Fast, blue times at Rockabilly High

Bev Hogue painting Devil at 4 o'clock
Devil at 4 o'clock is a 30 in. x 40 in. Bev Hogue original painting


A highlight of any year is the The Red Hot & Blue Rockabilly Festival — the high energy assembly of music, fashion and fast times of the 50s and early 60s.

After a pandemic pause, it was great to be back for the four-day fest, staged mid-July in Gananoque, Ont., capital of the Thousand Islands.

This year the Red Hot art market was poolside so we had backstage seats in the sun for a splashy set by surf-band The Wasagas.

With my new paintings “The Devil at 4 o’clock” and “Shakin Not Stirred” as backdrop, the rum-fueled scene was 4 oz. Matt Helm and 1 oz. Peter Sellers seltzer. The Party was served with a side of fully caped Batman who plunged into the pool (avec guitar) during his Batman solo.

A couple of dozen bands from across the country raised the roof at evening performances staged over the weekend in a vintage hall. Among highlights: The Sloe Gin Fizz, Ichi-bons, Peter and the Wolves and Shook Boys.

People ask where I draw inspiration for my blue paintings. Sometimes it’s a lost era, an enchanting nightmare or a dream of innocent days ahead. Other times, I replay the magnificence of the energy around me at Red Hot & Blue.