Portland Blues Festival – The Blues Cruise
Shot by Julian Chadwick / PDX Pipeline
I shot this video three years ago from the Hawthorne Bridge and it looks like a fantastic party. I still haven’t been on one of these wonderful cruises, but you can win a pair Rock the Boat Dance Crusie tickets from Pipeline ($70!, withporterdavis, Alan Hager & Albert Reda, and Bridgetown Sextet with Marilyn Keller,Saturday, July 3, 10:15pm-1:15 am).
To win: Join our email list and then comment here on why you would like to attend. Don’ worry, we only send out one SWEET email a week with discounts, prizes, tickets and weekend event info. It will soon become your favorite email of the week. I’ll draw the winner on Monday and email you. Oh…and if you win, take me? Deal? :)
Reminder: We give out free tickets to our Portland Facebook Groups & our email list to many of the top events in Portland. So, join if you like free stuff.
Related from PDX Pipeline:
- Many Portland July 4th Weekend Events: Fireworks, Music, Parties |Â 2010
- July 5: “Sail On Sister” Blues Cruise | Waterfront Blues Festival + Win Tickets
From Press Release:
Join Blues fans from around the world at Waterfront Blues Festival,
Portland, Ore., July 2-5, 2010
Festival passes and DME Blues Cruise tickets selling fast
www.waterfrontbluesfest.com
Taj Mahal * Little Feat * John Mayall * Booker T.
Bobby Rush * Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen
Curtis Salgado * Galactic with Cyril Neville * JJ Grey & Mofro
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue * Walter Trout * Baskery
Michael Burks Band with Lucky Peterson * Chris Thomas King
Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcolm * Moreland & Arbuckle
Super Chikan & the Fighting Cocks * Mingo Fishtrap
PorterDavis * Norton Buffalo’s Knockouts * Janiva Magness
Paul Cebar * Kara Grainger * Sultans of Slide
NW Women in Rhythm & Blues *
Zydeco Swamp Romp with Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble, Donna Angelle &
Zydeco Posse, Corey Ledet & his Zydeco Band, Andre Thierry & Zydeco Magic
… and that’s just the beginning
Imagine grooving to the best blues in the world while relaxing on the grassy banks of the beautiful Willamette River, viewing the glacial peaks of Mt. Hood to the east and the stunning Portland skyline to the west — all the while smiling at the thought that you are also helping to fight hunger.
No wonder more than 100,000 blues fans from throughout the world will head for the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, July 2 to 5, 2010, in Portland, Oregon. Now in its 23rd year, the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, presented by First Tech Credit Union, is the largest blues festival west of the Mississippi and the second- largest blues festival in the nation.
Blues fans will enjoy more than 120 stellar performances on five stages, plus artist interviews and workshops, five Delta Music Experience Blues Cruises on the Willamette River, activities for kids, dances, After-Hours Blues Jams at the Marriott Ballroom, fireworks and more.
Line-up of headliners:
- Friday, July 2, 3 to 10 p.m.: Taj Mahal, John Mayall with his Bluesbreakers,Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Walter Trout, Moreland & Arbuckle, porterdavis
- Saturday, July 3, noon to 10 p.m.: Booker T., Bobby Rush, Michael Burks Band with Lucky Peterson, Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcom, Super Chikan & the Fighting Cocks, Paul Cebar, NW Women in Rhythm & Blues, Zydeco Swamp Romp with Curley Taylor, Donna Angelle, Andre Thierry, Corey Ledet
- Sunday, July 4, noon to 10 p.m.: Fireworks! Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, Curtis Salgado, Janiva Magness, Mingo Fishtrap, Norton Buffalo’s Knockouts, Kara Grainger, Sultan’s of Slide, Harmonica Blow-off
- Monday, July 5, noon to 9 p.m.: Galactic with Cyril Neville, Little Feat, JJ Grey & Mofro, Chris Thomas King, Baskery.
All-day music not enough? When festival gates close, just walk across the street to After-hours Blues Jams at the Downtown Marriott where the music continues until 1:30 a.m. Or take a Delta Music Experience Blues Cruise down
the Willamette River. Visit www.waterfrontbluesfest.com for more information.
Benefit to fight hunger
Touted as one of the best-run festivals anywhere, the Waterfront Blues Festival remains a grassroots festival, produced and operated by Oregon Food Bank, a nonprofit, charitable organization, with the help of a thousand volunteers. The festival raises food and funds to help people who are hungry throughout Oregon and southwest.
Entry is a suggested donation of only $10 (or more) plus two cans of food (or more) per person per day, making this festival one of the great entertainment bargains of the summer. 100 percent of gate donations go to Oregon Food Bank. The festival also offers four levels of special passes with special perks and access: Individual Sponsor, Blues Benefactor (SOLD OUT), Four-Day Festival Pass and Blues Buddy Pass. Festival passes and Delta Music Experience (DME) Blues Cruise tickets are available at www.waterfrontbluesfest.com or www.ticketsoregon.com.
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I love boats and music!
I moved from St. Louis over a year ago and have really been craving some blues!
I would love to win this. I have not been out on a date with mt husband in forever
I Love that there is a great outdoor blues festival in Portland and it would be awesome to enjoy it from the water! Oh, and if I win I will take you…why not, always good to meet new people right? Cheers!
I’ve read about this and really want to go!
Never been – sounds like fun!
I would love to go simply because I love music, festivals, and fun. Enjoying these while on a cruise would just be epic :)
I would love to win this because I love the Blues Fest but there are too many people! This would be the absolute best way to enjoy it.
OOooohhh… A cruise and blues… hehe, I’m a poet and I didn’t know it! (ok, ok, so I did know it). Sounds like so much fun I almost can’t contain myself thinking about it. Please give me tickets. What a great way to celebrate Portland and the holiday weekend.
I would love to go, it would make a great date, please help me out!
Going to Lilith Fair on Friday, I would love to make the weekend AMAZING by attending this on Saturday!!
Sounds like a fantastic line-up with Porter Davis and the Bridgetown Sextet. I’d love to see them up-close!
Blues Fest is probably my favorite annual music festival. Seriously, what beats the blues other than hanging out on a cruise ship in the warm, sunny weather? Plus I’ll take you.
Blues Fest is the only festival I attend all year and I have never been on the blues cruise. I really want to go party in the sun and listen to some blues floating down the river!
I’ve never been to the Blues Festival but always wanted to give it a try! Plus, you can’t go wrong with a party on a boat!
Why do I want to go? Who wouldn’t want to go?!?
I would love to attend the blues cruise as I have heard many wonderful comments but could never get tickets before they were sold out. If I had a magic genie I would wish for a chance to cruise and blues this 4th of July…thank you Julian for great site PDX.
Name drawn for tix? You’re on! Plan on bringin your groove!
Lucky Charm’s all over this.
LC
Ive lived in Portland 16 years and still havent been on the Portland Spirit. Going during the Blues fest would blow my mind!
I’m on a boat! Errr… I would be if I won this. It looks like the best way to enjoy the Blues Fest and I told my girl I would take her this year no matter what. Hook me up, pipeline!
having spent my 20′s & 30′s in Chicago I became a Blues fan haven’t had as much opportunity to enjoy the Blue’s here in PDX. This would be a welcome opportunity
I would love to attend this event because nothing says summer like outdoor blues!
my husband used to be (still is) an incredible blues harmonica player but life deals stuff and you check out for a while and it would be a great time to get back in and listen to good old blues
Blues changed my life. I started listening to it along with my personal inception of metal and together they put my musical career on the map, helped me start a blues rock band, and gave me an outlet for life.
Cruises are pretty cool too.
I would love to start a Blue’s Band but not to sure about a few things, I have been playing drums for 3 years and sometimes jam with a band when they don’t gig, I have been told by a few they can feel my passion when I play the Blue’s and I am never out of time, which is really cool to me because the Blue’s is therapeutic for me, and is a 2 or 3 hour vacation from life’s negative pull, I have found a new friend that understands my problems, maybe that’s a little deep. Any advice on starting a band would be appreciated.
Dave
I go to this event year after year and from land, its pretty amazing. Would love to experience blues fest this year from the water though!
I can’t think of a sexier way to spend an afternoon, really. Please, can I go?
Free music is always nice!!!!
sow good seeds
I love boats!
Oh my! I have a friend in town for her bday and I would LOOOVE to take her to this.
I’ve never been, but it looks amazing! I would love to go.
dancing on the water? Sounds awesome!
I love Blues, and I’ve never been to a river cruise like this. Pleeease, make me a winner! I really would like to go.
Well, Kristina + Blues Booze Cruise sounds like a match made in heaven! Plus it will be one of my last weekends where I won’t have to work 10 hour shifts, so please please please pick me!
I’m on a BOAT – er.. I wanna be on a boat and I’ll take you!
Booze cruises rule! I never win anything so lets break the cycle! yespleasethankyou
BOAT..BLUES…BIG TIME
I’m all packed to come aboard a Blues Cruise.
My husband and I got married on the Portland Spirit, so this would make a great date!
lived here 3 years and haven’t been on a boat yet! and blues is great!!! I would love to win
This sounds so romantic! My honey and I are getting married in August-local Portland wedding. Pre-honeymoon Blues? ;-)
This sounds like an absolute blast! What better way to celebrate our country’s birthday weekend than by rocking out red-white-and-blues style? Oh oh, pick me, pick me!
I have never been to a blue concert. i’m planning to go but it would be sweet if I can get free ticket to the concert.
I think everyone should go!!!!
One of the things that inspired me to move to Portland was the Blues Festival. I had attended 3 years ago, fell in love with Portland (the city, the people, the music) and did what needed to be done to make the move. TAH-DAH I am here…. and since moving here I have not missed the Blues Festval once. It’s a great event… take yourself or take a buddy, but go and boogie to the blues!!
Pick me! Pick me!
Yea!! about time weather is nice and perfect to hit river. Hopefully i can win and enjoy it)
Beers, Boats, and Blues…that’s why I want to win yo!
yay blues and boats!
I have never even been to the Waterfront Blues Festival. Let’s be honest, none of the Waterfront events. I have lived in Portland 5 years and really want to see and hear more of Portland’s culture. I’ve been focusing on it’s visual beauty of mountains and oceans, now time to get to know the city. I hope you pick me. Thank you.
You have just put of some of my favorite things and rolled it into one big burrito that comes with its own tote bag!(Snl joke) I haven’t had the opportunity to enjoy the Blues Booze Cruise so. Now more than ever would be a great chance……
This would be an awesome time. Blues and booze for the win! I feel pretty lame for missing the last Blues on the Waterfront show (mainly for missing Eric Johnson), so I have to redeem myself. *fingers crossed*
i love me some blues and i love me a cruise. plus a girl i know would love me for some blues cruise.
The line up this year looks absolutely amazing! This is going to be an epic party not to missed. That being said, I sadly didn’t catch any of this in time to get tickets and I would love to go. I’ve been wanting to go on the blues cruise since I moved to Portland 6 years ago. Hook me up PDX Pipeline! =)
I’ve got a swimsuit and some flippie-floppies!
Great site! I look forward to the evolution of the Pipeline!!!!!
I love the Portland Spirit!!!
Wow! I’ve always wanted to go on a cruise but never really could afford it. Even the Portland Spirit costs to much for me. I would really like to take the wife (pregnant) on this cruise before she has her kid. Onc eyou have a kid your choices on entertainment is either Chuck E Cheeses or Disneyland. No more fun stuff. Can you help this guy out please??
I’ve always wanted to do a Blues Cruise, but my boyfriend and I are both unemployed right now and we can’t afford the tickets. I’m just moving back to Portland after a year in California – what a great welcome home gift this would be!
Yes please!
Love me some blues! I’d love me some blues cruisin too!!
Don’t make me do the parking spot dance. (lucky car dance done during the holidays to get a parking spot if we have to go to the store)
I’d totally take you… if it’s okay with the girl.
I am proud to be an American. I am proud to listen to the blues on the Willamette river with my brothers and sisters.
I just moved back to Ptown with my boyfriend and have been raving about how great this city really is! I’d love to go!
simply comment or must it be clever?
My birthday is next month, and we don’t have a lot of cash because I am the only one working in the family! I would love to win these tickets, it would make my birthday!!!
Sounds like fun!
Love the Blues…
Love to Cruise.
This sounds like the PERFECT Combo (would love to do it)!
Would love love love to go!
I would love to go on the blues cruise!
I attend the festival every year ( I take my vacation that week so I can go multiple days) but have never had the chance to go on the cruise, if I win I can take my fiancee!! we are recently engaged and have not had time to do much together.
WOW! what a line up….something right out of Jazz fest. Galactic, Zydeco, Commander Cody. I just got John Mayalls 70th birthday live album and cannot wait to catch him….hopefully with the help of free tickets…pls…
Jon
Man I have wanted to take that cruise for ever!
The blues fest great time on land ,on the water could be fantastic!!wow1
This could be a once in a life time and I don’t want to miss a fantastic blues fest like this.
Pick me and the sun will shine !
Never been to this but def. looking forward to it. Sounds and looks like a great event!
This would be so much fun! Pick me, pick me, pick me!
So great of you all to promote the event for such a worthy cause!
I’d love to get my blues and booze on !
Well… My parents just flew in from england, and my dad is a blues FIEND!! I would him to see Portland from the river with… blues playing in the background, it would be awesome. He is currently playing me John Mayall’s Blues from Laurel Canyon as we speak.. :)
G. Love says it best:
“Me and my band
All must agree we like to get groovy
With the sounds of the old time
We like to jam cause man
Sounds from the bandstand
Hand for the cause man
Hang from the old ones
The tones the gear the props and ride very much in
Chilling outside
Going way back…
From where music really started
I’m a child of the eighties
From where I departed since then I started
A collection of the people
Who started it all
I reckon
I kept them
In my sock like money
Blues music…”
I love the Waterfront Blues Festival and partying on a huge boat would be sweet
What a great event! I would love to go!
great weather, great food and drink, great music – what could be better?
Ive been on a coupls of the cruises & theyre great. Up close & personal w/the musicians
I would love the opportunity to relax and enjoy this event! I am in Summer School classes from 8-5 til mid July…. I could really benefit :-))
I am being reborn in to the blues. Therefore I am saved
I am awaiting…..to be saved by the blues….dont forget the last ones on this list! We are important too!
Blues rock the boat and so will I if I win these tickets!
Sounds like fun!
Groovy! Here’s hoping all that good karma I’ve been banking pays off. I just love the blues! (I hope I win – I hope I win…)
(Unless of course someone else really really really needs this more than me.)
I love blues cruizes!
pick me!!!!!!!!!! pick me!!!!!!!!!!
I’d looooooove to go!!!!
Some people have Christmas or Thanksgiving traditions, at our house we have the Blues Festival tradition. I’ve been taking my daughter to the Blues Festival since she was a little girl (she’s 26 now) and the memories are amazing! When she was little we would sit and play games while enjoying the music, now we look back at all the incredible artists we’ve enjoyed over the years and look forward to all the new artists to come. Thanks for all the memories!
Been to 13 Bluesfest so far. Looking forward to tonight.
RAIN stay away!