General Admission: Free
Doors Will Open at 6 pm
Show starts at 7 pm sharp
Please note that start time is different from other events.
Free and open to the public, and no advance tickets are required. Seating is general admission, first-come, first-served, until theater capacity is reached. Doors will open at 6:00 pm.
Thornetta Davis, Detroit’s reigning Queen of the Blues, and Toronzo Cannon, one of the most electrifying bluesmen to emerge from Chicago in decades, team up to headline The Big Gig! Davis and Cannon will be joined by Detroiter Rev. Robert B. Jones, Sr., who began Monroe County’s Black History Month Blues Series with a 1988 solo performance and has returned to Monroe each February since.
Davis is a powerhouse vocalist and songwriter whose storied 30+ year career has earned her over 30 Detroit Music Awards, several Blues Music Award nominations, and international touring and numerous national television appearances. Cannon is a blistering guitarist, soulful vocalist, singular songwriter, and city bus driver (true!) who fuses his muscular, rock-inspired blues guitar playing with his original, keenly detailed, slice-of-life-songs. Rev. Jones is a native Detroiter, accomplished multi-instrumentalist, and an inspirational storyteller who celebrates the history, humor, and power of American roots music.
The Big Gig! wraps up a month-long schedule of free blues and roots music concerts held in libraries across Monroe County. 2020’s schedule begins on Tuesday, February 4, with legendary Chicago blues rockers Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials in Concert at the Ellis Library. The full 2020 Blues Series schedule is available at https://monroe.lib.mi.us/blues
The Big Gig! is presented by the Monroe County Library System, Monroe County Community College, and the 2020 Blues Coalition of community partners: DTE Foundation, Friends of Bedford, Friends of Carleton, Friends of Dorsch, Friends of Ellis, Friends of Ida and Lettie Kempf. This project is supported by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.