The Nanaimo Blues Society and the Summertime Blues Festival
The Nanaimo Blues Society continued with their annual Blues Festival. I was not able to attend for 2017 or 2019 but did attend for part of 2018. And then of course 2020 was cancelled due to COVID. They are tentatively making plans for 2021 and we shall see what can be done. Meanwhile, in Nanaimo...
Before I leave the posts on the Summertime Blues Festival, I would like to share with you, excerpts from an interview with Gerold Haukenfrauer, President of the Nanaimo Blues Society from 2013 to 2019. He graciously invited me to his home where we sat in comfortable chairs while I proceeded to ask him a few questions.
Johanna: Could you tell me a little bit about how you got involved with the Nanaimo Blues Society and the Summertime Blues Festival?
Gerold: I saw some of the events at Diana Krall Square and it looked like fun. Then in 2011, I volunteered at the Summertime Blues Festival. I let the Society know I would be interested in becoming a board member. They called me in November and I went only to see that the Board was in bad shape with people wanting to quit. Keith and I were the only ones left from the Board at the AGM in March of 2012. We were able to solicit a few members from the floor to become board members so the society got resurrected. After we started a fundraiser in 2012 to keep the festival viable, Keith stepped down and I became the de facto President.
With a grant from the city and another fundraiser, and a call from Steve Kozak letting us know Canned Heat was playing in Merritt, we were able to get them as a headliner for the 2014 Summertime Blues Festival. We took good care of them and even de la Parra's wife said she hadn't seen the cross the floor like that in almost twenty years. And it translated to the audience. Then going forward, the Board made some decisions that challenged our fiscal health, but it was a learning experience.
And now we have this tremendous group of volunteers and board members who have managed to bring the festival to where it is today, a world-class boutique festival. I am really proud of our accomplishments. This year (2019), I'm stepping down. I think I've made my contribution as a business person that has benefitted the organization to continue to be viable.
The festival was started by Billieboy, Bill Lucas. He had the Blues e-mail list and turned it over to us and then we began to solicit members.
Everything that has happened is a result of the Blues Jam. It was originally at the Howard Johnson Motel. We moved it over to the Queen's and it has been packed every Sunday. It is probably the best Blue's room on the West Coast. Jackie Moisan and her late husband, Frank Alexander started it and Jackie does a fabulous job of running it. It probably started in late 2012.
We've also had our Summertime Blues Festival after-hours jam at the Queen's during the festival.
Johanna: What do you think is your major contribution to the success of the Festival?
Gerold: I think it's probably my leadership and cobbling together good board members, getting people that have strengths that contribute to various elements of the Festival. My accomplishment has been putting together a good team, and the team has delivered, along with the volunteers. Also, I think I've been a pretty good spokesperson for the Blues community, did a few things on Shaw TV, promoting and things like that.
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| Gerold Haukenfrauer, President of the NBS and his hard-working crew |
This gives us a bit of insight into some of what has gone on behind the scenes in keeping the Summertime Blues Festival alive. Yay for live music! There will also be a post of an interview with Jackie Moisan who has been running the Sunday Blues Jam at the Queen's in Nanaimo for some years now.
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