Blues on the Bridge

Yesterday, on an amazing warm and sunny day (both rather lacking around here the last month), we finally had a chance to forget our troubles for a few hours.

Blues on the Bridge!  10 hours of music from local and regional bands.

The bridge was in the flood, and pieces of Binghamton still stick to it.

Three weeks ago, both sides of Binghamton near the bridge were under water.  The effects linger, although the land is dry.  The businesses on the south side of the bridge (including my doctors office) are closed. 

Generators were needed to power the instruments.

It was almost a miracle that the concert was held.  The original date, September 11, was three days after the flood, and it was obviously postponed.  It was supposed to be held last Sunday, and had to be postponed again.

The annual organizer of this event was himself a flood victim. Several of the musicians were also victims.  But it was time to forget that for a day.

The concert has outgrown the Washington Street Bridge and now takes place on Riverside Drive.

The crowd starts out small, but builds throughout the day.

If any of you watched the Weather Channel coverage of the flood, this is a faraway view of where the Weather Channel broadcaster was broadcasting from.    Today, the view was tranquil, and the river is finally blue again.

Recovery is underway, so Mayor Ryan of Binghamton joined Blue Shift (I love that name) in a song, singing and playing blues harmonica.  Mayor Ryan is in the sky blue shirt to the right of the woman on stage.

A city whose mayor sings the blues can't go wrong.

Today, we returned to the hard work of our recovery.