Full slate of blues artists at Polson festival

Back for the third year, the Flathead Lake Blues Festival is set for Aug. 16 and 17 in Polson. The event features 10 blues bands from around the Northwest and across the country.

The music starts with four bands the evening of Aug. 16, and continues early the afternoon of Aug. 17. The event wraps up that evening with an All-Star Jam featuring all of the weekend’s performers.

The bands will feature a wide range of styles, including delta blues, blues-funk fusion, traditional blues, “bluedeco” and more. The lineup includes Flathead-area favorites such as the Kenny James Miller Band, Craig Barton, and Andre Floyd and Mood Iguana.

Brother Music out of Sandpoint, Idaho, brings more traditional styles, including Robert Johnson-style acoustic blues. Missoula’s Three Eared Dog is a young group bringing fresh energy to traditional blues. Kevin Van Dort is rumored to be making  a special guest appearance with Three Eared Dog.

The Seattle-based Rafael Tranquilino Band features Tranquilino, one of the hottest young guitar slingers in the Pacific Northwest. The Bad Betty Organ Combo out of Bozeman brings a blend of groove, blues and jazz. David Shelley and Bluestone from Florida is an eclectic fusion of blues, rock and world rhythms. Hard-driving grooves with soulful blues guitar and vocals are the heart of their sound.

The Flathead’s own Red Hot Blue Chips six-piece band includes members of the legendary Big Daddy and the Blue Notes, rounded out with additional percussion, accordion and vocals from other outstanding Flathead-area musicians. This band will bring a blend of Cajun blues, zydeco and traditional blues or “bluedeco.” 

The Flathead Lake Blues Festival began in 2010 as an evening of music meant to showcase Salish Point on Polson Bay as a music and event venue and to bring great music to Polson. The event is organized by Festivals on the Flathead, a nonprofit organization whose long-term goals include terracing the hillside on Salish Point to make the park an even better venue for events such as concerts, plays and graduation ceremonies.

This site is the “crown jewel of Flathead Lake,” said Keryl Lozar, past president and a founding member of the group.

After evaluating its first two years of holding the festival, the group shifted to a two-day event because “two days of music and more bands has worked well for other small-town festivals,” said David Venters, a group founder and treasurer. With camping available this year, “we hope to draw those who want to make a weekend of it,” he added.

The Flathead Lake Blues Festival depends on the help of sponsors to defray the costs of putting on the festival, rather than relying solely on ticket sales. “Sponsors help keep the ticket cost down,” said Lozar.

Venters added: “The community is really getting behind us. Every donation, large or small, helps.”

Several sponsors from across Northwest Montana have stepped up with the larger sponsorships to directly defray the cost of the bands, lighting and sound.

The group is still seeking both sponsors and volunteers.

“It takes a village to pull off an event of this size,” said Venters.

Those interested in helping with the festival in any way should contact Venters at 885-2377.

Tickets for the festival can be purchased at the gate, online or at various businesses in Polson and Kalispell. Advance tickets are $15 for Aug. 16 and $20 for Aug. 17. At the gate, prices are $20 and $25, respectively.

This year, 5 percent of ticket sales go directly into the Salish Point renovation fund. 

The festival runs from 5 to 11:30 p.m. Aug. 16 and from noon to midnight Aug. 17.

For more information, ticket locations or online ticket sales, visit www.FlatheadLakeBluesFestival.com.