As expected, Day 2 of the 16th annual Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival is delivering a diverse and fulfilling musical and cultural experience here in vacation country.
Organizers have provided ample supply of water and misters, always an important consideration when the temperature hits the upper thirties. Despite the heat a diverse assortment of vendors are plying their wears, such as Becky Caulford and friend - sorry, I can't recall the name, although we spoke for maybe ten minutes - of Honey Bea Design Hive, a "sustainable fashion company" based in Toronto. The duo manufacturer ladies accessories (handbags, etc.) using only reclaimed and recovered materials they discover in thrift shops and second-hand stores, including "bedsheets, tablecloths, curtain rings and drink coasters".
As the sun went down to Big Brother and the Holding Company (below), attendees reclaimed their respective territories in front of the main stage, and parents of young children (like yours truly) worried whether the pungent aroma of skunk in the air would translate into contact highs for their charges.
The second-to-last act on the main stage, David Wilcox (left) delivered the Canadian blues goods, his always curious and charismatic expressions kept experienced and new fans alike delighted.
But in the most disappointing development of the day, people started to head for the exits after Bobby Rush (below right) took the stage. Songs about booty and 300-pound women are his trademark, but may have been a little risque for a crowd which normally seems rather eclectic to this observer. The large number of people streaming for the gates made me wonder whether the crowd here is as open to experience as I've always thought.
While it is possible that the reception may have been similar if there was more colour (or youth, or whatever) in the audience, chances are that if the mix was different/right, the crowd would have been shouting back at the septuagenarian Mr. Rush' s antics (as in the 2007 performance captured below) and packing the stage, rather than fleeing it. My family came away memories of something enjoyed but not fully understood, which is always a treat. I applaud the organizers for keeping it real.
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