Amy and George, promoters of Blues on the Mesa in Colorado Springs, joined Dan Willging on KGNU to preview the September 27th festival, featuring Grammy winner Ruthie Foster, Mike Zito, Jack Hadley with Peaches, and more. They highlighted the festival’s mountain setting, diverse food and drink options, and community activities. Special guest Eden Brent called in from Greenville, Mississippi, sharing memories of past Colorado performances, her mentorship from Boogaloo Ames, and her new album Blues You Can Use. She expressed excitement about returning to Colorado with her full band for the festival. (Interview: 9/12/25)
Dan Willging: Hey everybody, it’s 7:32. I have my people on the line.
Amy: You got your people. Hey, we’re here, Dan.
Dan Willging: We got people here on the line.
Amy: The people.
Dan Willging: The people are gonna speak to us tonight.
George: Hi Dan, hi Eden, this is George.
Dan Willging: Hi George.
George: We might even sing.
Amy: Yeah.
George: Well, let’s have fun. I’ve got a picture I’m gonna bring to the festival of you and I singing in the woods. Will you sign it for me?
Amy: Are you talking to me?
George: I’m talking to you. I’m not talking to Dan.
Dan Willging: I was gonna say—I must’ve been pretty drunk. I don’t remember singing in the woods with George. What was I doing in the woods with George anyway? Oh, I know.
Amy: Yeah. Hey, before I agree to sign anything, I’ll have to read the fine print.
Dan Willging: Well, we’re not very literate up here, so good luck on that. You may not find it.
Amy: So…
Dan Willging: With me tonight, just so the listeners [00:01:00] know our voices, I’ll introduce you one by one. Then I’ll go back to Amy and George and we’ll talk about the festival. Then we’ll go to Eden and ask her all kinds of questions, ’cause she’s such a great interview. Amy?
Amy: Yes.
Dan Willging: Okay, that’s Amy. And George—hello everybody. That’s Amy and George, and they are the promoters of Blues on the Mesa. The website is bluesonthemesa.org. And before I go too far—Eden, from Greenville, Mississippi. Is that right?
Eden: That’s me. I’m in Greenville right now.
Dan Willging: I just wanted to make sure you weren’t traveling or something. So, all the way from Greenville, Mississippi—which I’ve been to once. I liked it. So, Blues on the Mesa—Amy, it’s Saturday, September 27th, 2025. You’re gonna be there, correct?
Amy: Am I going to be there?
Dan Willging: Of course.
Amy: Dan, if I’m not there, please send the police looking for me.
Dan Willging: Okay. George is gonna be there. Why [00:02:00] don’t you guys say a few words about the performers and all the great stuff you’ve lined up for Blues on the Mesa.
Amy: Just to give a quick rundown of the lineup—I’ll start slowly though, because I have a Grammy Award winner as the headliner.
George: And that’s Ruthie Foster. She won a Grammy this year for Best Traditional Blues Album. We’re happy to have her on the festival.
Dan Willging: What’s the name of that album? Is it Mileage?
George: Yes, it is.
Amy: And then we have Mike Zito. He was just up at Red Rocks about a month ago with Bill Murray and his Blood Brothers. So Mike’s always a fun act. And then I’m delighted, thrilled, to have Eden come from Mississippi back to Colorado. She hasn’t been here in a very long time.
Dan Willging: Awesome. I think maybe she did Winter Park one time.
George: We’ve had her down here in Colorado Springs too. Yeah, but that was a long time ago.
Amy: Yeah. And then we have the Jack Hadley Band, and we’re going to have Peaches sit in with him. Opening up the festival will be Grant [00:03:00] Saban.
We’ll have the doors opening at 10:30 AM. We’ll have a Bloody Mary bar, which is kind of nice.
Dan Willging: Mm-hmm.
Amy: Yeah, that’s real nice. We’ll have music from 11:00 AM to 6:30 PM. For those who purchase the VIP ticket, we then go indoors. At the end of September, you know, it’s dark out. We’ll have food and drink in there, plus Jack Hadley will be playing music, and it’s just an informal meet-and-greet with the artists.
Dan Willging: Oh, excellent. It’s our small crew that comes down for outreach every year, and those guys really like it—you know, it’s just right for them.
Amy: Well, it’s a very cool setting. You’re sitting in a beautiful, lush lawn, overlooking the mountains.
Dan Willging: Mm-hmm.
Amy: Yeah.
Dan Willging: If you’re facing the stage, there’s a slope. The sightlines are excellent. You hear well and see well from anywhere.
Amy: Yes. And then we have food to take care of everything [00:04:00] because there is no outside food or drink allowed in the festival. So we make sure that we can provide no matter how you eat—vegan, vegetarian, keto, sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free. There’ll be something there for everyone.
Dan Willging: Excellent, excellent. And then you’ll have some craft beer vendors.
Amy: Let’s not forget those guys.
Dan Willging: No.
Amy: Besides that, we have breweries, distilleries, and a wine bar. This year we’ll have some frozen margaritas out in the field. Wow. Besides ciders and seltzers, it runs the gamut. But like I tell people, it’s a music festival—it’s not a beer fest. We average just a couple of drinks a piece because it’s a daytime event. It’s not a “getting drunk all day, party all night” festival. That’s how I like to tell people: it’s there for you, and there’s the gamut of it. Plus there are also plenty of non-alcoholic drinks.
We have a lot of sponsor booths, some health fair booths, a silent auction, and a logo guitar to raffle off this year. Cool. So, just looking forward to getting there. It’s all the work to get to that date. I’ve got a few more weeks.
Dan Willging: You’ll make it. I know you will.
