September 15, 2027
Blackberry Smoke Brings 25 Years of Southern Rock to History Ottawa
There was no shortage of Southern swagger at History Ottawa Tuesday night as Atlanta’s Blackberry Smoke rolled into town for their 25th Anniversary Tour, bringing decades of blues, country, classic rock and good old-fashioned rock ’n’ roll along for the ride.
Opening the night was Toronto’s Bywater Call, a seven-piece Southern soul and roots-rock powerhouse led by vocalist Meghan Parnell. And if anyone arrived early thinking the opener would simply be something to get through before the headliner, Parnell quickly corrected that assumption. Her vocals were enormous, equal parts grit, soul and sheer power, and she commanded the stage with the kind of presence that made the room feel considerably smaller.
Guitarist Dave Barnes was equally impressive, particularly when he unleashed his solos, adding fiery punctuation to the band’s sprawling arrangements. Backed by Bruce McCarthy on drums, Mike Meusel on bass, Andrew Moljgun on keys, Stephen Dyte on trumpet and Julian Nalli on tenor sax, Bywater Call demonstrated exactly why their blend of roots, blues and soul has earned them growing international attention. Their latest album, ‘Broken Souvenirs’, arrived earlier this year.
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Then came Blackberry Smoke, who wasted little time reminding the crowd why 25 years on the road has done little to dull their Southern-rock engine.
Frontman Charlie Starr led from the centre with his unmistakable raspy vocals and effortless guitar work, joined by founding members Paul Jackson on guitar and Richard Turner on bass, longtime keyboardist Brandon Still, guitarist Benji Shanks, and touring drummer Kent Aberle.
Together, the six-piece band delivered a set that balanced Southern rock, country, blues and classic rock influences without ever sounding nostalgic or dated.
The set drew heavily from the band’s extensive catalogue, moving through favourites including ‘All Over the Road’, ‘Six Ways to Sunday’, ‘Good One Comin’ On’, ‘Pretty Little Lie’, ‘Waiting for the Thunder’, ‘The Whippoorwill’, ‘Ain’t Got the Blues’, ‘One Horse Tow’ and ‘Like an Arrow’, before the encore brought the night home. The first encore was a soulful take on Tom Petty’s ‘You Got Lucky’, followed by ‘Ain’t Much Left of Me’. The night finally wrapped with a raucous Van Halen cover of ‘Take Your Whiskey Home’, sending the crowd out with one last blast of classic-rock swagger.
What has always separated Blackberry Smoke from many of their peers is their ability to blend hard-driving rockers with songs that feel rooted in storytelling traditions. One moment the band was leaning into twin-guitar riffs and extended jams; the next, they shifted into reflective, country-tinged material that highlighted Starr’s songwriting. There was an easy chemistry among the musicians that only comes from decades spent sharing stages and long miles on the road, and that experience showed in every transition, harmony and guitar exchange. Rather than treating this 25th anniversary run as a retrospective, Blackberry Smoke played with the energy and confidence of a band that still has plenty left in the tank.
And judging by the crowd at History Ottawa, Ottawa was more than happy to ride along.
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