Day 10 at Bluesfest was a most excellent day filled with more incredible acts to listen to. Having seen Day 10 headliner Blue Rodeo numerous times (they still sound great), I was particularly excited for Young the Giant. An alt-rock group out of California who have been ruling the airwaves for months on end, I was more than happy to have them return for a Bluesfest performance having missed their show at the Bronson Centre earlier this year.
Kicking things off on the River Stage for the evening was local ska act Rude Boy, who played a solid set of tunes for the crowd to dance along to. Having been around Ottawa’s tiny ska scene for years, it was good to see them play a set at the festival, as there just aren’t that many shows in their genre around town anymore (they’re partial to more of a third-wave sound for the ska fans out there).
The next act was another highly anticipated act from California, The Dirty Heads. Upon first listening to them, it’s easy to pick out the obvious sonic influence from fellow Long Beach legends Sublime.
The Dirty Heads do an excellent job of recreating and reviving the LBC sound that Sublime is known and loved for, while incorporating more reggae and hip-hop influences as well. They even went as far as to name-drop both the late Brad Nowell and late Beastie Boy Adam Yauch in a song near the end of their set, citing their musical influences.
An act such as The Dirty Heads was great on a fairly hot day, with their quintessential sounds of summer drifting throughout the stage area, making everyone in attendance forget the weather conditions and feel great.
Young the Giant were the final act of the evening, and they put on an incredible performance, capturing the crowd’s attention through unbelievable energy and showmanship. Performing all the hits from their debut album, the band also introduced the audience to some newer tunes, which differ quite a bit from their earlier material. Guitars and vocals were drenched in echoes and reverbs, creating long, winding psychedelic musical passages.
I can say I’m a huge fan of the newer direction the band has taken, and it is quite cool to see how they have evolved as musicians. Definitely catch these guys live if you have the chance, they are quite the live act. Tomorrow should be another interesting day at the festival with two very opposite-sounding acts – Mastodon and Beirut!
