Putting Bluesfest to Bed

As promised in my mid-festival photo essay, I'm reporting on Bluesfest a full 3 days since it ended, and 5 days since my last complete concert. I'll keep this short, I don't intend to give a review of the entire festival itself, since I only saw parts of at least 25 shows in 10 days and there were something like 150 bands overall. Instead, I've come up with my own awards list. Without further ado, from the studio in my bedroom on the second floor of my townhouse in Hintonburg, downtown Ottawa, the 2007 Bluesfest élan awards.

1. Best show for dancing- Shout Out Out Out Out

2. Best Ottawa band- Jetplanes of Abraham

3. Best personal find(s)- Cat Power; Gogol Bordello; Shout Out Out Out Out

4. Most disappointing show(s): Sarah Harmer; The Cat Empire; The White Stripes; Manu Chao; Blue Rodeo

5. Most amazing individual performance: Tagaq

6. Best concert moment: George Clinton rapping for 5 minutes, after calling himself the original gangsta rapper.

7. Classiest moment: George Clinton having local breakers on-stage, and then bear-hugging them

8. Best overall show(s): Jetplanes of Abraham; Shout Out Out Out Out; Gogol Bordello; Hawksley Workman; Metric; George Clinton & the P-Funk All-Stars

9. Show(s) I'm sorry I missed: Todd Snider, Xavier Rudd, Femi Kuti, Sharon Jones, Joel Plaskett & Emergency

10. Most annoying Bluesfest feature: lawnchairs

11. Most enjoyable Bluesfest feature: new location & green awareness

Metric at Bluesfest

Metric was great Friday night at the River Stage. The grounds at the river were packed, more than for any other concert over the course of the festival. Here are a few photos of Emily Haines, Metric's singer/songwriter extraordinaire.

http://www.ilovemetric.com

Gogol Bordello at Bluesfest

Gogol Bordello played Bluesfest last Friday, July 13th. I was feeling unlucky, since it was a day of misfortune, but they dispelled my unease with their witty banter and frenetic energy.

http://myspace.com/gogolbordello

http://www.gogolbordello.com/

Blue Rodeo at Bluesfest

Last night was the giant sing-along night at Bluesfest’s main stage, featuring one of Canada’s most popular bands, Blue Rodeo. As usual, there was a large, enthusiastic crowd, many sporting cowboy hats for Blue Rodeo’s pop country tunes.

The boys from Toronto put on a good show, playing many of their standards, including such hits as “Til I Am Myself Again,” “Head Over Heels,” “Rain Down on Me,” and “Bad Timing.” Among these oldies, they peppered three songs from their upcoming album, which will be released in October. These new songs fit rather well with the old ones, adding a hint of intrigue to the evening.

The best part of the show in my estimation was an opportunity to watch Jim Cuddy, BR’s resident crooner, belt out the sweet melodies. He is something else to watch live, all charm and deep emotion. When he hit that one high note in “Try” during the encore, he sounded almost angelic, it was a moment of pure musical beauty.

Also, watching Cuddy and BR’s other singer, Greg Keelor harmonize together was a special treat. Their timing is flawless, no doubt due to years of performing these same songs together.

Overall, it was a good show by a Canadian musical institution. I think next time I’ll skip out on Blue Rodeo though and check out the likes of Xavier Rudd, because it feels like if you’ve seen one BR concert, you’ve seen them all. But I still have a soft spot for them, in which case you never really know.

Tagaq at Bluesfest

Tanya Tagaq Gillis is perhaps the most alluring, terrifying, and downright intriguing performer I have ever seen. Last night on the Blacksheep Stage was the second time I’ve seen her and though this show was a little less intense than at the small venue I saw her at previously, it was still truly remarkable.

Tagaq is an Inuk throat singer, originally from Ikaluktuutiak (Cambridge Bay), Nunavut. When she went away to art school in Halifax, Nova Scotia, she sought to cure her homesickness by emulating her mother’s throat singing recordings. Having nobody to practice with, she learned alone, even though traditional throat singing is done in pairs as a type of game, where the first to laugh loses. Since being discovered by two of Bjork’s videographers in 2000, Tagaq has been a global musical sensation, though she still remains relatively obscure in Canada, even though recently CBC’s Zed called her, “possibly the most unique performer of truly traditonal, Canadian music in our country.” While Tagaq refuses to label what she does as traditional, this is no doubt high praise for someone who sort of fell into the music scene.

Being at one of her shows, it’s not unusual to see a bunch of bewildered faces watch her crawl, grovel or beg about onstage, while growling, wailing, flailing her body in all directions. She layers her voice to mimic any number of sounds. Not only was I left wondering how she’s able to make so many sounds all at once, but I kept asking myself how any human voice can produce such an array of surreal sounds. At once she’s singing like a diva, and next she’s grunting the lowest and deepest grunt you have ever heard from a human being. Her performance keys into so many emotions that it’s at times hard to watch without feeling some discomfort. It’s almost like watching a car wreck on the side of the highway. “Should I be watching such bloody carnage?” But then Tagaq smiles that million dollar smile of hers, she has such a charismatic stage presence, and we’re reminded that it’s a performance, and most importantly, that she’s having fun, as she makes abundantly clear.

Besides her opening piece where she sang for nearly 35 minutes accompanied by her collaborator Michael on turntables, she performed some traditional throat singing with her cousin Selena who happened to be in the crowd.

The two of them rocked slightly from side to side as they performed three pieces. The love and caring emanating from their voices and the way they caressed each other was touching. This was a highlight of the show, the opportunity to hear so many hauntingly powerful sounds all at once only comes around so often, and most in the crowd realized this and showed their appreciation accordingly.

I have little else to say about the show last night, except that I still feel Tagaq’s voice piercing my inner being. Seeing her is a little like taking a ride on an emotional roller coaster. It’s well worth the entrance fee if you don’t mind, or perhaps even enjoy, the temporary upheaval.


http://www.tanyatagaq.com/
www.myspace.com/tagaq

Cat Power at Bluesfest

I was walking through the main park area, working the final moments of my festival photography shift, when it hit me- the soft, ethereal voice of Cat Power (Charlyn “Chan” Marshall’s stage name). I was instantly seduced.

I knew little of her music beforehand, except for a friend’s recent enthusiasm for her songwriting, but after this show, I’ll be actively searching for more of her smooth vocals to carry me through life's many taxing moments.

Chan (pronounced “Shawn”) is renowned for her minimalist performances, as was on display this night. She was backed up by a talented crew of musicians, but there was no mistaking who was the centre of attention.

I’d say she sounds a little like Nora Jones, but I’m quite sure many Cat Power fans would have me hung for such blasphemy, but you get the idea. One of her bandmates called her the most talented soul singer in the world today. Well, I won’t put that to the test here, but for someone to seriously make that comment suggests the pure vocal talent exhibited by Cat Power.

On this night, she sang a few covers, something she is well-known for during performances. She gave each song an almost entirely new mood, as in her version of George Jackson’s “Aretha, Sing One for Me,” totally up tempo and down key. I like that she’s so playful with her own and other people’s music on stage.

The one major downside to the show was the fact that her mellow vibe was almost drowned out by the rockin’ tunes drifting over from the River Stage. Bluesfest, if you’re going to invite a performer like Cat Power to the main stage, then make sure people can appreciate her subtle message. Her soft melodies weren’t meant to be in a mash-up with some rockabilly music.

I’ll be acquainting myself more closely with Cat Power’s music in the very near future. I hope you do too.


http://www.myspace.com/catpower

George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars at Bluesfest

Shit. Last night at Bluesfest I feel like I witnessed a small piece of music history. When the P-Funk All-Stars sauntered on-stage and announced that they were gonna rock it like 1979, they weren't joking. Their set was a walk through the roots of funk, hip-hop and even house music. I've never been to a show that covered such a wide scope of musical genres. It was awe-inspiring.


The show really took off after about 35 minutes, when George Clinton finally arrived onstage. Before that, the All-Stars played an array of rock-themed funk, but when the Prime Minister of Funk himself graced us with his presence, the show went into hyper mode.

Whether encouraging the crowd to clap along, or strutting about onstage, the PM commands your attention like very few. I used to think that Manu Chao's was a great performance, but after seeing Clinton and his large entourage perform, there's a new standard in town.


I can see why so many rap and hip-hop artists cite Clinton as one of their prime influences. At one point in the set, the King of Interplanetary Funkmanship informed the crowd that he was once considered a 'gangsta rapper.' And then, he went on to rap for five minutes about how, as one of the originals, he can out-rap any and all comers. It was an amazing concert moment.


Between their mix of James Brown-inspired soul, Parliament-inflected funk and general chaotic energy on stage, Clinton and the All-Stars are a must-see. I'm going to be scouring the local vinyl shops for some of their stuff, but it won't be the same in my living room without Clinton's larger-than-life presence.

One last thing. During their show last night, Clinton had two local breakdancers perform onstage. Buddha and Ben Jammin' put on a wicked display, much to the delight of the crowd and Clinton, who gave them each a huge hug after their work. This was a classy moment, on a memorable night.

Bluesfest Photo Essay

Halfway through Bluesfest now, so consider this my mid-way visual report. I've taken hundreds of photos, and don't yet have the time to sort through them all, but here are some of my faves. I'll be posting an array of photo arrangements after the end of the festival next week.

Spiral Beach- July 8th

Shout Out Out Out Out- July 8th

Jetplanes of Abraham- July 7th

Ryan Shaw- July 7th

Tony Dee & Vince Halfhide- July 4th

"Why do you think they fuckin' adverstise, it's 'coz we'll make them rich while they rule our lives"- Forever Indebted, Shout Out Out Out Out

Hawksley Workman at Bluesfest

I had been anticipating the Hawksley Workman show for quite some time, but for some reason I let a new friend talk me into checking out the White Stripes. So there I was, bopping to the Stripes and enjoying their trippy light show, when some person next to us passed out. During the frantic frenzy that followed, I darted out of the crowd to look for paramedics. When I finally got back to my spot to find that the said person was safely escorted away, I just wasn't up for anymore of the Stripes. I didn't like their music much to begin with, and I was pretty seriously under-whelmed by their show.

Hawksley, on the other hand, was anything but a disappointment. Being the great live performer that he is, one sort of expects great things from him. On this night, he delivered, and then some.

The most impressive part of the show was hearing, and for that matter, seeing his vocal range. He kept pushing his vocal chords to pull off great tonal feats. This is trademark Workman, and for good reason.

The funnest part of the concert was when Workman called a young Anakin (10 years old?) out of the crowd and onto the stage to perform with him. Not only did Anakin (not related to Darth Vader) get to sing one song, but he came back to perform another one during the main set, and one during the encore. In fact, during "We Still Need a Song," Anakin was pretty much alone on background vocals, singing passionately about how it was the last chance to be sad/mad like he knew the sorrow Hawksley was singing about quite intimately. During it all, the crowd loved it. Chalk up another great stage display.

Another nice touch throughout the 90 minute set was his choice to play covers as the bridge in certain songs. This worked well to keep the crowd on board, as when he sang the chorus to Aretha Franklin's "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman" near the end of the show.

I'll go see Hawksley again if I get the opportunity, his fun mixture of cabaret pop and glam rock can be truly moving.

www.hawksleyworkman.com

Shout Out Out Out Out at Bluesfest

I was sitting on an old decrepit rail bridge spanning the Ottawa River, chilling with some friends, when we overheard the pulsating bass coming from the River Stage at Bluesfest. We immediately decided to cut back to dance together.

Little did we know we’d come upon Shout Out Out Out Out, an Edmonton-based outfit playing to an enthusiastic crowd at the stage overlooking the river. Suddenly I found myself among a sweaty throng snapping photos all the while moving to the seductive beats.


SOOOO has this great sound, what my friend from Edmonton called a real Edmonton sound. While I’m not sure she’s totally on board with that take on Alberta’s capital, they did have a unique blend of electronic goodness, mixed in with conventional rock rhythms, and lots of cowbell. That's right, at one point the bassist and keyboard player were playing dueling cowbells, one plugged in and reverbed to make it sound like a house beat. Very cool.


Between the synthesizers, samplers, and bass, SOOOO makes some truly volatile dance music. Some dirty beats mixed in with some deep bass, and a fun performance. This was my first time seeing or hearing about Shout Out Out Out Out. I’m sure it won’t be the last, and next time it won’t be through a chance encounter.

http://www.myspace.com/shoutoutoutoutout

Manu Chao at Bluesfest

Not surprisingly, Manu Chao put on a good show last night at Ottawa Bluesfest. From the moment his band started playing and Chao stepped on stage, you knew it was going to be a memorable concert under the clouds and dampness.

With the backdrop of the Parliament Buildings and city’s skyline, Chao kept the crowd moving for nearly two hours. Chao understands well how to keep the energy in a crowd flowing, he seldom broke between songs, keeping the hungry dance fanatics smiling until the end. Well not quite until the very end, they did manage to play a ridiculous amount of encores, maybe 4 in total, enough to keep the crowd a bit annoyed in the final 10 minutes.

However, through his diverse set- Chao sang in at least 4 languages-he exuded tremendous confidence, willing the crowd to join him for the ride. He’s truly a great performer. The fact that his music is deeply infused with messages of global peace and social justice, much like the music of Sarah Harmer and Micheal Franti, made for an amazing night of socially-conscious music and dance.

While Chao’s performance was good, that of the Bluesfest sound and lighting crew was seriously lacking. What’s with not being able to hear background vocals at Bluesfest? On several occasions, Chao’s extremely energetic lead guitarist and bassist were yelling vocals between Chao’s own, but could scarcely be heard at all. It was so bad that a text-messager posted "A little bit of background vocals would be nice" on the giant screen for all to see. It sure beat all the other obscenities being posted.

In addition to this unfortunate mishap, the lead guitarist performed a number of truly awe-inspiring solos, and yet, every time there was no light spotting him. In fact, he was left in the dark in the center of the stage, as if he was in the back room being punished for bad behaviour. Bring out the lights on such wicked stuff, Manu Chao wasn’t the only person on stage worthy of some light.

Besides these technical faux-pas, the concert was a success. The thousands of people streaming out of the park afterwards were commenting very favourably on Chao’s groovy mix. Most were surprised that he sounded so punkish live, but were still happy to be able to dance outdoors and see a key figure in world music.

Micheal Franti & Spearhead at Bluesfest

Like usual, Franti and his band of misfits put on an brisk show full of fine reggae and ska-influenced moments of raw energy. He had the crowd moving to his peace-loving vibes, something Franti is renowned for, given his music’s heavy reliance on messages of social (in)justice.

While I dig Franti’s message, last night his irksome tendency to chant out various calls to arms was a bit too much. I saw him last year at Bluesfest, that’s where the photos accompanying this review come from, and it was a bit of an irritant then, but the party went on. But last night, it drove me a little crazy. I think I woke up this morning hear Franti yelling “Ooooooottawaaaaaaa! How you feelin?” over and over again. We get it Micheal, you like saying our city’s name, and you care about how we all feel, I mean that’s central to your message, but please, spare us the repetitive mush. Don’t get me wrong, if I had to choose between Van Morrison’s scorn for the audience or Micheal Franti’s over-enthusiasm, I’d take Franti any day. I just wish he’d add a bit of variety to his efforts to engage the audience.

And whatever happened to Franti & Spearhead’s hip-hop rhythms. It seems that when they perform live they turn to more conventional rock, reggae and ska sounds, but I always miss their hip-hop beats. Maybe next time they’ll pull out the hip-hop from the bag, I think everyone would appreciate it.

On the point of variety though, many people in the crowd enjoyed his environmentally-charged version of the Sesame Street anthem. It was a great way to get the crowd involved in a sing-along. Well done! I hope they keep up the good work fighting for environmental, social and racial justice, and in the meantime, that they keep the party alive.

Sarah Harmer at Bluesfest

Unfortunately, what I remember most vividly about Sarah Harmer's concert was the guy sitting beside me being a total jerk. He complained so often and belligerently about how this wasn’t the blues, that my crew had to get up in the middle of the lawn chairs section (the horror!) and move camp to another area between the sea of sitting folks. Trust me, you don’t do that at Ottawa Bluesfest without a very serious reason. I was glad to escape the drunken tyrant who seemed to be ruining things for everyone around him, but I can’t say that I enjoyed the concert much more afterwards.

I’m a pretty big Sarah Harmer fan, but I think she’d be much better to see in a smaller venue. There’s something about her slow-moving pseudo folk-country that has the potential to lull one slowly to sleep in the expanse of a cavernous field. Even her more rocking songs came out mellowed-out quite considerably, which was too bad, because I had high hopes. I think having Harmer on the same bill as Micheal Franti & Spearhead and Manu Chao was a mistake. I could’ve used someone to get me pumped for the big dance party to come, but Harmer was not that person.

Don’t get me wrong, Harmer’s a great songwriter and talented vocalist, this came out clearly last night. But she’s not an opener for the acts who were following. I’ll go see her again, but not at a big outdoor stage like this, unless of course it’s a folk fest where she fits the bill more solidly.

But can I say one more thing? Her background vocalist rocked. At times she stole the show, her sweet voice could be felt miles away. Will you come sing for me?

Jetplanes of Abraham at Bluesfest

Amazing. The Jetplanes of Abraham are a must-see for everyone who hasn't been fortunate enough to do so yet. These Ottawa-based rockers are quickly making a name for themselves on the Canadian indie music scene with their multi-instrumental melodies and their fun stage antics. Think The Broken Social Scene meets The Arcade Fire in a field along the 401 outside of Kingston, Ontario, at the exact point between Montreal, Toronto & Ottawa. Can you hear the pulsating rhythm, better yet, can you feel it? That's the Jetplanes, all slow melodies broken up by a furry of power chords and strings, with some hand-clapping and chanting thrown in for very good measure. You know the musical break is coming, you can sense it in the air, just like a good mystery story, you know the hook has come and gone and the story's going to take a turn for the shocking, but it matters not, if it's done well, you're along for the ride. That's how I feel about Jetplanes, it was the second time I've seen them, last time at a smaller venue in Ottawa, and this time I'm hooked. I'll be scouring the local papers for when they're playing in town next. I suggest you do the same if this genre of music appeals to you.


I had two relatively minor problems with the show. The strings need to be more prominent. There were a couple of songs where the strings were completely drowned out by the guitars, which was unfortunate, because I think they could've carried the song, perhaps even brought it into some new territory. Also, give me some background vocals! I don't think I ever heard the women singing background. I saw them, but it just didn't translate to a sound. Too bad, we could hear all the boys fine, I think hearing the girls would've been nice. In other words, give me more of the girls, both on vocals and on strings.


Go see the Jetplanes of Abraham the next time they're in town. They're hot, and they'll get you moving. Promise.



www.jetplanesofabraham.com
www.myspace.com/jetplanesofabraham

Janiva Magness at Bluesfest

While I was walking through the main festival grounds, looking for shots of volunteers hard at work, I heard the powerful, smoky voice of Los-Angeles based Janiva Magness, and couldn't resist strolling over to the Rogers Stage to not only hear her, I could do that just fine from anywhere on the grounds, but to see her. Magness is that kind of performer, someone you have to hear and see to get the whole experience.

She put on a great performance on this mid-afternoon day, singing some Blues classics, along with many tracks from her latest album, Do I Move You, released on Canadian label NorthernBlues Music.

Two moments stand as being memorable. First, there was the song in which Magness wore some faux armour, and played the front of her body armour with what looked to be a spoon. It was great to watch her move to the music as she literally played her body. Next was her long interlude to one of her new song's, where she talked up the necessity for older women to hook up with younger men. The cougar's in the crowd cheered enthusiastically throughout, I couldn't help but be reminded of Etta James' performance at last year's festival. Without a doubt, James is one of Magness' biggest influences, and her sauciness, along with her sultry voice, points to this.

I was glad to wander over to the stage when I did, as were the 4-500 people enjoying her performance. Magness is definitely a blues star worth seeing again, perhaps in a smaller, more intimate venue.

The Elmer Ferrer Band at Bluesfest

Closing out the first night of Bluesfest was the Elmer Ferrer Band. Ferrer, the lead guitarist in the band, is recognized as one of the most talented guitarists in Cuba, and perhaps the most talented electric guitarist on the island. He didn’t disappoint the large crowd pouring out from the Van Morrison show, as he dazzled with his blues licks.

In addition to Ferrer, the band features Roberto Riveron on bass guitar, another of Cuba’s hidden musical wonders. Together, they form a dynamic duo, playing off each other’s blues riffs to the crowd’s delight.

The famed blues guitarist Tony Dee also joined them on stage, and rose to the occasion, showing off some impressive blues guitar solos. Together with the EFB’s singer and rhythm guitarist, they had people moving to the roaring sounds of the rumba blues. It was a nice switch from Morrison’s more mellow set, as the EFB, featuring Tony Dee, played a series of harder blues lines.

The EFB plays Bluesfest later in the week as well, so if you missed them this time, check them out before they’re gone.

Van Morrison at Bluesfest

I headed down to Lebreton Flats in Ottawa today for the opening of Bluesfest, the capital’s largest music festival. While it hardly counts as a “blues” festival in any purist’s mind (INXS anyone?), it did kick off this year with Van Morrison, a notable blues aficionado.

Yes, you read that right, Van Morrison doesn’t just play mellow pop ballads from the ‘70s, for example, everyone’s favourite campfire song, Brown-eyed Girl, and such hits as Gloria and Moondance. Both of those girls did make an appearance, I think I may have known one beforehand, but Van Morrison and his accomplished band pulled out a strong blues-inflected set that didn’t disappoint his many adoring fans, perhaps over 30,000 in total.

Not surprisingly, many of these baby boomers rocked slowly back and forth throughout, giving one a sense of being at a slow-moving dance party. Fittingly, this matched the music’s tempo to a tee, and everyone was happy when it all came to an end after nearly 90 minutes.

On the down side, Morrison, renowned for his petulant personality, didn’t say a word to the crowd. I’m not even sure I saw him smile through my 300mm lens. This type of energy was reserved for his band, who put on a great performance. If it wasn’t for the smoky-smoothness of Morrison’s voice, I’d say that his keyboard player might’ve stolen the show. Close, but not quite on this night.

On the strength of this performance, I don’t think I’d go see him perform again. But one time was just about right.