Bookended, as is tradition, by the two weekends of JAZZFEST, the 2008 Stomp will take place April 29 and 30, on three stages at the HOUSE OF BLUES in New Orleans, with marathon sets that in years past have run from sundown to sunup!
The New York Times has hailed the Ponderosa Stomp as "a dream" that "plunges into the obscure byways of rock's past." Next year's line-up is the Stomp's most eclectic and ambitious to date, with performances ranging from pillars of '60s female pop, RONNIE SPECTOR of the Ronettes and MARY WEISS of the Shangri-Las, to garage rock pioneers THE GREEN FUZ (reuniting for the first time in 40 years!); from soul deep R&B innovators THE MIGHTY HANNIBAL, SYL JOHNSON, and THE HI RHYTHM SECTION, to children of the universe ROKY ERICKSON and QUESTION MARK AND THE MYSTERIANS; plus many architects of the New Orleans groove like EDDIE BO, ZIGABOO MODELISTE and WARDELL QUEZERGUE, and so much more (see full confirmed line-up below). As in years past, the 2008 Ponderosa Stomp will be sponsored by THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME, The House of Blues, and NEW ORLEANS' FINE HOTELS.
New to the Ponderosa Stomp next year will be the first PONDEROSA STOMP MUSIC CONFERENCE, a full slate of daytime panel discussions and oral histories set for April 29 and 30 at the historic Cabildo on New Orleans' Jackson Square. Featured speakers include Ponderosa Stomp-certified performers SONNY BURGESS, BARBARA LYNN, LAZY LESTER, DALE HAWKINS and ROY HEAD, acclaimed authors PETER GURALNICK, HOLLY GEORGE-WARREN and ROBERT GORDON, and music biz legends JOE BIHARI (founder of RPM and MODERN RECORDS), and BOB SULLIVAN (original engineer for the LOUISIANA HAYRIDE) among others. The conference is presented by the Ponderosa Stomp Foundation and will be co-sponsored by the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME and LOUISIANA STATE MUSEUM.
The Ponderosa Stomp Foundation's primary mission is to celebrate the unsung heroes of American music. The Foundation's programs, including the now-famous Ponderosa Stomp, illuminate the indelible cultural footprint left by some of the pioneers of rock & roll, soul, country, blues, jazz, reggae, swamp pop and beyond. Many performers have seen their careers revitalized by the Stomp and its ever-expanding list of initiatives. In 2007 alone, the Ponderosa Stomp Foundation sponsored a showcase at the SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST music conference in Austin, drew nearly 5,000 fans to a Stomp-curated show at Brooklyn's MCCARREN PARK POOL, launched a monthly concert series at the OGDEN MUSEUM OF SOUTHERN ART in New Orleans, and created a music-in-the-schools program for children in under-served communities, starting with a partnership with New Orleans' groundbreaking GOOD SHEPHERD SCHOOL.
The Ponderosa Stomp Foundation is a project of MK CHARITIES INC., a 501 (c)(3) non-profit educational organization. All contributions are tax-deductible in accordance with IRS Code Section 170. MK Charities Inc., is supported by a grant from the LOUISIANA STATE ARTS COUNCIL through the LOUISIANA DIVISION FOR THE ARTS and the NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.
Tickets to the 2008 Ponderosa Stomp go on sale January 19 through Ticketmaster's website (http://www.ticketmaster.com) and the House of Blues box office in New Orleans (225 Decatur St., New Orleans, LA, 70130). Stay tuned for a complete schedule and additional updates.
* Confirmed 2007 line-up with links to artist bios *
Ronnie Spector, Roky Erickson, Mary Weiss, Question Mark and The Mysterians, The Collins Kids, The Green Fuz, Syl Johnson, The Hi Rhythm Section, William Bell, The Bo Keys, Bobby Parker, The Mighty Hannibal, Nathaniel Mayer, Eddie Bo, Zigaboo Modeliste, Lazy Lester, Barbara Lynn, Tammy Lynn, Al Johnson, Lil Buck Sinegal and The Top Cats Featuring Stanley "Buckwheat" Dural, Warren Storm, Hayden Thompson, Sonny Burgess, Joe Clay, Jay Chevalier, Deke Dickerson and The Eccofonics, Little Freddie King, Henry Gray, Louisiana Red, James Blood Ulmer, Wardell Quezergue and His Rhythm and Blues Revue, Roscoe Robinson, Ralph "Soul" Jackson, Herman Hitson, Wiley and The Checkmates, and Rockie Charles.