Polson gets the Blues
RANDY OXFORD, left, stands on stage with musicians during the Flathead Lake Blues Festival Saturday, Aug. 18 in Polson. (Ashley Fox photos/Lake County Leader)
CONCERT-GOERS dance at The Flathead Lake Blues Festival Saturday evening. (Ashley Fox/Lake County Leader)
FOR THE eighth year, the Flathead Lake Blues Festival entertained crowds. (Ashley Fox/Lake County Leader)
A GLIMPSE from the stage afforded musicians the view of blues lovers grooving to a jam session Saturday, Aug. 18 during the Flathead Lake Blues Festival.
ORGANIZERS ESTIMATE that between 1,200 and 1,500 people attended the eighth annual Flathead Lake Blues Festival in Polson over the weekend. (Ashley Fox/Lake County Leader)
The sky was the limit for sound and creativity during the eighth annual Flathead Lake Blues & Music Festival over the weekend.
“There were no boundaries or limitations” as far as musical combinations and how late performers could play, Steven Pickel, an organizer of the event, said Monday morning.
The festival was held at the amphitheatre on the Polson fairgrounds.
Pickel said Randy Oxford, a blues musician from Washington, “cherry-picked” performers from several bands that never played together prior.
“It was a bit of an experiment that went very well,” Pickel concluded.
As of Monday morning, no sold ticket amounts were available but Pickel estimated between 1,200 and 1,500 people attended the two-day festival, stating it was the best attendance the festival has had to date.
Besides music, Pickel said concert-goers also had “the best variety and most vendors” to browse, with between 12 and 15 offering their services.
While there weren’t many onlookers anchored or floating on Flathead River Friday evening, Saturday saw more watercraft.
There isn’t a way to charge people from the water, Pickel said, but he added that “it would be nice if we were able to collect a donation from them.”
The show costs about $30,000 for organizers, and coming up with a way to charge or have donations from the river would make it fair to those who purchase tickets, Pickel said.
This year, cost of the tickets included a two-day pass for $40 that allowed free camping.
Pickel said that organizers plan the event to be family friendly so the community becomes more involved with music.
During each night of the festival, Pickel said that Native American dancers “graced” the stage, performing Salish dances.
He explained that the dancers broke tradition this year by having electric instruments play songs, while incorporating the dancers and drummers.