Thunder Bay Blues Festival preview column
Publication Date: 7-8-11
By: Hubert O’Hearn
TITLE: Blues Festival Offers Quality, Professionalism and Discovery
Once again, for three days starting today, Thunder Bay gets to live up to its long-ago ambition to be considered the Chicago of the North. A century ago, the city fathers of the former Fort William and Port Arthur felt that because of their cities’ central location, rail hub and natural harbour unquestionably this part of Northwestern Ontario would be challenging the City of Big Shoulders as a midwest giant metropolis. Millions and millions of people would produce billions and billions of dollars.
Well, things haven’t quite worked out that way. Nonetheless, for these three days Thunder Bay can rightfully challenge any basement bar or concert hall in Chicago, New York, Austin or Natches as the summer palace of the Blues. Except for a short interruption I have covered the Thunder Bay Blues Festival since hour one, year one back in 2002. My judgement of it has never varied: singularly, this is Thunder Bay’s World Class Event. Not a single musician over the years has ever - ever! - had anything but compliments for the event, its organizers and the support of the audience.
If one wants to take a ballpark number of 15,000 attendees for the weekend as a sellout audience - always a tough estimate for an outdoor venue - the Blues Festival has been a virtual sellout since Year One. That said, being an outdoor venue, there is always room for one more. So what keeps people coming back, and coming back from cities across North America?
What keeps me coming back is a combination of three things: Quality, Professionalism and Discovery. Quality is in the form of the acts and this year’s Saturday closer - Buddy Guy - is still the best guitar player I have ever heard anywhere. You will always hear grumblings about booking - i.e. why is Grand Funk Railroad, Homer Simpson’s favourite band from high school - headlining on Friday? The answer is evolution. Without the Blues roots, there is no rock, and the old rockers still have a few bullets left to fire.
Publication Date: 7-8-11
By: Hubert O’Hearn
TITLE: Blues Festival Offers Quality, Professionalism and Discovery
Once again, for three days starting today, Thunder Bay gets to live up to its long-ago ambition to be considered the Chicago of the North. A century ago, the city fathers of the former Fort William and Port Arthur felt that because of their cities’ central location, rail hub and natural harbour unquestionably this part of Northwestern Ontario would be challenging the City of Big Shoulders as a midwest giant metropolis. Millions and millions of people would produce billions and billions of dollars.
Well, things haven’t quite worked out that way. Nonetheless, for these three days Thunder Bay can rightfully challenge any basement bar or concert hall in Chicago, New York, Austin or Natches as the summer palace of the Blues. Except for a short interruption I have covered the Thunder Bay Blues Festival since hour one, year one back in 2002. My judgement of it has never varied: singularly, this is Thunder Bay’s World Class Event. Not a single musician over the years has ever - ever! - had anything but compliments for the event, its organizers and the support of the audience.
If one wants to take a ballpark number of 15,000 attendees for the weekend as a sellout audience - always a tough estimate for an outdoor venue - the Blues Festival has been a virtual sellout since Year One. That said, being an outdoor venue, there is always room for one more. So what keeps people coming back, and coming back from cities across North America?
What keeps me coming back is a combination of three things: Quality, Professionalism and Discovery. Quality is in the form of the acts and this year’s Saturday closer - Buddy Guy - is still the best guitar player I have ever heard anywhere. You will always hear grumblings about booking - i.e. why is Grand Funk Railroad, Homer Simpson’s favourite band from high school - headlining on Friday? The answer is evolution. Without the Blues roots, there is no rock, and the old rockers still have a few bullets left to fire.
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| No, really...ignore the T-Shirt - Homer's a Funker...honest |
As to Professionalism, that is marked by the imperial skills of the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium tech crew who have literally battles the elements to give every act a crystal clear sound and look under the big striped show tent. Professionalism is also seen in the food and merch vendors who offer a wide variety of treats and souvenirs at non-gouging prices.
Really though, I love discovering new acts I have never heard before. the act this year i most look forward to hearing is Dana Fuchs, who goes on before Buddy Guy this Saturday night. Having watched her YouTube clips, Dana comes across as the product of what would have been a prodigious coupling of Robert Plant and Etta James. equally, I know there will be some other act that will make me go ‘Wow’. Come on out and enjoy your own Wow moment.
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