bagochips Posted July 3, 2008 Report Share Posted July 3, 2008 Yes there have been many specific subject oriented bluesfest threads. Bluesfest has begun now, though, and I for one am freaking thrilled to get at it. Taj Mahal is cranked way too loud on my stereo for my neighbours' comfort level (and they have pretty liberal comfort levels), pizza is in the oven and the cold beer is going down all smooth-like.Yee-fuckin-ha people, the best bang for your money in town has begun for another year. Here's to eleven days of mayhem. Can I have an amen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traveler Posted July 3, 2008 Report Share Posted July 3, 2008 Amen brother! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 I wasn't feeling it but WOW... Bluesfest is back.Right off the bat I have to say that the biggest improvement is that you can now traverse between all stages without having to check-in / check-out, meaning you can bring your booze from stage to stage to stage to stage to stage!!Yes! Five stages this year, the new one being the Roots stage, located over the hill from the Blacksheep. It's wicked with tons of centre viewing space, on a hill so you can see it all, with the Ottawa river in the background.There is some sound bleed between stages though. For the most part it wasn't noticeable when the bands were playing at full volume but some subtle moments allowed another stage to come through.Music-wise, we got there in time to see TV on the Radio's entire set. Decent music but not much stage presence. Then a little Blind Boys of Alabama. It was ok but wasn't really feeling it. Cassandra Wilson and her band were very good, the highlight of the night surprisingly. Would have like to have seen the rest of the set but we went over to catch the end of Taj Mahal. Not bad but pretty routine, pleasing blues. Finally caught the last half hour of the Hip who drew a massive crowd and played to them well.A final note on lawnchairs. They were not an issue on the night, except when it was pitch dark and trying to navigate the Hip crowd I bumped into a few unfolded chairs not being used by their owners. What's the point of guarding space at that point? A very minor complaint though.See y'all tomorrow for the 4th of July!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phorbesie Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 i had a great time at the Hip. didn't manage to see any of the other stages except the rogers stage. i think the setup seemed more organized this year as well...so far so good. almost tripped over several lawn chairs in the dark, but it wasn't too bad considering! i thought a lot of the songs tonight were in their "medium rockin" category, it didn't feel like they really really let loose, or maybe just not as much as i remember. but it was really fun and a solid show. incomplete setlist..in viewmy music at workgrace, toolonely end of the rink? it's a good life?ahead by a centurypigeon cameracouragewheat kings - acousticphantom powerterritorial pisspostsbobcaygeonfireworksfully completelyfamily bandnew orleanse: ?yer not the ocean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freak By Night Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Wasn't gift shop in there as well? Or did I hallucinate that?Had a great time tonight. An old friend flew in from Winnipeg this evening and he had to line-up to get a ticket, so we arrived kind of late. Saw Taj Mahal for awhile and most of the Hip's show.Usual first-night confusion, but bluesfest should be running like a well-oiled machine by tomorrow night. Four day weekend coming up! See you there tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velvet Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Hip Hip Hooray! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snarfmaster C Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 yee haw!boy oh boy does it feel good, eh?!caught a few matt mays tunes - rockin their faces off :cool:was really digging the secret machines' sound! had never heard of them before, but would certainly pay to see them for a full show.caught some of keb'mo - where the stage was packed and the sound from other stages was really interfering with his chiller sound.then for some taj --- really glad to have seen him live, the bass player was doin some funky stuff with the 12 bars. they started off with really fun energy, but once they got about mid-set they tried playing some old favourites, and for me, that's when they lost the energy and my interest. picked it up some with queen bee and others i don't know the name of, (kickin instrumental with the banjo in the first encore!) but overall maybe a good to mediocre set.got 8 hours of work to plough through, then on to Corb Lund! wooo! boy do i love ottawa this time of year :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 According tohttp://www.ottawabluesfest.ca/en/index.php?page=mvyradioThanks to mvyradio, you can hear many of the performances from the 15th edition of the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest - please enjoy! mvyradio is capturing every day of the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest, with recorders and cameras in-hand. Not only will they be recording audio from all the stages, but they’ve partnered with a world-class video production company – Liverpool Court Studios – to tape video clips and interviews from a wide variety of artists.As the music unfolds, content will be updated, so stay tuned and mark down July 3-13 with mvyradio.com and the Cisco Ottawa Bluefest as a “FUNKALICIOUS†place to be!I clicked on the link, and was taking tohttp://mvyradio.com/music_info/ottawa_bluesfest_2008.phpwhere they currently have a few things to listen, but only one performance, that of Back Door Slam.Aloha,Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YearsAlongTheSea Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 It's like this festival put your little don't-blink, stop-for-a-shit-at-McDonalds, gas-'n-run, sleezy-motel, little town on the map. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Hip Setlist01: In View02: My Music At Work03: Grace, Too04: The Lonely End Of The Rink05: It’s A Good Life If You Don’t Weaken06: Ahead By A Century07: Gift Shop08: Courage09: Wheat Kings10: Poets11: Springtime In Vienna12: Bobcaygeon13: Fireworks14: Fully Completely15: Family Band16: New Orleans Is SinkingEncore17: Yer Not The Ocean (with Bob Rock on guitar)18: Queen Bitch (Bowie) (with Bob Rock on guitar)i kinda like the new site, but that giant middle barricade in front of the Rogers stage is pretty poor - forces people to walk all the way around the end. But no issues last night so maybe it won't be an issue. Also, for the Roots Stage - why the fuck is there a giant Casino Tower blocking peoples' sightlines?Thought the Hip were VERY rough sounding, definitely not the best I've seen them play. Gord's voice was pretty bad (to my ears anyways). Good setlist, sound was muddy where I was standing. Gord's stage antics were hilarious as usual - the hidden microphone bit being the funniest. How many towels did he go through? But, The Hip playing a greatest hits show outdoors in great weather in Ottawa - hard to go wrong with that. Fiftymen were solid as usual, Jose Gonzalez was borrrrrring, and TV On The Radio were really cool. A few misses but once in a while some really cool songs. Liam from The Stills added some sax throughout the set.$7.75 for poutine? Jesus.Looking forward to tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Denis Armstrong strikes again Wearing the same black suit and plaid shirt he's been sporting on this latest tour to promote their new record World Container, Downie was particularly delirious as he strutted and convulsed across the stage like a showstopping master of ceremonies during the opening tunes Yer Not the Ocean, My Music at Work, Grace Too and The Drop Off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Wooly Mammoth Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 had fun last night. wandered b/w Taj and the Hip. How many people does this place hold? There seemed to be a ton of people there last night. wonder what the Panic crowd will be like.The sound for the main stage is really weird. It's really loud right by the delay speakers. But then you can walk past them (i.e. closer to the stage) and it gets quiet again. Sound is defintely better closer up, near the board. The food selection looked awesome, but way too expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irie Guy Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 A muddy sound mix does not bode well for the Six Headed Beast from Athens. Their live sound can be muddy in the best of places. Hopefully it was just the Hip's engineer who was having an off night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 So what are people excited for tonight? Sonny Landreth (7:15pm, River Stage) should be a blast, and I'm interested in seeing what Dave Bidini Band (7:45pm, Black Sheep Stage) is like. If I stay until/path 9:30pm, I'd like to check out Feist (Bank of America Stage) and Allen Toussaint (Roots Stage), too, but I'll want to save energy for Saturday.Aloha,Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 I thought the Hip sounded just fine where we were, about a kilometre from the stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 A muddy sound mix does not bode well for the Six Headed Beast from Athens. Their live sound can be muddy in the best of places. Hopefully it was just the Hip's engineer who was having an off night.Or it very well could have just been where I was standing, I think I was in a little depression, surrounded by drunk yelly frat boys, and right in line with the delay towers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 tonight is corb lund, feist, bidini and hopefully a bit of allen toussaint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gentlemonkey Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Gord def. sounded a little rough, but the band was rockin! The layout seems like an improvement, except for the hilly/muddy areas in between. Anyone notice the bracelets can be taken off REALLY easily? I think they cut corners and got cheaper ones this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bagochips Posted July 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 I'm excited but torn about tonight. Having seen Sonny Landreth at least three times already, I'll go check out Corb; I was really impressed by his show at the Blacksheep in the fall. Should still be able to catch some of Dave Bidini as well. But the conflict comes for the final act. Allen Toussaint is a hugely important figure in the history of New Orleans funk and r&b, while Orchestra Baobab is a killer west african band that will definitely put on an amazing show. I'll have to see a bit of both, I guess. Thankfully they are in the same field.Feist schmeist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 metal dude at my work: "are you going to see Fist tonight?"me: "it's Feist. she's a poppy girl singer"dude: "oh. if it was Fist I would have gone." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewRider Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 metal dude at my work: "are you going to see Fist tonight?"me: "it's Feist. she's a poppy girl singer"dude: "oh. if it was Fist I would have gone."HAHAHAHHAAAAA.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubberdinghy Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Jesus...where the hell do you work...It's gonna be Bidini for me...running all the way from 1500 St.Laurent Blvd. Think I can make it in 15 mins?I'll probably be a sweaty mess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freak By Night Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Fist played at my grade 9 high school dance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phorbesie Posted July 4, 2008 Report Share Posted July 4, 2008 the beer is pisstastic as usual. bluesfest beer always makes me so sick, but like an idiot i had 2 last night. been paying for it all night and mornign....ugh. gonna save some money this week looks like! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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