Sugar Ray & The Bluetones with Monster Mike Welch - Charity Benefit Concert for Music4Kids & The Home for Little Wanderers

Sugar Ray Norcia (and the Bluetones)

Sugar Ray and the Bluetones have been playing their unique style of blues the world over for almost forty years. Not limited to one style, but able to play Chicago Blues in the style of Muddy Waters. Little Walter and Billy Boy Arnold; Kansas City Swing in the style of "Big" Joe Turner; Texas Blues like "T" Bone Walker and Freddie King; and the swampy Louisiana sounds of "Lazy" Lester-all played with distinctive originality .

Most European dates and certain festival dates in the US feature Little Charlie Baty on guitar.

All of the members of Sugar Ray and the Bluetones have been featured on other Artists recordings which include Roomful of Blues,Hubert Sumlin, John Hammond, Johnny Winter, J.Geils, Otis Grand, Pinetop Perkins, The Mannish Boys, Sugaray Rayford, Debbie Davies, Duke Robillard, Ronnie Earl and many more.

Monster Mike Welch

With over 25 years of touring and recording under his belt, Boston-based blues guitarist Monster Mike Welch is considered a seasoned veteran of the international blues scene despite his relatively young age.

Given the nickname “Monster Mike” by actor/Ghostbuster Dan Aykroyd at the tender age of 13, Welch has since carved out a niche as a highly accomplished and in-demand guitarist. To date, Welch has released six albums under his own name, and in 2001, he joined the ranks of one of New England’s most beloved blues institutions, Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, where he stayed until 2017, recording five albums and racking up multiple Blues Music Award nominations for the band in that time. In addition, Welch has recorded with Shemekia Copeland, Ronnie Earl, Danielle Nicole, Duke Robillard, Johnny Winter, Victor Wainwright, Nick Moss, the Mannish Boys and Sugaray Rayford, among others. Welch left the Bluetones in 2017 to focus on his partnership with Mike Ledbetter, which led to seven Blues Music Award nominations and the formation of the Welch Ledbetter Connection within the first year.

Welch has received three consecutive Blues Music Award nominations by the Blues Foundation for Instrumentalist-Guitar beginning in 2016, a Boston Music Award for Best Blues Act, and is an inductee of the Rhode Island Music Hall Of Fame.

Veronica Lewis

Veronica Lewis is an exciting, emerging talent in the Blues and Roots world. This young piano player and singer brings Blues, Boogie Woogie and Roots piano into the future with exuberance and originality.

Veronica showcases her piano chops and vocals in the style of her idols; Katie Webster, Otis Spann, and Pinetop Perkins. Born in Keene, New Hampshire and raised on the Blues and Boogie Woogie, Veronica writes juke-joint style songs filled with humor, imagery and the true language of the Blues. Her piano playing is described as “having the power of a summer thunderstorm in the Delta” Town Common 2018. Veronica, 16, is four-time Granite State Blues Youth Challenge Winner and the recipient of the 2019 W.O.W. Rising Star Award.  

In 2019, Veronica traveled across the country from Nashville to L.A. playing her music at venues and festivals. She debuted in Las Vegas at the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Fest, the National Women in Blues Showcase and in the 35th International Blues Challenge in Memphis. She also recorded her first studio EP.

Nolan Leite Featuring Joshua Silver

Nolan Leite is a young upcoming guitarist from Rhode Island. His sound can be best described as modern blues, with heavy guitar riffs while still sticking to original blues progressions. He plays at venues all across New England and is currently working on his debut album, set to release in mid 2020.

Now they are coming to Wrentham!  Come enjoy dinner, drinks and some awesome blues music!  Proceeds of this event go to local non-profit Music4Kids, helping us to provide musical instruments, lessons and special music education programs for disabled and disadvantaged children.

The Home for Little Waderers is highlighted as one of our ongoing projects that will be served by the proceeds of this event!

Auction and raffle items available for bidding.  This is a great cause.  Hope to see you there!

*This event is in open seating format with the exception of reserved tables.*

**If you would like to have one or more tables reserved, please contact Joshua Silver at 508-381-9052 after purchasing the desired number of tickets.**