Toronto BLuesfest cancelled

[ollie]

Just to add to the Wyclef bashing... what pissed me off is every time his band got into a groove he'd cut the music and give us some more instructions. Hello! Keep grooving and I just might put my hands in the air and wave them like I just don't care without you having to ask!

However the majority of the crowd was totally into Wyclef, so I guess we're just musical elitists that would rather see musicians play rather than some guy "performing".

No. We're just old. ::

[Esau]

Sorry I just read this exchange and was sorta blown away....

Sonny Landreth and Wilson Picket aren't worth $5?!?!

Your serious Steve? You wouldn't pay $5 for those two guys....wow.I'd pay $20+ dollars to see either,actually I have in the past for Pickett.Landreth is unreal live,I love is finger work

and taking a quick survey of the four people sitting with me here, all jamband music fans, none of them would pay five bucks to see them either.

Question,did those 4 people even know who Wislon Pickett & Sonny Landreth are and do they like rock & roll or great guitar playing?

Neither are jambands first,Wislon Picket being a Rock & Roll hall of fame inductee,a highly respected musical legend, wrting classics like Midnight Hour,Mustang Sally,Funky Broadway etc and Sonny Landreth being a finger picking guitar madman.

Landreth was a session player for artists such as John Hiatt, John Mayall, Zachary Richard,Beausoleil,Junior Wells & Mark Knophler.

Guess you got to like roots music and where all we listen to started from, to think its worth $5.

Sorry,no offence intended but I thought you of all people would be into seeing Landreth,he is a serious guitar player.Crazy shows in my opinion.

[jon.]

well....that sure sucks, however, this is not a very strong "bluesfest" - not saying its not an attractive linup of artists, but it sure aint a bluesfest.

where is buddy guy? robert cray? ......or any really notable blues player?

That being said, i did see richard thompson last year...who always blows me away:0 - but i also saw robert cray and the blind boys of alabama, and david gogo( a pretty tasty player himself, if not a bit loud)

I was actually looking out for the bluesfest because i had such a great time last year, but i would say this lineup didn't have me rushing out to get tix. Would have liked to see cake and wyclef though.

[secondtube]

"Landreth was a session player for artists such as John Hiatt, John Mayall, Zachary Richard,Beausoleil,Junior Wells & Mark Knophler."

i'm not at all ashamed to admit this but, i only know mark knophler, in that group.

do u have any sonny landresh you can let me listen to? id love to check out a 'finger picking guitar madman'. I'll look him up next tuesday at the radio show. Never been a fan of Wilson Picket. Cake and the Outkast guy, well...

[bONES]

"I absolutely can't stand when someone is yelling at their audience to do cheer/clap/whatever."

Precisely. I go to hear music, not to do the Hokey-Pokey.

"Make some noise! Let me see your lighters! Put your left foot in! Take your left foot out!"

hahaha...me too!

i'm pretty damned sorry that i won't be seeing Gillian Welch on Sunday

i'm in love with that little deadhead

[Del]

Hey 'tube, what about Earl Scruggs? The man is a living legend... Luther Wright & The Wrongs is easily worth $5, as is Xavier Rudd... I agree the line-up wasn't very strong this year, but I would pay good money to see Scruggs before he dies...

[AD]

i'm pretty damned sorry that i won't be seeing Gillian Welch on Sunday

i'm in love with that little deadhead

You'll have to get through me first there Cowboy!! She's mine!!! ::

AD

[Esau]

or any really notable blues player?

Jon,

Sonny Landreth.

Secondtube,

Well, I don't have anything on disc just cassette.I know he's played with Kimock a few times as well.I did read something about a show from last year on Kimocks site,but it was in the archive,be hard to locate it.

But I did find some mp3 samples (45 seconds),but they don't do him justice compared to his live show,if you don't like acoustic or electric Louisiana/Mississippi Delta slide blues or bottleneck playing then you probally won't be into Sonny...

Myself,I love the stuff.

Hell at home

Juke Box mama

[secondtube]

"Hey 'tube, what about Earl Scruggs? The man is a living legend... "

He is, and i had no idea he was on the lineup....i'd pay more than five bucks to see Earl Scruggs.

[bONES]

You'll have to get through me first there Cowboy!! She's mine!!!

she is SO beautiful, and talented...is there an instrument she can't play?

but watch it AD (as in All Done), i bust skulls

[Jaimoe]

Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes owe a lot to the slide teachings of Sonny Landreth. Landreth along with Roy Rodgers are two of the great slide players of their era.

As bad as this cancellation is, look on the bright side: The Tea Party are out of a gig.

[Del]

As bad as this cancellation is, look on the bright side: The Tea Party are out of a gig.

Hilarious! Too bad they started sucking it up so bad, I remember when they were actually good... I saw them at Lakehead once do an all acoustic set (on Middle Eastern instruments), then come back and rock the place out for the second set. All for a $7 ticket, I believe... This was during their Alhambra tour, and it's still one of the best shows I've seen in a bar...

[hamilton]

Gillian Welch is excellent - anyone who is into roots and/or bluegrass music would be advised to check her out. Great stuff, seriously!!

[Jaimoe]

Hey Secondtube, check out Sonny Landreth on the all-new All Music Guide. You will like what you hear and you should find the site invaluable. I bet Kevin Breit lists Sonny as an influence? :

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg...wduh6j5h71l0~T0

[MuleMomma]

Listen to Sonny Landreth play on Gov't Mule's "Deepest End" CD - the Robert Johnson cover "32/20 Blues" rips it up with Sonny on slide!!! You can also see him play on the DVD doing Allen Toussaint's "On Your Way Down" (probably more famous to us by Little Feat (in fact I've never heard the Toussaint version :)

Oh yeah, I'm really unhappy about the Bluesfest cancellation, partly because apparently Sonny doesn't play that often outside of New Orleans (correct me if I'm wrong), but also because I managed to get the whole weekend off to take in a lot of it (and Los Lobos at Harbourfront), it's still a small festival where you're not frisked for weapons or drugs and you can put your feet in the grass, and my friend whose company co-sponsors it was going to give me a pass for the entire festival He told me that the organizers had placed too much emphasis on the Wasaga Beach Bluesfest and had not put much effort into promoting this one at all :: As far as I can figure zero, at least in the case of the larger artists, the promoters will quite likely have to at least forfeit their 50% deposit, so yeah, they must surely be taking quite the hit!

Also, I know it's been clarified, but last year when leaving the festival the final day, I was invited to the backstage area by a guy who used to be a radio DJ at a station in Ottawa (I think SHAY?) and he was telling me that not only was it almost entirely organized by the Ottawa Bluesfest people, but that at the last minute none of the Toronto volunteers showed up and they had to transport an entire busload of volunteers from Ottawa.

[AdamH]

I've been out of the loop for a few days, what with meeting Nelly Furtado and all (ha ha, no really..I did).

Wyclef was a bit ridiculous, but for the most part he put on an amusing show. I'm not saying he made any brilliant contributions banter-wise but it looked like his major fanbase was having a good time. And he was out walking in the crowd too...something that I'm still waiting for (insert mundane jamband's name here) to do during their sets.And besides, the alternative that night was Bryan Adams and his many sleeper tunes and I was happy to hear something a little different.

I also liked the marijuana theme. it was new, original and different especially for Wyclef

To go back a few posts, the Toronto, Sudbury and Ottawa bluesfests are all affiliated. It's a shame that Toronto was cancelled but they had as much bad luck last year with the coincidence of SARSfest. Somewhere in there I heard theyre doing one in the States next year too.

And ALL YOU WHINY BASTARDS who are complaining about the lineup at the Bluesfest should, as my grade nine math teacher said, sit on a broom and rotate. You get a week-long festival with five stages covering all sorts of genres and you're still not satisfied? What happened to the concept of seeing artists and bands you're NOT familiar with and seeing what they're all about? Honestly, it's a real shame to miss out on the up-and-comers just because you don't know the artist that well. Oh well, more audience space for the rest of us then.

[bONES]

What happened to the concept of seeing artists and bands you're NOT familiar with and seeing what they're all about?

that's exactly the reason my friends and I went to the Wasaga Beach Festival!

none of us had seen any of the acts before (except one buddy who saw The Hip years ago at Woodstock)

Being open to new music can expose one to awesome new bands.

(ie): Jaga Jazzist

T-Model Ford & Spam

Mumbo Gumbo Voodoo Combo

and more were all great surprises last weekend!

and they were all worth more than $5 bucks

[secondtube]

"And ALL YOU WHINY BASTARDS who are complaining about the lineup at the Bluesfest should, as my grade nine math teacher said, sit on a broom and rotate."

Sorry Pal, this lineup sucked. Cry all you want. Maybe go back to Ninth Grade?

[Velvet]

I've been saying the same thing for weeks Ahess, and Jaga Jazzist (for example) helps to prove how good the bookers are.

Secondtube: I strongly advise that you seek out John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers featuring Eric Clapton. It's the one recording I've heard that justifies all the hubbub about Clapton.

[secondtube]

AND, because of this stellar lineup, you can have all the open space you need....

[Esau]

Sorry Steve,I certianly wasn't looking to form a lynch party when I posted,I wasn't sure if you were or were not a big fan of blues music or not,sorta figured ya were so thats why I mentioned it.

Owe ya a beer bro.

[Cosmic ChrisC]

Bluesfest acts could bow out after Toronto show called off

Joanne Laucius, with files from Lynn Saxberg

The Ottawa Citizen

July 15, 2004

The Ottawa-based Bluesfest empire was crumbling around the edges yesterday as organizers pulled the plug on the Toronto festival due to slow ticket sales.

The news brought speculation that headliners Lyle Lovett and Chris Isaak, who were booked for both festivals, might not appear here.

Bluesfest executive director Mark Monahan was not available for comment yesterday, and a spokesman for the organization made only a terse statement, saying the decision to cancel in Toronto was made after a great deal of deliberation because the festival was facing "huge losses."

"I'm in the total dark in terms of the ramifications," said spokesman Andre Sauve. "I can't predict what will happen tomorrow."

Despite strong attendance in Ottawa, the Toronto festival, now in its second year and due to run between Friday and July 25, did not attract the same loyalty as the Ottawa series. Last year, the inaugural Toronto Bluesfest attracted 50,000 attendees. The Ottawa festival attracted the same number the first two days.

Rumours about trouble for the Toronto Bluesfest have been circulating in recent days and a normally upbeat Mr. Monahan appeared subdued earlier this week.

News that the Toronto event was cancelled hit like a shock wave yesterday.

Ottawa promoter and agent Todd Littlefield said he was getting calls from performers as far away as Texas yesterday morning.

"There's been lot of panic," said Mr. Littlefield, an independent agent who represents a number of artists who will appear in the Ontario Bluesfest circuit this month, which also includes new venues in Wasaga Beach, a popular weekend party spot about 90 minutes north of Toronto, and Sudbury.

"My jaw dropped open. I would have thought that Toronto would be the place," said Catherine O'Grady, the Ottawa International Jazz Festival's executive producer.

Around town, there was also speculation that the contracts of artists who are to appear in Ottawa as well as Toronto may be linked, and there might be a domino effect in Ottawa.

Big-name acts will often agree to do a cluster of concerts in the same geographic area. It makes it more feasible for smaller cities to attract the bigger names who would not normally perform at the the smaller venues, said Mr. Littlefield.

Mr. Monahan used a similar explanation in an interview last week. "Chris Isaak is one example: in the past, they've made offers, but they would just sit and sit. This year, with an offer of two shows, the people got right back and agreed," he told the Citizen.

But if a major concert in the series is cancelled, all bets might be off, said Mr. Littlefield.

Now that the Toronto Bluesfest has been cancelled, some acts would have to wait up to 10 days between an appearance in Ottawa and one in Sudbury.

It all depends on the contracts of the headliners, and whether or how much they have been paid up front, said Mr. Littlefield.

"It's definitely going to cause some problems. If Chris Isaak or Lyle Lovett are not happy with the situation in Toronto, they won't come to Ottawa."

He added that now it will probably depend on the performers and their relationships and history with the festival.

"My gut feeling is that Mark will make a deal so that everyone plays in Ottawa," said Mr. Littlefield. "No headliners will cancel in Ottawa. I know Mark and he will work out a deal."

The Ottawa, Toronto and Sudbury Bluesfests are separate entities. Each is run as a not-for-profit organization by a volunteer board of directors.

Mr. Sauve would not comment on payment arrangements with the artists yesterday, saying only that it was business as usual for the Ottawa Bluesfest.

Yesterday, one industry observer said Toronto, while a big market, is not suited to festivals.

"Ottawa is a marketplace that is open to festivals. This is not a festival city or a festival destination city," said Riley O'Connor, senior vice-president of the Toronto-based House of Blues, Canada's most active promoter. He suggests that the festival could have been successful in a smaller market, such as Hamilton.

It's difficult to get media attention in Toronto, it's expensive to promote concerts and the festival had to compete with major events such as the Molson Indy last weekend and big name acts such as Eric Clapton, Madonna, Sting and Rod Stewart.

Ironically, House of Blues has been criticized for booking an arena concert in Ottawa at the same time as the Bluesfest. Tonight's Rod Stewart show at the Corel Centre was not selling well.

The Tragically Hip played the Bluesfest in Wasaga Beach last weekend, but it was the festival's only well-attended concert at the tourist spot. Earlier this week, Mr. Monahan was hesitant to comment on the success of the Wasaga Beach event, saying only that the numbers were still being tallied.

[slammer]

go to Hillside instead...more about art less about commerce...more about music less about big names...Blues fest was a corporate money grab anyways...trying to cash in on the festival scene....good to see it go down in flames...

Pepsi presents New Sanzibar...obscure Simpsons reference...Jim

[AdamH]

Great attitude slammer, I guess Passenger's appearance at one of these gigs will have to wait then? Or you can just wait until there's a festival that showcases your unique blend of afro hippie jazz modal fusion rock power blues samba trio work

The Ottawa Bluesfest was superbly run, and the only snippet in that citizen article that rings true is Riley's comments about Toronto not being a festival city. Totally true and I'm surprised that bluesfest has expanded geographically in the direction it has. Perhaps they'll scale back and keep focusing their energy on the ottawa festival, because both this year and last have had great lineups and pretty well-run events, speaking as both volunteer and attendee.

I do love Hillside though. Bar none the best festival experience I've ever had. Just not what Bluesfest is trying to be obviously

[Jaimoe]

The Ottawa Bluesfest was superbly run, and the only snippet in that citizen article that rings true is Riley's comments about Toronto not being a festival city. Totally true and I'm surprised that bluesfest has expanded geographically in the direction it has.

That's a short-sighted comment to make. The Toronto International Film Festival, The Hot Docs Festival, The Downtown and Beaches Jazz Festivals, The Taste Of The Danforth and the Yonge Street Summer Streetfest are HUGELY successful.