The acts on July 10 were just like the weather: straight fire. Yes, despite the muggy, hot weather, crowds came in droves to see the performances and it was totally worth standing in a sweaty crowd for the better part of the night.
Day six featured a wide variety of performances. It was a really interesting mix of music, definitely not something that one would string together on a playlist, but somehow they all meshed really well. From Crook the Kid and Logic sharing their stories through their rap lyrics, to Elli Gadzos’ melodies to Yonatan Gat & The Eastern Medicine Singers bringing together two different cultures to create a unique sound, it was a night with great range in music.
Ellie Gadzos
The Ottawa singer was the winner from last year’s ‘She’s The One’ competition, a showcase of young female singer-songwriters. She returned to City Stage this year as an opening act, performing originals she had been working on since winning the competition. Gadzos has a very unique, soft voice which created a really interesting contrast with the bass-heavy music she used as accompaniment. She switched this up later for a simple keyboard when performing a cover of Billie Ellish’s “my boy”.
She put a really great spin on the Billie Ellish song, utilising the softer melody to really emphasise the darker lyrics. Gadzos is a young talent with a very bright future ahead of her.
Recommended: “My Boy” (cover on YouTube)
Crook the Kid
Hailing all the way from the Northwest Territories, the rapper took his time on the City Stage to reflect on his journey, inviting his family out on the stage to bask in the moment with him. Crook the Kid and Ellie Gadzos are examples of artists that get the chance to reach a larger audience because of Bluesfest—to influence a crowd for just that brief moment. In the age of social media, discovering new artists has never been easier, but the impact is much more poignant when seeing them live for the first time.
His lyrics reflected the hardships he has faced living in the Northwest Territories.
“Believe me when I say these dark days won’t last forever,” a lyric from “Summer Days,” gives a voice to something that we all go through, the feelings of isolation and despair. But, Crook the Kid uses the stage Bluesfest affords him to show that when it comes down to it, we are all capable of so much more.
Yonatan Gat & The Eastern Medicine Singers
Originally, Jessie Reyez was set to perform in the lineup for July 10, but had to drop out due to her health. Stepping up to the plate was Yonatan Gat & The Eastern Medicine Singers, a group unlike anything else in the line up. Combining Middle Eastern-influenced guitar with traditional Algonquin music for something that can’t really be described in words. When I was watching the performance, I was a bit in awe of how everything was coming together. The drum circle pounding, with the drummer following suit on his drum kit, accompanied by the guitar players whose sounds evoked almost psychedelic rock sounds.
It was a really powerful performance, without much ever being said. There wasn’t too much stage banter or chance for the audience to get involved in the performance, but more of a chance to just watch the performance and really be immersed in the music. It’s not something I could have ever imagined seeing at a music festival, but I’m honoured to have gotten that chance.
Unfortunately, Yonatan Gat & The Eastern Medicine Singers do not have any songs available on most streaming services
Logic
Now, I wasn’t very familiar with many of the artists in the lineup for the day, even Logic. I had no idea what to expect from the performance, but I couldn’t stop myself from playing his latest album on the way home.
Feeding off the energy from the crowd, giving them every chance to holler and scream, Logic made sure that he felt connected to the audience. He really let himself go in the sounds of the screams and applause—all for him. Being previously unfamiliar with his music, I was really taken back by the stories he told through his lyrics. It felt as though with every song that he performed, he left a little bit of himself with every person in that room to spread what he stands for: “peace, love and positivity.”
Recommended Songs: “BOBBY (feat. My Dad)”, “Keanu Reeves”, and “Pardon My Ego”
Though I had no idea what each of the performances would bring to the table, they all shared one thing in common: they wanted to share their experience and their talent with an audience. They were all there to perform and give the audience something to talk about. I definitely wasn’t expecting to be blown away the way I was, but I was pleasantly surprised and I look forward to seeing what else these artists have to offer.
