The blues benefits and festivals have burst out with the spring with 4 of them on Saturday alone and the Dogwood Festival spanning all three days! Of all of them, my personal pick will always be the Sean Costello Celebration, both for the amazing lineup and the great cause. But you have a lot to choose from! And an Atlanta Blues Society meeting too! Get ready to dive into the blues!

Friday

The Nighthawks are at Blind Willie’s Lindsay Beaver is at Darwin’s in Sandy Springs. Ron Cooley & The Hard Times come to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack and Ike Stubblefield is at Northside Tavern. Dotline Projekt is at MoonShadow Tavern in Tucker. The Atlanta Dogwood Festival takes place at Piedmont Park, with The Larry Griffith Band performing at 4:15 and Atlanta Soul Power’s James Brown Tribute at 5:30 pm. Tribute, A Celebration of the Allman Brothers Band is at The Vista Room in Decatur

Saturday

he Sean Costello Foundation Benefit is at Darwin’s, featuring The Jeff Jensen Band, Mudcat, The Brooks Mason Blues Band, David Fisch and the Dadgummits, and the Real Deal Blues Band. The Amplify Decatur Music Festival with Mavis Staples takes place in Decatur’s Downtown Square. The Atlanta Blues Festival comes to the Fox Theatre with Pokey Bear, Ronnie Bell, Sir Charles Jones, Calvin Richardson, Theodis Ealey, and Tucka The Atlanta Dogwood Festival continues at Piedmont Park with The Wesley Pruitt Band at 5 pm.

The John Pagano Band will be at the Star Bar in Little 5 Points in Atlanta with the Last Chance Riders!

Delta Moon is at Blind Willie’s. Ron Cooley & the Hard Times are at Fat Matt’s. Bill Sheffield performs from 6-9 pm, followed by Grant Green at Northside Tavern. The Nasty Dogs are at Nik’s Place. The Breeze Kings are at Gypsy Rose Music in Roswell and The Larry Griffith Band is at The Painted Duck. Frankie’s Blues Mission is at Pappadeaux in Roswell. Michelle Malone and Drag the River are at The Vista Room in Decatur. ThunderGypsy is at Waldo’s Coffee House at the Emerson Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Marietta.

Sunday

Atlanta Dogwood Festival has another day at Piedmont Park, with Chequered Blue at 1 pm, Preacher van at 3 pm; and featuring Frank Hamilton School on the International Stage at 11 am.  The Atlanta Blues Society Gathering & Jam with Dani Mac & Co. hosting takes place from 3-6 pm at Full Throttle Roadhouse in Mableton. Clark Ashton performs from 6:30 pm at Blind Willie’s and Gospel Sunday takes place with Mandi Strachota and the Major 7’s at Darwin’s. Fat Back Deluxe is t Fat Matt’s Rib Shack and Uncle Sugar is at Northside Tavern. The Atlanta Rock & Blues Camp’s Young Musician’s Series happens from 3-5 pm at Tucker Brewing Co. in Tucker.

That’s it! Have fun and keep on bluesin’!