Ottawa Bluesfest Day 3 kicks off with a slew of great sets from local artists

July 10th, 2017 by Scott Martin | Published in Concerts, Features

I headed out early on this Saturday afternoon to take in what I could of the locals starting off the day. My oldest son was also in tow, coming to see what Bluesfest was like for the first time. I figured this would be the best opportunity with the smaller crowds that are present at 3PM on weekends.

First up on the City Stage was local rap artist Made Wade. I was not at all familiar with him and that is why I often like to get there early, to check out some of the local talent. Wade spewed his rhymes with ease as he worked the stage, accompanied by DJ Alive. My son got a real kick out of his song Poutine.

Next up in the Bluesville tent were The Tackies. They belted out an enjoyable set of alternative rock with plenty of catchy riffs.

After a quick ride on the ferris wheel, we headed over to the Black Sheep stage to check out Riishi Von Rex. I have seen this band a few times now. I really enjoy their music and their Bluesfest set was enjoyable as always. Check out our pre-festival interview.

Our running around continued as we headed for our first stop at the Claridge Homes Stage to catch a few songs from Brea Lawrenson and her band.This day was truly a mixed bag of music and Brea was the first of a few country artists to take the stage. Her fans came out early, as this was the largest crowd I had seen at any of the stages so far in the afternoon.

We then headed back to the Bluesville tent to check out Taylor Knox. This was the one act I caught at the start of the day that wasn’t local. Taylor had a strong pop rock sound and seems to having a knack for writing a catchy tune as the first part of his set really caught my ear.

The City Stage was our next stop as Lynne Hanson and her band, The Good Intentions were set to entertain the growing crowd. Lynne and her band were clearly enjoying themselves as they were all smiles.

Our last stop was the Black Sheep stage where The Angelina Hunter Trio was heating things up on already hot and sunny afternoon. The thing that struck me most was the power behind Angelina’s vocals. She can really belt out a tune!