March 1 - 2: Ice Meltin' Blues Fest w/ Carl Weathersby, Demetria Taylor, Billy Branch & Sons of The Blues, Corey Dennison, Rockin' Johnny. Blue plate specials, ice sculptures, art & more. Long Grove, IL

Feb. 24: Cicero Blake 78th Birthday & CD release party w/ Carrie Lyn Infusion and special guests at Touch of the Past Lounge, Bellwood

Erwin Helfer, Katherine Davis, John Brumbach at Katerina's, Chicago

Andy Cohen at Smoke Daddy, Chgo

Feb. 25: Vino Louden at Beer Geeks, Highland, IN

Billy Flynn Blues Band at House of Blues, Chicago

Feb. 27: Toronzo Cannon at B.L.U.E.S., Chgo

Murali Coryell at Buddy Guy’s Legends, Chicago

Tom Holland Band at Shaw's, Chicago

Joel Paterson & Modern Sounds at Untitled, Chgo

 Feb. 28: Taj Mahal at Prairie Center for the Arts, Schaumburg

Dave Specter at Sharky's, Round Lake

J.B. Ritchie Power Blues at Harlem Ave. Lounge, Berwyn

Feb. 28 - March 1: Peaches Staten & The Groove Shakers at  Blue Chicago, Chicago

Kinsey Report at Rosa's, Chicago

John Talmadge, Damian Williams at Hugo's Frog Bar, Chgo

March 1: Joe Louis Walker at City Winery, Chgo

Sugar Blue, Joanna Connor Band at Kingston Mines, Chgo

Big Dog Mercer at Shaw's, Schaumburg

Maceo Parker at SPACE, Evanston

Linsey Alexander Nick’s Beer Garden, Chgo

March 1 - 2: Ice Meltin' Blues Fest w/ Carl Weathersby, Demetria Taylor, Billy Branch & Sons of The Blues, Corey Dennison, Rockin' Johnny. Blue plate specials, ice sculptures, art & more. Long Grove, IL

MARDI GRAS IN CHICAGO Hottest places to find beads, hurricanes, jambalaya, live music and more New Orleans style delights in Chi--town on Fat Tuesday. March 3: Marcia Ball, Jambalaya Cookoff at FitzGerald's, Berwyn Hurricane Gumbo at Chuck's Southern Comforts Cafe, Burbank March 4: C.J. Chenier Mardi Gras Party at FitzGerald's, Berwyn Smiley Tillmon Band, Coyote Riot Mardi Gras Party at Beverly Arts Center, Chicago Midway Ramblers at Shaw's, Chicago Matt Stedman & Ring of Music at Shaw's, Schaumburg Low Down Brass Band at Untitled, Chgo Brother John Band at Heaven on Seven, Naperville Pat Smillie at Heaven on Seven, Chgo Sweet Potato Zydeco at Chuck's Southern Comforts Cafe, Darien Zydeco Voodoo Band at Chuck's Southern Comforts Cafe, Burbank Laissez les bon temps roulez!!!!

Early Warnings:

March 5: James Knowles Benefit w/ The Platinum Band, Otis Clay, Terisa Griffin, Rico McFarland, Sugar Blue, Melvin Taylor, Carl Weathersby, Jimmy Johnson, Vance Kelly, Stan Mosely, Theo Huff at Rosa's, Chicago

March 6: Lurrie Bell & Dave Specter at  SPACE

March 7: Campbell Bros. (sacred steel) at Old Town School, Chgo

March 9: Buckwheat Zydeco at  SPACE

March 11: Eric "Guitar" Davis Memorial Benefit w/ Ronnie Baker Brooks, Kinsey Report, Linsey Alexander, Billy Branch,  Toronzo Cannon, The Davis Children, Tom Holland, Gerry Hundt, Sharon Lewis, Vino Louden, Jerry "Bam Bam" Porter, Jamiah "On Fire" Rogers, The Troublemakers, Carl Weathersby & more at  Beer Geeks, Highland, IN

March 13: Lynne Jordan & The Shivers at City Winery, Chgo

Mar. 19, 20, 23: Queenie Pie, a Duke Ellington jazz opera by the Chicago Jazz Orchestra & Chicago Opera Theater at Harris Theater, Chicago

March 21: Jimmie Vaughan at The Arcada, St. Charles

March 22: Jimmie Vaughan at SPACE, Evanston

April 11: Keb' Mo' at SPACE, Evanston

April 12: Edgar Winter at Mayne Stage, Chgo

April 29-30: Leon Russell  at Mayne Stage, Chgo