International Blues Acts Play Free Shows in Tremblant

Pete Biolsi
Jun 7, 2012 — Recent Articles

Dates

July 6-15, 2012

Cost

Performances on Tremblant stages are free, performances at clubs vary

Highlights

150-plus free concerts, Blues’araoke

Insider Tips

Stay stage-side and save. Book a minimum three-night stay by June 28, 2012 and save 30 percent on lodging during the Festival.

The Scoop

Having the blues isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, the Tremblant International Blues Festival is an all-out celebration of the musical heritage that the bad times inspired. When the snow has gone, Mont Tremblant becomes a haven for blues musicians, blues lovers and anyone who just likes to feel “blue.”

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The Blues bellow through Tremblant Village day and night during the festival. Photo Courtesy of Mont Tremblant.

During the nine-day event, four stages dotted throughout the resort village, along with local clubs and restaurants host over 150 concerts that fill the mountain air with a medley of R&B, soul, classic rock, boogie woogie, funk, and, of course, good ol’ twelve-bar, down-in-the-dumps blues.

Festival-goers can soak up day-after-day of free performances and discover sounds from a multitude of geographic influences. Local musicians hail from Quebec and nearby provinces and others from as far as the Australian outback, with dozens of West Coast and Memphis blues men and women mixed in. Billing seasoned ramblers next to up-and-coming blues protégés, harmonica virtuosos beside gospel choirs, you’re as likely to hear artists working on their first record, as legendary acts who just stepped off the tour bus.

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Some rooms in Tremblant Village give you the equivalent of a balcony seat to the performances. Photo Courtesy of Mont Tremblant.

Spectators may even witness a new blues legend in the making. Blues’araoke gives aspiring blues singers the chance to make their debut performing live with a band on the final day of the Festival. On small side stages, artists and musicians offer classes and workshops every day, giving blues-junkies the opportunity to hear their stories, learn tricks of the trade and even get an autograph or two.