The Waterfront Blues Festival - St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Say She She, and More Set the Stage Ablaze
That’s a wrap! Portland’s four-day blues festival literally brings the heat to the waterfront. The Waterfront Blues Festival brought world-renowned blues music with legendary acts to the forefront. Temperatures may have reached triple-digits, a rarity for Portland, but that didn’t dampen the party.
Blistering heat and even hotter musical acts, The Waterfront Blues Festival had a stellar line-up of up-and-coming artists pushing the boundaries of blues, bluegrass, soul, rock, funk, R&B and so much more. 2024 headliners include St. Paul & The Broken Bones on Thursday, Lucinda Williams and Margo Price on Friday, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals on Saturday, and Greensky Bluegrass on Sunday, and 100 other performances across 4 stages during the 4-day festival at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
St. Paul & The Broken Bones literally brought the house down. The pipes from lead singer, Paul Janeway, had the crowd in a chokehold. Through a cascade of vocal star power, Janeway really delivered and was easily one of the best sets over the weekend. The earth-shattering performance from the Southern soul band truly moved the crowd in an otherworldly manner. Shortly after the top-tier performance, the light lit up with the incredible 4th of July fireworks spectacular along the Willamette River.
Other highlights over the weekend include Jade Macrae, who interacted with the crowd in between songs and by playing a “drinking game” to encourage hydration during the high temps. The soulful disco-rock power group, Say She She hit the stage ahead of sunset and kept the energy live and the crowd engaged while delivering on female empowerment and worldwide movements that demand attention.
The stacked line-up offered very little “down” time as each set was simply incredible. From the dance lessons taking place throughout the day on the Front Porch Stage to the local vendors selling handcrafted goods, there was a plethora of activities to keep all attendees engaged. This year the festival brought together some delectable eats. The Horn of Africa brought the spice with dishes such as lamb atop rice and cabbage. Smoke & Brine showcased a unique bahn-mi-style sandwich with a BBQ-smoked twist. The pulled pork had a salty, sweet, yet savory kick and was one of the highlights of the weekend. Local craft brews and wines were on-site pouring the top sips of Oregon. There were even ice cream floats for those looking for a sweet treat to beat the heat.
The 4-day festival was one for the books and hosted over 100+ musical performances on 4 unique stages across 8 acres along Downtown Portland's waterfront. Paired with a remarkable fireworks display along the beautiful Willamette River, it doesn’t get much better. Noted as the gem of Portland, this festival is simply incredible and the ultimate way to celebrate the 4th of July!
