A Ton of Blues
Adopting a modern, aggressive approach to the old school blues format, A TON OF BLUES burst onto the New England Blues Circuit in the summer of 2010. While taking notes from the likes of Ronnie Earl, Gary Clark Jr and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, as well as the old Chess Records' stable of blues masters, this award-winning guitar and harmonica driven, 5-piece powerhouse has been winning audiences over wherever they perform with their high-energy show and superb musicianship.
ATOB is the winner of the Worcester Music Awards (WMA's) for the Best Blues/R&B Act the last six years (2011 - 2016) as well as winning the 2011 Boston (MA) Blues Challenge, earning them the opportunity to compete at the 2012 International Blues Challenge on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee.
The band has made it a priority to create quality Blues music, emit a positive presence among the Blues community and rekindle the support for American Blues and Roots music.
A TON OF BLUES has shared festival and nightclub stages with noted blues greats such as Johnny Winter, Guitar Shorty, Joe Louis Walker, Ronnie Earl, Roomful of Blues, Jerry Portnoy, Sugar Ray Norcia, Nick Moss, Mac Arnold, Dana Fuchs, Popa Chubby, Sax Gordon, Greg Piccolo, James Montgomery, Sean Chambers, European blues acts Roberto Morbioli (Italy) and Fred Chapellier Blues Band (France), and many more. Their 2012 debut CD, "Crooked Avenue", earned rave reviews while two singles off that record, "Colleen" and "Sweetie Pie" received world-wide airplay. The band is currently in the studio working on their yet to be titled sophomore effort, due for a Spring 2016 release.
A Ton of Blues is:
MIKE KELLY - Vocals
SCOTT LeBLANC - Guitars, Vocals
JEFF LORENZEN - Bass, Vocals
"SHAKEY" STEVE - Harmonica, Vocals
JAMES THOMAS - Drums
** Voted BEST BLUES / R&B ACT at the 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015 WORCESTER (MA) MUSIC AWARDS
** Winners of the 2011 BOSTON BLUES CHALLENGE
** Represented Boston Blues Society at the 2012 INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE in Memphis, TN (Jan/Feb 2012)
** "Colleen" (from Crooked Avenue) listed at #5 in the Top 25 Blues Songs of the year (most requested) on Boston's WZLX (100.7FM) for 2012.
**Partial list of venues played:
-Hard Rock Cafe (Boston)
-Church (Boston)
-Liberty Hotel (Boston)
-Precinct (Somerville, MA)
-Johnny D's (Somerville, MA)
-Rosebud Cafe (Somerville, MA)
-Davis Sq. Theater (Somerville, MA)
-South Shore Music Hall (Quincy, MA)
-Back Page Jazz Club (Lowell, MA)
-Black Sheep Tavern (Sterling, MA)
-Hot Shotz (Leominster, MA)
-Gardner Ale House (Gardner, MA)
-Harry's House of Blues (Hyannis, MA)
-Pump House (Southbridge, MA)
-Bull Run Restaurant (Shirley, MA)
-Theodores' Booze, Blues & BBQ (Springfield, MA)
-Next Page Tavern (Weymouth, MA)
-Gilrein's (Wocester, MA)
-Tammany Hall (Worcester, MA)
-Jillian's (Worcester, MA)
-Beatnik's (Worcester, MA)
-Chicken Bone (Framingham, MA)
-Pier 37 (New Bedford, MA)
-Outer Space (Hamden, CT)
-Stomping Ground (Putnam, CT)
-Black Eyed Sally's (Hartford, CT)
-Pittman's Freight Room (Laconia, NH)
-Tower Hill Tavern (Laconia NH)
-Purple Pit (Concord, NH)
-Memphis BBQ & Blues (Milford, NH)
-Strange Brew (Manchester, NH)
-Full Cup (Staten Island, NYC)
-John Brown Smokehouse (Queens, NYC)
-Blu (Utica, NY)
-Celtic Harp (Utica, NY)
-O'Donnell's Bar & Grill (Utica, NY)
-Alfred's On Beale (Memphis, TN)
-Onset Blues Festival (MA)
-Nashoba Blues 'n Brews Festival (MA)
-Terrapin Music Fest (MA)
-Keene Music & Arts Fest (NH)
-Utica Music & Arts Festival (NY)
-International Blues Challenge (TN)