Good things usually come in threes, and on day three of Bluesfest, festival-goers were treated to a trio of soulful acts on the Blacksheep stage. Tucked away behind the war museum, it stands as the smallest of the four outdoor stages each year. But thanks to some larger than life performers, it didn’t seem to matter in the slightest.
BlakDenim
With the arrival of the weekend, sets began much earlier in the day than the weeknights. First up in the heat of the day were BlakDenim, a group that stand out in the city’s burgeoning hip-hop scene.
Nine members in total, an initial comparison would see them line up alongside The Roots—hip-hop with the live backing band aspect that shouldn’t be missed. In support of their new EP Vangard(en), the band delivered a wonderful blend of hip-hop, funk, and soul across their hour on stage.
Emcee Precise Kenny Creole rapped just as his name advertised—rhyming rigorously while Erin Tomkins handled the soulful singing of hooks and choruses. Backed by a band full of interesting inclusions such as a horn section (complete with a custom BlakDenim-branded tuba), a flautist, and a keyboardist who also scratched records live, BlakDenim was seamlessly operating as a well-oiled, nine-piece hip-hop machine.
By the time the set was over, they had proven capable in delivering one of the better live shows Ottawa has to offer.
The Split
Soon after, local neo-soul outfit The Split took the stage as the heat began to rise.
Though they’re a relatively young name within Ottawa music, the two founding members have been playing around the city for years.Led by Curtis and Matthew Chaffey, the two are known well within the capital’s alt-country scene as The Brothers Chaffey.
This project, however, sees that alt-country element disappear in favor of pure, unadulterated rock ‘n’ soul. Performing cuts from their Label Records debut Can’t Get Enough alongside the Texas Horns (Bluesfest’s own house horn section) the audience was enthralled by their sensational soul sounds. Lead vocalist Matthew Chaffey’s gritty vocal timbre harkens back to the genre’s heyday, complete with lyrics of love and loss.
Vintage Trouble
If there was ever a band to bring the classic sounds of soul music to life once more, it would be Vintage Trouble. Formed in Los Angeles, the band initially started their career in England, establishing a fanbase there before coming back to North America.
They have since played alongside Brian May of Queen, Bon Jovi, and Dave Matthews Band among others. Having seen them open for The Who last year, I knew exactly what to expect from energetic frontman Ty Taylor and crew.
Though many could quickly point to them as a novelty “retro” act, this is hardly the case. The band create a sound reminiscent of the original soul movement in their own original compositions, putting a spin on things that is truly their own.
Frontman Taylor stole the show once again with his on-stage antics, twirling and dancing around, all while never missing a note. His incredible range and vocal power wasn’t lost on anyone, proving he could sing and scream on par with 1950s and 60s rock and soul legends like James Brown, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard.
The highlight of his evening was jumping off the stage and proceeding to wander into the crowd, driving the audience wild with his infectious energy. He even took it upon himself to run as far as the hill at the back of the stage area, urging those enjoying the show from a distance to get on their feet and get involved.
It’s safe to say that such a display worked in their favour—everyone was on their feet by the closing number featuring a mind-blowing blues guitar solo before all four band members jumped off stage into the crowd to thank the enthusiastic audience.
