As I stepped off the bus at Lebreton Flats I was hit by three things: a record heatwave, the sound of live music and the realization that it was finally summer in Ottawa.
While we’ve been on break for two months it still never feels like summer for me until Bluesfest starts. I was drawn in by the sound of Dream Theatre, the opening metal band for the legendary Iron Maiden who would be headlining the festival kick-off.
I began the festival by watching one of the actual blues artists, Ana Popovic, on the Subway stage. Popovic seemed lost in the music as she crooned away soulfully but she had to acknowledge the crowd’s two standing ovations.
“Why don’t we just move to Canada?” asked the European Popovic before ending her set with “Hold On.”
The stage would soon be run by local artists for the Kelp Records Revue featuring Andrew Vincent, Rhume, Chris Page, The Empirical and the Flaps. At the same time, local rock-reggae band Loudlove took over the Claridge stage.
They stayed true to their name and kept the music loud and showed a lot of love for their hometown. Only in Ottawa could you introduce one of the bandmates as “Kanata’s own” and be met with wild applause. Vocalist Peter Hammond thanked the festival for the opportunity and looked back where the band was.
“Two years ago we almost got wasted,” he said seriously, before adding, “but just like herpes…we’re back!”
While Loudlove kept the banter light, Lights was not nearly as entertaining on the Hard Rock stage. The Canadian electro-pop artist just didn’t seem at home playing her acoustic songs from her new EP. During her hit single “Drive My Soul” her vocals couldn’t even seem to match that of her teenage fans singing along.
While there was a sizeable crowd they just seemed to be waiting. But by the time 9 p.m. rolled around it was clear who everyone had come to see.
Iron Maiden took the MBNA stage and had the audience under an almost-military control. The fans were all in the uniform of a Maiden T-shirt and jeans with regulation long hair. They chanted and clapped along with frontman Bruce Dickinson beside the war museum.
“If heavy metal bands ruled the world there would be no wars . . . just a lot of drunkenness,” he said.
It was hard for him to imagine what his army of metalheads would do without him. “
This is fucking good for a Tuesday night. What are you going to do Wednesday morning?”
Prepare for another day of Bluesfest.