Big Bull Falls Blues Fest
Years ago, the very first blues fest seemed to be brought in with a hurricane, and the party has hardly skipped a beat in all the years it has been a part of this community. Wausau and the surrounding community looks forward each year to a bigger and better show and Wausau Area Events has delivered.
“I remember the first year looking out at the stage, and Otis was holding onto a pole getting lifted up into the air by the wind,” said founder Tony Menzer. Tony tells the story of the first blues fest, held then on the site of the library being met with gale force winds. The show, and the tent, was in real jeopardy from the weather. The show went on though, “The people just grabbed onto the side, and stopped the tent from blowing away, but seeing Otis hanging on for dear life was a real hoot,” said Menzer. Tony is referring to the fact that Otis, while a good man, is not a little man.
For a large festival, and the longest running blues festival in the state, it came from humble beginnings. Menzer told us, "I have some emotional investment in this festival. Basically the whole concept came out of meeting with Tom Schlief (longtime festival promoter), Tony Menzer (musician and agent) and me. We sat down at the Scott Street Pub (in Wausau) over a couple of pints of beer, and talked about feasibility of putting a blues fest together in Wausau. It's been an absolutely wonderful ride, I really enjoyed it. And it continues to be the nicest blues event in the state, as far as I'm concerned. There are probably bigger ones with more big names, but here you have a stone bridge to an island, you walk out onto this meadow, and there's a big tent, and a concert PA set up, and lots of room to move around. That setup in Wausau is perfect.”
Menzer has been a long time member of the Blues Community in Wisconsin, and Otis was a founder of the Great Northern Blues Society. Both have seen the amazing growth of the festival over the years. The festival has consistently grown in crowd, and as a result that level of talent has consistently been good.
Over the years most of the fine blues talent in Wisconsin has been featured in the slots during the day. Following those local cats, all of whom seem to put on the show of their lives in front of the giant crowd, the national bands come in and play with the force that makes them national acts. Some highlights have included legendary blues man, and 7 time Handy award winner Magic Slim and the Teardrops, the many appearances of John Mayall, and Texas legend Lonnie Brooks.
Wausau is proud of the Big Bull Falls Blues Fest, and its commitment to Blues music. While other festivals have given up on blues in favor of classic rock or cover bands, Wausau is keeping the blues alive. A true destination on your music journey.
History of The Big Bull Falls Blues Festival
1993
Friday
- Bryan Koening & the Stand Back Blues Band
- Studebaker John & the Hawks
- Jim Schwall Blues Band
Saturday
- Lamont Cranston
- Abb Locke
- Billy Flynn Blues Band
- Solid Senders
- Jimmy Rogers
- Seigel Schwall Blues Band
1994
Friday
- Otis and the Alligators
- Greg Koch & the Tone Controls
- Bobby Parker
Saturday
- Bryan Koening & the Standback Blues Band
- Smokey Logg & the Flame Throwers
- Al Rapone & Zydeco Express
- Uptown Rhythm Kings
- Charlie Musselwhite
- Gatemouth Brown
1995
Friday
- Jim “Curley” Cooke
- Westside Andy & Friends
- Lamont Cranston
Saturday
- Otis & the Alligators
- Jim Liban
- Poppa Chubby
- Billy Branch & the Sons of Blues
- William Clarke
- Otis Rush
1996
Friday
- Cold Shot
- Otis & the Alligators
- Jimmy Johnson & Zora Young
Saturday
- Deja Blue
- Randy Sabein & Mike Dowling
- Westside Andy & Hubert Summlin
- Carey Bell
- CoCo Montoya
- Big Daddy Kinsey & the Kinsey Report
1997
Friday
- Flamoyant Blues Flamingos
- Big Mouth with the Power Tool Horns
- Otis & the Alligators
- Paul Delay Band
Saturday
- Jay Edward & the Casper Blues Band
- Mel Ford & the Fairlanes
- Howard “Guitar” Luedtke & Blue Max
- Magic Slim & the Teardrops
- Dave Hole
- John Mayall & The Blues Breakers
1998
Friday
- Reverend Raven & the Chain Smokin Alterboys
- Otis & the Alligators
- John Altenberg, Janet Planet, Otis McLennon
- Solid Senders
Saturday
- The Swinging Kools
- Jay Stulo & the Mighty Aces
- Westside Andy & the Mel Ford Band
- Lavelle White
- Tommy Castro
- The Fabulous Thunderbirds
1999
Friday
- Boier House Blues Band
- Blues Olives
- Otis & the Alligators
- Roomful of Blues
Saturday
- Zoot Suit Boogey
- Brian Lee
- James Solberg
- Jim Thackery
- Bernard Allison
- Tinsley Ellis
2000
Friday
- Jonny Z & the Uptown Savages
- John Altenberg, Janet Planet, Otis McLennon
- The Groove Hogs
- CoCo Montoya
Saturday
- Otis & the Alligators
- Jay Stulo
- Eddie Shaw & the Wolf Gang
- E.C. Scott
- Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers
- The Radiators
2001
Friday
- Petrified Alien Brain Blues Band
- Otis & the Alligators
- John Altenberg, Janet Planet, Otis McLennon
- Power of 10
Saturday
- Joe Moss
- Westside Andy and the Mel Ford band
- Lonnie Brooks
- Shemeka Copeland
- Charlie Musselwhite
- Double Trouble
2002
Friday
- Otis & the Alligators
- Nick Moss & the Fliptops
- The Groove Hogs
Saturday
- Reverend Raven
- Deborah Coleman
- Anson Funderburgh & Sam Meyers
- Walter Trout
2003
Friday
- Howard “Guitar” Luedtke
- John Altenberg, Janet Planet, Otis McLennon
- Big Mouth
Saturday
- The Mighty Aces Reunion
- Bill Perry
- Little Ed and the Blues Imperials
- Renee Austin
- Tommy Castro
2004
Friday
- Dave Stephen
- Cadillac Dave & the Chicago Red Hots
- Groove Hogs
Saturday
- Blue Shadow
- Scott Holt
- Debbie Davies
- Little Charlie & the Nightcats
- John Mayall & the Blues Breakers
2005
Friday
- Michael Murphy and the Mob
- Reverend Raven
- The Lamont Cranston Band
Saturday
- Westside Andy
- Guitar Shorty
- Candye Kane
- Joe Bonamassa
- Marica Ball
2006
Friday
- The Midwest Blues All-Stars
- Otis & The Alligators, Randy Sabien, Motones
- The Groove Hogs
Saturday
- Jay Stulo
- Popa Chubby
- E.C. Scott
- Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers
- Walter Trout & the Radicals
2007
Friday
- 5p.m. The Big Mouth with the Power Tool Horns
- 7p.m. Johnny & the MoTones
- 9p.m Little Ed
Saturday
- 1p.m. Alex Wilson
- 3p.m. Matthew Skoller
- 5p.m. Nora Jean Bruso
- 7p.m. Bernard Allison
- 9p.m. Lonnie Brooks
contributed by Dino Corvino
