Review of Bluesfest Day Seven: A night of mud, moshing and music

Despite the morning’s torrential downpour, the rain let up just long enough for thousands to enjoy the seventh day of Ottawa Bluesfest.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse were originally scheduled to perform, but their show was cancelled after band members fell ill. Instead, The Offspring stepped in as the night’s headliner.

The terrain surrounding the SiriusXM Stage was soft and muddy due to days of heavy rain, but that did not stop a lively crowd from gathering to watch Albertan artist Corb Lund. 

Lund serenaded audiences with folksy country tunes “Horse Soldier, Horse Soldier,” “I Wanna Be In The Cavalry” and “Dig Gravedigger Dig.”

Meanwhile at the River Stage, Kingston-born country singer Alexa Goldie’s powerful vocals complemented her introspective yet upbeat lyrics.

Goldie captivated audiences with her delightful country twang and delivered heartfelt renditions of “Not My Own” and “Come On Home.”

“I started coming here when I was 12 and was dreaming of the day I’d be up on that stage,” she said. “I’m freaking here y’all.”

Goldie performed lively covers of cult classics including The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” and Gretchen Wilson’s “Redneck Woman,” which had everyone up on their feet singing along.

At the RBC Stage, Silverstein’s powerful guitar riffs and heartfelt lyrics resonated throughout the grounds. Crowd favourites included “Smile In Your Sleep,” “My Heroine” and “Infinite.”

The hard-core punk group’s dynamic performance only furthered anticipation for the night’s headliner, The Offspring. A dense crowd of punk-rock fans swarmed the RBC Stage with many sporting merch from previous tours.

As the clock struck 9:30 p.m., the stage lit up red alongside quickly flashing lights as the band made their grand entrance. Singer Bryan “Dexter” Holland and lead guitarist Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman entered the stage flashing big smiles and thrusting instruments into the air.

Starting their set off with “Come Out And Play,” dozens of mosh pits broke out instantly. Security often swam through the sea of punk-rock fans to break up fights or tame mosh pits that grew out of hand. 

As the show progressed, The Offspring played several cult classics including “The Kids Aren’t Alright,” “Why Don’t You Get A Job?” and “Pretty Fly (For A White Guy).” 

“We played at Bluesfest five years ago and it was the best show of the whole tour,” the band called out. “Tonight’s gonna be even better, I can feel it!”

Beach balls bounced throughout the audience and confetti covered the sky, fostering an energetic and lively party vibe.

“It’s a huge honour to be filling in for Neil Young and Crazy Horse,” said Holland, extending the band’s best wishes for a speedy recovery and their hopes to see Young and the band back performing soon.

As the crowd chanted for an encore, The Offspring appeared for one final song, “You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid.” 

Before leaving the stage, the band took a bow as the crowd roared on, still begging for “one more song.” 

Covered in sweat and confetti, the still energised crowd sang along to Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” during the nightly trek back to nearby OC Transpo stations.

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Featured image by Sean Sisk.