Sunshine Sunday
Rainy bluesfest finishes on a high note
KITCHENER — The thing about outdoor music festivals is, it’s not always just about the great music, though the weekend’s Kitchener Blues Festival certainly didn’t disappoint in that regard.
Rob Bendnsond was riding around the festival on his bike, two-year-old Duke the Yorkshire terrier happily riding in the bike’s handlebar basket. Why?
Bendnsond said there are two reasons: Duke is his little buddy and he loves spending time with the pooch, but the adorable canine is also a chick magnet at large gatherings such as music festivals.
Duke even has his own Instagram account, showing all his doggie adventures. The Blues Festival added another dimension to its explorations.
“I like blues,” said Bendnsond, popping little Duke onto his shoulder. This is apparently the dog’s favourite perch, only possible because of Duke’s diminutive size. Likely wouldn’t work if Duke was, say a St. Bernard.
“I haven’t been to the festival before,” said Bendnsond who had ridden from the Westmount Road and Ottawa Street area to downtown Kitchener on Sunday afternoon, the festival’s final day and the only one that didn’t soak everyone in rain.
Bendnsond said little Duke dislikes getting wet, particularly his feet, then he pulled out a pair (two pairs actually) of black, rubber rain boots from the bike’s basket.
For Duke, of course. The dog was also wearing a “Get Me To The Beach” T-shirt to protect him from the sun.
Just down the street from where Bendnsond was locking up his bike, Ed Kliewer was explaining his handcrafted musical instruments at his EK Cigar Box Guitars tent.
Yes, that is right, cigar box guitars, made from, well, used cigar boxes of all sizes and from all materials, everything from wood to hard plastic.
The Kitchener-based Kliewer is a woodworker and an amateur musician and said he particularly enjoys building unusual, challenging items. Cigar box guitars, each one unique and custom designed, fit right into his scope of creativity.
“I’m surprised how many people are coming by who know about them,” said Kliewer during a break in the blues music on the nearby stage.
“It started in the mid-1800s when they didn’t have money. They’d get a cigar box and a broom handle.”
Kliewer’s instruments are based on that basic design and they’ve become particularly popular with Delta Blues players because of the instrument’s rich, twangy sound.
He has certainly jazzed the instruments up from the 19th century models by adding inlay into the headstock in a technique known as marquetry.
He willingly performs on request, preferring to show off the La Aroma De Cuba box with its four strings, 20-fret maple neck, satinwood headstock and walnut fret board.
The guitar sells for $270 and represents hours of his time handcrafting every detail.
He began the hobby a couple of years ago and he’s now more creative. There are a couple of walnut boxes he crafted instead of using cigar boxes. He then faced the boxes with old licence plates. He even made a guitar from a Sherwood hockey stick.
On the less quirky side at the festival there was Heather Claydon, a grandma who just wanted her two grandkids to have a unique musical experience.
Four year old Carly Nichol and her brother, Deacon, 20 months, were dancing up a storm by the City Hall stage.
“He loves to dance,” said Claydon, who shares her love of music with her grandkids whenever she can. “This is their first time at the festival.”
Claydon also commented how wonderful it is to see so many people out on the streets together, celebrating a beautiful day as well as the music.
“I walk every day and I noticed, no one is ever around,” she said. Festivals, however, bring everyone out together and next weekend, she is taking her grandkids to a camping/music event in Lucknow, the Music in Fields Festival.
“I think it really helps” to expose kids to music, she said. “It keeps them active. It keeps them dancing.”