PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Despite large in-person celebrations being canceled this year amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Waterfront Blues Fest fans can relive some of the festival’s most memorable moments this Fourth of July.
KOIN 6’s two hour special, airing at 9 p.m. on July 4, includes special guest appearances, and memorable sets from as far back as 2010. The show goes on over the radio, too, with KBOO.fm playing two days worth of music on July 4 and July 5, starting at noon.
Waterfront Blues Fest is also asking for donations for two charities this year amid these challenging times. If you can, please consider donating to MusiCares, a charity founded by the Recording Academy, and Meals on Wheels, which serves seniors in our area by providing food and a human connection.
The first segment includes performances from Liv Warfield, an alt-soul vocalist from Portland who toured with Prince for several years until his untimely death; Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters “Rock and Roll” set from 2013; Larkin Poe’s “Preachin’ Blues” performance from 2018; and Bobby Torres Band with Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks performing “The Letter” in 2016. Guest appearances include Jim Belushi and Curtis Salgado.
Part two features Christone “Kingfish” Ingram’s “Catfish Blues” from 2016; “Mardi Gras in New Orleans” performed by Reggie Houston and the Crescent City Connection in 2010; and Portland’s internationally-acclaimed MarchFourth Marching Band performing “Sweet Stuff” from 2019. Special guest appearances including Salgado and a special message from Chubby Carrier.
In the third part of the program, watch JJ Grey and Mofro perform “Brighter Days” in 2016; Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band’s 2016 performance of “Zydeco Junkie”; St. Paul and the Broken Bones’ 2019 song “Broken Bones & Pocket Change”; and The Mavericks performing “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down” from 2018.
Finally, like in past years, we end the show with a repeat of last year’s spectacular fireworks over the Willamette River; however, this year’s National Anthem is a special collaboration of a recording of the late Linda Hornbuckle’s 2011 performance, along with new recordings from LaRhonda Steele and Andy Stokes. The anthem is followed by a memorial tribute to Steve Pringle, the longtime radio personality who introduced bands and kicked off the fireworks for years. Pringle passed away in late 2019 after a battle with cancer.
