Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials – 10/7

“Electrifying, raucous, pure Chicago blues…. Lil’ Ed is a guitarist extraordinaire….slashing slide and flamboyant stage persona.” – Chicago Tribune

“Rough and ready blues played with unmitigated intensity…Swirling, snarling, riveting slide…. The Blues Imperials pound out riffs and rhythms like they’re overdosing on boogie juice. Scorching and soulful, joyous and stomping.” – Living Blues

Lil’ Ed Williams comes to the blues naturally. His uncle, Chicago slide guitar king and songwriter J. B. Hutto, taught him how to feel, not just play, the blues. Nine albums and thousands of performances later, Lil’ Ed and The Blues Imperials—bassist (and Ed’s half-brother) James “Pookie” Young, guitarist Mike Garrett and drummer Kelly Littleton—have remained together for nearly 30 years, the band fueling Ed’s songs with rock-solid, road-tested, telepathic musicianship.

The Big Sound Of Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials is described by Guitar Player as “a snarling boogie-blues machine…they blow down the walls.” Produced by Williams and Alligator president Bruce Iglauer, the album features Ed’s incendiary playing and playful, passionate singing. Williams wrote or co-wrote all but two of the album’s 14 songs; the others were written by Uncle J. B. The Chicago Reader calls the band’s music “a soundtrack for dancing and celebration infused with a sense of hard-won survival.”

Born in Chicago on April 8, 1955, Ed was playing guitar, then drums and bass, by age 12. He and Pookie formed the first incarnation of The Blues Imperials in 1975, playing West Side clubs while holding day jobs. Their studio break came when Alligator president Bruce Iglauer invited them to record for an anthology; the session produced dozens of live tracks and led to their debut album Roughhousin’ (1986).

Guitarist Mike Garrett joined in 1987 and drummer Kelly Littleton in 1988. With the 1989 album Chicken, Gravy & Biscuits and relentless touring, the band’s spontaneous live show became legendary among blues fans worldwide.

They have played the Chicago Blues Festival multiple times and appeared at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Portland’s Waterfront Blues Festival, The Tampa Bay Blues Festival, The San Diego Blues Festival and The Pennsylvania Blues Festival. They have also performed at festivals in Canada, Great Britain, France, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Japan, Australia, India, Turkey and Panama.

Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials released eight Alligator albums between 1986 and 2012 and built an international fan base known as “Ed Heads.” The group won Living Blues’ Best Live Performer (2011–2013) and the Blues Music Award for Band of the Year (2007, 2009). The Associated Press says, “Williams fills Chicago’s biggest shoes with more life and heat than anyone on stage today.”

“We’re not band members,” says Williams, “we’re family, and families stay together.” Night after night, gig after riotous gig, Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials bring their big, dynamic Chicago blues to fans across the country and around the world.

Event details:
- Date: October 7
- Time: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm (Doors: 5:30 pm; Showtime: 7:00 pm)
- Venue: The 443 Social Club & Lounge, 443 Burnet Ave, Syracuse, NY 13203

Ticket info:
- The 443 is an intimate listening room with table service that seats 75 people.
- Most seats are sold as “Tables for Two” — a ticket admits two people.
- There are a limited number of single seats; single attendees may be sharing a table with other single attendees.
- Multiple tickets purchased under the same name will automatically be seated together (up to 6 people).
- Requesting a specific table is a perk reserved for VIP Patron members.
- If anyone in your party needs special seating arrangements (walker, cane, service animal, wheelchair, low table requirement, or you want to be seated with another party), please email the venue after you place your order.

Links:
- Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lil-ed-the-blues-imperials-at-the-443-tickets-1994583338458?aff=oddtdtcreator
- Official website: https://www.liledblues.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LilEdandBluesImperials/
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3Rb0PWL2XJTCKrhZ2FSd5E?si=KS9-tgjwR5KrY3i2j0KUrw
- Video: https://youtu.be/fU4aw907pT4?si=GhXqnsPavaE2mxta