RBC Bluesfest Day 7 Showcases an Assortment of Styles

After a long, slow drive due to exit closures on Highway 417, I missed the first half an hour of the festival. I’m not sure why the City of Ottawa decided to do the Bronson bridge replacement on an RBC Bluesfest weekend, but the festival definitely felt the impact with empty lines and small crowds for the first half of the evening.

Amanda Jordan was first up on the main RBC stage to welcome festival-goers as they trickled in and grabbed a drink. The young singer from Smiths Falls, Ontario sang about traditional country themes such as love and heartbreak. With a similar vibe to Taylor Swift, but with more of a softness to her voice and presence, she looked right at home on stage. 

Sussex, a band formed by two friends from New Brunswick, kicked things off on the SiriusXM stage. They started with easy listening blues and jazz, and then moved into something I wasn’t quite ready for. “It’s very freeing to yodel,” said Rob Lutes as he dove into a history lesson about yodelling. He encouraged the crowd to join in, and as I listened I felt the traffic rage exit my body and I couldn’t help but smile.

I then wandered over to Pony Girl on the River stage and realized that I was going to be on a strange musical journey that evening. The local Ottawa-Hull band described as “artpop” was dishing up a mishmash of sounds and styles. They challenged the idea of creating and performing music and the younger crowd was here for it. I don’t think the older crowd understood what was happening. 

The dreamy, experimental, calming, and at times heavy music took the crowd on a roller coaster of feelings. From soothing clarinet notes to a rant about AI to nasty bass lines to one of the members shouting “Did I say you could talk?”—I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to enjoy it or if they wanted me to ponder what makes something a song (which, by the way, I did). I feel like I could party with this band and it would be a thrilling experience filled with interesting conversations. I think separately all of the musicians could do really well as part of regular rock, pop, folk, etc., groups, but together they’ve decided to do something different and explore unique vocal styles and soundscapes.

FLETCHER, an American singer and songwriter, was next up on the main RBC stage with a much less adventurous brand of pop than Pony Girl. Cari Elise Fletcher looked like she walked off the set of Clueless with her perfect hair and brown plaid skirt and blazer combo, but with a modern twist with matching shorts and a black bra underneath. I love how some artists put a lot of thought into their outfits, it helps immerse the crowd into the type of experience they want them to have. She had a beautiful voice and loved talking to the crowd in between songs to get everyone more engaged.

I then followed my nose back to the SiriusXM stage where Sauce Boss was stirring up some delicious gumbo (and beats). My award for best smelling performance goes to Bill Wharton, the slide guitar aficionado from Florida, who had a giant bucket of gumbo on stage next to him as he performed. Volunteers rotated on and off stage to stir the gumbo, and Wharton entertained with his stories and blues music. With his own hot sauce and cookbook, the gumbo must have been delicious because the crowd to taste it after the show was huge.

Allison Russell was up next on the River stage with soulful folk music and dressed in a gorgeous sparkling outfit. The Grammy-nominated musician, poet, singer, songwriter, and activist from Montreal, Quebec, was sharing her story with the audience in between both heartfelt and upbeat songs.

She talked about her abusive white supremacist adoptive father and how it affected her and her music. She was able to get away and charge him, and then later on in life found her chosen family. “We’re all survivors of something,” she said, her sincere voice quieting the crowd as she opened up. With a beautiful and powerful voice, I could feel the emotion and healing behind her songs and lyrics.

Rich Aucoin closed out the SiriusXM stage with my favorite performance (and not just because he’s also from Halifax, Nova Scotia). To build anticipation, ten minutes before his show a counter went up on screen, the hype music was cranked to high, and the lights faded to blue. Groups of people took notice from across the park and wandered over.

With an amazing opening presentation narrated by Arnold Schwarzenegger and filled with memes and quips about other Bluesfest artists, Aucoin had the entire audience laughing and taking part when directed by on-screen prompts. Crowds love Simon Says. The THX introduction made me feel like I was a kid on family movie night—the perfect addition to make us feel right at home. I was writing furiously trying to capture everything, but then I closed my notebook and just enjoyed it. I’m sure it’s up on TikTok or YouTube already!

“Glad we all live at the same time,” said a final slide before his masterfully crafted electronica beats took over. The blend of synths, guitar, drums, horns, and more created the first (and probably only) rave at Bluesfest this year. The slides continued on and off throughout his show with vibrant lights, confetti, and streamers adding to the party vibe. Towards the end of his set the audience was enveloped in a giant parachute like from elementary school as he sang “were either in it together or not at all” from the center of the crowd.

Charlotte Cardin was serving bilingual pop on the main RBC stage as she switched back and forth between French and English. The musician from Montreal, Quebec looked like she was in her happy place as she sat behind a piano and sang to the crowd. Although it was not the busiest night this year, the tightly packed crowd was mesmerized by her voice. 

She was excited to play a new song that she released earlier in the day called Jim Carrey, but first she had to share a story with everyone. After becoming obsessed with his inspirational videos, Carrey became her idol and it inspired her to write a song about him. After it was released she got a call from a blocked number and was shocked when Carrey himself told her he loved the song. What an amazing thing for her to experience and she brought that energy to her performance.

Fleet Foxes performed on the River stage at the same time and delighted the massive crowd with soothing folk music. It was nearly impossible to navigate through the packed crowd that was smushed between the river and the War Museum. The Grammy-nominated American indie folk band with four amazing vocalists created an enchanting atmosphere under the night sky.

Day 7 took me on a wild journey from: country > yodeling > artpop > pop > gumbo > surviving abuse > a rave > bilingual pop > folk. Festivals are a musical choose your own adventure, and I embraced the chaos.