Crowded house

Ed Roland promised fans a night to remember.

The lead singer of Collective Soul delivered Friday night, closing out the first night of a jam-packed 2013 Thunder Bay Blues Festival with a hits-laced set that had music lovers of all ages on their feet from start to finish.

“We’re just gonna play a bunch of songs you’ve heard too many times,” Roland said. “We go to work on the new record in November, so ... sit back, drink enjoy, have fun.”

The ‘90s alternative rockers, whose string of hits included Shine, Gel, The World I Know and December, marked a new approach for festival organizers, and it appears to have paid off in spades.

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium general manager Bob Halvorsen, the man behind the booking of the acts, said he’s never seen an opening-night crowd so large.

Ticket sales were through the roof, he added, a nod to headliners that include Los Lonely Boys and Los Lobos on Saturday night and Great Big Sea on Sunday, a day that also includes the Family Stone and Canadian rocker Kim Mitchell.

“As of two o’clock this afternoon our weekend passes were 400 over last year. That’s the first significant uptick we’ve had since we took the Blues Fest over six years ago,” Halvorsen said, finding a few moments to relax between The Steepwater Band’s brand of southern bluesy rock and Collective Soul’s finale.

“I’m hoping we did the right thing. What we’re trying to do is broaden out the Friday and the Sunday to bring in a different audience so we can expose themselves to blues artists, like we did tonight with The Steepwater Band and Cliff Stevens.”

Halvorsen was quick to say they’re not abandoning the musical genre that made the festival what it is today.

“The festival may have a name that invokes the blues, but there’s some really good music in there and we’re using the headliners to draw some of those people out. On a Friday night, I think this is the best one we’ve ever had,” Halvorsen said.

Organizer Trevor Hurtig agreed wholeheartedly.

“I think this is one of the best Friday’s we’ve ever had, just looking at the crowd, anyway. The main gate seems to be really full and busy and steady. We’re really happy with what we’re seeing.”

There’s no doubt why fans flocked to Marina Park in droves, he added.

“Collective Soul is definitely the draw for tonight. We’re hearing a lot about Great Big Sea and also about Los Lonely Boys and Los Lobos. But certainly tonight it’s all been about Collective Soul.”

Saturday’s line-up kicks off at noon with local band the Chain hitting the festival stage. Also on tap are the Groove Merchants, the late Walter Smith’s band, Quinn Sullivan, Melvin Taylor, Samantha Fish and Mingo Fishtrap. Co-headliners Los Lonely Boys take the stage at 7:45 p.m., followed by Los Lobos at 9:30 p.m.