Today and tomorrow the Beaumont Blues Festival swings into high gear with two days of rockin’ heartfelt tunes.
Gates open at noon with more than 26 provincial and national acts making the scene. Saturday night’s featured performers include the blues funk of Boogie Patrol with their ripping guitar solos and rhythm section followed by Gordie Johnson, a Canadian bluesman best known for his reggae rock band Big Sugar.
Sunday’s star line-up features Amos Garret, the blues/jazz cat awash in delta blues, and Paul Piaget with Cousin Harley cranking out some of their famous boppin’ hillbilly tunes.
St. Albert’s own Wayne Allchin, as part of Blue Gator, a trio of ragtag fugitives, is spreading his brand of rockin’ blues on Sunday at 4:45 p.m.
And there’s more – Elektric Squirrels, Kyler Schogen, Graham Guest, No Foolin’, The Smokin’ 45’s and Harpdog Brown will all perform.
A two-day pass is $65. A one-day general admission is $35 for adults and $25 for seniors/students. For additional ticket information, a site map and a complete line-up of acts, visit www.beaumontblues.net.
Here on the home front, Ammar’s Open Stage turns a page with a new record. This is the first time in its 312-show history to feature four entertainers. They are Lynne Chwyl, Dwayne Cannan, Kevin Carmichael and Andy Nikiforuk.
Chwyl has been active on the blues scene since 2002, singing at the Big Valley Jamboree, the Ponoka Stampede and competing in Karaoke Star. Since her work at Beaumont Blues Fest two years ago, she’s dropped canned country music for live blues. “I am hooked,” she says.
Cannan recently had a rebirth of popularity when his instrumental, One Forty Eight, was released worldwide on a compilation, Guitar Soll.
Nikiforuk, a pianist trained in everything from classical to country, has performed with the Recollection Blues Band and is currently with the Cameron Brothers. And Carmichael is former bass player for China White.
The jam starts at 9 p.m. at LB’s Pub, 23 Akins Dr. No cover charge.
