Thousands poured back into Ottawa’s LeBreton Flats this Saturday for the third night of Bluesfest in anticipation of musicians from Mississippi’s Hardy to Texas’ BigXThaPlug.
Festivalgoers sported a wide array of cowboy hats, white tees and dresses and a whole lot of overalls, making it clear that the headliner Hardy and his unique country rock blend was drawing in most of the crowd for the night.
Just like Friday, the sun continued to scorch down on festivalgoers through the first few artists of the day. Unlike Friday – when Limp Bizkit and Cypress Hill brought in such a massive crowd it kept festival grounds packed like sardines – it was easy to move around the RBC Stage with notably fewer attendees in tow.
Sadly, for those loyal Hardy and BigXThaPlug fans, a noticeable and unpleasant smell wafted through the air for most of the evening around the stage – maybe thanks to poor festival etiquette from the night prior, or the essence of manure had blown over from the nearby Central Experimental Farm.
Thankfully, Ottawa phenom Aspects proved to be one of the day’s highlights and distracted from the unpleasant air as they opened first on the RBC Stage. Backed by a powerhouse band, which included his daughter Illiyah Rose on vocals, local guitar virtuoso Robbie Rigg, and a guest appearance by Nambi, Aspects’s set blended haunting blues, punchy rock numbers, and a hint of rap.
While the crowd was modest, the energy was high as Luna Li carried on her set with more of her signature dreamy psychedelic pop songs, setting a soft tone that felt familiar and just as compelling as when Quebec’s Men I Trust took to the same stage last year.
Later, 28-year-old Texas rapper BigXThaPlug took to the RBC Stage as fans awaited for Hardy.
In true BigXThaPlug fashion, the front row spent much of the set heckling the artist to remove his shirt.
BigXThaPlug leaned into it and stripped off his shirt, before bringing a group of young, shirtless Hardy fans onstage to act as backup dancers. BigXThaPlug ended his set with the first performance of his newest unreleased single, which is set to drop later this month.
The cowboy-filled crowd finally got to the evening’s main act as the sun went down when 35-year-old songwriter-turned-headliner Hardy took the stage. The musician represented the new country youth wave with sincerity and high-energy showmanship, drawing in a younger crowd of camo and denim-wearing fans. The crowd went wild when the singer revealed an Ottawa Senators jersey underneath his outfit, which he kept on for the remainder of the night.
The artist’s depth was most palpable when he stepped away from his much-beloved beer-drinking odes to perform stripped-back versions of his more melodic songs. Reflecting on the importance the classic rock genre has on him, the artist played a touching cover of “Ready for Love,” that moved the crowd, before delivering a touching message to the audience to accompany “Give Heaven Some Hell.”
“Whenever I play this song, fans tell me it reminds them of someone they lost, and that’s what I do this for. So, if you are one of those fans or you’ve lost someone important to you, this one is for you,” Hardy declared to the audience somberly, before delivering a moving performance of the ballad.
Cowboy hats came off to rest in hands as they filed out of the stadium after the performance concluded.
Tonight, Bluesfest will see its fourth day of acts, headlined by the Lumineers and featuring Vancouver’s bbno$.
Featured photo by Greg Kolz via Bluesfest.
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