Advertisement
Published: September 5th 2015
Edit Blog Post
David and I had been persuaded to attend this festival months ago by our friends, Mark and Judy, who had attended it a couple times before. As you’ll see, we were not disappointed.
Before I get to that though, I must mention an unfortunate incident. On the road to Salmon Arm, we had a text saying that Jim (Mark’s brother) and Lisa’s trailer had separated from their truck while going through the Roger's Pass. Apparently, there was a bad weld on the frame and it separated from the trailer. Very scary! The trailer was totalled, but miraculously, no one was hurt. And, most importantly, Jim and Lisa were able to join our group for the festival. We were all very thankful!
This festival provides camping right on site. So you can come and go from the festival as you please – just a short walk away. The sites are all laid out in a field – we took four sites and strategically placed our camping units in a circle making the best use of awnings to provide shade from the blazing mid-day sun. No electricity here. In total we had twelve people in our merry band of festival goers.
My recollections of the festival are a bit of a blur. There is a lot to take in at such an event. The last time I was at an outdoor music event was in 1979 at Alberta Jam – memories of that are also a bit sketchy. These are some snapshots:
• Tasty group-effort meal outside with lighting provided by one of David’s inspired purchases. It’s important to mention here that the salmon, which was the main part of the meal, was salvaged from the destroyed trailer.
• The festival was made up of music acts both young and old – as was the crowd. There were four stages to choose from making it a challenge to decide where to go and what to watch. However, after three days, we definitely got our fill (and money’s worth) of terrific entertainment.
• The first night’s show on the main stage was a feast for the senses – the bands put on heart-pounding performances while nature provided a complimentary display of lightning, thunder and steady rain. We most definitely felt we were at an outdoor music festival by the end of the evening.
• This festival provides a number of workshops where several groups and/or performers get together and make music. The results were mixed, but at times, truly inspiring.
• Our merry band of festival goers spread out looking for music that spoke to their individual tastes. David and I also separated from time to time. On the last day, which was quite hot, I found some great trees by the "Shade Stage" and decided that I would stay put -- I don't tolerate heat well, and sun burns aren't fun. Some of our favorites acts included: The Ballroom Thieves, Elephant Revival, The Duhks, Quique Escalilla, The Slocan Ramblers, Canned Heat, The Small Glories, Sherman Doucette, and … I could go on.
• Food -- what’s a festival without food? David and I have different tastes when it comes to food – he especially enjoyed the deep fried macaroni and cheese. I enjoyed the pad Thai, but should not have had the fish taco – not all tacos are wheat-free.
• My sister, Glenys and her husband, Peter, joined us for a couple of nights and enjoyed sleeping on our table and pull-out couch – well, they
didn’t complain.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.282s; Tpl: 0.014s; cc: 38; qc: 131; dbt: 0.1341s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.3mb
Dancing Dave
David Hooper
Blues & Roots
My thoughts on the subject are no secret...blues is my business and business is good as the song goes. Great you attended and reported on the Salmon Arms Roots & Blues Festival. Check out the blues on our World Music Forum and join the groove.