If ya made it to the 20th or 25th, then ya already know the way we throw a party! Three nights of killer music including some of your favorites! A number of artists have already committed with more announcements coming soon.

So far committals include the likes of Blood Brothers, Popa Chubby, Bywater Call, Selwyn Birchwood, Mike Zito, The Three Kings (ft Albert Castiglia, Chris Cain, and D.K. Harrell), Blues Hall of Famers – Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials, The Cold Stares, Jimmy Vivino’s All-Star Jam, D.K. Harrell Band, Jimmy Carpenter and many more surprises to be announced! We’re just gettin’ started.

Tickets for Nov 8-9 at Amos’ Southend and The Neighborhood Theatre go on sale Wednesday, March 6 and can be purchased at: https://maxxmusic.com/

Both of these rooms are great music rooms and Charlotte institutions!

Amos’ (https://amossouthend.com) reminds us of Tipitinas in New Orleans with their 3-sided over hanging balconies, great sound system, and Big Stage! They hosted Friday night for our 25th event! Great Music Venue!

The Neighborhood Theatre (https://neighborhoodtheatre.com) boasts two large stages and is located in the historic NODA Arts district. Spacious venue with Fantastic sound and lighting that has played host to both our 20th and 25th events.

Middle C Jazz Club is an Upscale, Classy Blues and Jazz venue with great food and drinks! These tickets will sell out very quickly as there will only be approximately 100 on sale to the general public. If you are coming in from out of town, you need to purchase these tickets now. Don’t wait or they will be gone! The rest of the tickets for that evening will be distributed to our out-of-town promoters that we will be hosting. This will be a casual seated-at-tables event. https://middlecjazz.com/

Tickets for Thursday, Nov 7 at Middle C Jazz Club in beautiful Uptown Charlotte will be very limited and can be purchased at: https://www.etix.com/ticket/online/upcomingEventSearch.do?method=venueSearch&venue_id=17987&orderBy=1

“Chambers/DesLauriers” both popular in their own right fronting their own bands, joined forces and came out of the 2021 Pandemic with a smokin’ band and Guns a Blazin’! With a new record on the way and the phones ringin’ off the hook these two are sure to be front and center and on everyone’s wish list for the remainder of 2022 and all of 2023!

Both on stage and in private life, these two internationally acclaimed artists share incredible chemistry! Their first introduction (lasting only a few seconds) in the crowded lobby of the historic Orpheum Theatre during the 2018 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee left a lasting impression on both of them. It was not until a year later, at a recording session during 2019 IBC that their professional acquaintance blossomed into a love affair, culminating in marriage in August of 2019! Since that time, renowned Canadian Blues-Rocker Paul DesLauriers and acclaimed American Soul-Blues singer Annika Chambers have unified their artistic destiny, much to the joy of everyone who’s had the pleasure of hearing and seeing them together!

It’s rare these days to find a band that’s this super talented with this many weapons! EVERYONE at Intrepid was BLOWN AWAY when we first heard Toronto’s Bywater Call and knew right away they were a natural fit for our agency and for possibly ALL of our buyers!

Meghan Parnell and Dave Barnes are the driving force behind Bywater Call, a powerhouse 7-piece Southern Soul, Roots Rock orchestra if you will. Already playing to packed houses across much of Europe their performances there have been praised in the media with references to Meghan being one of the best singers in blues and roots today. Meghan and Dave are complimented by their stellar band of All Star Caliber musicians made up of Bruce McCarthy on drums, Mike Meusel on Bass, Alan Zemaitis on Keys, Stephen Dyte on Trumpet and Julian Nalli on Tenor Sax.

Intrepid Artists Int’l is super excited to welcome multi-talented guitarist and singer/song writer Albert Cummings to our Family. His sound is undeniable but also undefinable as he covers everything from Americana to Roots Rock to Blues/Blues Rock to Country and even Gospel! You will hear it all when you listen to Albert. After 10 highly acclaimed successful albums, with the latest one being aptly titled Ten, Albert Cummings has arrived!

Ten is a Game Changer and is produced by famed producer Chuck Ainley who is credited for his work with Mark Knopfler, Dire Straits, George Strait, Emmylou Harris, etc…

Albert’s powerful lyrics and unique sound provide inspiration and hope to his listeners while at the same time make them want to get up out of their seats and Boogie! His touring band is second to none featuring the one and only Scot Sutherland on bass and the flashy, hard hitting, Berklee grad Warren Grant on drums. Albert has a packed touring schedule for the Fall of ’22 with a mixture of Performing Art Centers and high profile Music Venues and ready to take on all the new festival requests and continue with a heavy touring schedule in 2023.

Intrepid Artists Int’l wants to congratulate All of the 2022 Blues Music Award Winners! We especially want to recognize those we represent and send a Big Congrats out to our 8 Winning Artists.

All Intrepid Winners listed below

Song of the Year –
written by Selwyn Birchwood –
“I’d Climb Mountains”

Contemporary Blues Female Artist –
Vanessa Collier

Instrumentalist: Guitar –
Eric Gales

Instrumentalist: Vocals –
John Németh

Blues Rock Album –
Mike Zito, Resurrection

Blues Rock Artist –
Albert Castiglia

Soul Blues Male Artist –
Curtis Salgado

Instrumentalist: Piano –
Mike Finnigan (Phantom Blues Band)

We are booking dates now for 2022 & 2023

The Full List of Nominees can be found at:
https://blues.org/blues-music-awards/

Intrepid Artists is excited to welcome late night Television Musical Icon/Musical Director and Band leader for The Conan O’Brien Show and The Tonight Show for over two and a half decades Mr. Jimmy Vivino aka Jimmy V.

While Jimmy has always considered himself “a blues man with a job” he is probably best known for serving 26 years as Conan O’Brien’s musical director, guitarist, and bandleader while his experience in the music business predates that by 20-plus years.

Jimmy V has produced bands, led bands, and recorded with a countless number of rock and roll and blues artists for five decades including the likes of Hubert Sumlin, Warren Haynes, Bob Weir, Keith Richards, Elvis Costello, Johnnie Johnson, Son Seals, Shemekia Copeland, Lil’ Ed Williams, Levon Helm, Phoebe Snow, Dion, Laura Nyro, Bob Margolin, Lowell Fulson, John Sebastian, Joe Louis Walker, and Al Kooper to name a few. When not producing, recording, or touring with other artists Jimmy still tours the country and the world with his own band and is due to release a new blues album later on this year (2022).

Jimmy is currently touring as a 4-piece band; however, he can be packaged as a solo, duo, 4-piece, and up to a 7-piece band.

“This record definitely reflects happier times and good solid dose of classic blues!”, says Popa from his studio full of guitars in the Hudson Valley. “I specifically included covers like Hoochie Coochie Man and Dust My Broom to show respect for the Fathers. Willie Dixon has always been my idol, you know.”

But the real gems here come in Popa’s original compositions. “Equal Opportunity” is a light hearted sing along that celebrates the feminine at a time when it is seriously needed. And songs like “Fly Away” and both versions French and English of “Why You Wanna Make War?” Are big standouts! There is more than an ample amount of pure guitar bliss on this record and slide guitar on tracks like “Tonight I’m Gonna Be the Man” add flavor to a savory mix!

Rest in Peace Kevin Hopkins February 25, 1980 – March 4, 2022

Dear Friends of Intrepid and Friends of Kevin Hopkins,

This is the hardest note I have ever had to write. It is with the heaviest of Hearts that I must break the news to all of you that our Beloved K Hop, Kevin Hopkins, has left this earth. Kevin passed away on Friday, March 4, at 12:42pm EST.

His heart stopped the morning of February 25 on his 42nd birthday and he was found unresponsive. He lost oxygen to the brain for an undetermined amount of time and while paramedics were able to miraculously revive his heart to transport him to the hospital, the damage was already done and he showed little to no brain activity. He had been on life support since then and Friday we were informed of Kevin’s passing.

I think it goes without saying we are all devastated over this tragic loss of life. K Hop was our comrade for the past 15 yrs. Jake in our office had known Kevin for 20 plus yrs. We have all been grieving hard since we received the news and this is something that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. With that said K Hop LOVED Intrepid, LOVED his job, LOVED the Artists he represented, and had STRONG BONDS with many of the promoters he worked with. He would be extremely upset with all of us if we did not honor his legacy by going out, looking adversity in the eye, and proceeding to kick it’s ass. This is the way K Hop rolled! It is the way Intrepid Rolls.

A GoFundMe campaign has been started to assist Kevin’s family as they deal with the effects of their beloved husband and father’s passing. Money donated will to go directly to helping his wife, Kristin, and his two sons, Hunter, 6, and Wilder, 5:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-for-kevin-hopkins-family?qid=3341930d0a6431e5e8328d4725bd210a

Any amount you can contribute will be greatly appreciated.

Please keep Kevin and his family in your prayers and know that life is precious.

If you would like to leave messages, share stories, or reminisce about Kevin please visit the Intrepid Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=4740070892708640&id=118949298154179

God Bless,
Rick Booth
President
Intrepid Artists Int’l Inc.