Since 2010, musical members of the South Bend Fire Department have come together to create an all-firefighter band specifically for the South Bend Firefighter's Local 362 Bluesfest. They call themselves the 362 All Stars. Although the line-up changes from year to year, a core group of individuals provide a solid foundation.

Because members work on opposing shifts, practice time comes at a premium. The band compiles a set list and is able to rehearse only about a half dozen times before taking the stage as the first act at the Bluesfest. In the past, they've played everything from Buddy Guy and The Beatles to B.B King, Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones.

"It's for a great cause and we have a lot of fun. It's something I look forward to every year," says core drummer, Mark Mammon. "Our goals are pretty simple," added keyboardist, Todd Skwarcan. "Give about an hour of entertainment, have fun and try not to lay an egg."

While enjoying a successful musical crusade of touring, recording, and numerous television and radio appearances in his homeland, Michael received an invitation from Buddy Guy’s management to appear at the infamous Legends in Chicago, Illinois USA. Graciously accepting the honor, Michael Charles traveled the twelve thousand five hundred miles and took the stage with Mr. Buddy Guy. After numerous trips back and forth, Michael Charles made the monumental and life changing decision to make America his new home. Charles worked the whole Chicago blues circuit performing with Mr. Buddy Guy, Phil Guy, James Cotton, Eddy Clearwater, Junior Wells, George Baze, as well as touring with blues legend, Jimmy Dawkins.

Through the next twenty plus years, and now a seven times Grammy elected artist, Michael Charles enjoyed being featured in numerous television and radio broadcasts and several music magazines, along with gracing countless stages including Chicago Blues Fest, Philadelphia Jazz and Blues Fest, and Windy City Live Television.

As always and with all Michael Charles’s performances and recordings, his guitar is kept forefront and is the driving force behind his music.

A talented singer-songwriter, guitarist, and blues-rocker, Scott Ellison was born on June13, 1954, in Tulsa, OK. By the '70s, Tulsa had become an unexpected hotbed of blues-based rock bands as proven by both Eric Clapton and Freddie King's backing bands hailing from the area. It was the perfect match for Ellison with his heavy guitar shredding blues style.

Ellison relocated to Los Angeles, CA by the mid-'80s, however, keeping his music career going by playing with The Box Tops. The Shirelles, Marvalettes, JJ Jackson, The Drifters, The Coasters, Gary "US" Bonds and Peaches & Herb. By the '90s he had formed his own blues band and opened for the likes of Joe Cocker, Roy Orbison, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Leon Russell, Bobby Bland and Buddy Guy.

Scott's biggest thrill as a performer was opening up for BB King, at the Performing Arts Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2009. BB King called Scott out to play twice during his show. In addition to solo records and playing with other artists, Ellison has also penned songs that have appeared in such hit TV shows as Sister Sister, Eye on L.A., and the soap opera Santa Barbara, as well as the soundtrack to the Ben Affleck motion picture Reindeer Games, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Joan of Arcadia, Saving Grace, Smash and four songs on 2012’s hit TV show Justified on the FX Network.

The members of MojoDaddy are all top-shelf musicians who have achieved considerable success with their respective groups. Throughout their careers, these guys have taken the message of Chicago blues and traveled the world to spread it with artists such as Buddy Guy, The Kinsey Report, Steepwater Band and Green Room Rockers. The group consists of Kenny Kinsey (bass/vocals), Jerry Porter (drums/vocals), Jeff Massey (Slide guitar/vocals) and Ryan Frahm (guitar/vocals).

Joining forces for this CD and to take that message further, they've built a high-energy blues, funk/soul, roots-rock supergroup who thread the spirit of the past into this ten-song disc with creative, passionate playing. Employing a trio of accomplished, fire-breathing guitarists (Nick Byrd, Corey Dennison, Jeff Massey), a rock-solid rhythm section (Kenny Kinsey, Jerry Porter), and four distinct-yet-complementary vocalists (Byrd, Dennison, Massey, Kinsey), the band fuses their musical tastes into a must-have disc for any hardcore blues-rocker who has an occasional sensitive moment.

Together, they have quickly gained a reputation for being one of Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland area’s top blues bands and rhythm sections. All of this has led to them appearing on a regular rotation at some of the areas hottest live music venues and annual summer festivals.

These musician’s pride themselves on playing with heart and soul, creating an unstoppable energy. Their intense delivery of the music will have you up and dancing, while never letting you forget where our musical debt is owed.

“America’s Hottest Accordion” winner, Dwayne Dopsie plays a unique, high energy style of zydeco. Dwayne hails from one of the most influential Zydeco families in the world. Although inspired by tradition, he has developed his own high energy style that defies existing stereotypes and blazes a refreshingly distinct path for 21st century Zydeco music. This singer/songwriter and accordionist has performed all over the world since debuting his band, Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers, at age 19.

Dwayne attributes his musical ablilities to his father, Rockin' Dopise, Sr., a pioneer of Zydeco music. As a small child, Dwayne was interested in the washboard, but quickly realized he had incredible talent with an accordion. He has played the accordion since age seven and states, "This is my calling - Zydeco music is in my blood and it is my heart and soul." As a tribute to his late father, the most influential person in his life, Dwayne plans to record an album of his Dad's greatest Zydeco hits.

Dwayne Dopsie and his Hellraisers have performed in 20 different countries and in hundreds of cities. Because of the energy and power of the music they play, he was nominated for a Grammy award in 2007, and also nominated for the last 7 years for best accordion and artist from Off Beat Magazine Awards. In September 2016, he was on "Louisiana Rising" with Harry Connick Jr. and Randy Jackson, performing their song for the flood victims called "Rollercoaster" which is one of the songs on their CD, released in 2017.