Day 8 of RBC Bluesfest kicked off with another drink special from 5 to 7 p.m. to entice people to show up early and beat the rush. It was the third sold out night of Bluesfest this year and the crowds were already getting rowdy by the first show.
GRAE, a soft pop artist from Toronto, Ontario, took to the main RBC stage at 6 p.m. to get everyone ready for a night of dancing and partying. Unfortunately, her show had a rough start with sound issues that were not addressed until her set was almost over. It was nearly impossible for me to gauge her performance because of the ringing, crackling, and constant reverb. She put on a fun stage show with a pole dancer dressed in white lingerie, which contrasted nicely with her black mesh outfit and bright pink hair.
Joe McDonald was up first on the SiriusXM stage with a much more relaxed vibe. The Ottawa valley-bred singer/songwriter served soft blues melodies to a small crowd. He praised the loyal fans that he recognized from other shows and then he asked, “Who’s here to see us?” He laughed as talked about Ludacris and Pitbull performing later and how much he appreciates people stopping to watch him perform. The draw of Bluesfest nowadays seems to be the bigger pop, rock, and hip hop acts, but there’s still a large amount of people that come just to relax and listen to some blues.
HOROJO Trio, the Ottawa “super group”, was up next after McDonald. The trio is made up of drummer Jamie Holmes, singer/keyboardist Jeff Rogers, and guitarist/singer JW-Jones, who was named the year’s Best Guitarist at the IBC. They brought their blend of soul rockin’ rhythm and blues to a growing crowd under the tent. Jones’ smooth solos complimented Rogers’ soulful, raspy vocals, and made the audience erupt in massive cheers after each song. We could’ve listened to this band all night long and felt no pain.
Mike McNamee, known as Boston Levi, closed out the SiriusXM stage to end a night of passionate local blues music. The musician from Perth, Ontario has a passion for hockey and music, but when the pandemic put a hold on his hockey career, he was given the chance to develop his musical persona and focus on his craft as a musician. McNamee’s powerful vocals, slight rasp, and insightful lyrics captivated the crowd as they swayed along. Taking the stage bare feet, McNamee lead his band on an hour of hauntingly beautiful, heart-aching tunes. Regardless of some technical difficulties at the beginning of the show, the band delivered and entertained.
Abby Stewart, a singer/songwriter from Kingston, Ontario, brought country vibes to the River stage. The 22-year-old had a very graceful presence as she sang a mix of gentle and upbeat country/pop songs to a modest crowd. She spoke about getting out of writer’s block at the start of the pandemic with the help of a friend and writing a new song, which she then performed. The crowd cheered for her and she smiled brightly and said it was the perfect amount of applause and viewers. With a beautiful and dynamic voice, I won’t be surprised when her career really takes off.
Julia Jacklin, an Australian singer/songwriter, was the final act on the River stage and brought a calming energy to the people that weren’t as interested in the dance club on the other side of the War Museum. She attracted a bunch of super fans who had camped out in front of the stage and were eager to communicate with her in between the tunes. She ended up dedicating a song to one of the fans to their delight. As light rain sprinkles fell and the invasive bass beats and audience screams leaked through from the main stage, Jacklin still managed to captivate her audience and keep them under her spell. Unbothered by the side noise, she finished her dreamlike hour-long set to send people home content.
While the side stages served relaxing blues, soft country, and gentle indie folk music, the main stage area turned into Ottawa’s biggest club. Glowsticks, light-up costumes, and balloons came out as people of all ages went wild on a Saturday night. I even saw several people dressed up as Pitbull, with bald caps and everything.
The difference in crowd etiquette between this sold out night and the Foo Fighters sold out night was like night and day. Last night people were throwing up in recycling bins, throwing up right at strangers’ feet, bashing through the crowd, passing out left and right, and peeing their pants, whereas the crowd at Foo Fighters just wanted to rock out and enjoy the music. The hip hop and rap nights always draw the party crowd, but hopefully everyone had a good time and no one was seriously hurt. I did see one teenager who looked like the personification of death with his greenish grey skin, but after he threw up he was good to go. Party on!
Ludacris, who needs no introduction, kicked off the party with video clips of different people saying “ludacris”, ending with “ludacris speed” from Spaceballs, a favorite of mine. The crowd pushed in and became nearly as big as the Foo Fighters crowd as he served hit after hit. Everyone knows his music, whether you’re a hip hop fan or not.
His light show was a bit lost on the bright summer evening, but he truly didn’t need a lot of fanfare or theatrics to get the audience jumping and screaming. Call and response songs peppered his set, which kept the crowd engaged the entire hour. He and Lil’ Fate, a longtime friend, riled up the crowd even more by playing the left and right sides of the stage against each other. “Fuck that side,” they had us screaming back and forth as they laughed on stage before making us all friends again. Ludacris looked like he was truly shocked by the size and engagement of the audience, and his goofy and charming smile proved that he was having an amazing time on stage.
One of my favorite moments during his set was his shoutout to the independent women of 2023, as he moved into Glamorous by Fergie. “If you ain’t got no money take yo’broke ass home,” he repeated and all the women cheered. The man knows how to cater to the ladies as he gave out his hotel information a few songs earlier and asked if any women were looking to go on a trip.
As his show ended and everyone scrambled to find more drinks, even more people flooded the festival grounds. The size of the crowd rivalled the Foo Fighters concert, and after seeing some aerial shots I think this was the biggest Bluesfest crowd ever. I’m curious what the actual attendance numbers are from each night of Bluesfest.
Pitbull, Mr.Worldwide, shocked the crowd as he started 12 minutes early, giving us even more time to dance. The festival became a nightclub from the stage to the exit and all the way down the road and through the War Museum courtyard. I felt like I was 19 again hitting the clubs with my girls on a Saturday night; all dolled up and not a care in the world. Next to me three generations of women in cute outfits danced like there was no tomorrow. His set felt like the Bluesfest grand finale because it seemed like everyone in town was either in the festival or watching from outside the gates.
“Who came to party?” he asked the crowd—pretty much everyone there! With an extravagant light and smoke show and a crew of stunning female backup dancers wearing luxurious lingerie, he was truly here to give us a memorable spectacle. With a mix of samples from Guns N’ Roses, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi, and many more, every song was a crowd-pleaser. And Mr.Worldwide loved talking to the crowd, showing his appreciation, and offering advice.
“Music teaches us that we all breathe the same air, bleed the same blood,” he said, a common theme that many different artists touched on throughout the festival, showing that we’re all in need of connection and compassion.
