MARQUETTE - Day one of the eighth annual Marquette Area Blues Fest was a success, according to organizers.
"So far, it's been fantastic," director Walt Lindala said Saturday afternoon.
Gates opened in Marquette's Mattson Lower Harbor Park at noon and the grounds quickly filled. Lindala said traffic for the festival, which is organized by the Marquette Area Blues Society, typically picks up in mid-afternoon. By dusk, the crowd is at its largest.
"When you get under the cover of darkness, it's going to feel really big," he said. "It really does. They come out for the headliners and we get a good crowd."
Saturday's performers included Red, White & Blues, Madcat & Kane, The Kilborn Alley Blues Band, Mac Arnold & Plate Full O' Blues and headliner Joanne Shaw Taylor, winner of the 2010 British Blues Award for best female vocalist.
Lindala said all of the artists he had spoken with were very happy with the festival and the welcome they received, by both fans and festival organizers.
"They come here and they see this venue and they see this beautiful park along the lake," he said. "It ain't an easy life. They're in their van for seven hours coming here and all they see is trees. They wonder where in the heck they're going. We want to make sure that when they get here, they have a good time."
In addition to taking in the performances, festival-goers can peruse merchandise tents, grab a bite from the food tents of local restaurants and even get a personal lesson in the blues. Saturday there were guitar and bones workshops, and a gospel praise workshop will be offered in the workshop tent today.
Also scheduled for today are performances from Mike Letts & The Marquettes, The Lark Brothers, The Gas House Gorillas, The Rusty Wright Band and Shemekia Copeland. Copeland has headlined the Chicago Blues Festival and opened for the Rolling Stones, and was recently named Queen of the Blues. Gates again open at noon and Copeland takes the stage at 8 p.m.
Tickets will be available at the gate and are $25 for adults and $10 for ages 15 to 23 years and kids 14 and younger are free with a paid adult.
Kyle Whitney can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. His email address is kwhitney@miningjournal.net.
