The Silvertones Selected for 2009 International Blues Challenge in Memphis

The Silvertones featuring Joe Jones were selected by The North Texas Blues Society to go to Memphis for The International Blues Challenge in February, 2009. The 2009 International Blues Challenge will be the 25th year of blues musicians from around the world competing for cash, prizes, and industry recognition. The world's largest gathering of blues acts represents an international search by The Blues Foundation and its affiliated organizations for the Blues Band and Solo/Duo Blues Act ready to take their act to the international stage.This year, there are 100 bands and 64 solo/duo acts, hailing from 36 states and 9 countries, including Australia, Canada, Croatia, France, Israel, Italy, Norway, Poland and the United States.They will be filling the clubs up and down Beale Street for the semi-finals on Thursday and Friday and the finals at the Orpheum Theater on Saturday.

Dallas Observer 2005 Best Blues Band

You might be surprised at the number of blues clubs around town: Keys Lounge, Deep Ellum Blues, Lota's Goat, Hole in the Wall, 6th Street Grill, J&J's, to name a few. It's hard to believe they can all stay in business, what with no radio station to support the genre like rock, hip-hop and Latin music receive. Even more interesting is that one band plays so many of these joints it could single-handedly keep them all afloat. The Silvertones, three-time winners of the best blues award, have been rustling around Dallas since 1993, and to put that in perspective, blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughan has been dead only three years longer than they've been together. It's an appropriate touchstone, as Leo De La Vega leads his rock-leaning blues quartet with loud howls and guitar wails that would make Vaughan a proud papa. The guys are currently at work on a third LP, and in the meantime, you can always catch them live. Don't worry if you miss a show—you'll just have to wait a couple of days. —Sam Machkovech, Dallas Observer

©2005 All rights reserved.
Website Design & Graphics—Kathy Salvie
Photography—Carol Delesandri and band members