Toot Toots! 25th Annual Waterfront Blues Fest

Sounds of the South in PNW Setting

People say that you can count on summer starting on July 5th in Oregon. While Independence Day was pretty spectacular, I'd say the combination of sunshine, high temperatures, and the sizzling sounds of “Soul: from Memphis to Montego” at Thursday's Blue's Fest made it S-U-M-M-E-R in my book. 


I've been to the festival once before, but I really had no idea how prestigious this event was. This was the 25th  anniversary, and it's always been about helping people less fortunate. It started out benefiting the homeless, and now it supports the Oregon Food Bank. Just a suggested donation of $10 and some canned food, and you're in to a festival that has quite a bit of praise. From the history section of the website, I learned

In 2011, Essential Travel magazine, based in London, listed the festival as one of the Top 10 USA Festivals. In 2009, Outside magazine listed the festival as one of the Top 10 Outdoor Festivals. The festival is the winner of the prestigious Keeping the Blues Alive Award from the international Blues Foundation and the recipient of the Ovation Award from the Oregon Festivals & Events Association as Oregon’s Best Festival, Civic Celebration or Community Event. 

From music to food, this event pays homage to the culture of the south. No doubt about it. I'm a bit of a southern food snob, especially when it comes to seafood, so I tend to not eat it outside of the south (more specifically my mom's kitchen), although I do make some exceptions for exceptional reputations. There were carts with oyster po' boys, jambalaya and gumbo. I went with a delicious carnitas quesadilla, at a Mexican food purveyor that donated 100% of its proceeds to the Oregon Food Bank. 


Yes, Toots and the Maytals were the headliners, the lineup was the epitome of southeast in the pacific northwest. We could see two stages from our grassy seats on the waterfront: Miller Stage and First Tech Blues Stage. Every hour was a one-two-punch, with hardly a minute between the music. Starting off on the main MS was Stooges Brass Band, hailing from New Orleans. There ain't no funk like N-O Funk! These guys had some killer energy as they worked the crowd in the still potent sunshine. I have to admit, there's always a special place in my heart for the tuba player. He danced with the rest of them, but you gotta be a big boy to keep up with that kind of energy. He did. 

Rockville Regatta can't have it all

Soon our necks swiveled northward towards the FTBS. While there were some pretty awesome moments, it was clear these boys were from San Francisco. Monophonics were just a bit too psychedelic and noodly for me. That's not to say they didn't play with soul or gusto. The event coordinators placed a very convenient video screen that allowed people to easily see what was currently being performed on one of the two stages. It even oscillated to show the folks in the boats what was happening. Now if the Rockville Regatta could just put on an award winning blues festival, that would be truly phenomenal. 


Back to MS, we were soon listening to JJ Grey and Mofro. He has a swamp garbled voice, and I was definitely taken back down south. What truly sold me on these guys were the singing about food. I think these "Ho Cake" lyrics say it all. 

HO CAKE
My Granny makes the best cracklin' ho cake
It tastes so good I can't wait to dip my plate
She's cookin' ham hocks in some white-acre peas
She's cookin' turnip greens and macaroni and cheese
Get on out my way I got to ease up to that pot
I like my cornbread while it's still piping hot
I love this food Lord I can't get enough
Stick ya hands near my plate, you'll draw back a nub

I 'member it happened back in 1978
Daddy caught me tryin' to steal a pork chop off his plate
He snatched it back and I gave him a little sass
He quick whupped off the belt 'n started whuppin' on my ass

I learned a lesson 'bout what this food can do
It can talk yo ass in to turning black-and-blue
So all you kids keep yo hands to yo on supper
Cuz if you let that food do the talkin' yo tail might suffer
I love smoke mullet, hush puppies and grits
I love them catfish and I love them popcorn shrimp
I love fried chicken and I love them collard greens
I love them black eye peas and them lima beans
I love that ox-tail soup with a little rice
I love them candied yams and sweet potato pies
I love it all Lord I just got to holler
Tastes so dad-blame good I can't even swallow

I'm going to quote JJ at my next dinner party: "Stick ya hands near my plate, you'll draw back a nub." That's hilarious. In general, I just love it when people sing about food. I can just see this artist sitting down to eat, and it's so good he's inspired to just start singing at the table. And my mom always told me that was impolite.


One more band on the FTBS stage before Toots time. This was Booker T's band, and he held court at the piano. He played an excellent rendition of "Take Me to the River" and his famous "Green Onions." We couldn't give him all his due, because the necessity of the bathroom break before the big show imposed itself. His more recent album, The Road from Memphis is a perfect blend of southern and hipster northwest.

Headliner! Toots and the Maytals. Oh boy. Please check out the picture at this link. Toots Hibbert was the ultimate reggae rock star in all black, leather ensemble. He rocked steady all over that stage. I hear some of my favorites, like "Country Roads," "Time Tough" and "Pressure Drop." It's impossible for me to hear this music and not dance. It was late in the evening, and most people had packed up the blankets, so there was plenty of room for people who wanted to get down. 


All too soon, it was time to go. If we hadn't have been so worn out from all the rockin, we could have stuck around for the remainder of the Tribute to James Brown. Instead it was time for my bicycle to take me to the bridge and head back to the southeast, Portland, that is.