2023 Tickets On Sale Wednesday, February 22 At 10 AM (MST)
The onset of summer in the mountain town of Durango, Colorado inches a bit closer with the announcement of the artist lineup for the Durango Blues Train on August 24, 25 & 26, 2023. The Durango Blues Train is excited to kick off it's 11th year rockin' and rollin' aboard the the historic Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad with Levee Town, Tyron Benoit Band, Rachel Ammons No Man Band, Arbuckle & Woods and Joe Waters.
Levee Town
Levee Town is truly reminiscent of the old rock n roll energy that very first dominated the stage, but with a searing blend of blues and rockabilly stylings. Since forming in 2002, the band has taken their powerhouse sound from the fertile Kansas City blues scene to festival stages all over the US. Known for their explosive live shows, this foursome has won adulation and critical praise the old-fashioned way - they earned it.
Fronted by a trio of talented singer-songwriters, Levee Town is never at a loss for fresh new material. In addition to playing an average of 250 dates a year, the band is constantly writing new songs and revamping the classics.
Tyron Benoit Band
Tyron Benoit hails from Houma Louisiana, where music and culture are plentiful. He began writing and playing songs over a speakerphone with his brother Tate, who was living in Colorado. The two wrote a set of originals and Tyron eventually moved to Colorado to join him. The pair began playing locally, becoming a hometown favorite, performing regularly at Herman's Hideaway. It wasn't long until Tyron on guitar, Tate on bass, and a revolving door of drummers named themselves Too Fish and headed out on the road, playing blues and rock clubs throughout the Midwest.
In 2003 Tyron returned to Louisiana and moved to New Orleans. In 2005, one of the biggest natural disasters in US history hit New Orleans, in form of Hurricane Katrina. Tyron got involved in the rebuilding of a city in shambles, with many neighborhoods still without power due to massive flood damage. And during this season of heavy work, the conversations on the job sites often turned to music. Using generators to power amps and guitars in yet-to-be-finished houses and buildings, Tyron began holding jam sessions with other contractors. They even called themselves the Bywater Rock Group. It only grew from there...
His debut album, “Waitin' On Friday,” was released on May 27, 2022. The album was produced by Grammy-nominated, Oscar-winner Donald Markowitz, and features guitarist Shane Theriot (Hall and Oates, Neville Brothers, Willie Nelson), drummer Doug Belote (Zachary Richard, Maria Muldaur, Jerry Douglas), keyboardist David Torkanowsky (Rickie Lee Jones, Sonny Landreth, Bobby Rush), and bassist Kevin Scott (Bernard Purdie, Eddie Roberts, Nate Wood).
Rachel Ammons No Man Band
Rachel Ammons is a force of nature. Recently calling her a “rock Goddess not of this planet”, the Arkansas Times writes that Ammons’ “stomps, drones and hollers” add up to “what seems to be the work of several musicians, not just one”.
Her trance-like sets are full of improv, and sometimes a tour through history via a plethora of unique instruments, including some 1-3 stringed contraptions like her diddley-bo made from a stick and a dog bowl.
Channeling everything from the songster tradition of greats like Mississippi John Hurt to the classic “Deep” or Delta Blues of Robert Johnson, from Piedmont to Hokum, to Hill Country icons like Jessie Mae Hemphill and R.L. Burnside, Ammons’ music also has a punk rock attitude evidenced by powerful vocals, lo-fi tones, and tell-it-like-it-is lyrics.
Following in the footsteps of her late mentor, Smilin’ Bob Lewis, Rachel carries the torch of southern heritage music with a spirit of exploration and authenticity. Dense with soul, uncontrived, and in touch with that “special something” that the truly primal stuff has, she considers all Blues, sound and ethos, a priceless legacy to preserve and pass on.
“Primal and progressive, foreign and familiar, abrasively gritty and technically brilliant”, Ammons' fantastic Blues revisionism and raw talent are making her an artist to watch; See her as soon as you humanly can.
Arbuckle & Woods
Dustin Arbuckle and Matt Woods have each been hard at work on the blues and roots music scene for nearly two decades. Arbuckle, from Wichita, KS, was a founding member of the critically acclaimed progressive roots rock/blues act Moreland & Arbuckle, with whom he toured internationally and released 7 albums over 15 years before the band parted ways in 2017. Woods, a native of central Iowa, has been a fixture of the midwestern music community, averaging over 100 shows per year and recording 3 albums as a solo artist and 2 with his former band, The Thunderbolts. After years of hearing and admiring each other’s music, Arbuckle and Woods finally connected and began playing together in 2018. The two quickly developed a strong musical chemistry based on their mutual passion for old-school blues, especially the traditional rural styles of Mississippi and the electric Chicago blues sounds of the 1940s and 50s. Their music combines these influences with elements of gospel, country music, and more, while Woods’ fiery voice and tenacious guitar playing blend perfectly with Arbuckle’s more subtly soulful singing and harmonica style to give the duo the ability to deliver it all with power and authenticity.
Frank Sultana
Frank Sultana is an Australian modern day bluesman. Dripping with pre-WW2 mojo, dark, dirty guitar tones and a voice that has the grit and soul of the characters and places he writes and sings about. Frank has been writing, recording and performing his original blues songs in Australia since his 2011 debut 'Blues from the Lost Motel' and now has four EP’s and eight albums under his belt, including three releases in the last two years.
In January 2023, among a field of 150 artists from around the world, Frank competed in and won the solo/duo section of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis Tennessee. He is only the third Australian to do so in the events 38 year history.
Joe Waters
Joe Waters is a multitalented musician out of Dayton, Ohio who plays Blues, Funk, Folk, and Americana music. Joe is a singer and a songwriter. He writes original music and he also pays homage to original blues artist by singing old blues standards and deep cuts.
His love for playing music started when he was 5 years old after his parents bought him a harmonica from the Cracker Barrel gift shop. Joe dedicated himself to learning not only the harmonica but the guitar, drums, and vocals as well.
Joe’s father, Jack Waters, has been a musician for 35+ years and Joe expresses his gratitude for his father starting him in his music career. As a duo, Jack and Joe have performed together for 20 years with 4 albums recorded, they have placed 1st in three local Ohio blues contest, and they were semi-finalist in the International Blues Contest. Although Joe’s recent focus has been the new EP he is recording with his band, he still loves to play music with his father any time he can.
The new EP, by Joe Waters and The Back Porch Band, shows off Joe’s skills as a musician as well as his skills as a songwriter. Other recent events for Joe Waters include winning the 2022 Telluride Blues Challenge which awarded him a spot on the Durango Blues Train and a set on the Blues Stage of the 2023 Telluride Blues and Brews Festival.
Joe Waters is pouring his creative expression into the EP with his band and a Solo Album that he is excited to share with you all! He hopes to have both the EP and Solo Album done by the end of this year and those who have heard this young man are eagerly awaiting his next creation.
WELCOME ABOARD
The Durango Blues Train is an exciting 3.5 hour moving musical experience providing two consecutive evenings of live blues. The event features six live blues performances on board the Historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad’s coal-fired, steam-powered train traveling through the spectacular and breathtaking canyons of the San Juan National Forest.
Each artist performs in their own vintage coach, while passengers are free to dance their way from coach to coach and delight in a variety of musical performances. Four coaches have seats while two are open with no seats to entice and encourage dancing. Enjoy the blues, award-winning craft beer, wine and the beautiful scenery of the famous train featured in the Hollywood production, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."
To cap it all off, passengers will experience breathtaking sunset views along the "Highline," a world famous section of the railroad, as the train crawls along craggy cliffs 400 feet high above the Wild Animas River, known to be the most beautiful section of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.
Tickets
Tickets for the Durango Blues Train on August 24, 25 & 26 go on sale Wednesday, February 22, 2023 at 10 am (MST). Tickets are $149 per person per night, plus a Historic Train Preservation fee. Tickets are limited and will sell out in advance. Purchasers must be 21 years old to participate. Tickets will be available online here.