Dave Richards: I'm dreaming of great music festivals
-->My favorite music festivals were harassing me while I slept the other night.
"You love me the most, don't you?" purred the Great Blue Heron, as visions of Donna the Buffalo danced in my head.
"What about me?" interrupted the Chaffee Gathering. "I'm nearby and feature a cool mix of local and regional jam bands."
CelebrateErie burst in, huffing and puffing.
"Nothing compares to me! Los Lobos, Beach Boys, Foreigner, Wailers, Dickey Betts. Need I say more?"
"We can: Three Dog Night, who were half asleep," the other festivals gloated in unison.
"Enough!" I said. "Look, trying to pick my favorite festival isn't a matter of looking in the rearview mirror. It's looking ahead. The best one is always the one that's up next, which, in this case, is the Erie Art Museum's Blues & Jazz Festival on Saturday and Sunday at Frontier Park.
"All you others, go away and stop pestering me."
Are they gone? Whew.
The Blues & Jazz Fest is, um, my favorite for a variety of reasons. I love its lush, arboretum setting. Frontier Park has the right feel for a blues and jazz festival. It's relaxing and spacious enough that kids can fly kites or toss Frisbees. I have fond memories of my kids promising they'd stay out of the creek only to return wet from its muddy waters.
Other festivals draw me in because I know the bands; I go specifically to hear them.
Not the Blue & Jazz Festival, though. Often, the headliners are a mystery to me. I am, at heart, more of a rock and roller than a blues purist or jazz buff.
In a way, though, that makes it doubly exciting. It's a rush to discover somebody and become an instant fan. Festival director John Vanco long ago earned my trust with his uncanny ability for unearthing true-blue artists, including world-music ones. He's embraced African, Caribbean, Latin and Cajun performers, among others.
I was thrilled when reggae group the Meditations played in 1995, the year the festival expanded to two days. That year also brought Cajun master D.L. Menard and the Louisiana Aces. Olu Dara, one of the few jazz artists I'd heard in advance, lived up to every expectation with his intoxicating blend of African, Caribbean, jazz and pop.
In 2003, Bobby Rush blew me away with his off-the-chart charisma and dance-happy, groove-heavy R&B. The next night, jazz singer Rene Marie melted me; her voice left me awe-struck.
Great Blue Herron - News
purred the Great Blue Heron, as visions of Donna the Buffalo danced in my head. "What about me?" interrupted the Chaffee Gathering. "I'm nearby and feature a cool mix of local and regional jam bands." "Nothing compares to me! Los Lobos, Beach Boys,
A small band of humans watched as a great blue heron soared in huge circles over the small lake dimpled with raindrops. "He's been dying to do that," mused Jessika Madison-Kennedy, avian nursery coordinator
Elmira photographer Ron Dixon captured this image of a great blue heron for a photo exhibit commissioned by Carantouan Greenway. / PHOTO PROVIDED If you spend much time around the Chemung River or other area waterways, you've probably seen a great blue
The symbol of the city is a Great Blue Heron and the next time you're around town you may notice one 'nesting' in your favorite spots. A very colorful Great Blue Heron greets visitors to the Great Bridge Library. Patriotic Pete is the sculpture's name
We have a sad update to the story we brought you in July about the injured Great Blue Heron at Green Lake Park who later died. Has anyone else noticed the lone heron who has been standing on the turtle logs in the SW corner of Greenlake the past couple
Lone Great Blue Heron spotted at Green Lake Park after death of ...
“I just spotted the lonely Heron, by itself since it mate died last month,” Mitch Spute tweeted this morning. “She looks sad & thin. Didn’t even care that I got close.”
Has anyone else spotted this bird, and do any birders have any thoughts to share about Great Blue Herons who lose their mates? Please leave your comments below.
Perfect weather for an error-free bike ride. Startled a great blue herron at the cemetary and saw several common yellowthroats in a prairie
Day started with some , a great blue Herron and soon some swimming. Great Blue Herron - Bookshelf
The Great Blue Heron
In this beautifully illustrated book, Robert W. Butler shares his experiences following great blue heron colonies for a full year and sheds light on many of the ...The Great Blue Heron Experience
The Great Blue Heron Experience started out as a photographic quest to capture a group of blue herons with a camera lens.Great blue heron, Ardea herodias
The Encyclopedia of Tracks and Scats, A Comprehensive Guide to the Trackable Animals of the United States and Canada
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) One of our most magnificent shorebirds, the great blue heron ... The great blue heron is a seasonally migratory species, ...Shorebirds
GREAT BLUE HERON •he Great Blue Heron is a patient hunter. It will stand very still in shallow water, waiting for its prey to come close. ...Information Today Directory
Homepage | Great Blue Heron Furniture Company
Great Blue Heron Furniture is a custom furniture manufacturer and furniture designer ... Great Blue Heron Furniture offers a wide array of unique embossed ...
Photo of the Month - Great Blue Herron
Past Photo of the Month. Great Blue Heron. Ardea herodias. Bear River MBR. Box Elder County, Utah. April 2004. by Ted Steinke ©Ted Steinke. Utah Birds Photo Gallery ...
Great Blue Heron, Identification, All About Birds - Cornell ...
Learn how to identify Great Blue Heron, its life history, cool facts, sounds and calls, and watch videos. The largest and most widespread heron in ...
Great Blue Heron - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) is a large wading bird in the ... The Great Blue Heron was one of the many species originally described by Carolus Linnaeus ...
Bird - Great Blue Herron I think | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
I think this bird is a Great Blue Herron. Please correct me if I am wrong. It sat on a rope tried to a boat and was diving for tiny fish in the water. ...