BLOOMINGTON - The seventh annual Pantagraph Nothin' But The Blues Festival turned the Tri-Lakes area into a lawn of blues Saturday. | Photo gallery

Steve "the Harp" Blues Band kicked off the afternoon of music with songs such as Paul Butterfield's "Too Many Drivers."

After the set, Steve "the Harp" gave harmonica lessons to children at the festival, teaching them to play a C major scale from the diaphragm as it gives a "pretty tone and longer air time." He gave free harmonicas to students 17 and younger on behalf of the Blues Blowtorch Society Educational Fund.

Chicago-based blues keyboard player and singer Daryl Coutts, accompanied by drummer Roger Femali and bassist Roberto Agosto, took the stage at 3 p.m. and roused the audience of 300 to 400 to dancing and foot-tapping with a rendition of the B.B. King song, "Caldonia," who apparently is a "fine looking woman." They also played some original songs, such as "Move Me" and "Same Kinda Blues."

The wind, on its way toward the three lakes mere yards away, blew through Coutts' hair, unleashed from an earlier pony tail. He began a version of Taj Mahal's "Fishin' Blues" with a keyboard solo, but his bandmates quickly chimed in to play the high-octane song.

"It's great so far," Coutts said of the festival before his band's performance. "I like the setup."

The blues trio had dancing counterparts near the stage in audience members Derek Gaald, 23, Ryan Moran, 21, and Troy Weikle, 21. The three friends, all from Bloomington, donned large balloon hats and danced with abandon to the good-spirited songs.

"There's nothing better than face-paint, funny hats and blues," Weikle said, referring to the painted rainbow snake that curled around Gaald's eyes.

"I'm up for the blues," Gaald said.

Eric Tapley, promoter with Chances Entertainment, said 1,900 people came to hear Friday night's performers. Nine vendors were doing business at the event, and several nonprofit organizations such as Men Against Violence also had booths.

Detroit-based blues singer Thornetta Davis, who was scheduled as Saturday's last act at the Pantagraph-sponsored event, expressed hope for an enthusiastic audience early in the afternoon.

"I hope we have a dancing crowd," she said.