In an 11th-hour substitution for our scheduled Thursday band, we are pleased to present local favorites, MOONDOG MEDICINE SHOW at our free Thursday "Blues Prelude" concert in the beautiful downtown green space known as University Plaza Park. Fans are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets and to stake prime viewing and listening turf early for this fabulous quintet, which is fronted by the husky Janis-like vocals (and occasional harmonica) of the talented Lana "Shorty" Spence. Self-describing their music as "hard-driving, rocking blues/funk," Moondog Medicine Show is ably supported by the instrumental talents of Joel "JoMo" Newman on guitar & backing vocals, "Gentleman" Skip Grove on saxophone, Keith "Polk Chop" Sylvester on bass & backing vocals and veteran stick-man, Kenny Jackson, on drums. Blues Fest fans are still talking about the band's exciting 2010 Friday "Lotta Blues Show" set, and Lana's scorching gender-flipping cover of James Brown's "It's A Man's World". In a year when the Western Maryland Blues Fest is intentionally trying to give a nod to talented ladies of the blues genre, we thought Lana Spence and company would be a great fit to kick-off Blues Fest 2011.

And after enjoying Moondog Medicine Show's free "Blues Prelude" happy-hour concert, please be sure to walk just a few short doors eastwards from University Plaza to 14 West Washington Street to the gallery, to get your Blues Fest weekend off to an "artful" start, by visiting the headquarters of the Washington County Arts Council for an opening reception by 2011 Blues Fest poster artist Suzee White, together with Photographer Jamie Turner's "Black White And Blues" photographic exhibit and award-winning sculptor Scott Cawood's three blues sculptures. WCAC's free exhibit opening and reception starts at 6pm and runs until 9pm.

www.moondogmedicineshow.com