THUNDER BAY – It’s hard to believe how fast another year has flown past.
Not that anyone’s complaining.
Friday marks the return of the Thunder Bay Blues Festival to Marina Park, an event that sold out quickly in 2019 thanks to a stellar lineup topped by a Canadian legend who’ll be making his first appearance at an event that has increasingly turned to talent from the Great White North to draw thousands to the city’s waterfront.
“Bryan Adams seems to be the pinnacle, if you will,” said Trevor Hurtig, manager of marketing and development for the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium and the Blues Festival.
“But it really is an all-star lineup from start to finish. The blues artists are second to none. Even some of the local artists are perennial favourites and we’re really looking forward to them as well.
“Certainly Burton Cummings is great. Jann Arden has never played the festival before. Tom Cochrane’s return, Johnny Reid’s return – we know we’re going to be in for a jam-packed weekend full of world-class entertainment.”
That’s just scratching the surface.
Canadian legends 54-40 and Nova Scotia’s The Trews add a touch of upbeat rock and pop to a lineup that also includes rising country star Meghan Patrick, returnee Amanda Marshall, Alfie Zappacosta and St. Paul and the Minneapolis Funk All-Stars, featuring Jellybean Johnson, who helped create the Minneapolis sound with the Time.
There won’t be much down time for music fans, Hurtig said.
“That was done on purpose, to get some new stuff in there that would be exciting,” he said of the decision to add bands like 54-40 and The Trews to the lineup.
“St. Paul and the Minneapolis Funk All-Stars, those guys are just driving down from Minneapolis. But these guys have all played with Prince and they’re going to bring that kind of First Avenue sound from the ‘80s here and we’re really looking forward to that,” Hurtig said.
The fun begins on Friday, when Ariel Poser takes the Marina Park stage at 4:15 p.m.
He’ll be followed by Davy Knowles at 5:30 p.m. The aforementioned St. Paul and the Minneapolis Funk Allstars are next at 6:45 p.m., followed by Tom Cochrane and Red Rider at 8:15 p.m. and Johnny Reid to close out opening night at 10 p.m., a scheduled 90-minute set.
Local act The Chain kick off Saturday’s lineup, with the Lincolns (1:45 p.m.), Alfie Zappacosta (3 p.m.), The Trews (4:15 p.m.), Meghan Patrick (5:30 p.m.), Amanda Marshall (7 p.m.) and Bryan Adams (9:30 p.m.), a two-hour finale.
On Sunday, the final day of the three-day festival, music gets under way at 12:30 p.m. when local favourites James Boraski and MomentaryEvolution make a Blues Festival reappearance. Ken Valdez hits the stage at 1:45 p.m., followed close by the Ben Racine Band (3 p.m.), The Hip Show, a Tragically Hip cover band (4:15 p.m.), Dawn Tyler Watson (5:30 p.m.), 54-40 (6:45 p.m.), Jann Arden (8:15 p.m.) and Burton Cummings and band to close out the festival at 10 p.m.
Tickets are completely sold out for this year’s Blues Festival.
