READING Pa. – For many, the end of Berks Arts this past summer meant the end of Reading Blues Fest. But not to Dave Kline.
“When the leader falls, you need the next person to step up and carry the torch,” said Kline.
Kline has been a part of the Berks blues scene for years.
He said he couldn’t let something so special disappear.
“I was going to do it Blues Fest before Berks Arts Council even decided to have a Blues Fest… We’re going to step in, we’re going to make this festival happen,” said Kline.
Now he’s saving the festival, but with a psychedelic twist and a new name.
The Busker Incognito Blues and Boogie Weekend.
Named after his band, the fest will be November 19th to the 22nd at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Reading, with a loaded lineup and multiple performances each day.
“Great set, great sound, great lights, great artists, great music with great food, great beverages at a ridiculously low price,” said Kline.
Kline says you don’t even need a ticket to enjoy the festival, because seven of their ten performances will be free.
“It’s very important to me to keep this festival accessible to everybody,” said Kline.
Kline says keeping a celebration like this in Reading isn’t just important to music fans, but to the entire community
“Anybody that’s rooted to the community understands that the community at large is better off with revenue coming in,” said Kline.
Kline says despite all the hard work, being able to save such an important festival was worth all the blues.
“It’s really neat to be able to bring this to Reading, to keep it in Reading, to rescue this festival,” said Kline.