Sarnia Blues Revival

Sharp Pitches Mini Bluesfest to Fill Festival Void

Sharp was part of the committee that ran Jazz and Blues in the Village for over a decade. When the pandemic shut it down, the annual two-day event never came back. Sharp saw the gap and decided to act, pitching what he calls a "mini Bluesfest" to get blues music back in front of Sarnia audiences, according to Stratford Beacon Herald.

The Summertime Blues Review is intentionally small to start. Three bands will perform at Maud's Variety on Aug. 8. Sharp is keeping the scale manageable while testing whether local appetite for a blues festival still exists, Brantford Expositor reported.

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A Plan to Grow the Event Year by Year

Sharp's vision goes beyond a single concert. He wants to build the Summertime Blues Review into a yearly event, expanding it over time into a one-day annual festival. The Aug. 8 show is step one of that longer plan, according to Paris Star Online.

Starting small is a deliberate strategy. Rather than attempt a full festival right away, Sharp is using this first event to build momentum, test logistics, and rally community support around the idea, The Observer noted.

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Maud's Variety Set to Host Aug. 8 Concert

The show takes place at Maud's Variety in Sarnia. The venue will host all three bands on the same night. Sharp is using a familiar, local setting to give the new event a community feel right from the start, Chatham Daily News reported.

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