Bluesfest 2016: Eventful Capital’s Top Picks and Must-Sees

ASAP Ferg performing live at the 2015 RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest

The 2016 RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest is just around the corner and this year’s edition, being held July 7-17, is set to welcome another record-setting number of festival-goers eager to take in all the live music. Organizers are putting the finishing touches to the LeBreton Flats site and introducing some changes in an ongoing effort improve the festival experience. After proving popular in 2015, Bluesfest fashion is returning to capture noteworthy festival styles spotted on site. At the end of the day though, people attend for the music, so to help guide your choices for this year, here’s a small sample of must-see acts that you should be sure to catch, listed in no particular order:

City and Colour

Canadian singer-songwriter Dallas Green, who goes by City and Colour, is always a pleasure to see and listen to live. Armed with plenty of charisma and a great stage presence, Green is known for adding a personal touch to his performances by interacting with the audience throughout his sets. Long-listed for this year’s Polaris Music Prize for his album If I Should Go Before You, City and Colour is bound to please his loyal army of supporters and new fans alike.

Death From Above 1979

Toronto noise punk duo Death from Above 1979 disappointed lots of fans when they announced they were disbanding in 2006. Then in 2011, they reunited and made a come back, releasing the follow-up album The Physical World in 2014 and embarking on a series of shows in an effort to promote their latest studio effort. Now with a new live EP under their belt, the guys are hitting up the festival circuit, so this may just be the perfect occasion to see them perform, in case they break-up again in the near future, you know?

Freddie Gibbs

When it comes to gangsta rap these days, Gary, Indiana’s Freddie Gibbs is arguably as good as it gets. Live, Gibbs delivers straight energy as he spits bar after bar with confidence and rapidity. Sometimes compared to the late great Tupac Shakur (both physically and lyrically), the American rapper, who’s no stranger to Ottawa, will be making his Bluesfest debut on Thursday, July 14 at 9:30 on the Black Sheep Stage. It’s bound to be hella hype.

Half Moon Run

Also long-listed for the 2016 Polaris Prize is none other than Montreal-based 4-piece Half Moon Run, a band you should absolutely catch at this year’s Bluesfest. The multi-instrumentalists, who now have two excellent albums under their belt, have progressively been gaining steam over the course of the past years, touring extensively across the world. Their live performances are a true reflection of what they strive to project in their music: honest, humble, raw and energetic.

Pierre Kwenders

Another Polaris Prize long-listee featured as part of this year’s lineup is none other than the talented Pierre Kwenders. The Montréal-based self-proclaimed Bantou emperor with roots in the Congo, has single-handedly created a new genre of afro-pop music that merges traditional sounds from the Motherland with contemporary ones. He’s fresh, he’s fun, he’s charismatic and he knows how to get people moving. Having seen him a few times live, I can affirm with confidence that he’s one you don’t want to miss.

Merganzer

Merganzer is the experimental pop project of Ottawa-based violonist Mika Posen, who has worked with the likes of Timber Timbre, Agnes Obel and Forest City Lovers. Her debut project Mirror Maze, released at the end of 2015, offers a mesmerizing and enchanting journey complete with sampled strings, homemade beats, soaring sine waves and plaintive melodies. Live, Merganzer achieves what she offers on record and transports audience members on a magical musical moment.

Scattered Clouds

The band name alone is intriguing, and the music in a class of its own. Scattered Clouds aren’t afraid to experiment with weird and moody sounds, and that makes them stand apart from everything else coming out of the National Capital Region these days. It’s film-noir-esque, it’s dark and it’s superb. Catch their set on Thursday, July 7 at 6 p.m. in the Barney Danson Theatre.

Cashmere Cat

Norway DJ/producer/turnablist Cashmere Cat is responsible for a number of club hits and remixes that you’ve probably danced to without knowing he was behind them. If you’re into new r&b, futuristic hip hop and bass music sounds, don’t sleep on his Bluesfest appearance scheduled to take place Saturday, July 16 at 9:30 p.m. Bonus: those who want to keep the party going can also catch Cashmere Cat live at Babylon after Bluesfest.

Earl Sweathshirt

In terms of new school hip hop, certain artists stand out from the pack and have been gaining recognition for making their mark on the genre thanks to their artistic creativity. Such is the case for Earl Sweatshirt, a 22-year old rapper, producer and DJ originally from Chicago, who was formerly affiliated to Tyler, The Creator’s Odd Future collective. Critically praised for his body of work, Earl has collaborated with a slew of noteworthy artists namely Flying Lotus, BadBadNotGood, and Vince Staples. Now with two studio albums out and a third one in the works, there seems to be no stopping him on his route to success.

Pandaléon

Within the Canadian alternative rock scene, local francophone trio Pandaléon are undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with. The band from St-Bernardin, Ontario, who signed to Audiogram and has been gaining steam since, draws inspiration from their natural surroundings and rural lifestyles, which gives them a distinctive sound that’s at times calming and at others intense and heavy. Live, they draw in audience members with their perfect synergy and captivating ambient music. See them July 8 in the Barney Danson Theatre.

With such a packed and eclectic lineup, regardless of your taste in music, you’re bound to find your happy place and make new discoveries in the process. For the full lineup and schedule, check out the Bluesfest website. On that note, enjoy your festival experience and be sure to follow Couch Assassin’s pro tips to make the most of your time at Bluesfest!

Event Review: Solange, Passion Pit, and A Tribe Called Red Bring the Heat on Day 6 of Bluesfest

Day 6 of the 2013 Ottawa Bluesfest was beautiful and it showed as festival-goers arrived early and in large numbers to see acts such as Animal Collective, El-P, Solange, Passion Pit, A Tribe Called Red, and Weezer perform live.

Animal Collective opened the evening on the Bell Stage, but unfortunately gave a rather underwhelming performance. Although their music may be enjoyable in a different setting, it certainly wasn’t meant for an inattentive crowd of festival-goers, many of which had arrived early for Weezer, the night’s headliner. What’s more, the experimental psychedelic/neo/art rock band from Baltimore, Maryland, hardly interacted with the crowd, which certainly didn’t help with the show’s overall energy level. At one point, a group of dancing people wearing animal masks and costumes came out of nowhere and provided the sole entertaining thing that happened during Animal Collective.

Meanwhile on the River Stage, rapper El-P, also known as El Producto, was concluding his set alongside a few sidekicks. Regardless of his notable performance, the crowd wasn’t too enthusiastic despite the rapper’s attempt to get people to react to his music. El-P did his thing and finished his set with the track A Christmas Fucking Miracle, maybe not the best choice when it’s almost 40 degree Celsius with the humidex, just sayin’.

Solange performing live on the River Stage at the 2013 Ottawa Bluesfest

Day 6 was off to a disappointing start until Solange hit the River Stage with her group of funky musicians and back-up singers. An impressive crowd had gathered for a chance to see Beyoncé’s little sister perform live for the first time in Ottawa. The 27-year old came on stage 10-minutes behind schedule wearing an adorable red summer dress, looking as cute as a button.  She kicked off her set with the song Some Things Never Seem to Fucking Work, but apparently this wasn’t supposed to be the opening track. Ironically, it fit well as it turned out the sound was completely off and we could hardly hear her vocals. Solange even had to stop and apologize to the crowd for having to deal with the worst sound conditions in her career! It was unbearable for her and the audience and a shame coming from one of the biggest festivals in North America. Despite the horrible technical problems, the singer-songwriter remained professional and seemed to enjoy her time on stage, as she danced around and pointed out the beautiful setting and sunset before her. The setlist included the songs Don’t Let Me Down, Locked in Closets, Bad Girls and Losing You. She thanked the crowd many times for their presence and support and ended her set earlier than expected, most likely due to the sound quality, or lack thereof.

Discouraged by the way the performance turned out, Eventful Capital headed to the Black Sheep stage to check out part of Grandtheft’s set. The Toronto DJ and producer did not disappoint as he played some great remixes and original material from his repertoire and got the crowd moving. He wrapped things up with his remix of Calvin Harris and Florence Welch’s Sweet Nothing to which festival-goers sang along.

Back on the River Stage, fans patiently waited for Passion Pit to take the stage as the group started 10 minutes late. The American musicians, who are no strangers to the Ottawa Bluesfest, opened their set on a high note with The Reeling from the debut album Manners. They continued with I’ll Be Alright and the popular Little Secrets and had great on-stage presence but since the sound started off again and that there was more to see, it was off to the Black Sheep stage for Eventful Capital.

Ottawa’s own A Tribe Called Red certainly saved the day with a contagious high-powered set that had everyone dancing! It was great to witness the amount of people gathered behind the Canadian War Museum to see the local DJ collective perform live. Their set list included the tracks Braves (Remix), Trap Heat, Unlimited Trap, and Sisters along with some new material that was very well received by the crowd. It was a great home-coming for the boys who have been on tour and Ottawa get them a warm welcome demanding an encore at the end of the set, which A Tribe Called Red obliged to.

Despite technical difficulties, Day 6 of the 2013 Ottawa Bluesfest is definitely a highlight for Eventful Capital and it will go down as a memorable day packed with amazing live music.

Event Review: Bluesfest Day 12 with Young Empires, K’Naan, The Weeknd and Metric

Yesterday was the last day of this year’s Bluesfest and it defninitely ended on a high note.

Upon arrival on the festival’s site, we headed to the Claridge Stage to check out Young Empires, a Canadian band from Toronto who describe their genre as being world beat haute rock. The group gave a great performance and even played a request from a fan in the crowd complete with a personal dedication. I was pleasantly surprised by their style and sound and can say that it was definitely a nice musical discovery, not having heard of Young Empires before.

Young Empires at the 2012 Ottawa Bluesfest

After Young Empires, Somali-born rapper and poet K’Naan was scheduled to perform on the Main Stage at 7:00 pm. However, due to flight delays, he didn’t make it on time and as a result his set was postponed to 7:30 pm. Once he arrived on stage and apologized to the crowd for being late, K’Naan did what he could to bring out as much energy as possible for his fans, however his 2012 Bluesfest performance surely wasn’t his best. He performed some crowd-favorites but omitted to deliver the popular Wavin’ Flag anthem that so many love. K’Naan ended his performance with a slow ballad that he frankly shouldn’t have chosen considering it lacked in intensity and liveliness. Having said this, the Toronto-based artist and his band did offer a decent musical performance nonetheless.

K’Naan at the 2012 Ottawa Bluesfest. Photo courtesy of the Ottawa Citizen.

The highlight of the evening was by far seeing The Weeknd sing his heart out on the Claridge Stage (but I’m completely biased since he’s my favorite artist). The young singer from Toronto offered his second Ottawa performance in front of a sizable crowd of young women and men who had gathered to hear songs from House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence, the mixtapes that have garnered him so much attention and respect. Abel Tesfaye, who goes by the stage name The Weeknd, presented a stripped-down version of his latest show to adapt the the festival venue. He did without the visuals and simply performed with the lighting used for his original show, which allowed us to solely focus on his enchanting voice and raw lyrics. Abel thanked his Ottawa fans several times as he delivered songs including High For This, The Birds Part 1, Gone, House of Balloons/Glass Table Girls, The Zone, Crew Love, Rolling Stone, and Next without forgetting the beautiful Wicked Games, which he saved for last. The XO crew, members of The Weeknd’s entourage, were there in full force to represent the XO movement. Even rapper Tyga, who performed at Bluesfest the previous night, could be seen on house right enjoying the show from the side of the stage! The fans were clearly pleased with the show from the first note The Weeknd sang to the very last. Thank you Abel for another excellent performance, Ottawa loves you!

The Weeknd at the 2012 Ottawa Bluesfest. Photo courtesy of the Ottawa Citizen.

The 2012 edition of Bluesfest ended nicely with a set by Canadian-favorite Metric who graced the Main Stage with their talent. The Toronto-based indie rock band seems to have pleased the crowd as they delivered songs from their newly-released album Synthetica along with singles from previous albums. Emily Haines and company were in great shape and the Ottawa fans who had gathered to see the band seemed to love it. It wasn’t the greatest performance of all times, but it was definitely a great way to end this year’s edition of Bluesfest.

Metric at the 2012 Ottawa Bluesfest. Photo courtesy of the Ottawa Citizen.

What were your favorite moments? What were the hits and misses this year? You’re welcome to share your thoughts below. I’m already looking forward to next year!

Event Review: Bluesfest Day 11 with Diplo, Tyga, Pretty Lights and Skrillex

Day 11 of Bluesfest was without doubt electro-fied with a lineup that included the Full Flex Express Tour featuring Tokimonsta, Koan Sound, Grimes, Diplo, Pretty Lights and Skrillex. Ironically though, the latter artists performed on the Main Stage as opposed to the Electro Stage where Tyga of all people was performing.

We started Day 11 by seeing Diplo on the Main Stage. The founder and producer of Mad Decent Records played everything from the Major Lazer project to his latest single Express Yourself. It goes without saying that the electro DJ from Philadelphia made the crowd dance despite the blazing heat. Diplo represented Ottawa by wearing an ATCR Electric Pow Wow t-shirt to my greatest delight! The highlight of Diplo’s set was definitely when he surfed over the crowd aboard a transparent inflatable hamster ball. Now that’s what you call crowd-interaction!

Diplo at the 2012 Ottawa Bluesfest

After Diplo’s set, we made our way towards the Electro Stage to catch YMCMB rapper Tyga. The american artist of Vietnamese and Jamaican descent performed tracks from his two studio albums in front of an impressive crowd of festival-goers. We stuck around until he delivered his popular ‘Rack City’ track after which we returned to the Main Stage for the end of Pretty Lights, an American electronic music artist.

Skrillex at the 2012 Ottawa Bluesfest. Photo courtesy of the Ottawa Sun.

At 9:35 pm, as we waited for Skrillex to start, a countdown appeared on the screen behind the stage indicating that the dubstep artist was coming on in 5 minutes. The huge crowd that had gathered in front of the Main Stage for the final performance of the night counted down the last 10 seconds that kicked off Skrillex’s set. Skrillex didn’t waist anytime as he delivered track after track of hits from Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites to My Name is Skrillex without forgetting Promises, Bangerang and Cinema which he ended the night with. The impressive stage set-up and visuals included pyrotechnics, pressurized smoke canons, colourful light lasers and a moveable platform on which he mixed from that reminded me of a spacecraft. On his Twitter account this morning, Skrillex posted “Ottawa last night could go down in my top 5 crowds ever…so amazing thanks to all you comin out!” And we thank you Skrillex for making us dance our asses off!!

Skrillex at the 2012 Ottawa Bluesfest. Photo courtesy of the Ottawa Sun.

Keep it locked for a review of Day 12, the final day of Bluesfest, which featured K’Naan, The Weeknd and Metric!!

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.

The 2012 Ottawa Bluesfest Heads Into Week 2!

Week one of the 2012 Ottawa Bluesfest is already over. It’s crazy how time flies when you’re having fun! My highlights for the festival’s first week were definitely MSTRKRFT, the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, Marcia Ball and A Tribe Called Red!

Week two kicks off on a high note with performances by rising Harlem rapper A$AP Rocky, past Fugees member Lauryn Hill and West-Coast rap veteran Snoop Dogg who are all scheduled to play this Tuesday, July 10 starting at 7:00 pm. Also this Tuesday is the notable Deltron 3030, a side project by DJ Kid Koala, rapper Del the Funky Homosapien and producer Dan the Automator. Opening for Deltron 3030 on the Electro Stage is Chali 2na, from the now-defunct alternative rap group Jurassic 5.

A$AP Rocky

For Wednesday, July 11, highlights include L.A. punk-rock band Bad Religion, Outkast-member Antwan André Patton aka Big Boi and local-group Sound of Lions who play the Main Stage, the Claridge Stage and the Casino Lac-Leamy respectively.

Sound of Lions. Photo by Ben Welland.

Then on Thursday, July 12, festival-goers will be treated to the sounds of Sam Roberts Band, newcomers and 2012 JUNO-sweepers the Sheepdogs, American folk-rock singer-songwriter John Mellencamp and up-and-coming Russian trance DJ and producer Arty.

The Sheepdogs

To kick off the weekend nicely, Bluesfest organizers have scheduled an array of acts including the usual Blue Rodeo, Canadian rock group Our Lady Peace, indie rock group Hey Rosetta! and the internationally-acclaimed Montreal DJ A-Trak.

For Saturday, July 14, festival-goers can expect performances by American DJ, producer, and songwriter Diplo, rapper Tyga, hybrid-group Beirut, Ottawa’s The Souljazz Orchestra and electronic-music producer Skrillex just to name a few.

Skrillex

On Sunday, July 15, the final day of the festival, Bluesfest organizers save the best for last with shows by Somali-Canadian poet and rapper K’Naan, Toronto-based R&B sensation The Weeknd, DJ Felix Cartal and Canadian-favorite Metric.

The Weeknd

Enjoy the second week of Bluesfest and stay tuned for more reviews coming soon!

 

 

Event Review: Bluesfest Day 5 with the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, A Tribe Called Red, Seal and Chromeo

For Day 5 of Bluesfest, I decided to check out the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, A Tribe Called Red, Seal and Chromeo.

I especially attended Day 5 to see the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars whom I simply adore. If you don’t know this band’s story, you should definitely check out the documentary film that was made on them titled Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars. Their sound is a mix of African music and reggae, which is extremely contagious and impossible to resist. Their music is definitely captivating and inspiring and it sends a positive message of hope and that anything is possible if you have the will and the determination. The group performed in front of a good crowd of people that had gathered at the River Stage. For some, seeing the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars was a way to discover new world music and for others, it was an opportunity to dance and sing along to the songs from the group’s three studio albums. The gentlemen from the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars made me travel back to the Motherland on a beautiful summer afternoon and I can’t thank them enough for the wonderful feeling 🙂

The Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars at the 2012 Ottawa Bluesfest

Afterwards, we went straight to the Electro Stage for Ottawa’s-own A Tribe Called Red. My favorite local deejays were opening for none other than Chromeo! These boys have been working very hard to get where they are at and it definitely shows. They prepared a unique audio-visual experience for their Bluesfest crowd that left many wanting more. The creators of the Pow Wow Step gave festival-goers track after track of that unique sound that is true to them and them only and they even played some new material to everyone’s delight. Their one-hour set flew by very quickly and I’m happy I was there to celebrate A Tribe Called Red’s success 🙂 Keep making us proud ATCR!

A Tribe Called Red at the 2012 Ottawa Bluesfest

Before Chromeo’s set, we had a bit of time on our hands so we decided to go see part of Seal’s performance on the Claridge Stage. The British Soul and R&B singer attracted a much larger crowd than I had expected. Having said this, he was the biggest name featured on Day 5’s lineup along with being an experienced performer. Seal took the time between songs to speak to his fans and even shook some hands and smiled for the photographers on hand. I didn’t get to here my favorite song of his Fly Like an Eagle, but Seal did sing his famous single Kiss From a Rose and the popular Crazy. 

Seal at the 2012 Ottawa Bluesfest. Photo courtesy of the Ottawa Citizen.

Once Seal finished his performance, we headed back to the Electro Stage for Chromeo while Norah Jones was getting ready to start her show on the Main Stage. Having seen Chromeo perform twice in Ottawa before, I know how great they are on stage. However, since Dave 1 and P-Thugg were only playing a DJ set for Bluesfest, things were different and not as exciting as when the duo sings and plays live instruments. Nonetheless, Chromeo attracted a large audience and their audio-visual set clearly pleased the crowd who danced to their music selection. Still, I was a bit dissappointed given that they are one of the best (if not THE best) Electrofunk group around. Why a DJ set as opposed to a performance? Is that what Bluesfest organizers wanted from the Montreal-duo? Maybe, maybe not but this was in my opinion a bad call for Chromeo.

The Electro Stage at the 2012 Ottawa Bluesfest

Stay tuned for more reviews as we head into the second of Bluesfest!