index.html

July 16 - David Jacobs Strain & The Crunk Mountain Boys
David Jacobs-Strain, a fierce slide guitar player and a song poet from Oregon, is known for both his virtuosity and spirit of emotional abandon. His live shows move from humorous, subversive blues, to delicate balladry, and then swing back to swampy rock and roll. It is a range that ties Jacobs-Strain to his own generation and to guitar-slinger troubadours like Robert Johnson and Jackson Browne. www.davidjacobs-strain.com/Strain/

July 23 – Janiva Magness
The 2013 Blues Music Award Winner for Contemporary Blues Female Artist, Janiva Magness is a singer of raw power, emotional complexity and seemingly unimaginable technical ability. While Magness soulfully knocks it out of the park when she performs her originals, she has also made quite the name for herself with her blues and soul covers. janivamagness.com

July 30 – Tinsley Ellis
Tinsley Ellis wears his Southern roots proudly despite averaging over 150 live shows a year. Ellis has played in all 50 states, as well as Canada, Europe, Australia and South America. Whether he’s out with his own band or sharing stages with major artists like Buddy Guy, The Allman Brothers, Gov’t Mule or Widespread Panic, he always digs deep and plays, as Guitar Player says, “as if his life depended on it.” www.tinsleyellis.com/index.html

August 6 – Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers
Originally a co-founder of the Nighthawks, the Washington D.C. based blues and roots rock ensemble, Jimmy Thackery has been on the road as a solo musician for 15 years proving each night that he is still the guitar powerhouse in the blues. Whether headlining a festival in South Dakota or jamming for hours in one of numerous blues bars that dot the musical landscape, Jimmy Thackery will always unleash an intense volley of rockin' blues guitar guaranteed to leave crowds emotionally spent. www.jimmythackery.com

August 13 – Albert Castiglia
Guitarist, singer and songwriter, Albert Castiglia made his professional debut in 1990 when he joined the Miami Blues Authority. He was named ‘Best Blues Guitarist' in Miami in 1997 by New Times Magazine, a local alternative paper. Given that he's young by blues standards and has a depth and breadth of live, studio and life experience, it is possible Castiglia may yet become a major force behind another blues and blues-rock rebirth. albertcastiglia.net

August 20- Studebaker John
As a songwriter and musician, Studebaker John has emerged as a major creative force in the world of the blues today. Ahead of the pack with vision and foresight, creating a new standard and landscape for this music’s future – with John at the wheel, the future is now. www.studebakerjohn.com/index.html

August 27- Bluesdays Finale with Nikki Hill
Those who have seen Nikki Hill sing her heart out agree, asking, where did this fireball come from? Why haven’t I heard of her before? If you haven’t heard of Nikki Hill yet, you soon will, and once you see her perform, you won’t forget her. www.reverbnation.com/nikkihill