Rain delay

It had to happen eventually: Rain dampened the spirit of festival-goers yesterday. This wasn't the gig-cancelling lightning threat of last year's Bluesfest, just on-and-off showers that left things damp, gloomy and miserable. I stuck it out until around 9 p.m. for a bevy of Canadians acts (mostly local), but as things began to get heavy I packed up and left - I'll catch Blackie and the Rodeo Kings on some other occasion. Things were overcast when I arrived. As I chained up my bicycle I could hear The Empiricals nimbly navigating their penultimate tune. I snapped the picture below as they wrapped things up.

You may ask, "Why is Paul Hogan blue?" I must have hit the white balance switch taking my camera out. I could probably tinker it back to normal, but since this is Bluesfest I decided to leave it as is.



The show I had really arrived in time to see was up next. Amos the Transparent impressed me a great deal at the last (and first) show by them I saw; they sounded just as good this time around. While they didn't have matching shirts, they did have Ana Miura on hand. They also had their new album with them; it will see official release Aug. 28.



John Mooney and Blueisiana were supposed to play next, but Mr. Mooney fell ill and had to stay home. Amanda Rheaume and her band played in his stead and did a good job. Unfortunately the rain arrived about the time they got on stage.



I had planned to see a bit of gospel this Bluesfest, so I went over to the Black Sheep Stage hoping that Geoff Moore might sound something like, say, Bill Withers. He did not. I left.



The other option available at the time was Patrick Watson, who was just about to start up on the Rogers Stage. He has a charming, somewhat goofball stage presence and uses a delay pedal on his voice with interesting results. His band has some fun with odd musical doodads as well.



Following a singalong finale which saw Watson making his way into the crowd, I went back to the River Stage where I caught the end of Danny Michel's show. I'll probably see more of him today with his rock band. He came back for an encore, which is why he's wearing a satchel.



My final show of the evening was local fave Jim Bryson, who played a rollicking set which included a blues guitar duel with Jake Bryce.



That seemed a good way to the end of night, particularly with the wet and cold starting to seep through my Converse sneakers in a serious way. It really started pouring as I biked on home - I hope conditions didn't get too miserable back at the Flats.

• Show reminder: Shipwreck, Ceremony and Lion of Judah play End Hits.

Rheaume to move

The Amanda Rheaume Band opened things up on the main stage on Sunday; I whisked by for half-a-dozen tunes and to snap a bunch of photos. I had a serious flashback to the 1980s when they covered the Fine Young Cannibals' She Drives Me Crazy.

Amanda and Co. were one of the few bands smart enough to break out the sunglasses for their sun-drenched show.



Amanda.



Matt Molino.



Jeff Logan.



Matt Babineau on the drums (not Gilles Nadon as I originally thought).



And lots of action!









The whole lot.



They're playing another outdoor concert at Andy Haydon Park July 30 (mid-afternoon, so don't show up after dinner and wonder where everyone went) - and it's free.

• Show reminder: American Geography and Tall Ships perform at End Hits; Place, City of A Hundred Spires and Vanier play Club SAW; Kepler plays their last ever show and this time they meant it at Babylon with Clark the Band and Sarah Hallman.

Bluesfest: Day Three

I could just not get out of bed on Sunday - by the time I'd actually got on my feet, done all my daily chores and was ready to travel, it was closing in on 4 p.m. That meant the first act I saw was the Amanda Rheaume Band. Amanda was kind enough to hand-deliver me a copy of her band's CD. I thought it was good stuff in a more rocking singer-songwriter vein.



After watching Amanda and Co. in action I passed by the Blues Til Dusk Stage where the snazzily dressed Slick Ballinger was laying down some swinging blues with his trio.



It was a brief stay; my actual destination was the MBNA Stage, where I caught the last few moments of the Detroit Women. Judging by the audience reaction they put on a heck of a show. Shown here, guitarist Dennis Burr, group founder Kate Hart and Lady T.



The lady I really wanted to see was Thornetta Davis (shown here with guitarist Brett Lucas). I've been an admirer since catching her vocal work on Big Chief's Mack Avenue Skull Game. I still have her Sunday Morning Music CD around somewhere.



I went home to download some pictures and grab some dinner, then returned to Bluesfest. I had to choose between Solomon Burke or Amadou et Mariam. I finally decided to go see Amadou and Mariam, since it would make the day's listening a little more varied. For once there wasn't a huge crowd at the Black Sheep Stage, and grabbing a front row seat was a cinch. Elmer Ferrer was up first, aided - as in his appearance last year - by Quarterlife singer and guitarist Anders Drerup. Flautist Maraca also took a guest turn.





Amadou et Mariam put on a stellar set of African trance rock. Their band obviously has a lot of fun playing together. Bassist and 12-string guitarist Laurent Griffon in particularly enjoys getting down (and hamming it up for photographers).







A lot of good music to dance to.