Tuesday, July 19, 2011

North Atlantic Blues Festival, Rockland, Maine July 16th and 17th, 2011

The North Atlantic Blues Festival took place this past weekend in Harbor Park in Rockland, Maine.  


Saturday

Saturday was billed as a tribute to Chicago.  Members of Chicago's Blues royalty (Nellie "Tiger" Travis, Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues, Magic Slim & The Teardrops and the Brooks Family (Lonnie, Ronnie and Wayne)) held court on the main stage abutting Rockland Harbor.
 
Nellie "Tiger" Travis














Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater





Paul Benjamin, Mike Benton, Brad Benton 

Should you happen to run into the above gentlemen, offer them (and their families!) your thanks for bringing great blues artists to New England.  Paul (along with Jamie Isaacson) is responsible for the North Atlantic Blues Festival. Brad and Mike are responsible for the White Mountain Boogie & Blues Festival which takes place each August in Thornton, NH.  Check out the above link for info about the great lineup they have this year.











Gina Sicilia and Dave Gross

Gina and Dave were the only non-Chicago performers of the day, playing at the side of the main stage between acts.









Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials


























Billy Branch & The Sons Of Blues











Magic Slim & The Teardrops










The Brooks Family (Lonnie, Ronnie, Wayne)



















Nearly everyone stuck around to close the day with "Sweet Home Chicago"!









Not all of the performers were on the main stage.  

This young fella made an impression and a hatful of tips!








Saturday Night's Club Crawl




















Sunday

Sunday featured a very diverse group of performers - Trampled Under Foot, James Armstrong, Toni Lynn Washington, Eric Bibb (w/ Grant Dermody) and Robert Cray.



Trampled Under Foot

















James Armstrong














Toni Lynn Washington



Gina Sicilia & Dave Gross (day 2)








Eric Bibb (w/ Grant Dermody)










Get 'em started young...





 Robert Cray