Riverfront Blues Festival returns to Libby
<p>LeeAnne Byrne, left, and Dwight Bengeron traveled all the way from Kalispell for the seventh annual Riverfront Blues Festival.</p>
<p>Dennis Borgen of Columbia Falls, left, and Libby's Hazel Scott (86) dance to the music of Stacy Jones Friday during the seventh annual Riverfront Blues Festival.</p>
<p>Kevin Sutton, left, and Stacy Jones of the Stacy Jones Band.</p>
<p>The seventh annual Riverfront Blues Festival included Lindsey Rosenberry, left, and Uncle Buck from Kalispell.</p>
Breathtaking views and a cool breeze off the Kootenai combined with live music last weekend to create a one-of-a-kind experience in the form of the Riverfront Blues Festival in Libby. Local residents and out-of-town visitors crowded the Fred Brown Pavilion to enjoy the musical extravaganza.
The show kicked off at 6 p.m. Friday with a performance by Missoula-based Three Eared Dog. The seven-member ensemble has spent the last three years playing the dive bars and road-houses of Montana, “paying their dues.”
Their high-energy set was followed by a slight change in the advertised line-up. Suze Sims, a veteran of the Riverfront Blues Festival since 2011 took the stage. Sims used to perform as the lead vocalist for the Red Hot Blues Sisters, but has more recently been performing with her own band.
The Stacy Jones Band was the third act of Friday night. Jones’ band has made appearances at a number of music festivals, including: SXSW, Chicago Blues Festival, Beale Street and others.
The Lionel Young Band finished off Friday evening’s performances. With gritty electric violin renditions of blues, Young has thrilled fans around the country.
Saturday’s music kicked off at 1:30 p.m., with performances by Randy McAllister, Kevin Van Dort, James Armstrong and the Dennis Jones Band. The show closed down after an All-Star Jam session featuring a number of the musicians from the previous two days of entertainment.