Headlining: Deep Freyed

From the band: The Vermont based blues band Deep Freyed, fronted by guitarist, blues-harp player, and vocalist Bill Frey is a truly unique musical experience. While the band’s roots are deep in the blues tradition their sound expands our ideas of what a modern blues band can be, often flirting with jazz and reggae. The Burlington Free Press writes, “All the requisite blues signposts are there: the beats, the rhythms, the guitar tones, and harmonica [but] there’s something about this band that separates it from the average.... [They] have their requisite blues riffs down pat, but they’re more than willing to drop certain changes into the mix to keep the listener off guard.” As Seven Days has observed, “These are regular guys singing music they love, and that in itself is refreshing especially in a genre that can be formulaic.” Or to quote the Free Press once again, “The group does a good job... showcasing a certain level of originality fused with back-to-blues basics. There is a certain independent oddball tone... that helps the band achieve this. It’s a bit off the beaten path, but there is something going on... that I can’t help but like. They’re different, and that’s not a bad place to be, especially when so many blues bands out there in the world sound the same.”