The National close out Bluesfest on the RBC Main Stage, July 17, 2022

July 19th, 2022  |  by  |  published in Concerts

The National close out Bluesfest on the RBC Main Stage, July 17, 2022

On a sweltering July night, I​ndie 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 […]

Bluesfest 2021 – Day 2

September 25th, 2021  |  by  |  published in Concerts, Features, News

Bluesfest 2021 - Day 2

Day 2 of Bluesfest was a mix of blues and some classic rock. No strangers to local music fans, Ottawa’s own Monkey Junk kicked things off with a solid set. While festival audiences quite often trickle in slowly, a large crowd showed up early to catch the openers. It was an older crowd on day […]

Bluesfest 2021 – Day 1

September 24th, 2021  |  by  |  published in Concerts, Features, News

Bluesfest 2021 - Day 1

There was a large crowd on hand for the first night of this year’s shortened Ottawa Bluesfest. On and off rain through the early part of the evening eventually turned into a steady downpour by the time Half Moon Run hit the stage, drenching the crowd. That didn’t dampen spirits however, as the majority of […]

Ottawa Bluesfest 2019 – Day Eight – July 12

July 13th, 2019  |  by  |  published in Concerts

Ottawa Bluesfest 2019 - Day Eight - July 12

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 […]

Ottawa Bluesfest 2019 – Day Six – July 10

July 11th, 2019  |  by  |  published in Concerts

Ottawa Bluesfest 2019 - Day Six - July 10

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 […]

Ottawa Bluesfest 2019 – Day Four – July 7

July 8th, 2019  |  by  |  published in Concerts

Ottawa Bluesfest 2019 - Day Four - July 7

Sunday night was a pleasant mix of different styles. Getting there early, I was lucky to catch partial sets from some great local artists. I was a first timer for Outside I’m a Giant, Moonfruits and River City Junction. Entertaining sets from all of these talented musicians. Bluesfest does a fine job bringing in lots […]

RBC Ottawa Bluesfest – Day 6

July 15th, 2018  |  by  |  published in Concerts

RBC Ottawa Bluesfest - Day 6

My first stop on this evening was to catch Ottawa’s own Lucas Haneman Express. For those complaining about the lack of blues artists, this local act kept the early arrivals with a scorching set. The band was thrilled to be opening the City Stage for Dave Matthews! I next caught The Suitcase Junket over on […]

RBC Ottawa Bluesfest – Day 5

July 14th, 2018  |  by  |  published in Concerts

RBC Ottawa Bluesfest - Day 5

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, […]

RBC Ottawa Bluesfest – Day 4

July 13th, 2018  |  by  |  published in Concerts

RBC Ottawa Bluesfest - Day 4

As day 4 rolled in, I was most looking forward to seeing the Strumbellas hit the City Stage. With 3 solid albums under their belts and some strong Ottawa shows over the last few years, they have become one of my favorite bands. Sunday night was no exception as the band delighted the crowd with […]

RBC Ottawa Bluesfest – Day 3

July 9th, 2018  |  by  |  published in Concerts

RBC Ottawa Bluesfest - Day 3

Ottawa Bluesfest Day #3, the day that all screaming teens, parents, and people of all ages were waiting for, AKA “Shawn Mendes day!”. Another packed day with a lineup of musical talents would not let anyone down regardless of your genre preferences. Lauv made a strong impact on the City Stage, packing the largest area […]