Bluesfest 2008

[Jaimoe]

There's three really really shitty artists on that Facebook list.

[gatineau99]

i count 5

[Ol'Hickster]

Yay! Great Big Sea!

[Rob Not Bob]

There's three really really shitty artists on that Facebook list.

I never consider that a bad thing ... I always consider such times as opportune to check out the side stages, or even take a night off from the festival to avoid burnout.

[Freak By Night]

Let me be the first to post the official announcement!

****************

The 2008 Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest line-up has been announced and

features great acts,such as: James Taylor; Steely Dan; The Tragically

Hip; Feist; Wyclef Jean; The Black Crowes; Fergie; Widespread Panic;

Brian Wilson; Great Big Sea; BOZ SCAGGS; Three Days Grace; TV on the

Radio; Akon; Primus; Zappa Plays Zappa; Taj Mahal; Lucinda Williams;

Donna Summer; Plain White T's; Richard Thompson; Matthew Good and His

Band; Don McLean; Keb' Mo'; Robert Randolph and the Family Band;

Theory of a Dead Man; Blind Boys of Alabama; Joan Armatrading; Jakob

Dylan; Dr. John; Canned Heat; The Secret Machines; Corb Lund, Metric;

CALEXICO; Sean Kingston; The Weakerthans; The Wailers; Johnny Winter;

Cassandra Wilson; Kathleen Edwards; Adrian Belew; Bettye LaVette;

Shelby Lynne; Wintersleep; Allen Toussaint; Sam Roberts Band, and many

more….

[bouche]

good job dave. nice formatting. is that what they call a semi-colon separating the artists?

[Cully]

wow.

[AD]

that is the weakest lineup i've seen from bluesfest yet. really would like to see who the 'many more' are, as that will make or break this lineup (for me). too bad the site keeps crashing.

[bouche]

Brian Wilson... is that the biggest act there?

[bouche]

that is the weakest lineup i've seen from bluesfest yet. really would like to see who the 'many more' are, as that will make or break this lineup (for me). too bad the site keeps crashing.

I don't know why they can't handle the visits. there can't be that many people trying to access the site. They're probably doing really cheap shared hosting.

[Freak By Night]

That's the way it came formatted in the e-mail. Not sure why some artist are capitalized and others not.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get my semi-colon into a lawnchair.

[AD]

methinks they're updating everything right now. but that should still allow visits. oh well. the real news is the lineup's weakness

[MarcO]

go see Richard Thompson for fuck's sakes!

[AD]

Let’s cut to the chase and lead with what everyone wants to know this time of year. Who’s at Bluesfest?

Today, the festival’s artistic director Mark Monahan put an end to the speculation, announcing that James Taylor, Steely Dan, Feist, Brian Wilson, Wyclef Jean, The Black Crowes, Fergie, Boz Scaggs, Don McLean and Lucinda Williams are among the 210 music stars who will play the 2008 edition of Bluesfest, July 3-13.

Also scheduled is Donna Summer, Richard Thompson, Joan Armatrading, Zappa Plays Zappa, Matthew Good, Keb’ Mo’, The Weakerthans, Dr. John, Adrian Belew, Cassandra Wilson, Jakob Dylan, Shelby Lynne, Canned Heat, Sam Roberts, Guy Davis, James Blood Ulmer, Three Days Grace and many others.

For a complete schedule, go to the festival’s website at www.ottawabluesfest.ca

Monahan says it's the biggest he’s ever produced in the festival’s 15-year history, about 20% bigger than last year’s relaunch at LeBreton Flats. He’s added a sixth stage - The Roots and Gospel Stage.

The return stages are the two headline mains, the Bank of America (formerly the MBNA Stage) and the Rogers, the two sides the Black Sheep and The River, and the War Museum’s Barney Danson Theatre.

In addition, he’s also added a new electric/eclectic series of experimental music and avant-garde talent, and a reading series featuring rock star authors Dave Bidini, formerly from The Rheostatics, and Gord Downey (learn how to spell his name), of The Tragically Hip.

And while the 2008 lineup doesn’t have the same spectacular star-power as last year’s inaugural event at LeBreton Flats when Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Kayne West and The White Stripes headlined, Monahan insists this summer’s festival is bigger and better.

Monahan’s also ramped up the quotient of Ottawa talent with Tony D, Kathleen Edwards, Jim Bryson, Metric, JW Jones, Amanda Rheaume, Roxanne Potvin, The Acorn, Hi-Lo Trons, Fiftymen, The Hammerheads and other local talents scheduled to play.

“Overall, it’s stronger than last year,†he said.

“We’ve expanded the schedule with 40 more concerts and while we don’t have quite as many headliners as last year, this festival has a lot more depth with better flow to the schedule. It took six months to book. It’s a huge event.â€

Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. online at www.ottawabluesfest.ca.

[bouche]

OFFICIAL announcement with a bigger list.

[Freak By Night]

You forgot to add "FTW" Mike.