Don’t believe the hype. That is, the hype I built the last time we reviewed The Dirty Nil. They took the City Stage for the 6 PM slot on July 12th to diehard fans knowing every word or people waiting for the Offspring. They played a nearly identical show to the last time we saw […]
One of the saddest crossovers in the Bluesfest schedule this year was Elle King coinciding with The Sheepdogs. Unfortunately, due to personal reasons, Elle King was unable to perform. The Sheepdogs instead closed the Videotron Stage on July 10th. The crowd was packed, begging the note that if The Sheepdogs had played the Bluesville stage […]
PUP’s lead signer reviewed their show on the third day of Bluesfest better than anyone could, “not the ideal situation to see a PUP show, in the middle of a field, but you guys are doing great.” The audience at the City Stage for the show really, really liked PUP, and if you are a […]
Know what’s fun if not good? Country music. Especially in the summer on a calm night and preferably with a cold beverage. My father will tell you the golden age of country music was 2011. Where artists like Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, and Jake Owen released their hits. Also released in that year was the […]
The time of year has arrived for Bluesfest. Day One always has hiccups and complaints aplenty with the new one-gate entry they adopted, what, two or three festivals ago? Let’s get over it. It’s zig-zaggy and irritating, we know. The Bluesfest lineup this year is nostalgic, and if it was 2006 or 2007, nothing short […]
Mumford and Sons played live at the Canadian Tire Centre with the support of Cat Power on Tuesday, March 5, 2019. Let’s hear a round of applause for a major artist that didn’t skip Ottawa.The night began with Cat Power, who played to a scarcely filled arena. Like any good performer, she didn’t seem to […]
The concept of rock and roll is oft forgotten in a city like Ottawa, where work the next morning and the inconvenience of a weeknight keeps folks at home instead of catching a show. This was not the case on Wednesday, November 28th, when The Dirty Nil showed exactly why anyone from the Capital losing […]
Roland Prince hit the Blacksheep Stage at 6 PM on day 4 of the RBC Ottawa Bluesfest. Local hip-hop and R&B artists are seldom spoken of in the Ottawa Music scene, so Spotlight figured we’d check out the Kanata born artist. We were pleasantly surprised. A self-proclaimed “proud weirdo” with a background in stage acting, […]
While the awful security line overshadowed the opening day of Bluesfest 2018, the cooler weather seemed to calm the crowd on Day 2, allowing everyone to enjoy what these two weeks are all about, the music. Local artist Kelsey Hayes opened up the new Claridge Home Stage. Bluesfest adopted the “tent-over-the-audience model” many bigger festivals […]
Local alternative outfit Legion of Saints comprises of catchy choruses and intricate guitar hooks. Band members include lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bryce Atkinson, lead guitarist Floro Belly Jr., bassists Shawn Bowser, and drummer Sebastion Bax. The band has been active since 2010 and released a LP in 2015 called Last Call — which is […]