If there’s an unofficial theme that dominates this year’s Metro Fountain Blues Festival, it’s the power of the Chicago blues sound. And indeed, the Chicago sound did literally bring power to the blues, turning the acoustic Delta tradition up to 11 with amps and electric guitars.

But to headliner Fountain Blues headliner Elvin Bishop, Chicago blues represents an even greater power. It’s an electrical force of nature, and he remembers the first time it struck.

“I heard some by accident one night, driving from Memphis, Tennessee,” says the Oklahoma-raised Bishop. “I heard it on the radio, and it went through me like lightning. I don’t know, I just went crazy for it.”

The man he heard on the radio that night was Jimmy Reed, who released his first album in 1958, when Bishop was 16 years old. Though less well known than fellow Chicago bluesmen like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf, Reed had as much lasting influence as any of them, influencing Elvis, Van Morrison, the Yardbirds, and many more. He was practically an obsession to the Rolling Stones, who have covered many of his songs.

He hooked Bishop, too, and after that, Chicago was like a beacon. He was a National Merit Scholar finalist in high school, and went to the University of Chicago on a full scholarship to study physics. Now, however, the truth can be told.

“It was kind of my cover story,” admits Bishop of his esteemed academic career. “It was my ticket to Chicago. Gradually the music just crowded it out.”

How could it not, considering that within three years Bishop had met up with fellow student Paul Butterfield, and begun meeting blues heavyweights like Waters and Wolf. For five years, Bishop played guitar in the Butterfield Blues Band, whose 1965 debut record would decades later be named one of the 500 greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone. He released two more albums—and played the Monterey International Pop Festival—with the band, before beginning a legendary solo career that has lasted almost half a century.

Ruthie Foster had been putting out records for 10 years before most of the blues world even realized it. But there’s nothing like a Grammy nomination and a Blues Music Award for Female Artist of the Year to open some eyes.

“I think there’s a lot more folks looking, I’ll put it that way,” says Foster, who performs at the Metro Fountain Blues Festival this Saturday.

Foster won the Blues Music Award in 2010, accepting it with a sense of humor and humility that’s typical of her approach.

“I was just happy to be invited to the party,” she says of the awards ceremony. “And then they give you an award just for showing up? That was pretty cool.”

In all seriousness, though, for someone who basically came out of folk music (as evidenced by her first three records), the award meant something bigger than just the impact of her work that year.

“It’s a huge nod to just being included in the blues world, and the folks who voted for me,” says Foster.

And it didn’t just happen by chance. It all started with her 2007 record The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster, which was designed to change the course of her career, right down to the larger-than-life title.

“It was kind of a throwback to the way the music industry used to introduce people to the world,” she says.

And that wasn’t the only blues tradition she observed. “I recorded it in Memphis, just to really solidify that blues side,” she says. “And eat as much BBQ as I could. It was a real party.”

Her 2009 follow-up was The Truth About Ruthie Foster, which got the Grammy nom, and she’s back this year with Let It Burn.

Throughout, she’s continued to develop her unusual sound, which mixes blues and folk with the gospel and soul music of her upbringing. Besides two original songs, the new album is a wild mix of covers, from the Black Keys’ “Everlasting Light” (see below) to Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain” to an absolutely remarkable, shimmering take on Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.” Guests include gospel legends the Blind Boys of Alabama, the rhythm section of the Funky Meters, New Orleans guitarist Dave Easley and organ cult hero Ike Stubblefield (best known for his work with Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield).

“It’s not about leaving one genre,” says Foster of her musical evolution. “As a person, I’m always growing. And as an artist, too.”

RUTHIE FOSTER performs at the Metro Fountain Blues Festival on Saturday, July 14 at St. James Park in San Jose, noon-8pm; $10/$12.

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Summer means big music festivals, and this year the South Bay has more than ever. Here are six covering genres from rock to hip-hop, metal, blues and more (go here for a rundown of this summer’s jazz events).

I Love This City
Fri-Sat, May 25-26; Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View
Things got a bit confusing when the I Love This City festival moved from AT&T Park in San Francisco to Shoreline in Mountain View. Aside from the now unclear question of what city is getting the love from this new EDM festival, there was some lineup shuffling as well. It worked out well for ravers, especially on Friday, where Dutch DJ Afrojack and Swedish House Mafia head Sebastian Ingrosso were added to the lineup when the festival moved. Friday also features James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, as well as Duck Sauce, Steve Aoki, Datsik, the Crystal Method, Cut Chemist, Dirtyphonics, Holy Ghost!, AraabMuzik, Borgore, Cookie Monsta and more. Saturday’s bill is topped by Tiesto, David Guetta and Laidback Luke. Doctor P., Excision, Feed Me, Apparat, Kill the Noise, Felix Cartal, Jaguar Skills, Miles the DJ and others will also perform. Festival hours have been extended until 11:30pm each night thanks to the move. There will be three stages, and the festival is now open to ages 16 and over. Anyone who bought a ticket for the festival while it was still at AT&T will receive a special wristband that gets them into reserved seating, and buses will carry earlier ticketholders in SF from The Lot at AT&T to Shoreline and back both days.

BFD
June 2; Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View
Whoever the headliners are from year to year, most of BFD’s coolest offerings are to be found in the Subsonic Tent. This year, Oakland’s Wallpaper play there, as well as San Francisco’s budding girl rap star K. Flay, who killed last year on the local stage. Subsonic Tent mainstays the Limousines of San Jose will do something slightly different this summer, spinning a DJ set. Other tent acts include Knife Party, Dragonette, and AmpLive of the Oakland duo Zion I performing with Eligh. The headliners this year are mostly ’90s soldiers like Jane’s Addiction, Garbage and Cake. However, there is also the Naked and the Famous, who formed in 2008. Sounding eerily like Passion Pit’s long-lost twin band, they made the alt-radio Top 10 in 2010 with “Young Blood.” Fellow indie rockers Silversun Pickups will release their new album, Neck of the Woods, next month. On the Soundcheck Local Band Stage this year are two South Bay bands, the Holdup and Young Science.