This past weekend, I was a lucky gal. I spent my time from Thursday through Sunday over in Kitchener helping out a friend of mine who co-owns Kava Bean Bistro in the downtown core. I was there to give him and the rest of the team an extra set of hands, legs, wheels, and maybe some laughs while the Kitchener Blues Festival was taking place all around them. And yes, as you can see in the pic to the left … I wore that gosh darn hat! I didn’t just wear it, I ROCKED IT! The festival t-shirt and the sponsor backstage VIP pass helped a little too.
Kava is located right in the heart of the festival, just a block in either direction from where the two main stages were. So we saw a lot of folks coming by for their cup’o’joe, a Slushie float, or an all day breakfast, among other fine bevies and cuisine. Kava was also a sponsor of the festival and provided the coffee for the volunteers, and coffee and food for all of the performers and stage tech teams. And if that wasn’t enough to keep us busy, we also had a vendor spot over in Victoria Park selling cold drinks, battered mushrooms, and deep fried pickles! Suffice it to say all staff worked some really long hours all weekend, as did the friends and some family members, including my youngest daughter who came to lend a hand on Saturday & Sunday. A huge congratulatory shout-out to Sparky, Mike, and everyone on the Kava festival team. Job well done. No, I take that back. It was a job really freakin’ fantabulously done!
Beyond drinking a lot of great coffee [read: probably too much coffee], I had the luxury of taking in the sights and sounds of some really terrific blues performers. The running around I was doing between the restaurant, all of the stages, and the park afforded me the opportunity to hear parts of sets here and there. I’m not a music expert by any means, but I know what I like and I liked it all.
Rather than show my lack of blues music knowledge with some undereducated attempt at a review of the festival, I’ll just say it was awesome and grace you with a playlist of some of the best I heard over the weekend. Well, actually I didn’t jot down all of the exact tunes I heard so this set list of sorts is instead just some wonderful songs by some of the artists my ears had the immense pleasure of listening to. You’ll likely recognize some of the names below, while the others are some great indie blues bands well known around the circuits in my neck of the woods in Southern Ontario. Happy listening!
I love a good Blues Festival! Summertime Fun at its best. But the big Wow1 to me is how you got that playlist on your site? I’d love to do that with Around ZuZu’s Barn. I’m not sure what I’d choose, but the mind boggles at the opportunities. Thanks…. Clare
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Ha ha, never thought I’d wow someone with a technical aspect of my blog! 🙂 It’s actually really easy. You’ll need a Spotify account (free for basic) and then follow the instructions in this WP support article:
https://en.support.wordpress.com/audio/spotify/
Similar inserts can be done with music from other online sites. Search for music in the WP Support Center and you’ll find out which ones. Hope that helps! Marianne
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Ah, Marianne, my new hero! Alas, you lost me at “Spotify Account” and then led me more into the morass with “WP support article”. If you were here beside me, I would follow your lead, but alone here with my cats, I feel that Roxie has a better chance of inserting a song list than I ever will. But I do appreciate your attempt and I am still in awe!
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Ha ha you’re funny honey! It’s super easy though I have to tell you and that’s coming from a very NON-technie person. Give it a go, you’re got nothing to lose and you might find some great new music to enjoy while you’re at it! Marianne
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OK. I’m keeping your instructions with the intention of using them for a later post. But who has time to post? I’ve spent a good part of the day reading blogs!
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Good to hear! You’ll pull it off fabulously, I know it. And yeah, I can relate to the posting vs reading time. If you haven’t read this post of mine yet, you might like it … Marianne
https://alongthesideoftheroad.wordpress.com/2015/07/08/help-ive-fallen-into-my-reader-and-i-cant-get-out/
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I’m heading there now.
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Yes, I read it when it first was posted and identified with you immediately. I always wanted to own a bookstore but I knew in my heart that no work would ever be accomplished. I never did get to read Kate’s suggestion in her comment and so now I’m off to Neil Gaiman’s lecture.
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[…] I’ve Got The Blues was written in celebration of the outstanding music I heard while at the 15th Annual Kitchener Blues Festival this past weekend. […]
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Love the Blues and you are right Marianne, you rocked that hat! Well done!
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Thanks Kelly! Liked it so much I made it my new Gravatar pic! 🙂 Have a happy day, Marianne
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I noticed. It does look good on you, especially with that smile. Have a happy day too Marianne ☺
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A great look on you! Well chosen hat there.
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Thanks Serena! I wasn’t much of a fan of it when I first got it out of necessity but now that I’ve worn it for a few days, it’s actually growing on me. Now, to buy more ha ha! Have a happy day, Marianne
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[…] Along the Side of the Road— Recent posts have a fun Blues theme. This writer is also working on her autobiography she calls an “anti-futuristic autobiography.” […]
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Brava Marianne. Lookin’ reee-eal good! Yessirree Ma’am.
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Gee thanks Mr. Bryce. A compliment from you in my notifications menu always makes my day. Hope you’re having a happy one yourself … Marianne
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Mr., eh? Gee, I feel real senior now, youbetcha. You know, I once worked at the Kitchener-Waterloo newspaper…Yeah. That was when I was mere Master Bryce. Eh-eh. *adopt Grampa Simpson voice* “When I was young and you were beautiful…”
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Based on your blog narrative and pics, I do suspect you’re a year or two older than I am so consider it a sign of respect for my elders. 🙂 And those who have tread the KW and area stomping grounds before me. Marianne
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Beautifully old-fashioned. And preciously rare. Thank you. What the world need now is more respect, more. ;-D
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You have been nominated for the Liebster Award
Rules for the Liebster Award:
Once you are nominated,
Make a post thanking and linking the person who nominated you.
Include the Liebster Award sticker in the post too.
Nominate 5 -10 other bloggers who you feel are worthy of this award. Let them know they
have been nominated by commenting on one of their posts. You can also nominate the person who nominated you.
Ensure all of these bloggers have less than 200 followers.
Answer the eleven questions asked to you by the person who nominated you, and make eleven questions of your own for your nominees or you may use the same questions.
Lastly, COPY these rules in the post.
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Thanks kindly for the nomination! 2nd one this week! And kudos on your own nomination too. 🙂 Still have to figure out who my nominees will be before I’ll respond. Thinking cap on … Marianne
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Hi Marianne, there is no need to do a second round of post for the award. Just add me in to your previous post and answer the questions and send me the link so I can look into it. This will save you time in finding nominees and generating new questions too. Hope this helps. Thanks!
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Yep that helps, thanks!
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[…] But I am optimistic that there have been and will be many lessons I can be taught from it. I wear hats now, so that’s a good start I […]
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