It was a hot day that welcomed two international visitors and marked their first time in Canada’s capital city, but it didn’t dampen their lively spirits, nor did it stop them from cracking dirty jokes.
Etobicoke-born Al Spx, who performs under the name Cold Specks, brought her self-proclaimed Doom Soul to the Claridge Stage mid-afternoon on the sunny, humid Saturday.
Her low, rumbling voice recalled Tom Waits, one of her own influences, but added a refreshing twist of haphazardly thrown high notes.
Her backing band swayed in unison, and so did the audience.
Early on in the set, those who watched the small but mighty Spx began yelling compliments at the songstress.
But when one audience member began demanding that she play Winter Solstice, another shout was heard: “Stick to the setlist!”
“I’m sorry, please let me sing,” Spx meekly replied into the microphone.
Her restraint ended during that exchange, as she finally broke the ice with the audience after a set that began without any audience interaction.
“Do you guys want to hear a joke or something?”
“Yeah!” the crowd roared.
She then asked if the joke should be cheesy or dirty. The vote was unanimous.
“What’s the definition of trust? One cannibal giving another cannibal a blowjob.”
What Spx may have perceived as awkward conversation was warmly welcomed by the audience—an audience which certainly knew they were watching a woman who will soon be joining the likes of Florence Welch, Adele, and Duffy, if she hasn’t already done so.
On the Black Sheep Stage, a much more modest audience swayed to the sounds of Montreal-born, Ottawa-raised City Fidelia.
Someone told me this young rapper, who certainly brought out a large part of Ottawa’s cool crowd, was the funniest kid in school when she went to elementary school with him.
Although he didn’t have the chance to explore his comedic side while on stage, he wowed with his rhymes that explored life, success, and relationships.
Fidelia owned the stage with his fellow performers, which included a drummer, a masterful DJ, and a young woman who sang so sweet I thought she was Ashanti when I closed my eyes. Note: I love Ashanti. No disrespect.
After an eventful day of strong performances, Los Angeles-based Fitz and the Tantrums was next on the itinerary.
The ultimate superstars of breakup music to hit the scene in the last five years, Fitz and the Tantrums delivered the neo-soul and new wave synthesis that has given them the successful rise they deserve—on music blogs and in indie clubs alike.
The setlist included their two best breakup songs from their debut album, Pickin’ Up the Pieces: “MoneyGrabber” and “Don’t Gotta Work It Out.”
But the tension was only truly imparted when frontman Michael Fitzpatrick paced the stage, slowly, and told an anecdote as a harbinger for the next track.
Fitzpatrick told the audience to imagine a perfect day, where all the lights turned green.
“But when you get home, you hear your song,” he said.
“Your lovemaking song. And when you open the door, there is your woman fuckin’ another man.”
The crowd literally gasped, and so began “House On Fire,” the ninth track from More Than Just a Dream, their album that dropped in May.
Speaking of dropping, Fitzpatrick emphasized his love for “going down.”
No, it’s not what you’re thinking. I think. He demanded that the crowd crouch down. And they did, except for a few souls who weren’t spared from Fitzpatrick calling them out.
When he told them so, the crowd leapt to their feet and began jumping with their hands in the air.
The Californian band thanked the audience at the end of the show, despite intermittently thanking everyone throughout the show. It was their first time, after all, and they were impressed with Ottawa’s friendly and enthusiastic nature.
But they weren’t the only tourists to be readily welcomed by the wild Bluesfest crowd.
Glaswegian indie-pop darlings Belle and Sebastian brought their seven-piece to the Claridge Stage, while frontman Stuart Murdoch’s charm and comedy nearly competed with the music itself.
Murdoch said Ottawa was the friendliest Canadian city he’s been to so far, and cited a free ride he received from a kind bus driver before he nearly missed his own show.
Between shaking his hips and joking about how he dances very “camp,” his signature, distinctive voice delved into oldies but goodies like “Expectations,” “The Boy with the Arab Strap,” “Judy and the Dream of Horses,” “Get Me Away I’m Dying,” and “Like Dylan in the Movies.”
Notably absent were the tracks “If You’re Feeling Sinister” and “Another Sunny Day,” but it didn’t matter, as the Scottish group performed hits like “Piazza, New York Catcher,” “Funny Little Frog,” and “If She Wants Me” to massive crowd enthusiasm.
Murdoch continued his impromptu interactions by lightly suggesting that an audience member come up and dance. Then he asked if more people wanted to dance. This led to several people being welcomed on stage and dancing with Murdoch, as the rest of his band retreated.
Murdoch’s banter continued, as he recalled his desire to form a band to be able to hang out with more girls. Unfortunately for him, his band only ended up featuring one girl.
Although, for the charming Scot, it can be safely assumed that his alleged absence of lady friends is mere jest.
