Snowbird Blues Festival

Tim and I went to the Snowbird Blues Festival this weekend with my parents. Granted, the only connection between the festival and birds is the name of the ski resort where it was held. (OK, I saw a couple robins and swallows while I was up the mountain.) But the talent at the festival was amazing, so I looked up some YouTube video of my two favorite performers.

Paul Thorn of The Paul Thorn Band charmed me right from the beginning with his story-telling. Every song had a hilarious southern story behind it (including a bird receiving mouth-to-beak resuscitation). His songs were a great combination of blues, country, and rock, and they were all delivered with a cute little smirk. This song is one of my favorites from the evening.



Ruthie Foster sang earlier in the day, and she stole the show as far as I'm concerned. (It was just sad that more people weren't there to hear her sing.) Her soulful voice is incredible, and she combines it with an easy-going stage presence that just instantly connects her with the audience. I turned to my mom halfway through one of her gospel-inspired songs and told her that if I knew I would hear something like this on Sunday morning, I would be the first one to church. The festival emcee and Ruthie were both a little shocked when the audience almost rioted for an encore. Loved her. This video shows off her vocals in a big way. She's also a talented guitar and piano player.