As a warm breeze settled over LeBreton Flats, thousands of eager festivalgoers streamed into Bluesfest on Friday. Clad in old and new graphic t-shirt merchandise, the crowds set the stage for an electric night of music and nostalgia headlined by Green Day — the crowning jewel three-piece of punk rock.
Earlier acts made sure to kick things off with flaring style.
Down at LeBreton Stage, singer-songwriter Fantastic Negrito gave a raw, soulful performance.
Negrito’s pink, blue and purple paisley-patterned shirt and feathered felt hat matched the set’s colourful energy, as he sauntered back and forth between bandmates, never wavering in his rich and resounding vocals.
He gave a passionate rendition of “Chocolate Samurai,” a song urging listeners to break away from societal and personal constraints. Negrito and the rock, gospel-style band seamlessly blended blues and roots music with poignant lyrics that addressed racism, personal struggle and addiction.
Past the numerous attendees basking under shady trees and in line at food stands, alternative indie group Los Bitchos delivered 80s inspired beats with lengthy, chic guitar solos and electric keys at the River Stage.
Their tunes blended surf rock, psych funk and garage — all without a single lyric. The twangy guitar and tight notes cast a hypnotizing feel.
At times, the lack of lyrics robbed the mildly-repetitive beats of musical focus, but trippy lights and colours matched the group’s retro-futurist vibe.
Small, smiley, young and mighty, all-female rock band The Linda Lindas hit the RBC Stage kicking and screaming. Members zealously ran across the stage, went back-to-back with bandmates and yelled into the microphone with raspy but crisp vocals.
The crew opened with “No Obligation,” a powerful rock anthem that resonated across the LeBreton Flats grounds. Flailing with leg kicks and twirls while still maintaining perfect guitar riffs, the band carried their contagious spirit, unrelenting for the entirety of their set.
Bassist and vocalist Eloise Wong called for a free Palestine and promised to stand with transgender people and immigrants, before jumping into the in-your-face closer “Racist, Sexist Boy” with hoarse intonation that oozed with passion.
To the Ottawa crowd, the band noted that they once toured with Green Day as a 20-minute opener. Now at Bluesfest with an entire hour carved out to their name, “it’s like a reunion,” they told their audience.
An hour before the headliner was set to take the RBC Stage, audiences clad in Green Day merchandise had already packed themselves up close to the barricade. The crowd of children, teens and older adults brimmed with energy as they clung to every word of “Bohemian Rhapsody” that played out on speakers before the set.
Loud, bold and exceedingly outspoken — much like the lyrics to their songs that aged like fine wine — Green Day opened with a bang when a huge inflatable fist in the air clutching a bloody heart burst open on stage for “American Idiot.”
And, yes, they sang, “I’m not a part of the MAGA agenda,” relating their 2004 protest anthem to today’s political climate.
Green Day is nothing if not political. They laced messages of solidarity, questioning authority, rebellion and personal journey throughout in head-bangers “Minority,” “Jesus of Suburbia,” “St. Jimmy” and “Welcome to Paradise.” Mike Dirnt’s thumping, unmistakable bassline drove the themes home with Tré Cool’s matching drum hits and bewildered facial expressions.
That fiery counter-culture energy was backdropped by insane pyrotechnics, crackles of fireworks and sprinkles of confetti throughout the show, along with Billie Joe Armstrong’s commanding stage presence.
From numerous calls for the massive crowd to jump on a count of four, to a simple request to “go crazy” for bridge or chorus beat drops, Armstrong’s presence with the audience was almost as staggering as his steady, gritty vocals. He even pulled an eager fan up on stage for a scream sing-along to “Know Your Enemy.”
But when the heat literally and figuratively died down — blazing fire effects emitted heat from the stage against glorious guitar riffs — Green Day still brought passion and excitement.
Audiences swayed and held up their phone flashlights for slower ballads like standouts “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “21 Guns,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends” and closer “Good Riddance” (“Last Night On Earth” was sorely missed).
In these moments, the scale of the crowd trickles away, and Armstrong’s magnetism with sweetness to his vocals make for an intimate few moments of performance.
When Armstrong’s final note was sung and the last piece of confetti found its home upon the beer can-littered ground, the massive crowd made for a slow-moving exit.
But if the smiling faces, kids up on parents’ shoulders and occasional hum of “Good Riddance” were any indication, Green Day left their mark on the Ottawa crowd for multiple generations to remember.
Featured image by Greg Kolz
