Massillon transforms for blues event

MASSILLON, Ohio – Tickets are now available for Back Alley Blues, a Massillon Main Street project showcasing Main Street’s Diamond Court renovation, which will be held July 13.

Evening event. Diamond Court and Postal Place in downtown Massillon will be transformed for the evening into a retro blues club. From the minute guests arrive at the Charles Avenue entrance to the party, they will be treated to an evening of blues in a magical one-night scene. The ambiance builds from the wail of a single sax to the full-blown blues of the Patrick Sweany Band and dancing under the stars. Set against the alley’s architecture and art, intimate outdoor tables for two and group settings will sparkle with candlelight.

The event will be a reprise of last year’s sell-out success. The door and the cash bar open at 6:30 p.m., when early arrivals will be immediately treated to music by “street performers” Andy Meyer on the saxophone and Richard Mohler on the blues harp.

Dinner and music. The Massillon Club’s Chef Bob Bradley, a master of southern cooking, will entertain as he prepares ribs, chicken, catfish, corn, hush puppies, and accompaniments. Dinner will be served between 7-8 p.m.

The Patrick Sweany Band will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Sweany, a guitarist and vocalist and native of Massillon, is a traditionalist with the eclectic spirit of blues music from the Mississippi delta to the windy streets of Chicago. Among his recent tour highlights are a sold-out three-night stand at the Eureka Springs Blues Festival, a New Year’s Eve gig at the Chicago House of Blues, and sharing the stage with legends such as Roy Book Binder and Jimmy Thackery.

Ticket information. Tickets will be available for $32 each until July 11 at: Massillon Area Chamber of Commerce, 137 Lincoln Way East, Massillon, and Bates Printing, Inc., 150 23rd Street Southeast, Massillon.

To order by mail, send a check and a self-addressed envelope to Bates Printing, Inc., 150 23rd Street S.E., Massillon, OH 44646. For more information, call Bates Printing at 330-833-5830 or visit www.batesprintinginc.com/bab.