Great outdoor venues are synonymous with summer music, but even more satisfying than spreading out on a blanket to hear your favorite band - to some people, at least - is boarding a cruise ship to do it. This Saturday night, June 28, the Newburyport Blues Cruise will be setting sail at 7 p.m. with Boston's First Lady of the Blues, Shirley Lewis, along with her backup band The Experience. The ship will cruise up the Merrimack River and give patrons the chance to see the city's historic waterfront and skyline, as well as the surrounding islands.

The organizers claim that their cruises "are extremely smooth, stable and gentle with no wave action that sea-going charter boats encounter." They provide chips, salsa and a cash bar. The rain date is Sunday, July 13. For more deets and to order tickets, check out the Newburyport Blues Cruise web site at http://newburyportbluescruise.com.