Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials Credit: Photo via LilEdandBluesImperials/Facebook
Slide guitar legend J.B. Hutto is in part responsible for Chicago-based bluesmen Lil’ Ed Williams and Dave Weld coming together in the late-‘80s to establish the Blues Imperials.

The four-piece that counts Conan O’Brien among its superfans swings into the outdoor Safety Harbor Art & Music Center stage on Friday, Jan. 27 for its first Tampa Bay appearance since a 2007 spot at Bluesfest.

Tickets to see Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials in Safety Harbor tonight are still available for $25 at the door.

This article appears in Jan 26 – Feb 1, 2023.

Josh Bradley is Creative Loafing Tampa Bay's calendar editor. He started as a freelance music writer in 2020 at the age of 18, and after spending years covering, announcing, and previewing concerts in...