A host of international superstars converge on Lucerne for the annual Blue Balls Festival,1 which runs this year for nine days starting on July 20th.

The line-up in 2007 features some of the greatest musical icons of the 20th century alongside some names that will hope to take their place among the legends of the 21st.

Music from the 70s, 80s and 90s is represented by US jazz-rockers Steely Dan, new wave icon Elvis Costello and soul star Seal.

More recent arrivals on the music scene, such as Damien Rice, David Gray and Badly Drawn Boy also make the bill, while international names such as Tiziano Ferro, Archive and Bebel Gilberto fly in to make this a truly pan-cultural celebration.

The Blue Balls Festival had its inauspicious beginnings on a steamboat in 1992 with an audience of 300 people. Since then, it has grown to become one of the largest festivals in the German-speaking part of Switzerland welcoming around 100,000 people each year.

All concerts take place at the Kultur und Kongresszentrum, though further performances and events will be held along the Lucerne lakeshore.

Come to Lucerne,catch a performance from musical legends from the past & the present,all against the backdrop of Alps and river;plus meet some beautiful people.


Camelia Todorova, KKL Seebar, 19.30-23.30

Swinger Club, Schweizerhof, 18.00-22.00

Details

Video-Lounge, KKL Terrasse Trakt C, 18.00-01.00

Details

Foto-Expo, KKL Terrasse Trakt B, 18.00-01.00

Details

Freitag, 20.07.07

My Name is George, Pavillon, 18.00-20.00

Michael von der Heide & Guests, Pavillon, 20.00-22.00

Jason Mraz, KKL Piazza, 18.00-22.00

DAMIEN RICE, KKL Konzertsaal, 20.00-21.30

SEAL, KKL Luzernersaal, 22.00-23.30

Heavytones, Schweizerhof, 23.00-04.00

Details

Samstag, 21.07.07

Jones, Pavillon, 18.00-20.00

Mia Dyson, Pavillon, 20.00-22.00

Ash Grunwald, KKL Piazza, 18.00-22.00

DAVID GRAY, KKL Konzertsaal, 20.00-21.30

STARSAILOR, KKL Luzernersaal, 22.00-23.30

Backslash, Matt Boroff, Schweizerhof, 23.00-04.00

Details

Sonntag, 22.07.07

cigi & straight outta mama, Pavillon, 18.00-20.00

Sorgente, Pavillon, 20.00-22.00

Jenny Lindfors, KKL Piazza, 18.00-22.00

GIANNA NANNINI, KKL Luzernersaal, 22.00-23.30

Boppin B, Schweizerhof, 23.00-04.00

Details

Montag, 23.07.07

Baze, Pavillon, 18.00-20.00

The Holmes Brothers, Pavillon, 20.00-22.00

Solis String Quartet, KKL Piazza, 18.00-22.00

TIZIANO FERRO, KKL Luzernersaal, 22.00-23.30

Les Babacools, Schweizerhof, 23.00-04.00

Details

Dienstag, 24.07.07

Dust, Pavillon, 18.00-20.00

Zweitfrau, Pavillon, 20.00-22.00

Alice Jago, KKL Piazza, 18.00-22.00

CALEXICO, KKL Luzernersaal, 22.00-23.30

Abuela Coca, Schweizerhof, 23.00-04.00

Details

Mittwoch, 25.07.07

Shabani & The Burnin' Birds, Pavillon, 18.00-20.00

Zoe & The Okada Supersound, Pavillon, 20.00-22.00

David Celia, KKL Piazza, 18.00-22.00

BADLY DRAWN BOY, KKL Konzertsaal, 20.00-21.30

ELVIS COSTELLO WITH THE ALLEN TOUSSAINT BAND &

HORNS FEATURING STEVE NIEVE,

KKL Luzernersaal, 22.00-23.30

Turnip Greens, Schweizerhof, 23.00-04.00

Details

Donnerstag, 26.07.07

Pegasus, Pavillon, 18.00-20.00

Weeland, Pavillon, 20.00-22.00

Eric Andersen, KKL Piazza, 18.00-22.00

AYO, KKL Konzertsaal, 20.00-21.30

ARCHIVE, KKL Luzernersaal, 22.00-23.30

El Gran Silencio, Schweizerhof, 23.00-04.00

Details

Freitag, 27.07.07

Frantic, Pavillon, 18.00-20.00

Groove Guerrilla, Pavillon, 20.00-22.00

Mauf, KKL Piazza, 18.00-22.00

RICKIE LEE JONES, KKL Konzertsaal, 20.00-21.30

STEELY DAN, KKL Luzernersaal, 22.00-23.30

Toro Ensamble, Schweizerhof, 23.00-04.00

Details

Samstag, 28.07.07

Stevans, Pavillon, 18.00-20.00

Cheryl B. Engelhardt, Pavillon, 20.00-22.00

Morgan Finlay, KKL Piazza, 18.00-22.00

BEBEL GILBERTO, KKL Konzertsaal, 20.00-21.30

CANDY DULFER & FRIENDS, KKL Luzernersaal, 22.00-23.30

The AllStars, Schweizerhof, 23.00-04.00

What took place for the first time in the evening of September 19, 1992 with an audience of 300 on the old steamboat "Stadt Luzern", became one of the largest music festival in the German-speaking part of Switzerland with approximately 100,000 visitors over nine days. The incredible ambience around Lake Lucerne with the Open-Air Pavilion, the Culture and Convention Center Lucerne and The Club in the Schweizerhof Hotel is what makes the Blue Balls Festival unique. The festival presents a total of 100 shows, with top-notch international Blues, Jazz, Soul, Funk, World Music, Rock, and Pop acts as well as exclusive exhibitions of renowned photographers from the world of music. Featured photographers in the past years were Gered Mankowitz, Michel Comte, Isabel Snyder, Mick Rock and Gavin Evans.

http://www.blueballs.ch

By coincidence, I had a look at their website just this morning. I was under the illusion that it was a blues-fest. The only artist on the list that caught my eye was Jason Mraz....

dave

Gianna Nannini. She rocks.

He said blue balls, hehe hehe hehe!

Since this is an event, I'm going to move it to, umm, events.

Dale - thanks for posting, but please don't just copy and paste websites into forum posts, it doesn't always look very good, and most people know how to click if you give them a link (and a good reason to click it!).

Blue Balls festival taking place at the Swinger Club, Schweizerhof....
hmmmmmmmmm,

Thats one hell of a clamp...

dave

Hello, new to the forums here and thought I would give my two cents worth. I might be going to this festival and would be to see either Jason Mraz or David Gray. I love both of them, both amazing performers.

I haven't had a chance to see Jason Mraz live but I did get a chance to see David Gray at the Gurten festival last year and he was simply fantastic. He plays and performs with so much emotion and you can see that he genuinly has a fun time playing and doing what he does. From what I have seen with live footage of Jason Mraz he is the same.

If you haven't heard of either of these 2 or aren't too familiar with them. Check out their stuff on youtube. It is definitely worth a look. Here are 2 of my favorite LIVE clips from these 2 guys.

Jason Mraz - Unfold (Live)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=r6JWGhlFGgM

David Gray - Shine (Live)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GLmwJ7z9ZXI

I'm inclined to agree with Dave. However, I may check it out and hopefully be pleasantly enlightened.


Michelle

Thought I'd bump this, as the Blue Balls festivals starts today, Yay!