The Blues band Dwight & Nicole will be at Camp Meade in Middlesex with their full band on September 17 for a free performance from 5 to 8 p.m. with music starting at 5:30 p.m.
Band principals Dwight Ritcher and Nicole Nelson have been touring the eastern U.S. since 2017. They have been steadily on the rise ever since -- nominated for nine Boston Music Awards, Daysie Awards, and 10 New England Music Awards, winning “Band of the Year,” “Vocalist of the Year,” “Best Blues/R&B Band,” “Female Vocalist of the Year,” “Blues Act of the Year” and “Video of the Year.” They have opened for their idols including Mavis Staples, who exclaimed “Dwight & Nicole are my favorite new band!” as well as Melissa Etheridge who said: “Dwight & Nicole are absolutely the real deal. . . They are carrying the torch.”
Nelson & met in Boston, Massachusetts, when they were just out of school, both cutting their teeth on the local club circuit. They each fronted popular bands in the area, and discovered a shared obsession of soul and blues greats like the Staples Singers, Albert King, Lighting Hopkins, Jimmy Witherspoon, Roberta Flack, and Etta James. They began singing together often, and developed a close friendship that grew over time. Eventually, forming Dwight & Nicole, which was in the early days, a duo group; Dwight on electric guitar, and Nicole on tambourine stomping their feet and singing in harmony. They began to tour regionally -- writing together and developing their sound. After a move to Burlington, they met drummer Ezra Oklan (Nicole Atkins, Elle King) and the group quickly formed a trio with Nelson picking up the bass.
In May of 2022, Dwight & Nicole finished recording their first full-length album with Hamilton in Norway at Ocean Sounds studio. The first single off the new album, a retro-soul powerhouse called “Lift,” was released digitally on July 29.
Their music takes place amidst Camp Meade’s regular Sunday night offerings including the Mexerico food truck, Mo's Backyard BBQ & Filling Station and beverages by The Local and kids’ activities and refreshments.
Camp Meade is nearing the end of its live music season, with only five shows left. The shows are held on the Green, behind the Red Hen Bakery, each Friday and Sunday for the rest of September. There is no charge to attend these events, which begin at 5 p.m., with bands starting at 5:30 p.m.
Other shows include:
Friday, September 15, Krishna Guthrie Band; Bruce Sklar Jazz Sextet on Friday, September 22, Troy Millette and the Fire Below on Sunday, September 24, and Sklarkestra on Friday, September 29.
