Here comes trouble

I took my first set of Bluesfest at a run. Amanda Rheaume was the opening act on the Rogers Stage (I'll spare you my unamusing nicknames for the various corporate sponsored stages this time around). She had an interesting time in the weeks and months leading up to Bluesfest, performing for the troops in Afghanistan and narrowly avoiding the coup in Honduras during a jaunt through Central America. Fortunately there was no prospect of military overthrow at LeBreton Flats - just a mild rain which had me in the grips of paranoiac fear over the possible harm to my camera (actual threat of damage - close to zero). Most of these photos are a little fuzzy ... I was trying out my 300 mm lens for the first time and failed to give the vibration reduction the time to do its thing. As for Amanda, she was sounding good and looking better.

Amanda steps up!



Drummer Dan Loach and guitarist Jeff Logan.



Bassist Stu Watkins.



Keyboardist Anders Drerup makes yet another Bluesfest appearance.



Singalong action!



Rocking action!





Amanda works the crowd!



And so on!



She'll be performing at Capital Pride August 30, and again at the National Library and Archives September 25, with several other Canadian dates sandwiched in between and beyond.

• Show reminder: The Visitors return to Planet Pizza Party at the Atomic Rooster for a show with Moncton weasel worshippers The Kamalas. Sadie Hell, Still Life Still, Parlovr and Converters rock Cafe Dekcuf; Wise, Young & King and The Weeds rock Zaphod Beeblebrox; the Elmdale House hosts Christopher Hart and Alun Piggins.