Organizers expect as many as 100,000 people to attend the Kitchener Blues Festival this weekend.
“It’s one of the biggest blues festivals in Canada,” festival curator Claude Cloutier said.
There will be 86 individual performances during the three-day music festival. Acts will perform on four stages downtown and at 14 bars across the city.
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The event kicks off Thursday night with a fundraising double feature with Rik Emmett & RESolution 9 and Jonny Lang.
Cloutier notes that Lang is “a big deal in the blues world.”
The festival curator also noted that Emmett, a Canadian legend, has said he will take a break once his current tour ends.
“It’s pretty cool that we have him,” said Cloutier.
Thursday’s fundraiser allows the rest of the festival to be free to the public.
While the lineup is chock full of Canadian heavyweights such as Sass Jordan, Jack de Keyzer, Paul James and Lee Aaron, there are some big acts coming to Kitchener from across the globe.
One international name many people will recognize is Chris Robinson.
The former lead singer of the Black Crowes will take the Clock Tower stage on Saturday night as a member of the Chris Robinson Brotherhood.
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“This is a side project that’s very special to Chris Robinson,” Cloutier explained. “From what I understand, he’s never been in Canada with that grouping so we feel pretty special about that.”
According to the group’s web site, they will not be north of the border again this year, either.
“This is going to be a show not to miss,” Cloutier said.
Another can’t-miss performance will take place Sunday when Tinariwen takes the stage.
Originally from Mali, the Grammy Award-winning group has been forced to settle in California due to issues in their homeland.
Cloutier caught the band last fall at Massey Hall and praised Tinariwen’s stage presence while also describing their sound as a perfect fit for the festival.
“It’s hard, driving, guitar-driven with percussion,” he explained. “It’s very primordial music. It’s very blues-based.”
They will close the show on the YNC stage on Sunday at 5 p.m.
Another legend to grace the Kitchener festival is American musician Magic Dick.
A founding member of The J. Geils Band, Magic Dick will be on the downtown stage at 5 p.m with Shun Ng.
Known for his skills with a harmonica, Magic Dick will also be part of a workshop on Sunday at Bobby O’Brien’s pub.
The festival bills itself as a family-friendly event. On Saturday and Sunday afternoon, there will be a stage set up with performances geared toward children.
“The performers are not blues music, but they are there to entertain the children,” Cloutier said. “There are a lot of families that come downtown during the festival, and it’s a nice little break for them to come across that and to see some children’s music.”
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