John Nemeth and the Blue Dreamers will be playing GrooveFest this weekend, bringing their own brand of blues and blue-eyed soul.

By Julie Gilberto-Brady

Special to Dorchester Banner

CAMBRIDGE — THIS WEEKEND!

On FRIDAY, October 19th GrooveFEST weekend kicks off at Groove City Studios who hosts John Nemeth and the Blue Dreamers. Enjoy a private and intimate performance in this fun downtown music venue. Tickets on sale for $20 in advance online at groovecitystudios.org. Doors open at 6:30pm, performance begins at 7pm. Hosted at 516 Race Street, home of WHCP Community Radio.

On SUNDAY, October 21st Downtown Cambridge will host its GrooveFEST: Blues, Brews and BBQs street festival along the 500 block of Poplar Street and the 400 block of Race Street between 1pm to 6pm.

The event is a music event showcasing live performances on two main stages. Five groups perform: John Nemeth and the Blue Dreamers, Hoppie Vaughan and the Ministers of Soul, Josh Christina, Karen Somerville and Sombarkin’, and The Evolution Band. The Cambridge-South Dorchester High School Jazz Band also performs.

Hoppie Vaughan and the Ministers of Soul are a rhythm and blue-eyed soul performance. Fans and other musicians alike know that Hoppie Vaughan’s inspiration and influence has been a major catalyst for the growth of Roanoke’s live music scene which is getting bigger and better every year. In April, 2018, Hoppie and the Ministers of Soul opened for the James Hunter Six at the Harvester Performance Center in Rocky Mt, VA.

He has also performed or appeared with Delbert McClinton, Rod Price of Foghat, Mac Gayden, Tommy Two Tone, Jimmy Hall of Wet Willie, Ronnie Milsap, Wayne Perkins, Tommy Castro, Tab Benoit, John Mayall, Sonia Data, Goose Creek Symphony, Gatemouth Brown, Miranda Louise, and The Kentucky Headhunters, among others.

Josh Christina is described as modern rockabilly and has been described as a mixture of Elvis, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elton John. “Josh Christina is the future of Rock’n’Roll folks! He plays it the way it was meant to be played. How this 21-year-old musician plays with the soul of Ray Charles, the piano with the feel of Jerry Lee Lewis, the energy of Elvis Presley and the rhythm of the legendary rock n’ roll guitar player, Chuck Berry, who all had their biggest hits before he was born, in fact, before his parents were born, is beyond me!” Daryl Davis, Blues Musician.

New to the line-up are John Nemeth, international touring soul performer and Karen Somerville, performing jazz, gospel and spirituals. Nemeth draws from his strong influences in blues and R&B, as well as contemporary sounds in hip hop and rock & roll, John creates music that is personal as well as universal, and owes its origin to no one but John Németh. John’s songs are groove and melody-driven, laced with thoughtful lyrics and nuanced humor.

Karen Somerville is a vocal stylist with 20+ years in the music entertainment field. In 2002, she recruited her longtime friends Lester Barrett Jr. and Jerome McKinney formed an a cappella trio group named Sombarkin’. The group is known for their dynamic vocal instrumentation and the polyphonic technique in which they deliver explosive performances in genres from Negro Spirituals to contemporary jazz renditions.

Don’t miss local group The Evolution Band led by Cambridge native Gilbert Cephas. The Evolution Band performs Motown and Rhythm and Blues.

The event is also a great chance to taste some delicious local BBQ, which will include several local BBQ vendors. Come taste each BBQ dish and vote for your favorite in a fun and friendly BBQ cook-Off Competition. To be the judge and taste all the delicious BBQ dishes, pick up your ticket for $15 available online at downtowncambridge.org or call 443-477-0843 for more information. Tickets to taste are also available at the event. Tasting will last from 1pm – 6pm.

A $5 donation at entry is requested to help support the revitalization efforts of Downtown Cambridge, a non-profit Main Street organization.

More information at downtowncambridge.org or call 443-477-0843.