Blues, Brews and BBQ

Description

Top local restaurants will compete in a spirited and fun cook-off event that will offer samples of their original take on traditional BBQ. Celebrity judges will evaluate the entries and award prizes. Breweries will offer more than 25 refreshing craft beers and cocktails to compliment the BBQ and signature coastal food. This fun afternoon will feature "tasting stations" where you can experience the restaurants creative BBQ styles that will not necessarily be traditional pork, beef or ribs. Visitors can buy tasting wristbands for $25 at the gate or in advance for $20 by calling 850-974-4801or emailing info@harborwalk-destin.com. Several participating restaurants this year include Margaritaville, Jackacudas, Tucker Dukes Lunchbox, Joey's Italian Bar and Grill, Harry T's Lighthouse, Crab Island Cantina, Miller's Ale House and Grand Vista Bar and Grill just to name a few. BBQ categories include Best Traditional BBQ, Most Creative BBQ, Best Seafood BBQ, and Best Booth. Prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third place in the category of People's Choice. Live music from Finga FAYA kicks-off at 11:00AM on the Harbor Stage with rock'n'roll blues. The Blenders will be serving up Jazz as smooth as buttery biscuits on the Main Stage. Modern Eldorados bring their wild, up beat Rockabilly Contemporary Country music and The House Rockers featuring Patrice Moncell bring soulful Mississippi Blues as featured in the documentary "The Last of the Mississippi Jukes" at 2:00PM. Ain't no party like a House Rocker party, 'cause a House Rocker party don't stop! One by one, musicians take the stage, strapping on electric gutars and glistening saxophones, and a melody ensues. A few bars in, the music gives way to one of Mississippi's great traditions - authentic blues, the genuine, deep, Southern kind. The House Rockers - aptly named for the band's ability to wear out the most enthusiastic dancers - won't stop until the last dancers drop. It was their first regular gig more than 20 years ago at Jackson's famous Subway Lounge that demanded the endurance and stamina they'd need for the high-energy, all-night shows they pulled off there. Through the years, the practice stuck. The House Rockers still do a sizzling performance, a non-stop, saxophone-playing-on-the-tabletop and tambourines-in-tow show. In those days The House Rockers was fronted by lead vocalists Levon Lindsey, Abdul Rasheed and Patrice Montrell. Patrice is returning to the stage for Blues, Brews and BBQ. Shortly before the Subway Lounge and the Summers Hotel succumbed to the demolition due to disrepair in 2004, the band was featured in "The Last of the Mississippi Jukes," a documentary by filmmaker Robert Mugge. The inspiration proved successful; the documentary can still be seen on the Starz cable network, and the film preserved a sense of blues Americana in an era that was buried with the Summers Hotel. The Modern Eldorado's Founded by Gretsch Lyles in 1996, The Modern Eldorado's uncompromising sound and take no prisoners stage presence doesn't follow trends, but on the contrary stays true to the roots of Americana while infusing it with individual swagger. Blending rockabilly with traditional country music, the band pays tribute to the essence of Ray Price, Webb Pierce, Hank Williams and Carl Perkins with authentic American honky tonk. The Modern Eldorado's have evolved a sound that taps deep into the roots of traditional country, western swing and the rockabilly style. Their songs are said to read like a roadmap tracing the roots of American music. The band has been described as "a cultural asset and a Mobile music treasure".