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Marquette Area Blues Society website, or purchased in person at the Berry Events Center, Marquette Wallpaper and Paint or Yooptone Music. Advanced weekend tickets cost $60 for adults. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate. Adult tickets for Saturday or Sunday are $35 per day. Students ages 15-23 can purchase tickets at the gate only for $10 per day. Children 14 and under can attend without charge when accompanied by an adult who has purchased a ticket. Advanced tickets are available at nmu.universitytickets.com.

“As a Marquette Blues Society Board member, Blues musician and local resident, I am happy that we can once again hold the festival over Labor Day weekend. Last year’s festival was canceled due to the pandemic, and it was disappointing and sad that we could not bring the Blues to the U.P. in 2020,” said Walt Lindala one of the early organizers of the Marquette Blues Society and band member of the Flat Broke Blues Band. “Most of our performers for 2021 are musicians who signed on for 2020 and have honored their agreement to take part in our festival this year. The 2021 festival will be a poignant one for us, because of the loss of last year and the January 2020 death from cancer of well-known Blues specialist Tom Hyslop. We are dedicating Sunday’s performances to Tom’s memory.”

Hyslop, a resident of Negaunee, who is legendary in Blues circles, wrote and served as an editor for Blues Revue and Blues Music Magazine for over 20 years. He received the Keeping the Blues Alive award in 2019 from the Blues Foundation. He was a nominator for the Blues Music Awards and a member of the Historical category panel. He also served as a nominator for the American Association of Independent Music’s Libera Awards. His passion was Blues music and anything Blues-related, including guitars and vintage amplifiers.

Lindala said those who have not had much experience with Blues music should attend the free Friday night sessions. Thanks to the Ore Dock Brewing Company and Honor Credit Union, music will fill the air from 6 to 10 p.m., kicking off with Mike Letts and the Marquettes, with special guests the Tomcats. James Reeser and the Backseat Drivers will perform beginning at 8 p.m.

The Saturday lineup includes Under the Radar at 1 p.m. followed by Eddie and the Bluesers at 2:30 p.m. Then, at 4 p.m. the Ivy Ford Band takes the stage. The final two acts on Saturday include Amanda Fish at 6 p.m. and Albert Castiglia at 8 p.m.

Music begins on Sunday at 1 p.m. with Uncle Pete’s All-Star BBQ Blues Band, followed by local favorite Flat Broke Blues Band. Laura Rain and the Caesars perform at 4 p.m. John Primer and the Real Deal Blues Band take the stage at 6 p.m. The final band of the festival is The Nick Moss Band at 8 p.m. Following that act, the music moves to the Marquette Elks for the afterparty, featuring Laura Rain and the Caesars

To festival attendees, it appears that the festival, featuring world-class Blues musicians, food and beverage, comes together effortlessly, but that is not the case. The festival runs on the hard work of volunteers from the Marquette Area Blues Society and the community at large. Volunteers who work for one shift receive a festival tee shirt. Those working additional shifts will receive a refund on their ticket price.

Volunteers can help with venue setup on Thursday and venue take-down on Monday, or fill slots such as ticket sellers, gate security, grounds security, bartending, merchandise sales or providing general information. Volunteer sign-up is easily accessed via the festival website marquetteareabluessociety.org.

The festival budget is $75,000 to $80,000 per year. It is recognized by musicians and the audience as a premier event as much for the setting along Lake Superior as the warm reception and hospitality offered to the musicians. Sponsorship support and grants help to support the festival beyond the ticket sales.

In memoriam

Tom Hyslop

Sunday’s Marquette Area Blues Fest performances will be dedicated to Tom Hyslop, who died in January 2020 after battling cancer.

Hyslop, a resident of Negaunee, who is legendary in Blues circles, wrote and served as an editor for Blues Revue and Blues Music Magazine for over 20 years. He received the Keeping the Blues Alive award in 2019 from the Blues Foundation. He was a nominator for the Blues Music Awards and a member of the Historical category panel. He also served as a nominator for the American Association of Independent Music’s Libera Awards.

Hyslop’s passion was Blues music and anything Blues related, including guitars and vintage amplifiers.

Marquette Area Blues Fest 2021 Lineup

Friday, Sept. 3 • 6 pm - Mike Letts and the Marquettes, with special guest Tomcats • 8 pm - James Reeser and the Backseat Drivers

Saturday, Sept. 4 • 1 pm - Under the Radar • 2:30 pm - Eddie and the Bluesers • 4 pm - Ivy Ford Band • 6 pm - Amanda Fish • 8 pm - Albert Castiglia Sunday, Sept. 5 • 1 pm - Uncle Pete’s All-Star BBQ Blues Band, Flat Broke Blues Band • 4 pm - Laura Rain and the Caesars • 6 pm - John Primer and the Real Deal Blues band • 8 pm - The Nick Moss Band

Top left Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials, and above, Sue Foley, have performed at previous Blues Fest events. (Photos courtesy of Tom Daniels). Bottom left, musician Nick Moss is the final performer in the 2021 lineup for the annual event.

The organization is grateful to the many sponsors who stepped up this year to make the festival a reality.

“When Terry Klavitter, my wife, April and I dreamed of a Blues Festival in Marquette back in 2002, we never dreamed that this event would come as far as it has today,” Lindala said “The musicians and bands we have coming to Marquette are regionally, nationally and internationally recognized as being some of the best Blues musicians of our time. In addition, the Marquette Area Blues Society has really developed a following for Blues music.”

The organization is run and supported by memberships, which run at $20 per person, or $30 per couple for a year. Members have the option of serving on the board, volunteering for special events as well as the annual festival. While the Marquette Area Blues Society might best be known for the Blues Festival, it has set deep roots in the community and developed an appreciation for Blues music through its partnerships with other local organizations. In the past, the society has offered informational monthly programs about the Blues at the Peter White Public Library, in addition to other special events held throughout the year.

Asked why the Blues, traditionally thought of as a music originating in the deep south of the U.S.A. translates to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Lindala said, “The Blues are emotional and improvisational, they transcend borders and capture the blood, sweat and tears that we all share at one time or another. People who enjoy live music can get a taste of the Blues and will come to embrace all that it offers at the Marquette Blues Festival.”

About the author: Pam Christensen moved to Marquette 30 years ago when she accepted the position of Library Director at the Peter White Public Library. She served in that post for over 24 years. Most recently, she was Foundation Manager for the West End Health Foundation, finally hanging up her formal work shoes in May 2021. She and her husband Ralph are in the process of making an off-grid cabin in Nisula their second home.