Kitchener Blues Festival | August 4-7, 2011

[UrbanWaterloo]

Kitchener Blues Festival
10-Year Anniversary: August 5-8, 2010
www.kitchenerbluesfestival.com
2007 Photo Tour (http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/showthread.php/602-Kitchener-Blues-Festival-2007)

http://www.kitchenerbluesfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/headerlogo1.jpg

History: http://www.kitchenerbluesfestival.com/main.cfm?id=648061C5-B6A7-8AA0-60715BDF7EC1E7E9

The Inaugural festival on Saturday August 18, 2001 had 6 hours of blues featuring Kitchener's own Mel Brown at Kitchener City Hall. Over 3,000 people enjoyed the blues with brews and barbeques provided by a few downtown restaurants.

2002 saw the crowd grow to 8,000 people, who watched 80 year old blues legend Jackie Washington, Artist Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials close the show with a dynamic set. An annual festival CD was launched including one song from each performer to help raise funds.

In 2003 the festival incorporated as Kitchener Blues Community Inc.(NON-PROFIT) The festival expanded to 2 days, drawing a crowd of 14,000 featuring Fathead, Mel Brown, Jimmy Bowskill, Eddy 'The Chief' Clearwater and a club performance by ex-Rolling Stone guitarist Mick Taylor. Annual Fundraising Gala and Community Blues Award kicked off the Festival on Thursday night. Mel Brown was the recipient of the first award. From this time forward the award was named as the Mel Brown Award.

2004 saw the festival grow again with over 30,000 in attendance to see 'Queen of the Blues' - Koko Taylor, Juno award winner - Jack De Keyzer, The Downchild Blues Band and more! The festival grew to 3 stages and initated the 12 Bar Blues festival after party with many participating clubs downtown.

In only the fifth year, the 2005 edition saw attendance climb to over 45,000. The Detroit Women, Fabulous Thunderbirds singer Kim Wilson and Watermelon Slim were highlights at the main stage. Innovative technology allowed the festival to pave the way by shooting a 'LIVE' DVD available to take home at the end of the festival on Sunday. KBCI also provides a “Blues in the Schools” program to engage students from K-12 in the blues musical form.

King Street drew crowds towards the Kitchener Market. As a result, attendance at the Matt Osborne Stage doubled in 2006. The Workshop Stage at the Boathouse in Victoria Park expanded the festival experience in a historic park setting. After the festival performances many of the festival artists appeared in local clubs and restaurants for visitors who could continue the celebration. Youth and children's programming continue to grow.

2007 saw the Festival reach new heights with Eric Burdon and the Animals, David Wilcox, the Jeff Healey Band, Lucky Peterson, Jackie Payne and the Steve Edmondon Band, Mel Brown and Miss Angel and more. This stellar line-up attracted an audience of over 65,000 to the City Hall main stage, Matt Osborne Market stage and Victoria Park Boathouse workshop stage over three days. Great weather greeted loyal Festival followers and new visitors alike to our fabulous weekend of music and non-stop fun.

[UrbanWaterloo]

2010 Kitchener Blues Festival Ontario Cultural Attractions Loan Guarantee
REPORT TO: Community Services Committee
DATE OF REPORT: April 28, 2010 | DATE OF MEETING: May 10, 2010
SUBMITTED BY: Keith Baulk, Director, Enterprise
PREPARED BY: Don Chapman, Manager, Special Events
REPORT NO.: CSD-10-034 (http://www.kitchener.ca/Files/Item/item18996_csd-10-034_-__combined_-_kitchener_blues_festival.pdf)

RECOMMENDATION:
That the Corporation of the City of Kitchener enter into a Guarantor Agreement with Kitchener Blues Community Inc., such that the City will act as the guarantor for a $20,000 Ontario Cultural Attraction Fund loan from the Ontario Ministry of Culture to the Kitchener Blues Community Inc. for the purpose of operating the 2010 Kitchener Blues Festival;
That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute a Guarantor Agreement with the Kitchener Blues Community Inc., and with any other parties to the transaction as required, said Guarantor Agreement to be subject to the satisfaction of the City Solicitor.

BACKGROUND:
Kitchener Blues Community Inc. which operates the Kitchener Blues Festival applied for and received a grant and loan from the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund (OCAF) for the 2010 festival. The grant approved was in the amount of $50,000 with a fixed repayment of 40% or $20,000. This will allow the festival to increase attendance by adding a new tent stage at Victoria Park This will also help to protect the audience, programming and festival revenue in adverse weather. Since the festival does not have audited annual financial statements, OCAF has requested that the festival secure a guarantor for the loan portion of the contribution. Attached is the confirmation letter from OCAF along with the conditions on which the grant/loan was awarded.

REPORT:
The Kitchener Blues Community Inc. Board of Directors has many years of experience in producing the festival and is benefiting from a high degree of board stability and accountability. The KBCI consists of 11 board members, with a chartered accountant as the board treasurer. Over this time board members have partnered successfully with the City of Kitchener, the Kitchener Downtown Business Association and private sector partners to support and responsibly grow the event. Support from Celebrate Ontario, OCAF, The Trillium Foundation and other grant funding organizations as well as corporate sponsors have been instrumental in enabling the festival to grow. As a result of the uncertainties associated in receiving corporate sponsorships, the board has decided that the funds that would be required for annual audited statements are best used in providing operational funding for the festival. The festival treasurer is a Chartered Accountant and has excellent financial mangement systems in place. The festival board is looking into having a Review Engagement or Reader Review of their financial statements at the end of this year’s festival. OCAF has indicated that without the audited statements, there must be a guarantor for the $20,000 loan portion of their contibution. Staff are recommending that the City act as the guarantor and believe that providing this guarantee is low risk based on the successful financial track record of the festival and the fact that the annual Tier One Community Investment Funding the festival receives could be used as collateral. Staff will work with festival organizers and legal to develop any agreement required around the guarantee.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: None as the Tier 1 Community Investment Strategy 2011 funding can be used as collateral in the event the festival does not fulfill the obligation to repay the loan amount.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Blues Launch Party
Posted May 1, 2010 | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5DMU-qXYJk&

2010 Line-Up
Alexis P Suter Band
Buckwheat Zydeco
Catl
Cheryl Lescom
David Wilcox
Debbie Davies Band
Delta Moon
Digging Roots
Douglas Watson
Dr John
Eddie the Chief Clearwater
Fathead
Finis Tasby
Holmes Brothers
Honeyboy Edwards
JJ Grey & Moffro
John Campbelljohn
Jonny Lang
Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials
Matt Minglewood Band
Miss Angel
Monkey Junk
Moreland & Arbuckle
Paul James
Paul Reddick
Rick Estrin and the Nighcats
Sherman Robertson
Studebaker John & The Hawks
Watermelon Slim & The Workers
waterstreet blues band

o5DMU-qXYJk&

[Spokes]

Well ladies and gentlemen, it begins today. Im really pumped for this year's Blues festival. I have a feeling it's going to be really good, and draw huge numbers.

[Urbanomicon]

Well ladies and gentlemen, it begins today. Im really pumped for this year's Blues festival. I have a feeling it's going to be really good, and draw huge numbers.

I plan to be there for most/all of Saturday, so I'll take my usual barrage of photos.

[Spokes]

Clear sky, closed road and a ‘bluesy’ feeling downtown

August 06, 2010
By Mirko Petricevic, Record staff

Thousands of music fans are getting ready to go full tilt in downtown Kitchener this weekend, but drivers should avoid the core if they don’t want to sing the blues behind the wheel.

King Street is shut down between Speakers’ Corner, at Benton and Frederick streets, and city hall as that stretch of road has been turned into a pedestrian mall for the 10th annual Kitchener Blues Festival.

The street is also shut down between city hall and Francis Street because of road construction and sidewalk improvements.

King Street on Friday morning was a scene of calm before the sonic storm.

Last-minute preparations progressed at a relaxed pace under a blue sky dotted with only a few puffy clouds. Workers traded ideas about finishing touches for various music stages. Merchants hung banners and stocked tables beneath white canopies erected on the sidewalks and roadway.

Blues fans will be treated to music at five stages throughout the downtown.

The festival began with a concert, dubbed an UN-Gala on Wednesday evening followed by a Mel Brown Award Night on Thursday.

But the volume cranks up Friday afternoon with a Victoria Park concert, at 3:30 p.m., by young musicians who attended the Grand River Blues Camp.

More than 40 blues artists are scheduled to perform through to Sunday evening.

The festival is free. For a full lineup and schedule visit the website www.kitchenerbluesfestival.com

Environment Canada is forecasting a high of 23 C, with 30 per cent chance of showers on Friday. Saturday’s outlook is better with mainly sunny skies and high of 24 C. Sunday’s forecast includes a 60 per cent chance of showers and a high of 27.

mpetricevic@therecord.com

[UrbanWaterloo]

Just a few of the shots for now...

August 6, 2010

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[UrbanWaterloo]

It's awesome to see the downtown bustling with thousands! If you're not here already, get down here!

[UrbanWaterloo]

August 7, 2010

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[Urbanomicon]

I spent the entire day today about 15 feet from the main stage taking pictures. I also got pictures of the other stages, the street and some aerial views from city hall. I'll post them all tomorrow. There are lots!

Holy crap though. The turnout was insane. During David Wilcox and Jonny Lang literally every square inch of space on all of city hall and on the balconies and all down King Street for as far as could be seen were people completely jam-packed together. I am certain they set a festival attendance record tonight. There were literally tens of thousands of people at the main stage alone! They were showing the video from the stage jumbo screen on the cube on top of city hall as well. Pretty much every shop on King Street was open right up to and after the end of the concert, and doing incredible business too I might add.

Thousands of people walking the streets, shops and tents selling merchandise, concerts and shows all day and into the night, this is what downtown is all about.

[Spokes]

I'll also echo what's been said, yesterday was awesome!! So many people, amazing music. And downtown businesses must have made a killing!! Bobby Obriens opened up the little plaza to the left of their patio as a patio and that was packed plus a line up to the next store over. Pizza Pizza had a line up out the door.

They're showing how to do it, one main stage in the civic square, and then smaller stages elsewhere. Beat Rocks the Block should really use the civic square next year. With the stage set up as it is now, you essentially use the square and all of King st to house the people watching and can then pack as many people in as you want, some just won't have a great view.

[jay]

They might be forced to use the civic square anyways if Centre Block breaks ground before next July.

[Urbanomicon]

Here are the pictures I promised.

Saturday August 7, 2010 - Kitchener Blues Festival 2010

OLG Clocktower Stage - Featuring The Largest Tent In Ontario:

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OLG Clocktower Stage - Matt Storch And The Usual Suspects Performs:

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Downtown BIA Stage - John CambellJohn Performs:

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Reliance Home Comfort Children's Stage - John McKinley Performs:

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Walking Down King Street Just As The Festival Was Beginning:

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Main Stage - Legacy Band Youth Showcase Performs:

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Main Stage - Paul Reddick Performs:

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Main Stage - Miss Angel Performs:

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Main Stage - A Tribute By The Festival's Official Photographer:

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Main Stage - Kitchener's Mayor Carl Zehr Makes A Speech:

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Main Stage - Crowd Assembling Before David Wilcox:

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Main Stage - David Wilcox Performs:

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Main Stage - Monkey Junk Performs:

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Main Stage - JJ Grey And Mofro Performs:

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Main Stage - Festival Main Stage Banner:

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Main Stage - Crowd Assembling Before Jonny Lang:

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Main Stage - Jonny Lang Performs:

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Main Stage - MC Closes Out The Show At The End Of The Night:

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[Spokes]

A super Saturday at the Kitchener Blues Festival
Dr. John, Jonny Lang, David “Honeyboy” Edwards, Watermelon Slim . . . the list of great sets goes on
August 08, 2010 | Robert Reid | The Record


Anyone looking for the heart of the 10th anniversary of the Kitchener Blues Festival would have made their way to the Clock Tower Tent in Victoria Park on Saturday.

The festival’s newest stage, under what is reputed to be the largest tent of its kind in Ontario, was home to David “Honeyboy” Edwards, Waterloo Slim and the Workers, Moreland & Arbuckle and Dr. John and the Lower 911.

The table for Edwards was set by Matt Storch & the Usual Suspects, one of Waterloo Region’s most exciting emerging blues bands. Their festival debut coincided with the release of their first album.

At 95 years of age, Edwards is one of the last links to the Delta blues tradition that gave us Robert Johnson, Son House, Mississippi Fred McDowell and so many others.

Calling the Lifetime Grammy Award winner a living legend doesn’t do him justice. He is a part of the life blood that pulsates through the arteries of the blues.

He embodies and reflects the transition of the blues from a vernacular form of expression of slaves and sharecroppers to a performance artform.

Edwards slowed the festival’s torrid pace down to a leisurely crawl as he strummed away on his electric and acoustic guitars, accompanied by his trusted guitar and harmonica accompanists.

His voice was fragile, as one would expect, but when you are a piece of living music history, you have won the right to sing softly.

When he sang, “I was standing at the crossroads,” the audience clung to every syllable of every word.

Edwards didn’t let his age prevent him from playing after midnight in the packed One-Eyed Jacks as part of the festival’s 12 Bar Blues.

Hats off to the festival for bringing in Edwards, whose appearance will be inscribed in its memory album.

Vietnam vet, college teacher, professional trucker, Watermelon Slim is now known as one of the festival’s favourite performers. His fourth festival appearance with the Workers was a high-energy, off-the-wall delight.

Whether wailing away on harmonica, strumming gritty slide guitar and belting out his signature truck-driving blues, Slim delivered the goods.

In one song he described the blues as “the aching heart disease” and he provoked serious thought when he sang his post-Katrina tribute Black Water.

“We love it up here,” he shouted, later acknowledging that he found solace in “the warm, safe harbor of your hospitality.”

The Kansas duo of Moreland & Arbuckle and Florida’s JJ Grey and his six-member band Mofro confirmed that American blues is in good hands with its new generation of performers.

Guitarist Aaron Moreland and vocalist/mouth harp ace Dustin Arbuckle rekindled the spirit of southern blues rock as exemplified by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Meanwhile, Grey delivered one of the festival’s premium single-song moments when he opened his Main Stage set.

The appearance of multiple Grammy winner Doctor John ranks up there with appearances of Mavis Staples and Koko Taylor as highlights in the festival’s 10-year history.

Accompanied by guitar, bass and drums, John played his haunting jumbo of Louisiana swamp blues and New Orleans R&B on piano, organ and, as a special treat, on guitar.

He lambasted and mourned the greed that he believes is behind the recent BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

“We have to save grandmother earth,” he asserted with a power that arises from deep within. “We just don’t need greed, no we don’t.”

Kansas wasn’t known as a blues hotbed until a child prodigy came along.

Seeing Johnny Lang in person on the Main Stage, and being swept away by his raw, soulful vocals and blistering guitar work, causes one to wonder why the Grammy winner isn’t better known than the likes of John Mayer.

If Lang doesn’t bring a young generation to the blues, no one will. He’s the full package.

“It’s a pleasure to be here,” he said. “We love you guys so much.

Earlier in the day, Miss Angel introduced her new EP Blues in the Alley.

Other performers included Paul Reddick, David Wilcox, Monkey Junk and Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials, among others.

Happy notes:

• The festival live streamed Johnny Lang’s set on the upper facade of Kitchener City Hall, sending images of his performance far beyond the confines of downtown KItchener.

• When Watermelon Slim was asked for an autograph, he took five minutes to draw a watermelon patch before signing a fan’s notebook. When told how generous he was, he responded with a simple, “I had fun doing it.”

An unfortunate note:

• The admirable respect festival audiences almost always express toward the artists and fellow audience members was breached when a couple hundred people stood in front of the stage, blocking the view of thousands of people sitting in hopes of watching Dr. John. The discourtesy caused some frustrated people to throw beer cans and water bottles.

The festival will have to take measures to ensure this doesn’t happen again. The solution might be as simple as presenting all the well-known headliners on the Main Stage or, at least, having sufficient security prevent such rude behavior on the part of a few.

The Kitchener Blues Festival continues today throughout downtown Kitchener.

Information is available online at www.kitchenerbluesfestival.ca

[Urbanomicon]

There were some minor complaints about people standing at the front of the main stage as well. But when it's as pasked as it was, there really is no other choice. Every square inch was filled with people. I agree with putting all of the headliners on the main stage though.

In addition, I think they should just get rid of the chairs (at least for the main stage) and make it standing room only, just like the Beat Rocks the Block, thus eliminating this issue. They would be able to fit many more people in the same space as well (2-3 people for every 1 person with a chair). If you've seen the crowd shots I took at the main stage, there really shouldn't be chairs there. There is not enough room to accomodate tens of thousands of people and have a group of them wasting valuable space sitting. I would say more than 80% of the people there were standing, only about 20% had chairs. (I actually had a chair for this event, but I felt stupid sitting, especially with everyone else all around you standing. You can't get into a concert sitting down).

[Spokes]

Blues fest included gospel, bayou boogie Sunday
August 08, 2010 | Robert Reid | The Record


The Kitchener Blues Festival always serves up a little gospel to soothe the soul and replenish the spirit as part of its annual blues celebration.

For its 10th anniversary, the festival invited a power gospel blues singer with a voice that belies her age.

Brooklyn-raised Alexis P. Suter sang of love with a raw, invigorating baritone that raised hairs on the backs of necks during the penultimate main stage performance of the free, four-day festival.

It was enough to keep threatening rains at bay, with the exception of a few drops.

“I’m thinking of moving to Canada,” she said in response to a lively, enthusiastic crowd. “I have to get me a piece of land in Kitchener.”

Suter and her band set the table for Stanley “Buckwheat” Zydeco who drew the curtain on the festival.

The festival has featured zydeco and Cajun music before, but they pulled out all the stops when they invited the King of Zydeco to draw the curtain on the festival with a toe-tapping, hand-clapping blend of swamp blues, bayou boogie and Creole soul.

“We’re going to have a party,” Zydeco shouted and he did his best to make good on the promise despite nasty feedback problems due to a temperamental mic.

The four-time Grammy winner is one of the few musicians who make the accordion sexy (with apologies to Walter Ostanek).

Finis Tasby brought his unique brand of Los Angeles blues (via Dallas, Texas) to the Main Stage earlier in the day. Sitting for much of the set, he proved you don’t have to stand and stomp to make your point as a blues artist of distinction.

Joined by The Hawks, Studebaker John brought his fiery blues guitar and suave vocals to the Clock Tower Stage in Victoria Park.

Paul James has always matched accomplished guitar work and vocals with showmanship. At the BIA Tent Stage, he used the microphone stand as a slide and played guitar behind his head while twirling like a human top.

He also told a great story about Bob Dylan showing up at a bar in which Lames was playing and asked if he could sit in with the band.

“He told me to introduce him as a hitchhiker from Vancouver, which I did, and he sat in for two hours,” James recalled. “He returned the favour by letting me sit in with his band a few times.”

Then he delivered an inspired Like a Rolling Stone.

James also paid tribute to Bo Diddley with a knockout original tune on acoustic slide guitar.

Multiple Juno-winners and festival veterans Fathead drove six hours — and were “happy to do so” — to make it to downtown Kitchener to strut their stuff.


Anniversary blues festival makes pure magic
August 08, 2010 | Robert Reid | The Record


“It’s magic music.”

That’s how 2010 Mel Brown Award recipient Bruce Iglauer, president of Alligator Records, the world’s largest blues label, describes the blues.

And anyone who ventured to downtown Kitchener over the weekend would have been touched by the magic of the music during the 10th anniversary of the Kitchener Blues Festival.

Anniversaries are occasions to look back, examine the present and anticipate the future — all in the spirit of celebration.

And that’s exactly what the anniversary blues bash accomplished over four days (mostly without rain), en route to drawing the largest attendance in its history.

The festival dug deep into the roots of the blues with the appearance of David “Honeyboy” Edwards who, at 95 years of age, is a living link to the Mississippi Delta where the blues originated from the fields of slavery and indentured sharecroppers.

It was a privilege to see Edwards perform.

Watermelon Slim said it best when he offered, “ya’ll not going to hear that everyday,” in reference to Edwards.

“People like Honeyboy have made the path easier for the rest of us.”

The festival celebrated the present with some of Waterloo Region’s best blues talent with Douglas Watson, who set the tone for the whole festival, in addition to Shawn Kellerman, Steve Strongman, Daddy Long Legs, Matt Storch, Cheryl Lescom, Charity Brown and Miss Angel, among others.

It celebrated some of the best blues talent in Canada with Jack deKeyser, Paul Reddick, Matt Minglewood, Paul James and David Wilcox, who likely drew the largest crowd of the weekend.

It celebrated some of the best blues talent in the United States with The Holmes Brothers, Dr. John, Buckwheat Zydeco, Watermelon Slim, Rick Estrin, Sherman Robertson, Finis Tansby, Studebaker John, Eddie “The Chief” Clearwater and Lil Ed & The Imperials.

And it opened the door on the promising future of the blues with Americans Johnny Lang, JJ Grey, Alexis P. Suter, Delta Moon, Moreland & Arbuckle and Shawn Pichin & Trevor Caswell, along with Canadians Monkey Junk, Digging Roots, Mati Haskell, Debbie Davies and CATL.

The new Clock Tower Tent Stage, reputed to be the largest tent of its kind in Ontario, provided a pastoral balance to the festival’s urban esthetic by linking Victoria Park to King Street.

The festival opened a window on the future with live streaming of Lang’s set from the upper reaches of the Kitchener City Hall facade.

After presenting a number of vintage rock groups influenced by the blues in recent years, the festival returned to its blues roots for its anniversary.

Based on record attendance, it appears Waterloo Region has caught on to the blues. It is no longer the music of aficionados — a far cry from when the late, great Mel Brown left Texas to find a home in Kitchener and mentor a new generation of blues artists.

The festival has grown to the point where it should resist the temptation to grow any larger for the sake of growing.

But a strong board of knowledgeable members bodes well for the festival’s long-term stability, as the its profile and reputation continues to spread in the blues community around the world.

And, just think, it’s free.

Festival Tidbits:

•It’s difficult to estimate attendance, but here were times when people were packed shoulder to shoulder more than a black and a half from the Main Stage on King Street in front of Kitchener City Hall and the Clock Tower Tent Stage, which holds 8,000 was overflowing for Dr. John.

•Nearly 200 rooms were booked at the Delta and Walper hotels for artists alone.

•Glenn Smith, the man who brought the late, great Mel Brown to Kitchener, received no fewer than three tributes from Eddie “The Chief” Clearwater during his set.

•JJ Grey and Mofro sold the most CDs from the King Street merchandise tent.

•The provincial government kicked in more than $100,000 in support of the festival.

•A total of 240 festival volunteers worked more than 400 shifts.


Blues festival ends on high note
August 08, 2010 | Sarah Anderson | The Record


As music lovers moved among stages and smaller settings to take in the blues music wafting downtown, there was a feeling Sunday that this was the best year yet for the Kitchener Blues Festival.

Janet and Frank Pineau, of Kitchener, joined in at the Clock Tower stage Sunday to applaud Kitchener singer Charity Brown’s encore. Having attended Saturday and Sunday, the Pineaus said they really enjoyed the performances at the festival, which was celebrating its 10th anniversary. Rain kept them away from last year’s event, but they’d come out several previous years.

They almost stayed home Sunday — the final day of the four-day festival — because of the forecast rain, but the huge tent erected at the Clock Tower stage was assurance enough that they would stay dry and also be entertained.

“It’s better this year,” Frank said.

They weren’t the only audience members depending on the tent for shelter. As a huge downpour hit Sunday afternoon, people took cover — just in time to catch local artist Steve Strongman and his band.

The music-loving Crouse family of Kitchener made their first visit to the blues festival just to catch this performance. Mom Lori said she brought her sons Owen, 7, and Connor, 11, because friends of theirs were related to one of the band members.

Though the boys are both fans of rock and rap, they seemed to be enjoying the show and were excited to hear more. They kept busy between sets with their friend Darren Kayhan, 10, who brought along a portable video game.

Crouse said she hoped her sons would enjoy the music since the beat is similar to what they already like. “And it’s nice to expose them to new music.”

Darren came from Milton with his parents Isik Kayhan — a major blues fan — and Heidi Hesch. The family, who previously lived in New Hamburg and were also making their first trip to the festival, had no idea it is an annual affair. Now that they know, they plan to make it a tradition.

Attending the festival is already a tradition for Cory Wolfe, a Grade 9 student at Kitchener Collegiate. The aspiring musician said he wasn’t impressed with last year’s festival and hadn’t planned on coming this year, until neighbours told him Canadian musician David Wilcox was playing Sunday.

The teen walked across town to get to the festival and he said he was glad he came.

“It hasn’t ever been as good as this year,” he said.

Though not a blues fan per se, the long-haired teen who was wearing a striped shirt that wouldn’t have been out of place in the 1970s, said he’s a lover of all forms of music.

“I’m playing (Jimi) Hendrix now. My friends think I’m pretty kick-ass,” he said.

As for next year, he said he’ll be back.

“I’ve got nothing better to do in the summer. I might as well listen to the blues.”

Evidence of true blues fans was everywhere on the weekend, from those wearing festival T-shirts from past years, to dancers, to those singing along with the performers. And whether they came out of curiosity or a deep-seated love of the blues, they showed up in the thousands.

And judging by the array of ponchos, raincoats, umbrellas and lawn chairs, festivalgoers planned to settle in for the duration on the festival’s final day.

[Spokes]

Just like with other festivals this year, I wonder what kind of spike in the numbers local businesses saw? Im guessing pretty significant.

[BuildingScout]

Just like with other festivals this year, I wonder what kind of spike in the numbers local businesses saw? Im guessing pretty significant.

There is the short term spike during the days of the event, but there is also a long term increase in foot traffic of KW residents who hadn't been to the renovated Kitchener downtown and now that they have seen it might reconsider visting it on a regular basis.

[Spokes]

There is the short term spike during the days of the event, but there is also a long term increase in foot traffic of KW residents who hadn't been to the renovated Kitchener downtown and now that they have seen it might reconsider visting it on a regular basis.

That's what I was thinking too. With ALL of that new traffic of people who hadn't been there, if even 5% decide to come back on a regular to semi-regular basis it's a big plus

[Spokes]

The Waterloo Regional Police are estimating that between 70,000 and 80,000 people attended the Blues Festival this past weekend!

[Urbanomicon]

The Waterloo Regional Police are estimating that between 70,000 and 80,000 people attended the Blues Festival this past weekend!

Is that a record?

[Spokes]

Is that a record?

I don't know, but Im guessing yes based on what was said in previous reports of how the numbers were so high.

[sixer]

Blues festival was great this year!!!

[Urbanomicon]

Blues festival was great this year!!!

Welcome to the forums sixer!