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Music, culture celebrated at Blues Fest

Issue Date: 8/23/2017
Last Updated: 8/22/2017 6:26:22 PM | Story and photos by Dakota Wharry for the Valley Journal

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Story and photos 

by Dakota Wharry 

for the Valley Journal

POLSON — The seventh annual Flathead Lake Blues Festival brought music of all kinds to the new Regatta Shoreline Amphitheatre in Polson. The festival showcased artists from across western Montana and even a few from Washington with genres ranging from Rock and Americana to Folk, and even a special performance from a local Native American drum group.

Event Coordinator Steve Pickel said he estimates the festival brought in up to 1,500 people. 

A total of 14 bands played between the two shows on Friday and Saturday Aug. 18 and 19. Friday featured all local artists from western Montana ranging from Missoula to Whitefish. Saturday’s show featured the women of the blues, a list of four bands ranging from Montana and Washington, including Andrea Harsell and Luna Roja, a band from Missoula. They also performed on the stage a week earlier opening for the Mission Mountain Wood Band at the stage’s debut for the Aber Day Reunion Concert. 

“We wanted to showcase as much Montana talent as we could in the time we had,” Pickel said. 

A lot of the bands showcased at the festival perform in bars and casinos. For some of them this was the first time they’ve gotten to play on a stage of this magnitude at a venue like this, he said. 

“I’ve heard most of these bands several times and they all brought their ‘A’ game,” he said. “And thanks to Lenny Anderson with LA audio as well, the sound was great.” 

The event was organized by a group called Festivals on the Flathead, of which Pickel is the current president. Pickel, who did the coordinating and ran the show while it was going on, said he couldn’t have done it without help. Treasurer Laura Reynolds handled financial matters, while Leon Shortman headed security efforts. He also noted that Heather Holmes was instrumental in making sure the event ran smoothly. 

Shortman also coordinated the surprise performance of a local Native American drum group, as well as traditional dancers who offered a prayer and a few traditional songs halfway through Friday night’s roster of bands. Pickel said it was an honor to have them perform. 

“It was the one performance that brought a tear to my eye,” he said. “The other bands get up there and pour their hearts out over covers and original songs, but they (the drum group) got up there and performed something truly spiritual.”

With everything going on in the outside world it’s nice to be able to bridge cultures here at home, Pickel said. 

Along with others, Anderson Broadcasting is a big sponsor for the Blues Festival, Pickel said. 

“Without them this wouldn’t have been able to happen,” he said. 

Dennis and Nila Anderson, owners of Anderson Broadcasting, came up with the idea to create the Regatta Shoreline Amphitheatre. After several weeks of delay, the stage was erected in just over 3 weeks and debuted on Aug. 12, for Polson’s first Aber Day Reunion Concert. 

Pickel said the Flathead Lake Blues Festival was the last event scheduled for the new stage this season, but they hope to host the Aber Day Reunion concert as well as the Blues Festival at the amphitheatre again next year. Additional features such as landscaping, improved accessibility and a solid, permanent roof are planned for the future.

Pickel said that organizers hope to big in bigger names to the area as the stage is developed. He also noted that the stage is large enough to hold a symphony performance and that a white backdrop could be put up to allow for movie screenings.

Located on the Polson fairgrounds, the amphitheatre has plenty of room for parking and camping for shows, and Pickel said he thinks it’s big enough to hold anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 people.

“If (people) like what they saw these last couple weeks, they’re going to love what the future holds,” Pickel said.  

Dennis Anderson told blue fest audience members that he hopes the stage will eventually be able to rival any other outdoor venue in the northwest. 

Tags

Flathead Lake Blues Festival   Polson   Montana  

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