Bluesfest 2013

Despite my initial ho-hum impressions of the Bluesfest lineup this year, it turned out to be a solid week and a half of music, sun, and far too many beers.

I did the volunteer thing again this year, and we finally got some cool shirts for once. Every other crew was jealous, since theirs were all shit, but it's about time, I say! But pouring a billion beers was no easier than it had been before... so tasty looking... om nom nom

As usual I got to go to all of the concerts I wanted, and I made use of that privilege every single day this year. I even got to work a few shifts with cool bands to entertain me, so that was a definite bonus.

The first night started off with a cluster-fuck of me printing a ticket for Cait, and walking 90% of the way to the gig, only to realize I'd forgotten the damn thing at home. (Too many pre-game white russians I suppose.)
Anyway, I left her outside the gates, ran home shirtless, got booed by a friend passing by who didn't approve of my chest hair, then biked back like a maniac to get into the show. Saw this on the initial walk to the grounds, pretty badass eh?

 

Jimmy Eat World rocked out pretty hard, but when it came time for the much anticipated Black Keys, the volume was ridiculously low. The whole crowd kept chanting "turn it up, turn it up" between songs, but they never did. Everyone eventually just had to hush the fuck up so the crowd could hear the band. They were pretty awesome, I do declare. But I thought it was quite ironic to come across this little gem at the merch tent:

Oh, irony, thou art the Black Keys sound tech (who was quickly tossed under the bus by Bluesfest, who claimed they only require a minimum decible level, the rest is left up to the individual bands. Might wanna adjust that policy...)

As the festival rolled along, I worked my shifts, drank my burrs, and got to see all of the following at one time or another:

• She & Him (avec Zooey Deschanel)
• Justin Townes Earle
• Dixie Chicks (that concert was PACKED, heaps of rowdy jailbait)
• Wu Tang Clan (wat?)
• Tegan and Sara
• Eric Burdon
• Diamond Rings (ridiculous)
• Rush
• Mother Mother (amazing cover of Nirvana, a truly unexpected highlight)
• Weezer
• The Tragically Hip
• Matt Good
• Great Big Sea
• Stars
• Bjork (wat? lasted about 2 songs then bailed)
• Alice in Chains
• Yukon Blonde
• BB King

I saw a bunch of other gigs, but those were definitely the standouts.
A bunch of friends also joined for various nights, which were all a ton of fun. One highlight was desperately trying to find a ticket for a buddy of mine down at the grounds. I had my free pass, so we only needed one spare ticket. Scalpers were demanding $60 a pop, but a half an hour of asking strangers finally paid off when a volunteer sold us an extra for only $15. We tried to give her $20, but she told us to throw the extra into the volunteer donation bin, which we did with pleasure. Salt of the earth, these here volunteers.

Mr. Hand-on-Ass brightened one of my days.

And a matching murse lit up Cait's evening as well!

If there's one thing I learned this year, its the value of prescription sunglasses. Even got to see me some bonafide topless boobies.

But for all that Bluesfest has, it still makes me nostalgic for Edgefest and the Warped Tour back when they were hosted at Molson's Park in Barrie. Before it was a fucking parking lot.
You never see the kids crowd-surf anymore (probably cuz they don't want to lose their iPhones), the epic bowl beneath the main stage just isn't easy to recreate, and the weed and beer just don't go down with the same degree of free-loading for days/nights on end.

Maybe we took those days for granted; sure feels like it now. At least I'm trying my best to appreciate the present, lawd knows what ten more years will do to us.