After a blissful streak of really great Bluesfest performances, I finally hit a slump. It was probably the miserable rain.
At Ottawa Folkfest a few years ago, I saw Vancouver band Dear Rouge close their set with a jubilant cover of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.” Based on that, I decided to see their Bluesfest performance. If only they were a David Bowie cover band. Front woman Danielle McTaggert is an admirably energetic performer, but Dear Rouge’s brand of synth-heavy rock simply did not cut through the dismal weather for me. While the band can clearly write a catchy pop-hook, their songs began running together in my mind, each one hard to distinguish from the next. I became bored and did not regret leaving early to seek out deep-fried pickles.
I made my way to the Monster Stage as everyone else surged towards the Dropkick Murphys. It sounded like fun, but I was excited to see Catriona Sturton again. The last time I saw her she captivated a very packed crowd at the Raw Sugar Café while promoting her first solo album. A former member of the 90s indie rock band Plumtree, Sturton is now a blues artist with a harmonica and a bass guitar.
She got off to a shaky start. The rain started coming down harder and her ominously long sound check prompted one audience member to awkwardly shout “Fix up the ladies! Gawwwwwd!” Sturton also seemed to be struggling with a faulty harmonica stand throughout the performance. However, despite this she and fellow former Plumtree members Carla and Lynette Gillis pulled together a charming performance.
Opening with the appropriately timed “Heavy Weather,” Sturton serenaded the rain-soaked crowd with her signature style of heavy harmonica blues. While I am certainly a fan of Sturton’s lighthearted love songs to poutine and odes to butt-dialling, I think the harmonica solos were the best part of this particular performance. The addition of drums and electric guitar made for a particularly haunting rendition of “Black is the Colour,” and they ended strong with a hard rocking version of “Lowdown.”
I only wish Sturton would have been able to perform in the Barney Danson Theatre instead of on the Monster Stage. There were moments when her band simply drowned out her voice. I think the more intimate venue would have better suited her style and music. Also, I would have been drier.
