What happens when you take the three brothers responsible for one of the 90s’ biggest earworms, a rising hip-hop supergroup, the rock veteran who famously made the flute a legitimate instrument for his genre, and combine them all together? You would get a really weird Spotify playlist, but you also get the line-up for the second night of Ottawa Bluesfest.
The night after Bryan Adams and Passenger delivered brilliant sets to their respective crowds, Bluesfest took a turn for the obscure, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Out of obscurity came a series of distinctly enjoyable performances.
Have you ever wondered what happened to the kids who made that “MMMBop” song? Well, they’re still together, making music and touring, and they kicked things off on the City Stage. Pop-rock band Hanson originally started playing music together in 1992 when brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson were all under the age of 12. In 1997, lead singer Taylor was 14 when “MMMBop” became a global success and kickstarted their careers.
Two decades later, the group has shown incredible growth in talent and maturity. Being in their 30s, the songs they recorded as teenagers now have a more contemporary adult sound, but they still bring a youthful and energetic vibe to their live shows.
Lots of longtime fans crowded the front of the stage to take in the performance. They sang along to classics, and were genuinely pleased by Hanson’s newer material. Although a handful of people noticeably left after “MMMBop,” most stayed until the end, and a few lucky fans were able to grab a quick selfie with Taylor when he held an impromptu meet-and-greet at the side of the stage.
The evening was co-headlined by artists playing at the same time on the City Stage and the Blacksheep Stage. On the latter, hip-hop supergroup BROCKHAMPTON performed in front of a young, packed and enthusiastic crowd.
Originally formed in Texas in 2015, BROCKHAMPTON has had over a dozen members take on roles such as vocals, producing, photography, and graphic design. Six of them were part of the group’s live show, and they delivered. Dressed in white, the group performed alternating upbeat and mosh-worthy songs, as well as more melodic and laidback tunes.
In previous years—last year’s Migos concert, for example—Bluesfest has had issues with crowds at hip -hop shows. This time around, things seemed relatively under control and everyone seemed to be having a good time.
Closing off the main stage was “Ian Anderson Presents: Jethro Tull 50th Anniversary Tour.” As expected from the name of the tour, the show was a reflection of the half-a-century-long career of Anderson and his band. The performance mixed a series of audio-visuals from the upstage screen with Jethro Tull’s live progressive rock music. It featured a series of random video clips to back up songs, but also a brief video shout out from former Jethro Tull members and rock legends, notably Slash from Guns N’ Roses.
As the only remaining original Jethro Tull member, Anderson dominated the entire show with his quirky physical gestures and facial expressions. At 70 years old, his voice showed some typical signs of aging, but he powered through, rocking some amazing flute solos almost every single song.
Bluesfest gave fans something different for the second night of the festival. Even though there wasn’t really a major headliner like the previous night, fans went in with an open mind, discovered something they liked, and went home feeling good about their experience.
