As the temperature cooled off, so did the crowds. Day 3 of RBC Bluesfest was very relaxed and festival-goers could finally sample food and beverages from the many different vendors without hassle. It seemed to be a recovery day from the packed shows on the previous two nights.
Steven Taetz took the stage at 6 p.m. to ease the small crowd into an evening of mellow tunes on the main RBC stage. “Are we ready for a party?” he asked the crowd before beginning his set. The audience wasn’t paying close attention to him, until he started to sing and then heads turned. His sultry voice captivated the crowd and shifted the vibe from a concert in a field to an intimate show in a dimly lit jazz club.
Diehard Led Zeppelin fans, clad in their old band t-shirts and outfits they probably wore to see Led Zeppelin back in the day, lined the barricade at the front to wait for Robert Plant to play a few hours later.
The crowd grew a little bit more as Blackie & The Rodeo Kings played next, but it was noticeably empty across the festival grounds. It was easy to walk up to a stand and buy a beer or use the washroom without waiting (which was a nice change of pace for most). They played a mix of roots-rock, folk, country, and Americana-style songs to the older crowd that was there to relax and have drinks in their lawn chairs.
“We thought we were smart and cool writing a song about being stoned,” said singer Tom Wilson about their early days as he introduced their next song, and he joked about how the whole country is stoned now (which greatly amused their fellow baby boomers).
It was an evening of easy listening, lounging, and leisurely strolls—a big change from the chaos of the first two days. Festival organizers knew that Robert Plant & Alison Krauss would draw a much older crowd, and moved the designated chair areas forward to allow for a better view. By the time the main act came out, the majority of the main stage area was filled with lawn chairs.
Plant and Krauss walked on stage and held raised hands high as they approached their microphones and the crowd clapped and cheered for them. “Hey, hey,” Plant said, sounding just like the start of Black Dog, which made the crowd roar with enthusiasm. It was clear that the crowd was here to see the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and relive their youth with one of their favorite musicians.
But this wasn’t a Led Zeppelin show—Plant and Krauss play a very different kind of music. The smooth Americana songs were perfect for the older crowd as the chill vibes continued. When Plant was in his 20s he became one of the greatest rock frontmen of all time, and now his style of music has matured. The two have won six Grammy awards together, proving it to be a very fruitful collaboration between his rock past and her bluegrass-country background.
The River stage featured a variety of artists throughout the day, starting with The Texas Horns. They also played to a small but engaged crowd, with older folks dancing to the blues beats. The three-piece horn section has performed live with hundreds of artists at various festivals, including playing With Lindsay Ell a few days earlier and Matthew Chaffey after their own show. They dedicated “this show and all shows”, said tenor sax player Mark Kazanoff, to Bob Provick, one of the founders of Bluesfest and his best fishing buddy.
Then BLAKDENIM, a hip hop collective from Ottawa and late addition to the lineup that evening, stumbled on stage to play for an empty crowd. But as the beats started flowing, the audience grew larger and larger for one of the most interesting shows so far. Raul Midon canceled at the last minute and BLAKDENIM was asked the night before to play, and they jumped on the opportunity. Emcee Precise Kenny Creole wasn’t able to attend, but Nicholas Pouponneau from Zoo Legacy jumped in the morning of the show to help out as emcee.
“We became a band this morning,” Pouponneau laughed and told the crowd they had to come up with songs to perform together that morning. The audience was quiet at first but as he continued to tell stories and talk to the crowd, the crowd began to talk back. Audience interaction became a big part of their show as they moved from song to song and then decided it was time to create a new song live. They collected a variety of words one at a time (surprisingly tame words), and he freestyle rapped as the audience cheered for his quick delivery.
BADBADNOTGOOD, an Ontario-based jazz ensemble, closed out the River stage with a dark and atmospheric set. With little to no lighting, the crowd was made to experience only the sounds of soul jazz, alternative hip hop, and experimental electronica. Did they turn out the lights to keep the bugs that have been pestering River stage guests away, or did they do it to set the mood? As they worked through their setlist it was clear that they wanted the music to be our focus. They took the audience on a poetic journey with a variety of instrumental songs that both calmed and electrified listeners.
Over on the SiriusXM stage, Matthew Chaffey was serving cool jazz and deeply soulful beats backed by The Texas Horns. It was a treat to be able to experience the two bands supporting each other at different times yesterday. “We came here to party, are you here to party?” Chaffey asked the crowd as he slid into his first upbeat song. The tent and bleachers were packed as people from all walks of life grooved along with him. Keep an eye out for his debut solo album Unknown Legend, coming out this year!
Sugaray Rayford played on the SiriusXM stage and in the Barney Danson Theatre yesterday, with a very intimate show in the theatre. His raw blues power was felt in full force as he put down the microphone and walked through the crowd, singing directly to everyone around him. His deep and seductive voice made singing about dirty dishes sexy, and his charm kept the audience hanging off his every word.
