THUNDER BAY – It’s going to feel like the Summer of ’69 all over again at this year’s Thunder Bay Blues Festival.
Bryan Adams, one of Canada’s top rock exports since he broke onto the charts in 1983 with his timeless hit Cuts Like a Knife, will headline on Day 2 of the three-day event, hitting the Marina Park Stage on July 6.
Other headliners include the return of Burton Cummings on Sunday night and Johnny Reid on the festival’s opening night.
The soon-to-be-60-year-old Adams has been a global superstar since the release of 1984’s Reckless, a timeless album that sold more than 12 million copies and delivered world-wide hits like Run to You, Somebody, Heaven, One Night Love Affair, Summer of ’69 and It’s Only Love.
Thirty-five years later and Adams is still rocking out, touring the world in support of his 2019 release, Shine a Light, which features the title track co-written with Ed Sheeran.
Getting Adams to play the Blues Festival is a coup, and a fantastic way to follow up on last year’s sold-out smash featuring the likes of Sheryl Crow, Sarah MacLachlan and Melissa Etheridge.
With Adams on the bill, expect tickets to move fast once again, lessening the likelihood single-day passes will be available for concert-goers looking for last-minute access to the grounds.
“After the success of the past few festivals, we knew that we would need to work very hard to find the very best artists and present as many headlining performances as we could fit into each day,” said general manager and festival programmer, Bob Halvorsen.
“At the same time, we’ve made it possible for people to see 20 artists, all in one place, over one weekend, and all for what works out to be less than $10 each, when purchased on a weekend pass.
“We consciously sought out Grammy, Billboard, Juno, and Maple Blues Award winners – who are known throughout the world as music icons and/or living legends in their respective genres.”
British Columbia’s Adams may be the biggest name on the marquee, but he’s certainly not the only one that will attract the ticket-buying public.
Friday’s co-headliners, Tom Cochrane with Red Rider and the always-popular Johnny Reid, are familiar faces to both Thunder Bay and the Blues Festival and draw huge crowds each and every time they land in the city for a show.
Cochrane is best known for his 1991 smash Life is a Highway, and carries with him a catalogue of rock-radio staples including No Regrets, Sinking Like a Sunset and White Hot.
Reid, the Scottish-born star who moved to Canada at 14, is a two-time Canadian Country Music Association male artist of the year winner who’s not afraid to venture into the Blues Fest crowd during his set.
Other Friday acts include St. Paul and the Minneapolis Funk All-Stars, Davy Knowles and local act Ariel Posen, who kicks off the festivities on July 5 at 4:15 p.m.
In addition to Adams, Saturday’s lineup includes Amanda Marshall, making her second appearance at Blues Fest, Meghan Patrick, The Trews, Zappacosta, the Lincolns and the always popular and Thunder Bay’s own, The Chain.
Sunday, July 7’s bill includes Jann Arden’s first Blues Festival appearance, rockers 54-40, Dawn Tyler Watson, The Hip Show, a salute to legendary Canadian band the Tragically Hip, the Ben Racine Band, Ken Valdez and James Boraski and Momentary Evolution. Cummings, the one-time lead singer of the Guess Who, will make his second appearance in three years to close out the festival.
Weekend passes go on sale on Friday at the Auditorium box office and online.
Friday, July 5
- Johnny Reid
- Tom Cochrane with Red Rider
- St. Paul & the Minneapolis Funk All-Stars
- Davy Knowles
- Ariel Posen
Saturday, July 6
- Bryan Adams
- Amanda Marshall
- Meghan Patrick
- The Trews
- Zappacosta
- The Lincolns
- The Chain
Sunday, July 7
- Burton Cummings and Band
- Jann Arden
- 54-40
- Dawn Tyler Watson
- The Hip Show
- Ben Racine Band
- Ken Valdez
- James Boraski & MomentaryEvolution
