The lineup for the seventh day of Bluesfest was filled with a mix of country, jazz, rock, hip-hop and blues music.
On the Black Sheep Stage, Ottawa rock band, the Town Cryers, performed for a lively and supportive crowd. The crowd, excited to see them back together after such a long time, cheered loudly after every song.
The band formed in 1985 and took a 25-year break in 1992. They returned last year with the album they never had the chance to release in 1992.
Right after, Eat a Peach took the stage, paying a live tribute to the Allman Brothers Band, one of the most legendary and influential bands in rock history. The group of Toronto musicians successfully recreated the mix of jazz, country, blues, and soul sounds pioneered by the Allman Brothers, and kept the crowd dancing, cheering, and clapping.
On the Claridge Homes Stage, Vanessa Collier, a blues singer and saxophone player from Pennsylvania, charmed the crowd with her powerful vocals and saxophone skills. Her energy got the crowd to sing along to her performance.
While Collier played on the Claridge Homes Stage, another high-energy performance from Naughty by Nature was happening on the City Stage.
The hip-hop trio from New Jersey drew a large crowd of people from different age groups, who screamed and shouted along with the music. Naughty by Nature gave shout-outs to Biggie Smalls, Ice Cube, and Tupac Shakur, and made other references to the 90s.
Canadian poets and songwriters, the Lynnes, performed next on the Claridge Homes Stage and drew a significant crowd as well. Their harmonies and instrumentals offered something different and unique from all the other acts. They performed songs from their debut album, Heartbreak Song for the Radio, which drew large applause from the audience.
Reggae rapper Shaggy was originally supposed to headline the City Stage, but he had to cancel due to a scheduling conflict. Canadian Music Hall of Famers Blue Rodeo were immediately named as the replacement act.
To many confused fans on social media, the decision didn’t make sense. But for the loyal fans who came to see the country-rock legends, the night was exciting and sentimental.
This was the 12th time Blue Rodeo performed at Bluesfest, and their crowd-pleasing set proved why they are in a unique league of regular festival favourites.
Opening the set with the melodic “5 Days in May,” the band played numerous hits from their long and historic career. Lead singers Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor’s vocals were perfect throughout the night, and the rest of the band’s interactions and skills made instrumental songs and moments interesting to watch.
Toward the end of Blue Rodeo’s set, they played one of their most iconic songs: “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet.” During one moment in the performance, Cuddy and Keelor stood at the edge of the stage, holding their mandolin and guitar, and let the crowd do all the singing for the first verses and chorus of the song.
After briefly walking off stage, the band came back for an encore and were joined by Kathleen Edwards, a legendary singer-songwriter from Ottawa and longtime friend of the band. Edwards sang back-up vocals on “Try,” and concluded the show by singing a verse of the band’s classic hit, “Lost Together.”
Overall, the seventh day of Bluesfest was filled with a variety of fun and energetic performances for everyone to enjoy, all capped off with a sentimental and appreciated return from Blue Rodeo.
