Tucked in the back corner of the Bluesfest festival grounds is the Black Sheep stage. Despite being hidden from view behind the War Museum (and being the festival’s smallest stage), one is still sure to catch a variety of great acts there over the course of 10 days.
Day three saw the Black Sheep stage turn into a haven for electronic music fans, boasting an all-Canadian lineup in the evening. I had the opportunity to start my evening off with Keys N Krates, a Toronto trio who present electronic music in one of the most unique fashions I’ve ever seen.
According to their band bio, the group was born with the goal of bringing electronic music production out of the studio and onto the stage, creating a new live experience. They did just that, primarily through the work of drummer Adam Tune.
Perhaps the most interesting of the three band members to watch on stage, Tune gave life to beats and rhythms through a drumkit built of both electronic sample trigger pads and acoustic drums. Rounding out the lineup were synth player David Matisse and turntablist Jr. Flo. Flo put on an energetic performance himself, jumping between two turntables and his own sampler onstage.
Their set was mainly comprised of live re-works of popular rap and dance music tunes from artists such as 2 Chainz, Kanye West, and TNGHT. The crowd was loving every minute of it.
Keys N Krates effectively got the crowd riled up for fellow Torontonians Zeds Dead, a Toronto production duo that has been making waves primarily in the dubstep communities since 2009. With a stage full of bright lights and spacy visuals, the two delivered their own mixes of popular tunes mashed with dubstep, trap, drum, and bass influences.
Like Keys N Krates, they drew on rap music from Kanye West, Juicy J, and Ace Hood, while even taking some time to put their own spin on the Jimi Hendrix classic “Purple Haze” and The Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin.”
Armed with more bass frequencies than you can shake a stick at, it’s safe to say the two producers captured the crowd’s attention right from the get-go, and never let go.
Sunday night is a big one in the Bluesfest books, with legendary rap crew Wu-Tang Clan rolling through the festival—I can’t wait!
