Latest news with #LeBretonFlatsPark
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bluesfest Day 8: Papa Roach, Daughtry didn't totally suck
Saturday evening at Bluesfest was a night of tattoos and testosterone as two American bands, Papa Roach and Daughtry, delivered back-to-back slabs of pounding modern rock on the RBC main stage. In the headlining spot was Papa Roach, a nu metal outfit from the 90s, while warm-up duties went to Daughtry, the band formed around 2006 American Idol contestant Chris Daughtry. The combination of male-dominated acts from the turn of the century drew thousands of dads and dudes alike to the plaza of the Canadian War Museum at LeBreton Flats Park. Many of the older fellas sported plastic ponchos to ward off the light rain that started during Papa Roach's set. The younger ones, on the other hand, simply flung themselves into the melee. On stage, Roach singer Jacoby Shaddix was the spike-haired, foul-mouthed centre of a loud and powerful rock show. He spat lyrics into the microphone, bantered between songs and basked in the glory of the spotlight as his four bandmates cranked it out behind him. At one point, Shaddix wondered who had seen the Green Day show the previous night. 'You guys had an epic week of music,' he said, noting that his band and Green Day are both from the same area in California. 'We used to go see them back in the day. It's awesome to be on the same festival with a band as iconic as Green Day.' While I wouldn't normally mention Green Day and Papa Roach together in any capacity, I have to say that Shaddix and his crew rose to the occasion at Bluesfest, perhaps inspired by the buzz over Green Day's show. Whatever the rationale, they did a fine job on the big stage, demonstrating the power to impress even the stodgiest classic-rock fan. For Roach, the show was part of a tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of their breakthrough album, Infest, an occasion that called for tracks like Blood Brothers, Dead Cell, Between Angels and Insects, Last Resort and Infest to be played with maximum intensity. S haddix, who's 45, was relentless in enticing fans to crowd surf, mosh, scream, pump their fists and light up their phones. Those up front were quick to oblige, shoving each other around with abandon as the show progressed. The rap-rockers also showed a serious side, delivering a message of suicide awareness via prerecorded video and a song, Leave a LIght On (Talk Away the Dark) to remind listeners that the first step in dealing with mental health is to talk about it. 'Our band has talked about mental health since the beginning of our career,' Shaddix said, recalling the scores of young fans he's met over the years. 'There's no greater feeling than when somebody says, 'Your music saved my life.' He said the band intends to make a donation to a suicide prevention line in each city they play, including Ottawa. Plus, he hinted at a return appearance this fall. Earlier in the evening, following an energetic set by the Ottawa pop-punk band, We Were Sharks, Chris Daughtry embarked on a cathartic journey with his namesake band. The 45-year-old, whose chiselled arms were blacked-out in tattoo ink, sang with an emotional resonance that belied his macho appearance, displaying a voice that was capable of wailing in anguish or soothing with a warm intimacy. He revisited early hits like Home and It's Not Over, but the highlight was a duet with his 14-year-old daughter, Adalynn, that showed he wasn't much different than the other doting dads in the audience. lsaxberg@
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bluesfest Day 3: Rock night with Turnstile vs Pixies, plus Kurt Vile and Sue Foley
The string of new-generation headliners at Ottawa Bluesfest continued Saturday with an ambitious main-stage showing by Turnstile, a band that emerged from the Baltimore punk scene just a decade or so ago. Fresh from a gig at Glastonbury but in front of Bluesfest's smallest audience so far this year, the intense rockers bounced between punk, pop, emo and electronica on a darkened stage, demonstrating the depth of their evolution beyond hardcore punk. At times they sounded like U2, other times it was Red Hot Chili Peppers mashed with a punishing rhythm section. Livewire singer Brendan Yates ping ponged between his bandmates, screaming lyrics over the shifting song structures and demanding the crowd jump along. It was quite the cathartic outpouring of emotion, but Yates was also a sensitive soul who recognized the magic of the moment. 'This is a beautiful gathering to celebrate music,' he observed, before the limbs started flying in the mosh pit. Whether you were in the pit or not, Saturday was another sweat-a-thon at Bluesfest as temperatures soared beyond 30+ and the sun baked the plaza of the Canadian War Museum at LeBreton Flats Park. Seasoned festivalgoers wore hats, smelled like sunscreen and carried refillable bottles, while others fried themselves with alcohol and sunshine, and still others sought relief in the air-conditioned lobby of the museum. After the strong turnout of the festival's first two nights, the crowds seemed a little thin for the Saturday-night showcase of modern rock, which also featured a razor-sharp slice of college-rock nostalgia from the Pixies and a stellar ride with Kurt Vile and the Violators, plus outstanding shows by the Budos Band and Men I Trust on the side stages. Fewer people on site meant shorter lines for everything, less competition for the few shady spots and more elbow room in the crowd. However, one topic of discussion was whether the performance order should have been flipped, with Pixies headlining instead of Turnstile. An unnecessary debate, in my mind, I thought the order made sense. Besides, people didn't exactly swarm to the Pixies. The band attracted a modest number of aging Gen X fans, satisfying them by careening through a ferocious show that showed they've still got the ability to slay a crowd. Glistening with sweat, frontman Frank Black (aka Black Francis) growled and sang with a grimace, while guitarist Joey Santiago attacked his axe, producing a wall of fuzzified noise amid the angular melodies. Kim Deal-replacement bassist Emma Richardson held up the bottom end, and the white-haired wizard on the kit was original drummer David Lovering. Earlier, Kurt Vile and his band, the Violators, kicked off the festivities with a set that seemed to pull every classic-rock lick of the past, give them a twist and make it all fresh again. Vile, who's the former lead guitarist of the War on Drugs, played a different guitar on almost every tune, choosing from an impressive array of acoustic, electric and hollowbody instruments. With a compact but powerful band rocking out behind him, the long-haired American channeled the Neil Young-Lou Reid end of the stoner-rock spectrum, winding through a set heavy on early material like the melodic rocker Pretty Pimpin, the gently grooving Girl Called Alex and a snarling KV Crimes that bristled with Crazy Horse-like energy. In a grunge-hippie uniform of jeans and plaid shirt over a graphic T, the 45-year-old Vile spoke little between songs, except to say he was 'hella stoked' to be on tour with Pixies, and to be able to see both them and Turnstile that night. Meanwhile, the daily dose of blues at Bluesfest came from the Ottawa-born, Texas-based guitarist Sue Foley, a Grammy nominee this year, and her band of Texans (plus a Canadian on bass). They dished out a tasty set of rocking blues on the LeBreton stage, filling the steamy tent with smouldering numbers by the likes of Clarence Gatemouth Brown and Stevie Ray Vaughan. There was also one of Foley's signature original tunes, titled Ice Queen, inspired by growing up in a cold capital city. 'I wrote this song about being from Ottawa,' she said, 'because we know all about ice here in Ottawa.' On a day in her hometown that she said was hotter than Texas, it was hard to conjure that image. Nonetheless, the Ice Queen of blues earned a warm welcome from friends, family and fans. Bluesfest continues on Sunday, takes a break Monday and Tuesday, then resumes Wednesday. It runs to July 20. lsaxberg@
National Post
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- National Post
Bluesfest Day 1: Lainey Wilson rounds up the cowgirls
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Article content Nashville darling Lainey Wilson showed off her star power at Ottawa Bluesfest on Thursday with a main-stage concert that provided a rootin', tootin' soundtrack for a cowgirls' night out at LeBreton Flats Park. Article content Article content 'We got a lot of ladies here tonight,' the Louisiana native observed at one point, surveying the predominantly female crowd of thousands in front of the RBC main stage. 'Where ma' girls at?' Article content They were right in front of her, sporting cowboy hats and boots, and hollering along with every lyric she belted out. Wilson not only rocked their world but also shared stories of her life, making everyone feel like they got to know her a little better by the end of the night. Article content Article content Accompanied by a band she aptly described as 'badass,' Wilson got the party going with a string of twangy hits, including Hold My Halo, Hillbilly Hippie and Country's Cool Again to rev up the pace. In her signature bellbottoms and a cowboy hat, she had a confident swagger that covered the stage. Article content But the 33-year-old singer-songwriter was also down to earth, and took the time to connect with fans. She paid tribute to her roots in small-town Louisiana, recalling the 'l'il girl with the big 'ol dreams' and reminding folks not to 'let 'em take the hometown out of you.' Article content Article content There were also some kind words about Ottawa as Lainey and her fiance, former NFL player-turned-real estate agent, Devlin 'Duck' Hodges, evidently spent some time exploring the city. According to Lainey, they fell in love with our town and its residents. Article content To add to the appeal, the weather turned out to be fine, too, with steamy temperatures, zero precipitation and a full moon shining overhead. Article content Highlights of Lainey's enjoyable set included a soaring duet with Brandon Coleman, the passionate and soulful singer of openers Red Clay Strays, on the Johnny Cash tune, God's Gonna Cut You Down, plus a stripped-down version of her song, Watermelon Moonshine, a full-throttle Hang Tight Boogie and a scorching Proud Mary that showcased the power of Wilson's voice. Article content A cute moment came when Wilson looked for a girl in the crowd to 'crown' with a cowboy hat. A little girl in the front row was the lucky recipient, but she was so overcome with emotion she couldn't stop sobbing. Lainey had her repeat a mantra of self-affirmation, and the girl did her best as Cowgirl of the Night.
