DOWNCHILD BLUES BAND Play Emelin Theatre 4/8

It's hard to believe that over 40 years have flown by since Donnie "Mr. Downchild" Walsh and his late brother, Hock formed the renowned group that would be the inspiration behind the blues in Canada and the world famous Blues Brothers. Downchild Blues Band will make their MUST SEE debut performance in New York at the EMELIN THEATRE (153 Library Lane, Mamaroneck, NY, 10543) on FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2011 at 7:30 Pm (Show Time at 8:00 Pm).

Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi would often check out Downchild at their Toronto haunts and came up with the idea of The Blues Brother while listening to Downchild's "Straight Up" album at an after-hours club in Toronto. In fact two Downchild songs "(I Got Everything I Need) Almost" and "Shotgun Blues" were on The Blues Brothers multi-platinum selling soundtrack "Briefcase Full of Blues." In 2009 Dan Aykroyd performed three sold out shows with Downchild (alongside James Cotton, Colin Linden and many other special guests) as part of their 40th Anniversary celebrations, including prestigious Massey Hall in Toronto. The Massey Hall performance was filmed for a special 40th anniversary documentary on Downchild, that is currently airing on HBO Canada, entitled FLIP FLOP AND FLY 40 YEARS OF THE DOWNCHILD BLUES BAND. The documentary is narrated by Aykroyd and features special guest appearances by Paul Shaffer (Late Show With David Letterman), JAMES COTTON and DANIEL LANOIS (U2, Bob Dylan, Neil Young) to name a few. A trailer for the film can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyQ4a-SqagA

The DOWNCHILD Blues Band is a Canadian blues institution with an international reputation with such hits as "Flip, Flop & Fly." They have been rewarded with an array of awards from both the media and the music industry, including a 1991 Juno Award (Canadian Equivalent of a Grammy Award) for "Best Roots and Traditional Album" and "Entertainers of The Year" at the 2007 Maple Blues Awards (Canadian Equivalent of the Handy Awards). A constant throughout, DONNIE "MR. DOWNCHILD" WALSH, the leader and founding member of the band, has kept the music alive and relevant in the world of blues today. Downchild band members include some of the most well respected musicians in the country, who have performed together for over 15 years. This includes silky smooth singer and harmonica player CHUCK JACKSON, tenor sax player PAT CAREY, MIKE FITZPATRICK on drums, rhythm captain GARY KENDALL on bass, and former American super-group rocker MICHAEL FONFARA (of Rhinoceros and Lou Reed fame) on keyboards.

DOWNCHILD'S acclaimed new album, "I Need A Hat" on Linus/Rounder Records, features special guest appearances by Dan Aykroyd, COLIN JAMES, COLIN LINDEN (Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams) and WAYNE JACKSON OF THE MEMPHIS HORNS (Elvis, Al Green, U2, Aretha Franklin).

Don't miss one of the World's most prolific and entertaining blues bands, who have shared the stage with B.B. King, BUDDY GUY, JEFF HEALEY and John Lee HOOKER throughout their illustrious career.

For more information on Downchild visit: www.downchild.com

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