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Sweet Sound of the Blues

June 20, 2011 - Naples – Maine-based blues musicians drove, brought their voice boxes, lugged their equipment, and walked their toetapping feet into Naples last weekend.

When those musicians start to play or gather for free-style jams, it draws quite an audience.

Thousands of people decended upon the Causeway at various times to select “blues venues” to listen to music and enjoy the views of water and mountains. Establishments that offer blues bands fare really well, getting a steady stream of business that is like an economic energy drink right before the full-tilt tourist season.

“It’s our busiest day of the year, and it’s a big boost to my business,” said Michael Bray, who owns Bray’s Brewpub & Eatery. He is also involved in coordinating the blues festival, which falls on Fathers’ Day weekend.

“The blues festival stretches out the summer season for businesses,” he said.

“I’ve heard the same from other establishments,” Bray said, adding Tony’s Foodland sees a jump in sales, too.

Naples resident Elaine Merced said she’s been engrossed in the blues festival every year since it began.

“It’s great. I go around with my friends to all the places where the blues are playing all day long. Then, we end up here,” she said, pointing at the docks outside the window of her new restaurant, which until May was known as The Tiki Bar & Grill.

“This is the best spot. I know a lot of boaters, and we hang out and listen to the music,” Merced said.

This year, as the co-owner of Merced’s on Brandy Pond, she will hear blues artists perform on the stage outside the restaurant she runs with her husband. She greeted and catered to friends and first-timers — who were the ones hanging out at the blues festival and spending their money in Naples last weekend.

According to Steinman, the three-day festival anchors people in Naples, and the local economy reels in a financial boost.

Once participants arrive they can choose from several options of blues artists playing at the same time. Entertainment was provided at 13 different spots so blues fans could pick a favorite, and business owners had an equal opportunity in increase foot traffic.

“We tried to expand the whole festival so people could and stay for a while: Do some shopping, do some boating, do some fishing, do some hiking, and enjoy the blues. What’s better than that?” Steinman said.

“We are very adamant about keeping the community on our forefront,” she said.

“We reinvest into the town by donating money to the (Lake Region) High School music department, providing a musical scholarship fund,” she said. “We are all about re-creating interest in the younger generation for the love of the blues.”

At the heart of this festival is the love of blues — for both the listener and the performer.

The musical gathering was the brainchild of Kevin Kimball.

“Kevin was the one who said, ‘There is so much talent out there. Let’s start a blues festival,’ ” Steinman said.

“These people play all over the place throughout the year. This is great time for them to all get together, stay up until 2 a.m., jamming with friends,” she said.

“Also, it’s a good time for club owners to listen to different groups to see if there is a new group they’d like to book into their clubs. So, it’s a great showcase,” Steinman said.

Word of the festival’s popularity has spread. Every year she gets inquiries from blues musicians around New England. But if they aren’t from Maine, they don’t get an invitation to perform.

“There are so many blues bands in the state of Maine. These are all Maine-based musicians. That’s the key to this festival,” she said.

This year, the blues bands’ members wore IDs so they were easily recognizable, Steinman said.

“I don’t want to leave out the volunteers. It takes about 80 volunteers to do this. We get the same faces and some new ones each year,” she said. “We give them tickets, the T-shirt and blues bucks. We just can’t thank these people enough. We are able to hold the cost of these tickets down because of volunteers and what they give us,” Steinman said.

Because the blues jams at Bray’s have been so popular, there was a second jam session at the Galley. Sandy’s Flight Deck and Sydney’s are two places that featured more intimate settings, with only one or two musicians playing, she said.

“If you wanted to dance and have a lot of people, Rick’s Café, Merced’s, Freedom Café, Bray’s and Tale of the Lake were the places to go to dance,” Steinman said. Also, the American Legion Post No. 155 was open to non-members, and provided a dance floor for feet that couldn’t stay still when the blues were playing.

The Village Green was set up with a family-friendly atmosphere, and an expanded children’s area featurd face-painting and crafts. On-site food vendors offered easy eating. Other vendors sold local crafts, including jewelry and novelties that appealed to teenagers and children.

Dawn De Busk, Bridgton News, June 2011


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