NEWS MEDIA ADVISORY

Celebrating 20 years of blues, community
and fighting hunger

2007 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival

What's New?

Special recognition:

• 2007 Rose City Award, presented by POVA, June 28.
• Portland Mayor proclaims 2007 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival Week, July 4 to 8, 2007, and encourages all residents to observe the festival 20th anniversary.

Talent:

• Hottest lineup ever.

• The Neville Brothers, presented by First Tech Credit Union, a Waterfront Blues Festival first.

• Pinetop Perkins 94th birthday, July 4.

• Paul deLay Memorial Allstars.

• Extraordinarily strong cast of female musicians.

• Surprise collaborations and guest appearances throughout the festival.

• Expanded lineup of NINE DME Blues Cruises.

• Jam session featuring Portland’s talented young musicians … the future looks good.

New features for the 20th anniversary celebration:

• Pre-festival special, 20th anniversary DME Hoodoo Moon Cruise: To kick off the festival. Pinetop Perkins, Lurrie Bell, Hot 8 Brass Band, John Boutte and The Insomniacs.

• New look: Gorgeous new scrims on the Oregonian A&E stage put you right in the heart of the Delta swamp.

• Photo banners, sponsored by Safeway, celebrating artists who performed over the festival’s 20-year history.

• My Favorite Moment: Blues fans share heart-warming stories about what the festival means to them and their favorite moments in the festival’s 20-year history. The stories underscore the breadth, depth and importance of the blues festival to the community and its national and international reputation. Share your favorite moment or read stories at www.waterfrontbluesfest.com.

• Rainbows on the Willamette, presented by PacificSource Health Plans. Rainbow Maker will create rainbows as the Portland Fire Department fireboats cruise the Willamette River, evening of July 4.

• Rainbow making opportunity for children, presented by PacificSource Health Plans at the Salmon Street Fountain, Saturday, July 7. Details to be announced.

• Expanded DME Louisiana Pavilion:  World-class Chef Cris Pasia, protégé of renowned Chef Paul Prudhomme, and proprietor of pre-Katrina Streetcar Bistro in New Orleans. Joe Jack’s Gulf Coast Fish Shack.  World-famous Loretta’s New Orleans Authentic Pralines.  Delta Music Experience of New Orleans, where blues fans can purchase DME Blues Cruise tickets. Royalblues Art Gallery of New Orleans. Other displays and exhibits. 

• U.S. Post Office postmark:  U.S. Post Office booth, Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.  Postal workers will cancel postcards, mail with a postmark, specially created to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival. Bring your letters, cards and postcards to mail.

• “Frozen Carrots,” presented by NW Natural, a musical especially created for kids (and the adults in their lives) to help them understand hunger, July 4.

About Oregon Food Bank: Oregon Food Bank is a nonprofit, charitable organization. It is the hub of the Oregon Food Bank Network, a statewide network of 20 regional food banks and 884 hunger-relief agencies serving Oregon and Clark County, Wash. Last year OFB distributed more than 34.3-million pounds of food.

About festival sponsors: The 2007 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival is presented by First Tech Credit Union. Major sponsors are iQ Credit Union, The Oregonian A&E, KINK.fm, Good Neighbor Pharmacy, PacificSource Health Plans, FedEx Freight, DaimlerChrysler Truck Financial, Miller Brewing and Delta Music Experience.

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