Pinch me ... Steven Page to perform at 2017 Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival
Elizabeth Fraser | CBC News | Posted: May 11, 2017 1:49 PM | Last Updated: May 11, 2017
Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival announces lineup, pushes start of ticket sales to Friday
Steven Page, former frontman of the Barenaked Ladies, will make an appearance at the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival this year.
"That's what Harvest is all about … it's trying to balance those exciting names that we started with, with returning favourites," said Brent Staeben, the festival's music director.
But the excitement doesn't stop there.
The Trans-Canada Highwaymen, a super group that includes Page, Moe Berg from the Pursuit of Happiness, Chris Murphy of Sloan and Craig Northey from Odds, have also joined forces and will perform hit songs from each of their bands that week.
Also new to the stage this year will be Muddy Magnolias, a soul and R&B female duo from Nashville. The band made No.1 on Yahoo's top 10 new bands of 2016.
"Somebody said it's a bit like Janice Joplin and Tina Turner coming together," he said. "Together they make a pretty cool mix."
Tickets go on sale Friday
There will be about 60 acts come fall. Organizers will also be expanding the Fredericton stage in front of City Hall, and the festival will also be adding a new piece to its Rising Star Showcase.
"Everybody wants to cheer for the home team," he said. "They want to see those folks."
Tickets can be bought starting Friday, May 12, at 11 a.m., on the Harvest Jazz and Blues website or by visiting an etixnow.com. Tickets can also be purchased at Harvest Central at 81 Regent St., or Graystone Brewing and Grimross Brewing Co., in Fredericton.
The festival originally announced tickets could be purchased starting Thursday morning, but demand created system problems and sales were put off.
"This goes to show the level of excitement of harvest fans," the festival tweeted in early afternoon.
Staeben is already looking forward to this year's crowd and all the excitement surrounding the annual festival.
"All the people in the community act as ambassadors for Fredericton and Harvest and encourage their friends to come here," he said.
More where that came from
The festival has already announced a big group of blues musicians will be appearing, including the return of local favourite Matt Andersen, who never fails to sell out the biggest tent.
Also returning to the Harvest stage is 13-year-old guitar prodigy Brandon (Taz) Niederauer from New York state.
East Coast all-star Matt Minglewood will also return. Minglewood is currently riding high with the hit song "Amsterdam" from the new album Fly Like Desperadoes.
Also announced were Sonya Rae and the Sleepwalkers, the National Reserve, and as usual, a big representation of Atlantic Canadian talent.
That includes Garrett Mason, Keith Hallett, Christine Campbell, Earle and Coffin, the Gary Sappier Band and as always, the act that has played every Harvest festival from the start, Fredericton's Downtown Blues Band.
The 27th Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival runs from Sept. 12 to Sept. 17.