Photo by Joe CantrellUPDATE 3/17/14: Boz Scaggs and Portland's Linda Hornbuckle will join the Spectacular Sunday lineup on July 6 alongside the already announced headliners Gregg Allman Band and Lee Fields & The Expressions. Presale tickets go on sale Monday, March 24.
You can feel the Portland festival season right around the corner as PDX Pop Now! calls for compilation submissions and Pickathon dangles us along announcing its lineup over the course of 16 days. Oregon's biggest music festival and the largest blues fest west of the Mississippi did no such thing today when the Waterfront Blues Festival announced the initial phase of its 2014 lineup with a bang.
Headliners include Allman Bro and American icon Gregg Allman closing out the fest on July 6, the funk-filled sax of Maceo Parker the night before, and both Los Lobos and Los Lonely Boys kicking off the festivities on July 3.
As for the Fourth of July (which falls on a Friday this year), the bill so far includes John Nemeth & The Bo-Keys, The Soul of John Black, Chris O’Leary Band, and Home Made Jamz, plus Nemeth and O’Leary facing off in the Bill Rhoades’ Harmonica Blow-Off.
Day one—Thursday—also features Blind Boy Paxton and Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, while Sugaray Rayford, Leo Bud Welch and Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas join Maceo on Saturday. The After Hours Allstars then includes a repeat Maceo performance and a preview of Lee Fields' following day set. Then, Little JB himself, soul man Lee Fields & The Expressions will join Chris Bergson Band and the Zydeco Swamp Romp on the final fest day.
With more than 100 blues acts set to perform on four stages, there's plenty more to come the fest that draws some 100,000 attendees each year while raising millions for the Oregon Food Bank. In 2013, the WBF broke all previous fundraising records by bringing in an incredible $1.3 million through donations and ticket sales, while canned donations added up to a whopping 78,198 pounds of food.
As for the 2014 fest, look for passes to go on sale in late March and keep track of lineup announcements here:
Thursday, July 3:
Los Lobos
Los Lonely Boys
Blind Boy Paxton
Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials
Hoodoo Moon Cruise: Blind Boy Paxton, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials
Friday, July 4:
John Nemeth & The Bo-Keys
The Soul of John Black
Chris O’Leary Band
Home Made Jamz
Bill Rhoades’ Harmonica Blow-Off: Chris O’Leary, John Nemeth
Journey to Memphis Competition
Fireworks
After Hours Allstars: Bo-Keys Soul Jam, TBA
Saturday, July 5:
Maceo Parker
Sugaray Rayford
Leo Bud Welch
Zydeco Swamp Romp: Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas
Rock the Boat Dance Cruise: Chris Bergson Band, Sugaray Rayford
After Hours Allstars: Maceo Parker, Lee Fields & The Expressions
Sunday, July 6:
Gregg Allman Band
Boz Scaggs
Lee Fields & The Expressions (check him out below)
Linda Hornbuckle
Ural Thomas & the Pain
Chris Bergson Band
Zydeco Swamp Romp: Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas
