A heat wave settled in over much of the West Coast just in time for this year’s Independence Day weekend, putting a damper on many a celebration, but not dampening spirits. For Portland, Oregon, America’s 248th birthday also marked the opening of the city’s 37th Waterfront Blues Festival.
Despite water refill stations, misters, and even an air-conditioned chill center at the neighboring Marriott hotel, the high temperatures kept attendance numbers low. Those who did venture out were treated to a wide variety of great musical artists. As a celebration of the blues, the festival features local legends such as Curtis Salgado, LaRhonda Steele, and Norman Sylvester, alongside regional, national, and international acts covering a wide range of genres, from soul, funk, and R&B to zydeco, jazz, rock n’ roll, and country. A spry, 90-year-old Bobby Rush was backed by the North Mississippi Allstars and served as festival royalty. This year’s daily headliners were St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Lucinda Williams, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, and Greensky Bluegrass.
These photos represent just a small fraction of the weekend’s events, and the artists who showed up to sweat it out and deliver inspiring sets to fans both old and new.
One Response
Great photos