Blues Walk brings a crowd

Published 5:10 pm Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Downtown North Bend, and most of the 1,700 people in it were all about the music — and the walking —Saturday during the third annual Blues Walk event, hosted by, and benefitting Boxley Music Fund.

Jeff and the Jet City Fliers were pumping out classic blues tunes at the outdoor Blues Pavilion, while a few blocks away, the Charlatones drew  a much larger crowd than Piccola Cellars could have held if the truck bay doors had been closed. On Park Street, Sean and Melissa Donnelly of Fall City were doing double duty as crossing guards and impromptu entertainment; while Sean belted out the chorus of “Sweet Home, Chicago,” his wife danced into the intersection to wave traffic to a stop for pedestrians.

It was an all-ages event, too. One of the youngest in the audience was 11-month-old Kendall Larson of Snoqualmie, hanging with her infant playmates and their parents at Piccola Cellars. Children were barked at by Lonnie Williams at the Mount Si Senior Center during “Walk the Dog”, clucked over by Leslie “Star Drums” Milton doing his rooster story at the Mountain Valley Montessori School, and pressed into service at the main tent, where many high school musicians were volunteering.

The city under Mount Si rocked most of the day and night, as 31 bands filled 22 venues with the blues.

A big hit at this year’s Blues Walk, the Blues Pavilion featured outdoor music and mountains all around.

Lonnie Williams, with guitarist Steve Nowak played the Mount Si Senior Center Saturday, while guests enjoyed a Louisiana style dinner.

At Swirl, Dean Reichert, left and Scott Simmons entertained another full house Saturday.

Kevin Summers of the C.C. Adams Band solos on saxophone Saturday at Chaplins’s. The band along with singer Mary Ellen Lykins, got people dancing.

Lady A, special guest of the Randy Oxford Band, was part of a thoroughly crowd pleasing show at Valley Center Stage.

Sheila and Jerry Miller dance to Lonnie Williams at the Mount Si Senior Center.

Guitarists Herman and Coleman Brown of the band Septimus, play a full house at the Moose Lodge.

Chris Ashenbrenner inspects a Blues Walk T-shirt Saturday. The Alaska woman is in town visiting her daughter and said she’s only missed one Blues Walk.

Erin Larson holds her 11-month-old daughter, Kendall, while hanging out with friends at Piccola Cellars in North Bend.

Kim Starr and Bryan Stokosa dance to the C.C. Adams Band, with Mary Ellen Lykins.

The Charlatones perform at Piccola Cellars.

Melissa Donnelly of Fall City danced through her volunteer shift as a crossing guard Saturday.

Heather B Blues smiles out the window of the Pro Ski shop during her show.

Joe Doria Band guitarist.

The North Bend Theater is lit up for the Blues Walk.

Red House keyboard player Jimmy Holden talks to his audience at the North Bend Theater.

Ross Robinson gave a solo performance at the Eurolounge Cafe.

Scuff Acuff, of the jug band duo Scuff and Al, hits a high note at Pioneer Coffee.

Star Drums, aka Leslie Milton, makes a face as he gets his mojo working in a performance at the Mountain Valley Montessori School.

Eric “Two Scoops” Moore smiles as he plays with the Two Scoops Combo Saturday at Boxley’s.

While James King plays, his fellow saxophonist Hank Witherspoon, right, jokes around in the Two Scoops Combo.

Annie O’Neill played and sang at Georgia’s Bakery.

Elnah Jordan sang at Boxley’s.