Portland Waterfront Blues Festival

[Apostrophe (')]

It's not the biggest or the best, but if you're in the area 4th of July weekend it is a lot of fun and admission is only $10/day plus a donation of 2 cans of food for the Oregon Food Bank.

Early Lineup:
July 2: Etta James, Robben Ford
July 3: Johnny Winter, The Lee Boys, Sonny Landreth, Geno Delafose
July 4: Bonerama, Big Sam and FIREWORKS (oh, pretty lights)
July 5: Sharon Jones, Magic Slim

http://www.waterfrontbluesfest.com/index.html

[ohio]

Great line up!

[stlbarb]

and unlike midwest festivals in July, its probably not triple digit temperatures.

[Apostrophe (')]

and unlike midwest festivals in July, its probably not triple digit temperatures.

yyr barb, the temps are usually high 70's/low 80's with humidity in the teens. pretty much stays that way until halloween, with only a week or two of higher temps. definitely the best time of year to be in the northwest.

[chrisjoseph]

I went two summers ago...freak heat wave in the low 90's. it was still great. Portland is a great city.

[duende]

I was a little bummed that my zydeco bandleader's shut out at Portland this year after making recent swings thru the NW - it looks like High Sierra Music Fest again for me this July 4th!

And someone's gotta say it... I wonder sometimes if the moniker "Jazzfest" is some clever ploy designed to keep my friends, who'll cheerfully travel to Portland, from venturing to New Orleans for our little fest. I get this vibe from them sometimes that they think Jazzfest is a probably a lot like the Waterfront Festival, what with the riverboat shows at night & fabulous artists, just not littered with all of the extraneous "jazz". I just smile, listen to their stories about the annoying fans who throng into the venues for their favorite "foreign" acts (like the Rad's & Sonny!), and try not to rub their noses in the meager list of artists I actually manage to catch in New Orleans each year. I got 2 newbie's to throw in this year... sounds like the Diamond Almond advert's... "2 a year, that's all we ask!"

[Apostrophe (')]

I was a little bummed that my zydeco bandleader's shut out at Portland this year after making recent swings thru the NW - it looks like High Sierra Music Fest again for me this July 4th!

Sorry to hear it duende. What's your band's name?

I get this vibe from them sometimes that they think Jazzfest is a probably a lot like the Waterfront Festival, what with the riverboat shows at night & fabulous artists, just not littered with all of the extraneous "jazz".

I hear ya. I tried convincing a bunch of my peeps (who have also been threatening to go for years) to get on the JF train with me this year, but for whatever reason they just weren't into it.

[duende]

Sorry to hear it duende. What's your band's name?

Thanks for askin' - I'm playing with Mark St. Mary, who's from Lake Charles originally. We'll be in Portland 5/20 (?) at the weekly Police Athletic Ass'n zydeco dance on the way up to Seattle & the NW over Memorial Day weekend.. I think this is the link for the Portland gig: http://www.cascadezydeco.com/index.html - hopefully it'll update with the new info when we're scheduled.

And I swear it's the word "jazz" in Jazzfest that nixes it for at least 50% - thank goodness I didn't have an internal jazz-block! We have a similar issue in Sacramento with the annual Jazz Jubilee - after Bonerama played it a couple of years back, the organizers have brought Kermit, Tom Rigney and some fine blues bands in... and faced the same hurdle with everyone thinking it's nothing but Dixieland Jazz music.

[Apostrophe (')]

Thanks for askin' - I'm playing with Mark St. Mary, who's from Lake Charles originally. We'll be in Portland 5/20 (?) at the weekly Police Athletic Ass'n zydeco dance on the way up to Seattle & the NW over Memorial Day weekend.. I think this is the link for the Portland gig: http://www.cascadezydeco.com/index.html - hopefully it'll update with the new info when we're scheduled.

sweet, i'm not much of a dancer but i'd definitely be up for checking it out. :)

[Apostrophe (')]

As I mentioned in another thread, my plans for hometown festin' evaporated in the heat wave that rolled through town this year. By all accounts it was a successful fest though, raising just over 76K pounds of food and just under $500K in donations for the Oregon Food Bank. Sounds like attendance was way up this year, possibly helped by the warm weather and the cancellation of another large fireworks display in nearby Vancouver, WA. The Oregonian published wrapups for the 3rd and 4th:

Blues Fest In Review (Day 2): Wherein we learn small lessons from the likes of the Lee Boys and Jim Suhler and Monkeybeat (http://www.oregonlive.com/music/index.ssf/2009/07/blues_fest_in_review_day_2_whe.html)

Blues Fest in Review (Day 3): Wherein we worry about genre, and then appreciate the trombone/blues_fest_in_review_day_3_whe.html (http://www.oregonlive.com/music/index.ssf/2009/07/blues_fest_in_review_day_3_whe.html)

Disregarding the snotty-brat tone of the journalism, the author makes a few interesting points and observations that come up later in our adventures. Perhaps most notable is this passage:

"These two jams -- Friday and Saturday night -- are Blues Festival tests. If they work, they could become models for future events (read: food bank fundraising opportunities).

In New Orleans, where the Funky Nation and Bonerama are from, during the Jazz and Heritage Festival, there are shows all night.

I'm not sure Portland's ever going to be an all night kind of town, but it should be able to hop until 1 a.m., on a Saturday night during a major festival."

For me, the two night shows (Lee Boys/KDTU and Big Sam/Bonerama) were the most exciting part of this year's schedule, expecially after getting a taste of JF at night. I wasn't that disappointed to miss the festival this year (especially after driving by and seeing the crowd), but as of the 4th I was super bummed to have missed the Lee Boys/KDTU night show AND the whole festival.

So the 4th rolled around and we spent a beautiful afternoon BBQing with my inlaws in our backyard. Bellies full and ears properly lubricated, I convinced the crew to hop in a cab and head down to the waterfront. We pulled up at the Marriott just in time to buy tix for the show and get back out on the street for fireworks. We wanted to stick close by the hotel because the show was scheduled to start as soon as the fireworks ended. So we found a spot just outside on the sidewalk and camped out. Soon after the fireworks started, Big Sam walks over and stands in front of me. Before I can realize what's going on and get the camera to take a picture, he heads back inside. So we took a picture of the fireworks instead:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/apostrophe_th/2009-07-04-fireworks-02.jpg

Fireworks over, we head inside. Not sure if it was in direct response to the Oregonian's Friday wrapup, but by Saturday some things had been changed. First there was a full service bar in each corner of the room AND at least one separate beer-only bar. For 1000 people. Problem solved. Second the lights in the middle of the room were off the whole time. The chairs were still there, but that doesn't bother me so much. So we make it in, get a round and pick a spot close to the soundboard to chill. Out comes the Funky Nation:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/apostrophe_th/bs-2009-07-04-01.jpg

continued in next post...

[Apostrophe (')]

<note: i am not a good photographer and have a hard time standing still long enough to take pictures. sorry for the fuzzy images>

Big Sam and the band were determined to turn the place out. Participation was minimal at first, but they whipped the crowd into shape. Highlights included a 'Dancin' Machine' tribute to MJ and a killer 'Jungle Man'. Despite what the Oregonian had to say, there were very few butts in seats by the end of the Funky Nation's set:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/apostrophe_th/bs-2009-07-04-04.jpg

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/apostrophe_th/bs-2009-07-04-02.jpg

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/apostrophe_th/bs-2009-07-04-03.jpg

[revjimk]

Great lineup!
Duende
I've heard (& danced to) your band at Eagles Hall in Alameda....
very soulful... keep up the good work!
rev

[Apostrophe (')]

So now it's setbreak. We rally the troops and I'm anxious to hear what everyone thinks. My mother-in-law asks me: 'Is all of the music this good in New Orleans?' We're doing just fine. It's a short break, we get refreshments and Bonerama takes the stage. Picking up where Big Sam left off, the band tears through a monster set:


Bonerama
Waterfront Blues Festival
Battle of the Bone
Portland, OR
7/4/2009

One Set:
Manic Depression
Lost My House (But I Got My Rugalator)
What You See
Meters Medley ^
Save The Bones For Henry Jones *
Baronne *
Big Chief *
Helter Skelter

Notes:
^ featuring Big Sam on the trombone
* featuring Mac on the saxophone


This whole set was one big highlight really, but the Meters Medley was particularly outstanding as Big Sam was teasing Cabbage Alley (or Hey Now Baby or whatever it's really called) throughout his set and I was a bit disappointed they never dropped into it. So when he came out and all 4 bones kicked it off, I went nuts. Baronne and Big Chief were also smokin', with a young local guy I'd not previously heard of guesting on sax. And for dessert, Helter Skelter. What a show...


http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/apostrophe_th/bone-2009-07-04-01.jpg

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/apostrophe_th/bone-2009-07-04-02.jpg

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/apostrophe_th/bone-2009-07-04-04.jpg

For the ladies:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/apostrophe_th/bone-2009-07-04-03.jpg

[funkkjunkie]

Nice. Very nice. Was joe ashlar on keys with the Bone?

[Apostrophe (')]

Nice. Very nice. Was joe ashlar on keys with the Bone?

I believe so, the man on the keys was hard to see on the far left of the stage. Whoever it was played great, getting everyone's attention with his solos:

http://i601.photobucket.com/albums/tt94/apostrophe_th/bone-2009-07-04-05.jpg

[funkkjunkie]

Yep, that's him-- young guy who freakin rocks! I get to see him with Good Enough for Good Times at dba during satchmo strut. GEGT also includes Simon Lott on drums and Rob Mercurio on bass and galactic's guitar player whose name i always forget.

[Gards]

With that lineup I trust that everyone had a great time.
I see that you had one Australian in the mix Fioana Boyes I have seen her,several times over the years down here and she is always good value.
Also I just read a very good review on a young Blues band from Portland called The Insomniacs,I noticed that they played at the festival and wonder if anyone can give me a heads up on them.;)

[glinda]

Couple of my jazzfest buddies did the Portland thing this year (well, they live in Seattle). Gotta make this one someday.

[duende]

Great lineup!
Duende
I've heard (& danced to) your band at Eagles Hall in Alameda....
very soulful... keep up the good work!
rev

Thanks very much for saying so, I've teasingly told Mark that he may soon be the last Clifton Chenier-styled bandleader from his generation still actively playing if he's not careful! Hopefully he'll get a chance to play a few of the festivals that favor Louisiana music so more folks get a chance to see his stuff. Say hi next time you see us so I can put a face with the handle. :)

High Sierra Music Fest knocked me out this year - Galactic was a crowd fav, and Bonerama's afternoon set in the blazing sun was outstanding, better energy (maybe more my mood than their performance) than the late-night show they did the night before. The weekend's best surprise was Sunday's series of shows on the Big Meadow stage that started with a gospel set featuring members of the Lee Boys, Del McCoury's boys, Shane Theriot (!), and Mike Farris' band - unbelievable. The later sets from the Traveling McCoury's, the Lee Boys kept the co-op vibe from the gospel set, with guests sitting in throughout the day. By the time the Roseland Review closed the stage, I was definitely blissed-out (Mike did a cool Jacko medley that rocked the crowd).

[Apostrophe (')]

Yep, that's him-- young guy who freakin rocks! I get to see him with Good Enough for Good Times at dba during satchmo strut. GEGT also includes Simon Lott on drums and Rob Mercurio on bass and galactic's guitar player whose name i always forget.

Jeff Raines. Love, love, love his guitar playing. Have extra fun at that show for me! I'm hoping I get a chance to see them next time I'm down that way.

With that lineup I trust that everyone had a great time.
I see that you had one Australian in the mix Fioana Boyes I have seen her,several times over the years down here and she is always good value.
Also I just read a very good review on a young Blues band from Portland called The Insomniacs,I noticed that they played at the festival and wonder if anyone can give me a heads up on them.;)

I haven't seen them yet, but they do seem to have quite a buzz going. Hadn't heard of them until this year, but wouldn't mind checking them out when they come back to town.

[fantailmedia]

And I swear it's the word "jazz" in Jazzfest that nixes it for at least 50% - thank goodness I didn't have an internal jazz-block! We have a similar issue in Sacramento with the annual Jazz Jubilee - after Bonerama played it a couple of years back, the organizers have brought Kermit, Tom Rigney and some fine blues bands in... and faced the same hurdle with everyone thinking it's nothing but Dixieland Jazz music.[/QUOTE]

I've gotten the same "eh, I don't really like jazz" thing, when I mentioned (ok, gushed) about going to 'fest the last couple of years (and back in the day). I like the trad stuff, too, but most of the stuff I saw this year would only remotely qualify as "jazz" (much like jazz is really blues, but the average "10 CD's in their collection" type doesn't know that either;-).

"It's all good music to me; from punk to funk; turn it up and add some horns if ya can", as seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/fantailmedia/sets/72157604247996785/