Bluesfest 2018

Last year, I split Bluesfest up by days. This year, I made a blog entry about a walk around the festival grounds before, during, and after the festival. This blog entry goes over all the days of Bluesfest.

This year's Bluesfest was packed. I was happy to get my tickets in time for it. There were certain shows it was shoulder-to-shoulder throughout the whole venue.

Now, I popped in and out a ton during the event, so hopefully my pictures tell a better story than me. My friends were hanging at other spots and I did some exploring in the meantime. I stayed at an AirBnB on Peter Street so I had about a 1mi (1.6km) walk each day to the venue. The funny thing is I could hear Bluesfest the whole way on my walk.

Besides Thursday night when my buddy Ryan acted as a designated driver, I walked this route back each night. I definitely got my exercise while visiting Thunder Bay! The first day of Bluesfest, I started my walk to Marina Park where Bluesfest is located. It was warm for Canadian standards.

Residential street in Thunder Bay with cars driving on a multi-lane road, houses and trees visible on both sides under clear blue skies Weather app screenshot showing Thunder Bay, Canada at 81°F with mostly sunny conditions, wind speed of 10, displaying 5:18 PM on Rogers LTE network Wide street view in Thunder Bay with traffic lights, parked vehicles, and crowds gathered near vendor tents under partly cloudy skies Pink vendor tent at street festival with people browsing merchandise displayed on tables, urban buildings and traffic visible in background

The lines were pretty long!

Large crowd gathered along fenced area at railroad crossing during Thunder Bay Blues Festival, with vehicles and storefronts visible across the street Festival attendees walking along grassy area near street with McDonald's sign visible, blue welcome banner in background, scattered clouds overhead Large blue banner reading 'tbaytel Welcomes You To The Thunder Bay Blues Festival' mounted on chain-link fence with trees behind

It took a bit, but I got my wristband and went inside.

Green 2018 festival wristband with number 27467 and wave pattern design worn on attendee's wrist Main stage at Thunder Bay Blues Festival with band performing, large crowd seated in lawn chairs, purple and white stage lights, sponsor banners visible Dense crowd of festival attendees with lawn chairs and blankets spread across grassy area, white vendor tents and stages visible in background

I decided to get some deep fried mac and cheese and start listening to the music. I also bought a beer or two. I do remember the first singer sounding a lot like Janis Joplin. As the festival went on, it seemed doing Janis's covers were very popular. The other bands were kind of a blur. Sitting in the back, some of them became background music as I hung out with my friends.

I did remember Melissa Etheridge's performance. She nailed it. She's a great guitar player and her vocals sounded really good. You know someone is talented when they sound just as good live as on the radio.

Yellow Tastybud's Pit Stop vendor tent advertising assorted poutines, hotdogs and sausages with crowd gathered around at festival White sandwich board signs advertising 'Tastybud's Pit Stop' menu and 'Fresh Cut Fries' with yellow branding, festival crowd in background Menu board closeup showing 'Gourmet Deep Fried Macaroni and Cheese' with photo of breaded golden-brown mac and cheese balls on checkered paper Three deep-fried breaded macaroni and cheese balls served in white paper container with napkins on dark blue surface Deep-fried mac and cheese ball cut open with plastic fork showing creamy cheese interior, crispy breading exterior, served in white container Large outdoor festival crowd seated in lawn chairs and on ground facing main stage, Canadian flags visible, colorful umbrellas scattered throughout audience Band performing on Thunder Bay Blues Festival main stage with audience seated below, blue sky and festival branding visible on stage towers Red Molson Canadian branded cooler bin filled with ice and cans of Molson Canadian beer at outdoor festival Hand holding cold can of Molson Canadian beer with condensation, festival grounds and attendee's feet visible in background Peaceful evening harbor view in Thunder Bay with sailboats and vessels moored on calm water, tree silhouette in foreground during golden hour Evening harbor view with boats moored in calm water, historic grain elevator building silhouetted on shore during golden hour in Thunder Bay Thunder Bay Blues Festival main stage at dusk with crowd gathered, stage lights illuminated, and golden sunset glow on sponsor banners Festival stage during twilight showing empty performance area with blue lighting, video screens on side towers displaying performer closeups Festival crowd seated on grass at sunset with pink and orange sky, vendor tents and light towers visible behind audience Thunder Bay Blues Festival evening performance with red stage lighting, large crowd seated in lawn chairs, large video screens showing performers Dense crowd of festival attendees seated on grass and in chairs during sunset, vendor tents with green and blue canopies in background Blues band performing on stage at dusk with blue and white lighting, seated audience watching from lawn chairs and grass Slightly blurred photo of Thunder Bay Blues Festival stage at night with bright turquoise and white stage lighting, crowd visible in foreground Motion-blurred photo of festival crowd leaving at night, people walking on paved path with street lights and buildings silhouetted against dark blue sky

Day two's headliner was Sarah McLachlan with Sheryl Crow opening for her. This confused me, but this is where I can tell I'm an American. Sarah is Canadian and was huge in Canada. A lot of the people in the group I hung with said she was their high school soundtrack. In the US, she's associated with the adopting a dog TV commercials.

Sheryl Crow was much bigger in the US. I would say both put on good shows, except Sarah McLachlan was very quiet. It was very hard to actually hear back by the picnic tables and beer tent where I was hanging out. The other opener bands were also good.

Wide Thunder Bay street with multiple lanes, parked vehicles along railroad crossing area, trees and commercial buildings under partly cloudy sky Railroad crossing pathway with chain-link fencing on both sides, active crossing signals visible, people and vendor tents in distance under blue sky White vendor tent entrance with 'Thunder Bay Blues Festival' banner, festival grounds with crowds and vendor tents visible behind temporary fencing Large daytime festival crowd seated in colorful lawn chairs facing stage area, large tree in center, vendor tents and blue sky with white clouds Hand holding can of Molson Canadian lager beer against grass background during outdoor daytime festival Festival attendees seated at red picnic tables in foreground with large crowd and main stage visible in background under bright blue sky Thunder Bay Blues Festival main stage viewed from crowd, attendees in foreground wearing hats and sunglasses, blue stage banners visible Blues band with horn section performing on main stage in blue suits, audience seated below in lawn chairs watching performance Weather app screenshot showing Thunder Bay, Canada at 82°F with partly cloudy conditions, wind speed of 15, displaying 3:38 PM on Rogers LTE Blue adult admission wristband with Thunder Bay Blues Festival branding worn on attendee's wrist outdoors during daytime Thai Kitchen food vendor booth with menu board displaying photos of dishes, customers browsing at outdoor festival location Pad Thai dish with shrimp and vegetables served on blue Thunder Bay picnic table bench with blue Gatorade bottle at outdoor festival Thunder Bay Blues Festival daytime performance with band on stage, crowd seated in lawn chairs with Canada-themed seating visible, trees framing scene Rock band performing on festival stage with blonde guitarist in center, drummer visible behind, crowd of attendees watching from below Thunder Bay Blues Festival main stage with large crowd standing and seated on grass, blue sky overhead, video screens on stage towers Overhead view of hands playing blue and white beach ball at outdoor festival, green grass and attendees' feet visible around Festival main stage with blue lighting visible, large crowd of attendees in foreground wearing hats and summer clothing watching performance Festival attendees sitting on grassy hillside along paved walkway during golden hour, crowds and vendor areas visible in background Dense crowd of festival attendees from behind walking between trees toward stage areas on sunny afternoon Blues band performing at dusk with yellow and blue stage lighting, crowd silhouettes in foreground watching evening performance Fox on the Run food vendor tent with blue canopy advertising sandwiches, wraps, hot dogs, sausages, and fresh cut fries with customers ordering Hand holding grilled sausage in white hot dog bun wrapped partially in aluminum foil, ketchup visible on sausage Hand holding can of Molson Export Ale beer with blue ship logo against green foliage background at outdoor festival Festival crowd from behind with attendee raising both arms in celebration against clear blue sky, other concertgoers visible around Tranquil Thunder Bay harbor at dusk with pleasure boats moored on calm water, pink and purple sunset sky, distant shoreline and ship visible Several boats on Thunder Bay harbor during pink and purple twilight with distant shoreline and cargo ship silhouetted on horizon Thunder Bay Blues Festival stage at dusk with crowd seated on grass, performer visible on video screens, pink sunset sky above Grilled bratwurst in white bun with ketchup served on white paper plate on brown wooden picnic table surface Blurry nighttime photo of festival stage with pink and purple lighting, band performing, side video screens illuminated against dark sky

Day three was the last day. Pat Benatar was the headliner I was most excited about. Out of the openers, I do remember Alan Doyle putting on a great show. His Celtic sound was very unique. Mary Bridget Davies also did a great Janis Joplin cover.

The storms made a cool sunset with some colors in it. By the end of the night, it was humid and I could see my breath at 66F (19C)!

Wide Thunder Bay street with vehicles driving under dramatic storm clouds, trees and commercial areas visible along roadside Thunder Bay Blues Festival entrance area under threatening storm clouds with white entry tent, orange safety fencing, attendee with pink umbrella departing Festival crowd at dusk gathered around red picnic tables with dramatic cloudy sky, vendor tents and stage structures visible in background Pavilion building silhouetted against golden sunset sky with gray clouds, festival crowds and yellow vendor tent in foreground Blurred photo of Thunder Bay Blues Festival main stage at dusk with dramatic blue stage lighting, large crowd visible from behind Close-up of band performing on stage with intense blue spotlight beams, guitarist and bass player visible, crowd watching from below Blues band performing under vibrant purple and magenta stage lighting with three musicians visible on stage, audience in foreground Festival crowd silhouettes at sunset with dramatic orange and yellow sky, stage structure and buildings visible on horizon Pink-tinted clouds at dusk or sunset with tree silhouettes visible at bottom against gray and blue sky Weather radar map on Rogers LTE showing storm system over Thunder Bay and Lake Superior region at 9:47 PM with mixed precipitation Dramatic sunset with pink and orange clouds illuminating dark storm clouds above festival venue with vendor tents and building silhouettes Rainy festival scene with attendees holding umbrellas and wearing rain gear, blue stage lighting visible in distance under gray stormy sky Blurred photo of festival attendees walking in rain near vendor tents including TD Canada Trust booth, umbrellas visible throughout crowd Motion-blurred photo of people dancing or moving quickly in rain near festival pavilion with vendor tents in background at dusk Thunder Bay downtown skyline at sunset with orange and pink sky, construction cranes silhouetted, white and yellow vendor tents in foreground Dark stormy evening photo of festival stage with orange lighting, crowd watching performance under threatening sky, umbrellas visible Weather radar map showing intense storm cell over Thunder Bay with green, yellow, orange and red precipitation bands at 10:45 PM Dark nighttime photo of illuminated food vendor booth under threatening storm clouds, single figure walking past in darkness Weather app showing Thunder Bay at 66°F with 40% chance of storms, wind speed 4, displaying storm warning at 10:59 PM on Rogers LTE Nighttime festival grounds with illuminated main stage in distance, scattered attendees on grass, vendor areas with blue lighting visible Crowd of festival attendees leaving at night on city street, traffic lights and downtown Thunder Bay buildings illuminated in background Festival crowd at dusk gathered around red picnic tables with dramatic cloudy sky, vendor tents and stage structures visible in background Festival crowd at dusk gathered around red picnic tables with dramatic cloudy sky, vendor tents and stage structures visible in background Pavilion building silhouetted against golden sunset sky with gray clouds, festival crowds and yellow vendor tent in foreground Blurred photo of Thunder Bay Blues Festival main stage at dusk with dramatic blue stage lighting, large crowd visible from behind Close-up of band performing on stage with intense blue spotlight beams, guitarist and bass player visible, crowd watching from below Blues band performing under vibrant purple and magenta stage lighting with three musicians visible on stage, audience in foreground Festival crowd silhouettes at sunset with dramatic orange and yellow sky, stage structure and buildings visible on horizon Pink-tinted clouds at dusk or sunset with tree silhouettes visible at bottom against gray and blue sky Weather radar map on Rogers LTE showing storm system over Thunder Bay and Lake Superior region at 9:47 PM with mixed precipitation Dramatic sunset with pink and orange clouds illuminating dark storm clouds above festival venue with vendor tents and building silhouettes Rainy festival scene with attendees holding umbrellas and wearing rain gear, blue stage lighting visible in distance under gray stormy sky Blurred photo of festival attendees walking in rain near vendor tents including TD Canada Trust booth, umbrellas visible throughout crowd Motion-blurred photo of people dancing or moving quickly in rain near festival pavilion with vendor tents in background at dusk Thunder Bay downtown skyline at sunset with orange and pink sky, construction cranes silhouetted, white and yellow vendor tents in foreground Dark stormy evening photo of festival stage with orange lighting, crowd watching performance under threatening sky, umbrellas visible Weather radar map showing intense storm cell over Thunder Bay with green, yellow, orange and red precipitation bands at 10:45 PM Dark nighttime photo of illuminated food vendor booth under threatening storm clouds, single figure walking past in darkness Weather app showing Thunder Bay at 66°F with 40% chance of storms, wind speed 4, displaying storm warning at 10:59 PM on Rogers LTE Nighttime festival grounds with illuminated main stage in distance, scattered attendees on grass, vendor areas with blue lighting visible Crowd of festival attendees leaving at night on city street, traffic lights and downtown Thunder Bay buildings illuminated in background

I had a great time at Bluesfest this year. For me it's an awesome venue to hang out with friends and meet new friends. I even got to talk to some of my readers. I have a feeling I'll be back again!

See more blog entries here