Event Review: Bluesfest Day 7 with A$AP Rocky, Lauryn Hill and Snoop Dogg

This past Tuesday July 10, I attended the Ottawa Bluesfest for the third time this year. Day 7 of the 2012 Bluesfest was clearly dedicated to hip-hop as A$AP Rocky, Lauryn Hill, Chali 2NA of Jurassic 5, Deltron 3030, and Snoop Dogg constituted the lineup.

A$AP Rocky at the 2012 Ottawa Bluesfest

The evening started with a performance by rap newcomer A$AP Rocky who opened for Snoop Dogg on the Main Stage. I was initially skeptical of the organizers’ decision to put A$AP up on the Main Stage considering he’s only been around for the past year or so thanks to his LiveLoveA$AP mixtape that circulated widely on the web. I didn’t think the Harlem rapper could attract as many people as he did. Having said this, he did perform to a sold-out crowd at Ritual last year, which was a good indication of his rising popularity. The crowd, consisting mainly of 15-22 year olds, was quite impressive and they lit up joint after joint as soon as A$AP hit the stage. Pretty Flacko, as he also calls himself, delivered track after track of heavy bass beats including the new single Goldie and classics from the LiveLoveA$AP mixtape like Purple Swag, Peso, and Roll One Up. The fresh-faced 23-year-old expressed his love for his fans and even aloud some of them to jump on stage with him to dance and wild out for the last 15 minutes of his set.

Ms. Lauryn Hill at the 2012 Ottawa Bluesfest. Photo Credit: A. Campeau

After seeing A$AP Rocky, I moved to the Claridge Stage to get a good view for none other than Ms. Lauryn Hill. True to her reputation, Ms. Hill was 40 minutes late no less. However, when she arrived on stage wearing a beautiful black & white striped dress and backed by a 9-piece band and three back-up singers, the crowd quickly forgave her for her lack of punctuality. Ms. Hill started her performance by singing revamped versions of Everything is Everything and Ex Factor from her album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill after which she took the crowd on a trip down memory lane with songs from The Fugees like Ready or Not and the famous Killing Me Softly.  She even brought her beautiful children out towards the end of the show in an intimate moment that let us into Lauryn Hill’s family. To make up for her late appearance, she offered the crowd an additional 30 minutes, apparently cutting into Snoop Dogg’s set.

Snoop Dogg at the 2012 Ottawa Bluesfest. Photo Courtesy of the Ottawa Citizen ©

Speaking of which, Snoop Dogg ended up starting at 10:00 pm as opposed to the initially-scheduled set time of 9:30 pm. As a result, his show was shortened by half an hour to respect city’s 11pm outdoor music curfew. Regardless, true to himself, the California rap-superstar with great stage presence delivered his biggest hits like Gin & Juice, What’s My Name, and Drop It Like Its Hot in front of an estimated crowd of 25,000 festival-goers. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, dancing and singing along to Snoop’s party songs. The spectacle itself was a bit boring however as there was no decor or visual effects to accompany Snoop Dogg on the huge Main Stage other than the DJ, a hype-man and two back-up dancers. All in all, the show was good but a bit disappointing as something seemed to be missing.

 

Deltron 3030 at the 2012 Ottawa Bluesfest

Meanwhile on the Electro Stage, rapper Chali 2Na offered a notable performance to a much smaller but nonetheless-energetic crowd. As for Deltron 3030, members Kid Koala, Del Tha Funky Homosapien, and Dan the Automator gave an outstanding show accompanied by a 15-piece orchestra no less, making for a unique sound.

Stay posted for a review of Day 12, the final day of Bluesfest, featuring K’Naan, Young Empires, The Weeknd (!!!), Felix Cartal and Metric.

Event Review: Kid Koala & the Space Cadet Headphone Experience Concert

This past weekend, Canadian DJ and Scratch Turntablist Kid Koala was in Ottawa to present his Space Cadet Headphone Experience Concert at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. The Montreal-based multi-talented artist had not one but 5 basically sold-out shows in the Museum’s new multi-functional Theatre, a space just like the one built for the War Museum.

Having seen Kid Koala perform in Ottawa before, I knew he wouldn’t disappoint and was sure to bring tons of creativity on the turntables as he’s known for. The show, like no other I’ve attended, is an audio-visual and interactive experience inspired by the birth of his daughter, which presents the soundtrack composed for the Space Cadet picture book with the help of visuals, crowd participation intertwined with humor. Part author commentary and part concert, the show offers the public a humble yet highly entertaining and unique account of Kid Koala’s Space Cadet picture-book and musical composition project.

The experience, presented in two portions, started with an interactive visit of an exhibition which brings together an interesting assortment of old DJ equipment like vintage plastic turntables and other musical artifacts from Kid Koala’s personal collection meant to present certain aspects of the Space Cadet story. For example, a collection of vinyl album covers all representing some type of space-related music and cosmic sounds were fixed to a wall along the Theatre near a keyboard and mic that aloud you to “speak like a robot”.

Eventually, the Theatre doors opened and all 250 of us grabbed a pair of earphones and headed in for the second segment of the event. We were able to find a spot on the floor in the “inflatable space pod seat” environment created specifically for the show and awaited as Kid Koala welcomed us into his world and introduced his friend and musician for the opening act. Out came a certain Michael Feuerstack aka Snailhouse, a soft folk singer-songwriter  and acoustic guitar player from Ottawa who performed a couple of songs from his repertoire for a curious but receptive crowd. Although he sang very nicely and had beautiful texts, his set didn’t seem to ‘fit’ with the whole DJ/Turtablist/Audio-Visual/Multi-Sensorial Earphone Experience as I was expecting a funky DJ and/or act to kick things off. So personally Snailhouse was a very good act but sort of out of place.

Kid Koala soon followed and charmed the crowd with his unique show without pretense that often called on the public’s participation to contribute to the music while his scratching and sound selection enhanced the overall performance. He graciously offered some old classics of his like Drunk Trumpet and Skanky Panky from his earlier days and even introduced some unreleased material coming out later  this year like the fun Mosquito Blues track. The artist was also language sensitive and even spoke French here and there for the bilingual crowd who truly appreciated the thoughtful gesture. As a whole, the experience was extremely entertaining and it felt refreshing in comparison to all the regular shows that repeat themselves in style and format. Thank you Kid Koala for being so creative and innovative and props to the Canada Aviation & Space Museum for being open to hosting such a fun and different event!

April in the Capital: Rahzel, Paul Van Dyk, Kid Koala and Fela Kuti Tribute

With the JUNOs gone since last week, the capital region returned to its regular pace but doesn’t lack interesting upcoming events nonetheless. There’s all sorts of things happening depending on your tastes and interests.

First off, the one and only Rahzel will be at Babylon this Wednesday, April 11 on the occasion of his  I Love Canada Tour. The legendary beatboxer formerly of The Roots will be in Ottawa and opening the night will be up and coming duo of Elap and Johnny Bravo followed by veterans of the scene, Stay and Crack Moses. Tickets are $15 dollars at the door and you can get more info by clicking on the poster below.

 

Also on Wednesday is the International Day of Pink Gala, a free event taking place at the University of Ottawa, meant to gather funds for Jer’s Vision and raise awareness on bullying and how to put an end to it. The evening will include a silent auction and special performances by students from De La Salle High School, speeches by Stephanie Wheeler and the Netherlands ambassador Wim Geerts. Award recipients include Rick Mercer from CBC’s Rick Mercer Report and the late Jack Layton, who’s award will be accepted by Olivia Chow. You can get the full details by visiting the event’s Facebook page.

 

If you’re looking for some pottery to gift or simply for yourself, check out  the Ottawa Guild of Potters exhibition and art sale this Thursday, April 12 through Sunday, April 15 at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans. Over 40 artist-potters will be displaying one of a kind decorative and functional clay sculptures. More details are available on the Ottawa Guild of Potters website and on the poster below.

 

Then, to kick off the weekend, Barrymore’s Music Hall presents Paul Van Dyk this Friday, April 13 on the occasion of the Evolution World Tour 2012. This internationally renowned electronic dance DJ who has won many awards namely a Grammy will stop in Ottawa to perform tracks from his long-spanning career along with tracks from his 6th album Evolution. More information can be found on the poster below.

 

Also on Friday, Toxic Twins and Top Of The World present Grillz and Glam at Babylon with DJs NDN and Brains4breakfast starting at 11pm. More info below.

 

To my greatest delight, Kid Koala aka Eric San is back in Ottawa for a weekend of fun to present his Space Cadet Earphones Experience Tour. The Canadian DJ and turntablist will be at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum this Friday, April 13 through Sunday, April 15 to offer an immersive audio-visual and interactive experience to an eclectic and curious public. According to Kid Koala “it’s a headphone concert, gallery, science fair and it’s fun for the whole family”. A Space Gallery accompanies the show complete with interactive Music Spaceship Console, a Space Cadet Soundtrack Cassette Jukebox, and original etch boards from the Space Cadet graphic novel.

“Audiences surrender to the comfort of inflatable “space pods” wired for open air wireless headphones, through which most of the concert’s music is transmitted.” Because the music was written almost as lullabies the layers are really nuanced and subtle.” The feeling during the concert is that you’re having this communal experience with people around you, but everyone is having a personal, unique headphone experience.” Check out the video below to get a feel for the experience and get more details on the event including time and ticket information here.

 

Another weekend event  is the Fela Kuti Tribute at Mercury Lounge celebrating Afrobeat, a complex fusion of Jazz, Funk, psychedelic rock, and traditional West African chants and rhythms. Afrobeat also borrows heavily from the native “tinker pan” African-style percussion.

Friday, April 13: Drumming circle from 7 to10:30 p.m. Followed by Ottawa magnificent D.J. Lance Baptiste, spinning Fela Afro-beat; originals and remixes. With Jesse M. on congas, Docta Lee on djembe, and Mario on trumpet. Saturday, April 14: Live music by the Ottawa Folklore Centre Jazz Band Afrobeat Project. Followed by Ottawa legendary D.J. Trevor Walker, spinning originals and remixes of Fela. More details available on the Mercury Lounge website.

And, to close off this week’s post, my favorites A Tribe Called Red will be throwing down a much-anticipated Electric Pow Wow at Babylon this Saturday April 14 following the release of their first album available for free download here! Please do yourself a favor and get this if you support Canadian music and local Ottawa talent. See you all on the dance floor!

I hope you enjoy this week’s selection and that you take advantage of the many events taking place in the national capital throughout the next few days. Stay tuned for more next week including the announcement of the 2012 Bluesfest line-up being unveiled April 24!!