The tents are down, the stages are packed away, and Charlottetown is quiet again. The 2018 TD PEI Jazz & Blues Festival is in the books.
This was the first year the festival moved to the Canada Day weekend, and it felt different. Three days instead of five. A tighter schedule. More of a sprint than a marathon. But the music was there, and so were the people.
What we heard
David Myles and Rachel Beck on the Friday. Charlie A'Court, back on the Island and in good form. Lady Soul, Christine Campbell, Nathan Wiley. The Rockin' Blues Showcase at The Pourhouse on the Saturday night, with Andrew Waite & the Firm and Charlie A'Court trading sets. The free afternoon in Victoria Park with the Mi'kmaq Heritage Actors, the Josh Langille Group, and the Charlottetown Jazz Ensemble. And Lady Soul again at The Old Triangle, late, for anyone who was not ready to go home.
The church shows at St. Paul's. The late night at Piatto. The closing jam at The Pourhouse that ran past one in the morning. It was a full weekend, even if it was shorter than usual.
Thank you
To the artists, who gave it everything. To the volunteers, who gave up their weekend to make sure the rest of us had a good time. To the sponsors and funding partners who keep the whole thing possible. To everyone who bought a ticket, walked into a venue, and listened.
The festival has always been a community effort. That was true in 2018, and it will be true next year.
What's next
We are already thinking about 2019. The festival will be back, and it will be the fifteenth anniversary. Plans are in the works. Lineup announcements, ticket details, and the schedule will all land here when they are ready.
Until then, thank you for a good weekend. See you next summer.