EDITORIAL: Blues Fest a great event

It’s our favourite weekend of the year at Thunder Bay Source (well, that isn’t NFL opening Sunday).

On the heels of another Canada Day celebration comes Blues Festival. Given our market size and relative remoteness, Bob Halvorsen and the organizing committee have done a remarkable job with this year’s lineup.

From multiple Grammy-winning rocker Melissa Etheridge to Canadian Serena Ryder to ’90s rockers the Spin Doctors and the Jakob Dylan-led Wallflowers, there’s a little something for everyone at Marina Park this weekend.

For modern rock fans, there’s Rival Sons, who’ll carry a Zeppelin-infused sound to Thunder Bay.

There’s plenty of local content to cheer on, too, including James Boraski and the MomentaryEvolution, Tracy K and The Chain.
Expect the unexpected, too.

Last year Great Big Sea’s Allan Doyle joined the vocally challenged Kim Mitchell on stage for an impromptu sit-in.

A night earlier, Thunder Bay’s own Paul Shaffer braved the downpour to join Los Lobos for a song, the Letterman sidekick’s first appearance at his hometown festival.

Weekend passes are just $109, with single-day tickets going for $69. Or, if you’re looking for the VIP experience, a limited number of those passes are available for $159. Enjoy!