Blues in the Loft

Join world-class artists & local legends for the Blues in the Loft concert series live at the SOPAC Loft. Whether you’re seeking some slow burners, classic funk grooves, tear-your-heart-out ballads, or down-home shuffles, Blues is the Loft is the event for you!

Blues in the Loft is curated and hosted by Mike Griot. 

Blues People

Blues People’s arrival on the global scene marks a dynamic shift in the present and future state of Blues music — and the culmination of a story over 40 years in the making. Lead singer & guitarist Kelton Cooper and bassist Mike Griot met as teenagers in rival bands in Orange, New Jersey, sharing stages on local talent shows. Having amassed years of respective touring credits, recording sessions, and pivotal collaborations, Cooper and Griot found themselves together again in Griot’s live music club in Jersey where Cooper moonlighted as a sound engineer. Blues People explores the effects of the Blues on modern American culture at universal levels. Born during the pandemic, the band brings together members who have lived their truths authentically, as lifelong working musicians, producers, and recording artists. Taking the New York metropolitan area by storm for four years with their incredible shows and musicianship, the band has won the North Jersey Blues Society International Blues Challenge in 2023 and 2024, and placed in the semifinals for the 2024 Memphis International Blues Challenge.

Dave Keyes

Native New Yorker Dave Keyes is a 30-year veteran of the Blues and American Roots music scenes. In the past 10 years, in addition to leading his own projects, the three-time Blues Music Award nominee has worked with Popa Chubby and the late Ronnie Spector. Past associations include those with Odetta, David Johansen, Bo Diddley, Sleepy LaBeef, and Marie Knight. Dave’s music finds its roots in deep Blues, Soul and Rock & Roll. His repertoire’s style ranges from New Orleans Second Line to slow Blues, swaggering shuffles and Boogie Woogie. Dave’s live work with his own band has earned him many kudos including winning the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge and making numerous festival appearances. He also worked as a side person for Eddy Clearwater, Big Jay McNeely, Tracy Nelson, Gladys Knight, Pam Tillis, Darlene Love, Ruth Brown, Lou Rawls, and Levon Helm.

Chuck Lambert

Chuck Lambert has played for legends John Lee Hooker, J.B. Hutto, and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. Most recently, he has been singing and playing guitar for crowds up and down the Jersey Shore, in Philadelphia, and across the New York metropolitan area, always returning to play venues in his hometown of Red Bank, New Jersey. He serves as a member of the Norman Seldin Big Band, The Panama Chapel Band, The Cal Vetrane Blues Band, and The Haugenes Project, and as a guest artist with The Red Bank Blues Band, Heavy Soul, Herd of Blues, Al Holmes and The Tribe, and Poppa John “Bug” and The Jam Band. The Chuck Lambert Band represents a commitment to expanding the range and scope of the Blues. It incorporates the vitality and innovation of modern electric blues with the soul and depth of its traditional forms. The band’s core rhythm section — Eddie Ellis on bass guitar and Chip Dixon on drums — radiates pulse, syncopation, and energy. The result of their collective synergy is a testament to the power of the Blues and its enduring legacy. 

Cash bar available. 

SOPAC Member Benefits

Public on Sale: Monday, February 10, 2025

Member Discounts: Members at the Advocate Level or higher ($65+) will receive a discounted ticket price.

Accessibility & Accommodation

If you or a member of your party needs assistance, please notify SOPAC at the time your tickets are purchased. Contact the SOPAC Box Office at (973) 313-2787 or boxoffice@SOPACnow.org.