Hello Blues Fans!
Can you believe we’re only 32 days away? Jen has been working her tail off and I’ve been officially grounded – so no fun for me! My numbers are good, but now we’ve hit the point where I’m getting more and more susceptible to germs, and with my cancer being so aggressive, I can’t afford to miss any treatments. When you see me at blues I’ll be in a mask, gloves, long sleeve shirts and long pants and for the first time won’t be able to hug everyone! But I refuse to miss this festival and I’m planning on being there the entire time! On the bright side, I finally get to sit in VIP and watch the show, and everyone who has been on the newsletter list, knows that’s what I’ve wanted to do since year 1! If I didn’t have such guilt about Jen having to work so hard, I’d be giddy!
WE ARE SOLD OUT OF VIP!!!! The soonest we’ve sold out to date. There are no more! We still have GA Tickets, but when those are gone, the event will be filled!!! Wow, for all of you who have been with us for the last 6 years, you understand how exciting this is. From 1,200 our first year to over 5K this year!!!! We are stopping at 5 thousand because we really want to see the footprint of that many people, so we can decide if we should increase next year, and if we do, by how many. Both Jen and I feel our max should only be 7,500 but we don’t want to lose our “vibe”.
If you’re in Flagstaff, you can buy GA tickets at Rainbow’s End (DARLING clothes and shoes) and the Continental Country Club. If you’re in Phoenix, you can buy GA tickets at Stinkweeds and Brindley‘s.
No fees!
Today, we are saying goodbye to 3 interns. Rebecca Klein, Melina Theriault, and Mackenzie King. I’m both sad and excited to see these girls graduate. Sad because these girls are amazing interns, I love them so much, and we’ve had so much fun working together and have multiple crazy event stories. I’m excited because they have such cool jobs lined up for a first job out of college and all three are amazing leaders. I know it’s popular to make fun of millennial’s, but these girls work hard and never quit. One is headed to Denver, one to San Francisco and one to Phoenix. Watch out world, the Peak Events Interns are ready to create amazing events in a city near you! GO JACKS!
If anyone out there wants to volunteer – please click HERE to sign up. Volunteers get into the festival for free, get a shirt (while supplies last), free food and drink during your shift and our eternal gratitude. This event takes a village and we appreciate everyone who helps put this on!
Today, I thought giving a little preview of Ana Popovic would be fun.
Ana Popovic was born in Serbia (formerly Yugoslavia), and grew up in a family where music was very important. All throughout her youth, her father would invite friends over for nightly jam sessions. In this atmosphere, she quickly learned her father’s impressive blues and soul record collection, grabbed his guitar and started playing at the age of fifteen. Since then, Ana has developed into a phenomenal guitarist/vocalist with a growing legion of fans throughout the world. With 6 nominations for Female Contemporary Blues Artist of the Year, Ana is a powerhouse!
Ana and her powerful band are tirelessly touring, playing major blues, jazz and rock festivals. She is endorsed by Fender, D’Angelico, Jim Dunlop and DR strings. Ana has shared headlining stages with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Joe Bonamassa, Gary Clark Jr. and many others. She’s nominated for six Blues Music Awards, appeared on the cover of Vintage Guitar and Guitar Player magazine. Her albums Can You Stand The Heat (2013) and Unconditional (2011) where Pick-Of-The-Week by USA Today and featured on NPR Music. Nearly all of Ana’s albums made it the Top 5 of the Billboard Blues Charts and are being played regularly on US radio.
I asked Ana the following questions and I have to say, she has been delightful to work with and I’m looking forward to meeting her in person.
Flagstaff Blues – What song is the most fun to perform and why?
Ana – On my latest cd ‘Trilogy’ there are awesome horn arrangements, so songs like : “She was a Doorman”, “ Love you tonight” or “ Fencewalk” with a 6 piece band are my favorite songs to play live.
Flagstaff Blues – What’s your favorite festival to play and why?
Ana – I started in Belgrade, Serbia many years ago so going back and playing my hometown is always a special treat for me.
Flagstaff Blues – What does your mom cook that you can’t get enough of?
Ana – She’s an amazing cook – cakes, sweets, cheese & meat pies and so many more.
Flagstaff Blues – When you aren’t playing or making music, what do you do to relax?
Ana – I love spending time with my family, love art & design. I paint when I get a chance and visit museums for inspiration.
Ana and her band will be taking the stage at 5:55 pm, and believe me I think this is one act, everyone will enjoy!
