Kitchener Blues Fest relies on variety to stay alive, says artistic director
The Kitchener Blues Festival has unveiled this year’s lineup, and like in other years, some people are upset over it not being purely blues music.
Claude Cloutier is the artistic director for the county’s largest free blues festival and is responsible for booking the bands.
“This year we’ve got Pursuit of Happiness, The Box, Cooper Brothers, The Kings, Winter Sleep,” Cloutier said.
But he’s noticed people voicing their concerns over his bookings.
“I’ve always called them the Blues Police. But those are the people that really care about the blues and want to see it pure at the festival,” he said.
Cloutier says 70 per cent of the lineup is still blues, but adds the mixture of genres is needed to draw in more people and keep the festival going.
“Well it’s a challenging year for us because our costs across the board have gone up 25 - 30 per cent in everything. And our American funds are limited and it costs us a lot of money,” he said.
The festival is volunteer-driven and free aside from the August 8 fundraising concert. Given it costs them $1 million over four days to put it on, Cloutier is reminding people how quickly an event like this could disappear.
“The Limestone Blues Festival in Kingston was around for 26 years and they folded their tent this past fall. A lot of other festivals are feeling the pressure, and I see others going away soon,” Cloutier said.
Virgin Radio KW announcer Rae Kelly says she doesn’t get many requests for blues music since it is more niche.
“But let’s face it, if you want a blues festival in KW, you’re going to have to expand it. You want to introduce blues to other people by getting an artist they might enjoy and hey, they show up early for something and they stay late for something else,” Kelly said.
Cloutier is focused on fine-tuning the event to appease a variety of tastes for years to come.
“We’re going to be celebrating our 25th anniversary in 2025,” he said. “We want to be able to do that.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Family of toddler found dead at small-town Ont. daycare no closer to answers after year of investigation
A year has passed since two-year-old Vienna Irwin was found on the property of a home-based daycare in small-town Ontario, but her family says they are no closer to answers of what happened that day.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
Fatal plane crash reported near Squamish, B.C.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has confirmed it is working with local Mounties and the BC Coroners Service after a plane crash near Squamish, B.C. Friday night.
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
Three dead after vehicle plunged down a 100-foot embankment in Shediac, N.B.
Three people have died after a vehicle veered off the road in Shediac N.B., Friday morning.
Appeal denied for Edmonton soldier accused of trying to kill her 3 children
An Edmonton woman found guilty of trying to kill her three children has been denied an appeal.