Mike Powell Fanclub

Radio topics will be up tomorrow morning, I promise.

I also have more detailed reflections on bluesfest and the polaris prize, including a conversation between Adam and I on the greatness of (the) Joel Plaskett Emergency. For what it’s worth, despite my Halifax allegiances my initial Polaris vote would go to Julie Doiron, though I am still working my way through a couple of albums. Again, more on this later.

But I do want to say this:
I went to Bluesfest on Saturday, and spent much of the day there, often in the rain. Amanda Rheaume was spectacular, if unexpected on the River stage. Similarly, Amos the Transparent will be my find for the festival. Patrick Watson sounded too much like a Parachutes-era Coldplay, though I could have just been wet and miserable.

But I think that the new standard by which I will judge live performances is that, if, and only if, I am really enjoying a show, but the front-person on stage is having more fun, then that set is officially wicked.

Jim Bryson was having that kind of fun.
Though I didn’t get pictures (new camera + rain = no photgraphic evidence), the last songs random-on-stage-dancing-dudes, plus Jim wandering through the crowd with a Harmonica, was tres cool.

That said- perhaps the better test is willingness to stand in the cold rain for 5 hours to see someone, even though you could walk home and back and still catch the good show after putting jeans and sneakers on.

Or maybe that’s the test for being an idiot.

Either or.

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