"Blues By Budweiser" - Big Al and the Heavyweights

Name: "Blues By Budweiser" - Big Al and the Heavyweights
Start: 2025-09-06T19:00:00-05:00
Location: RJ's Sports Grill

Schedule

Sat, 06 Sep, 2025 at 07:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

RJ's Sports Grill | Pine Bluff, AR

On Saturday, September 6, 2025 the "Blues By Budweiser" concert series will feature "Big Al and the Heavyweights”. The event will be held at RJ's Grill & Bar located at 128 S. Main in downtown Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Doors will open at 7 PM, music will begin at 8 PM. Port City Blues Society members are admitted free, only $5 cover for others. The concert series is being sponsored by M.K. Distributors.

Hailing from South Louisiana, the Heavyweights have absorbed the rich cultural spirit of the region, from greasy funk to grinding blues mixed with some dance hall bayou soul and infectious zydeco. Their high-energy shows are legendary, and they are a beloved touring band. The Heavyweights has a storied history, and over the years they have featured an impressive lineup of band members and special guests. With the tragic loss of longtime keyboard player and vocalist, Wayne Lohr, the band has returned to its original lineup of harmonica, bass, drums and guitar. The current band features drummer/bandleader Big Al Lauro, Guitarist/lead vocalist Marcel Anton, and new members Dangerous Dale Robinson/harmonica and Dennis "the Menace" Cedeno/bass.
Big Al and the Heavyweights originally formed in 1996 as the Unknown Blues Band with founding members Al Lauro, Warren Haynes and Rick Gergen (Sweethearts of the Rodeo). Of course, Warren is no longer in the band but Big Al has formed a solid array of musicians that continues to tour extensively playing venues and festivals throughout the US. On April 30, 2023 the band was inducted into The Alabama Blues Music Hall of Fame.
A 2025 release on the VizzTone label, BLUES POWER, is available now on CD and all digital platforms. This is the band’s second VizzTone album, and their eighth overall. While the band is soaring with energy infused from new members, this album is a particularly strong showcase for guitarist/vocalist extraordinaire Marcel Anton. Marcel is a vocalist, composer, guitarist, percussionist of Native American and New Orleans Creole descent. The first single “IF” is a minor blues ballad, sung by Anton in the classic bayou soul tradition, his powerful baritone delivering the heart-wrenching tale of lost love and reaching a natural falsetto that recalls some of the region’s masters. Intensity builds after a bridge and a stop as the band modulates into the final chorus, “If you’re gonna let me down, don’t make it easy.” Other early favorite tracks are the high energy "Freight Train" and the Zydeco-flavored "Red Line.
Big Al and the Heavyweights live performances are family oriented, energetic and fun. Don't miss this concert!