Summer outdoor music in Portland ... the ticketed festivals and shows!

Last week I posted my list of free summer outdoor music in and around Portland, but there are also lots of great ticketed outdoor music shows that bring top acts to the region. Here are a few of this summer's highlights for me.

Waterfront Blues Festival (July 4 -7) ... still the best bargain for a festival this summer! You can't beat music at four stages on the waterfront. And it's not just blues. There's plenty of Cajun, zydeco, swing, funk, Americana ... the vibe is easygoing and there's music from noon until 11 pm. And the proceeds still benefit the Oregon Food Bank!

Other festivals of note in and around Portland include:
Gorge Blues and Brews Festival (June 22-23)
Wanderfest (June 29-July 1)
Northwest String Summit (July 19-22)
PDX Pop Now! (July 21-22)
Wildwood Music Festival (July 21-23)
Pickathon (August 3-5)
Vanport Jazz Festival (Aug 4)
Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival (Aug 24-26)

Willing to travel a bit further, check out:
Vancouver Folk Music Festival - Vancouver, BC (July 13-15)
Winthrop Rhythm and Blues Festival - Winthrop, WA (July 20-22)
Jazz in the Valley - Ellensburg, WA (July 27-29)
West Coast Country Music Festival - Ashland (Aug 10-11)
Bumbershoot - Seattle (Aug 31-Sept 2)
Sisters Folk Festival - Sisters (Sept 7-9)

Though not confined to one weekend, the Britt Festival runs all summer at the Britt Pavilion in Jacksonville, OR.

Ticketed outdoor venue shows include:

Oregon Zoo Concerts - the lineup this year includes Indigo Girls (this Saturday), Belle and Sebastian, The Roots, TajMo (Taj and Keb' Mo'), Pink Martini and more. From my perspective the highlight shows are Jason Isbell/Aimee Mann, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones/David Grisman Band/Jerry Douglas Band, and the Punch Brothers/Andrew Bird.

Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn -  already underway and with a crowd-pleasing lineup that includes a pair of shows this week with The Decemberists and M. Ward (tickets available). More shows are sold out than not, including Robert Plant/Lucinda Williams, the Avett Brothers (3 shows!), Jackson Browne, Jason Mraz, Willie Nelson/Allison Kraus, Portugal.The Man, and Nathaniel Rateleff & the Night Sweats. Tickets still available for others, including Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue with Galactic, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, New Breed Brass Band and special guests Cyril Neville, Walter Wolfman Washington - now that's a damn cool New Orleans party!

Plus, how about the oh-so-Portland shows like the fourth year of the Caravan Campfires - Songs n' S'mores! series on Wednesday evenings starting June 27 thru August.

And you can always take a trip to Kruger's Farm on Sauvie Island for the Thursday night concerts ... they charge by the carload, so pile in and head to Sauvie Island! Or, even better, it's free if you walk in or ride your bike.

But, Jim, I don't like sitting outside for music (too hot! it might rain! not sitting on the ground!) ... how about summer music in air-conditioned theaters or hot sweaty clubs? That will be in another post coming soon!

See ya out and about .... and have a great summer!