July 18th, 2023 | by Scott Martin | published in Concerts
The last day of this years Bluesfest is probably the one I most looking forward to. The Smile as headliners was just my thing. I’ve been a huge Radiohead thing for a long time and The Smile’s music doesn’t stray very far with Them and Jonny at the helm. What a way to end this […]
July 17th, 2023 | by Scott Martin | published in Concerts
Day 8 of this year’s Bluesfest was another busy night as the third sellout crowd of this year’s festival with Pitbull, Ludacris and GRAE all taking the main stage. Great sets from the locals hitting the various stages this evening. They included Joe McDonald, Drew Nelson, HOROJO Trio and Boston Levi. Other performers entertaining the […]
July 16th, 2023 | by Scott Martin | published in Concerts
Day 7 featured a lot of female talent and kicking things off on the main stage was local Amanda Jordan who hails from Smiths Falls. She was followed by strong performances from Fletcher and Charlotte Cardin. Other local talent featured this evening included Pony Girl, Neha Sin and Michelle Treacy. Other artists rounding out the […]
July 11th, 2023 | by Aaron Kaiserman | published in Concerts
Late in the show, Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard acknowledged the elephant in the room. In 2011, I was front and centre when the stage collapsed on Cheap Trick. It was a scary moment and then a huge disappointment to learn that all remaining shows would be cancelled. Death Cab for Cutie, still […]
July 11th, 2023 | by Aaron Kaiserman | published in Concerts
In a show that was early on marred by sound issues, Tegan and Sara showed incredible confidence and poise. Between a malfunctioning monitor and buzzing pickups, it was bad luck for Sara who twice had to stop the show to address the technical problems. But the twin frontwomen turned these false starts into opportunities to […]
July 10th, 2023 | by Scott Martin | published in Concerts
The crowds were quite a bit smaller for day three compared to the first two nights. Thankfully, it was somewhat cooler as well given how hot the first two nights were. There were plenty of great local acts to take in on Saturday including the Nesrallah Artuso Project, Aspects, BLAKDENIM and Matthew Chaffey. It was […]
July 9th, 2023 | by Scott Martin | published in Concerts
So far it’s been a hot and sticky start to Bluesfest, but I’ll take that over the rain. There may not have been as many people as day one, but day two was still a pretty packed house with large crowds showing up for the main stage combo of Billy Talent and Weezer. Toronto band […]
June 23rd, 2023 | by Aaron Kaiserman | published in Concerts
Dear Rouge frontwoman Danielle McTaggart took a moment to direct the audience to look up and enjoy clear, starry sky while listening to live music with loved ones. A fitting prelude to the nostalgic banger “Stolen Days.” It was indeed a perfect night for a concert against the backdrop of Mooney’s Bay for the […]
December 18th, 2022 | by Aaron Kaiserman | published in Concerts
After more than 2 years of Covid-related delays, Ottawa finally got the Headstones show they’ve been waiting for as the band took the stage two nights in a row, December 16 and 17, at the Bronson centre. Opening with the title track off the new album, Flight Risk, and following it up with the somewhat […]
July 19th, 2022 | by Aaron Kaiserman | published in Concerts
On a sweltering July night, Indie rock mainstays The National brought their own kind of heat to the Ottawa RBC Bluesfest main stage. Simmering Emotion “If you want to see me cry, play Let it Be or Nevermind” sang Matt Berninger on the show opener, “Don’t Swallow the Cap,” setting the stage for a band […]