If there’s one thing the Thunder Bay Blues Festival does well, it’s ensuring hometown artists get a chance to share the stage.
This year is no exception.
The 14th annual festival kicked off Friday with The Boardroom Gypsies and Saturday offered up not one, but two local favourites.
Day 2 opened with Loose Cannon delivering their brand of the blues, and later, unbeknownst to most in the crowd, festival veterans The Chain made a surprise appearance, sandwiched between The Walkervilles and the always entertaining Alan Doyle and the Beautiful Gypsies.
It’s a great opportunity, said Loose Cannon lead singer Arley Hughes, who has also sang with Tender Mercy’s, another Blues Fest act.
“It’s awesome. You know, Thunder Bay has so much local talent and we’re so rich in that resource here, we’re really lucky,” said Hughes, who teaches music out of her home studio when not out jamming with her band.
“I think we need to source more of it out and see our local musicians and support our local musicians. Everybody out here was so amazing.”
Since its founding, Blues Festival organizers have gone out of their way to promote Thunder Bay artists, from Slap Johnson and the Trowelers to Mark Potvin to the Krazy Kenny Project, who will open Sunday’s third and final day of the 2015 edition of the always popular event.
Carol Pominville, who plays alongside Hughes in Loose Cannon, has played in four Blues Fests and relishes it each and every time.
“It’s always a treat,” he said. “It’s the biggest show in town and it’s nice they have a few local acts to represent because there’s a lot of local talent in Thunder Bay … that needs to be displayed. And I think we did a fine job of displaying that today.”
Most fans couldn’t agree more, though the vast majority aren’t anywhere near Marina Park when the opening acts kick off the festivities each day.
“It’s just great to see local talent on a stage at a festival as big as this one here is today,” said attendee Sean MacDonald.
Bobby Hill said he plays a lot in town and agreed it was important to have locals on the stage, adding James Boraski to the list of great performers lucky enough to earn a Blues Festival slot.
“We’re lucky to have these guys in town and we should support local talent.”
The festival wraps up Sunday with highlights including The Sheepdogs, Doyle Bramhall II and Paul Rodgers, the former Bad Company front-man.
The Krazy Kenny Project’s set begins at noon.
Here's a slideshow of pictures from Day 2 at the Blues Festival:
