2012 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival

The Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival is the largest blues festival west of the Mississippi River with 125,000 people in attendance, and one of the largest music events of any kind in the Pacific Northwest. Artists will be compensated, and at least 1 Sonicbids artists will be among the 100 acts performing./n/nNow in its 25th year, the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival is the largest blues festival west of the Mississippi River, and one of the largest music events of any kind in the Pacific Northwest. In 2010, approximately 125,000 people attended the festival over four days. This year’s festival will be held July 4-8, 2012, with four stages at McCall Waterfront Park, in downtown Portland, Oregon on the banks of the Willamette River.

There are 100 performance slots available, with at least one spot reserved for a Sonicbids artist. The spot will most likely be given to a regional artist although submissions will be accepted from any artist that has strong roots in the blues, is established in the Portland market, can pull and hold a crowd and blow some minds.

Selected artists will be compensated for their performances. Payment will be determined for each artist upon selection. All back-line is provided.

Headliners in previous years included: Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Irma Thomas, John Hiatt, Roomful of Blues, Buddy Guy, Charlie Musselwhite. All talent and production costs are underwritten by their sponsors, which include Safeway, First Tech Credit Union, KINK-FM and the Oregonian A&E.

There will be several blues cruises on the three-stage Portland Spirit. The event will also include blues films, workshops, the Zydeco Swamp Romp and artist jam sessions. This event is the major annual fund raiser for the Oregon Food Bank, which owns and produces the festival. Suggested daily donation of $10 and two cans of food raised $650,000 and 100,000 pounds of food in 2010, one of the best years for the Food Bank's fund-raising.