New Bedford Whaling Blues Festival returns to Fort Taber with showcase of local and national talent

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The Whaling Blues Festival began in 1998 on Pier 3 as a showcase of modern, high-quality music with the city’s iconic waterfront backdrop. It lasted the next eight years and grew to hosting thousands of fans at Fort Taber until its last show in 2006.

The return of the New Bedford Whaling Blues Festival and its partnership with the Zeiterion Theater on Saturday was a homecoming for both the music festival and one of the city’s rising musical stars.

Blues prodigy and New Bedford native, Quinn Sullivan shredded as usual.(Josh Souza Photo)

Quinn Sullivan stole the show on a hot and muggy afternoon at Fort Taber in front of a crowd of hundreds of festival-goers. The seventeen-year-old from New Bedford High School kept the crowd roaring with guitar solos that seemed would never end and a strong supporting band behind him.

Sullivan, who has been touring across Europe this summer with legendary blues musician and his earliest idol Buddy Guy, said he was happy to play in front of some familiar faces.

“It was so awesome coming home,” Sullivan said after signing autographs and taking photos with fans for over an hour. “It’s truly incredible to be here. You never expect anything until you walk on stage and see all those faces.”

During his encore, Sullivan played his original song “Buddy’s Blues,” an ode to his mentor who pulled him up on stage at the young age of eight while performing at the Zeiterion Theater.

“He’s shown me the world,” Sullivan said of Guy. “I owe everything to him.”

Other local artists took the stage during the festival, including G and Friends, Shipyard Wreck, The Craig DeMelo Band and The Neal McCarthy Problem.

Sharing the main stage with Sullivan were Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish, Jon Cleary and The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Shemekia Copeland, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band.

Each band brought their own blues influences to the stage and got everyone up and grooving.

American electric blues vocalist, Shemekia Copeland’s powerful voice in action. (Josh Souza Photo)

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell was happy to see the festival return to the city after its ten-year hiatus and attract a wide variety of talent.

“This is one of the best public spaces anywhere in the northeastern United States and the quality of music is first rate,” said Mitchell. “There’s so much to love about it and that explains the huge crowd here.”

The crowd was singing and dancing along despite the heat, and many sought out the cool ocean breeze blowing across the peninsula. Dozens were also able to take in the show for free from the waters, where they enjoyed the rhythmic tunes from the comfort of their vessels.

Many fans took advantage of the views offered around the venue and walked around as they sampled some of the area’s food truck and restaurant offerings, including dNB Burgers, Fancheezical, Dorothy Cox and many others.

It has not yet been decided if the festival will return next year as an annual event, though it appears to be a welcome addition to the city’s summertime musical showcase.

All photographs by Josh Souza.

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About Greg Desrosiers

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