Beaucoup of Blues

The people came prepared! Blankets and umbrellas covered the ground as far as the eye could see. Later on, due to the overwhelming size of the crowd, the fire marshal made an appearance in attempt to regulate attendance.

Griffin (left) and Ivy-Wyllie booked their rooms at the Marriott last January in order to experience the Blues Fest the way they wanted to: up close and personal. Hailing from Salem, they came to see Etta James (who unfortunately canceled) and Johnny Winter. “We’re groovy chicks with our friends, but we’re dorks and we know it.” Griffin says, “And we gotta get culture somewhere.”

Polly O’Keary (bass/vocals) and Tim Langford (guitar/vocals) from Too Slim and the Taildraggers work the crowd.

Dave Fling and Claire Warings (left) and Angel Cobb and Catherine Christ get into the swing of things in front of the A&E Stage.

This couple came out to see Johnny Winter and stayed for the zydeco. Obviously keeping cool was a priority.

The real trick at the blues fest was trying to find a place to hunker among the crowd, which numbered around 30,000 people per day.

These blues hounds from Shelton, WA, have been coming to festival every year since 1992. They were keen to see Johnny Winter and Too Slim and the Taildraggers.

Blues belter and raunch-rock poster gal Candye Kane does Wonder Woman proud during her set at the Safeway Waterfront Blues Fest.

A tasty assortment of tunes drift over miles of eager ears.

What’s a festival without balloon animals?

A comely lass shows off her gams while dancing onstage with Pete Peterson (right) and the Porkpie Septet.

Merlin may look serious but looks can be deceiving. A 22-year veteran of the blues fest, he not only sports a passel of beads, he also throws them at the crowds. Merlin’s necklaces come direct from New Orleans and people react to his bead throwing like a “typical New Orleans crowd” would. He even has to ask some of the ladies to keep their tops on.

Evan Caleb drums up some support for his beloved mother, the iconic Candye Kane.

’Scuse me while I kiss the sky. Classically trained chef Ritchie Rodgers has been cruising the blues fest decked out as Jimi Hendrix for the last 3 years. “I always looked like Jimi in the ’60s and ’70s,” he says. For a nominal fee, festivalgoers can get their picture taken with a reasonable facsimile of a legend.

A little more than a week ago the very busy Storm Large canceled her blues fest appearance with Pete Peterson and the Porkpie Septet due to fatigue, so local showbiz veteran Ellen Whyte (right) stepped in. “This is not a bad thing,” says Tom Addis of KMHD radio. “Ellen is a very strong singer.”

Zydeco star Gino Delafose and his band French Rockin’ Boogie compel feet to move. Resistance is futile.