APT613 will have wall-to-wall coverage of the festival, with daily previews, occasional interviews, and the best photos from each set, on each stage, on each day. We’ve got you!
After a great first week, we’re back at it today to kick off five straight days of music.
RBC Stage
6:00 pm – Luscious
7:30 pm – Tom Morello
9:30 pm – Def Leppard
Kingston’s Luscious (not to be confused with Saturday’s Lucius) will launch Week 2, opening for two rock legends on the main stage. Birelle LeBlanc’s vocals, a mix of Sass Jordan and Bif Naked, laid over the band’s refreshed classic rock sound, makes for a familiar yet fresh take, as evidenced on their brand new single released this week, “Caution Signs.”
Next is the ever unpredictable Tom Morello. Last at Bluesfest with Rage Against The Machine, Morello has jumped from genre to genre throughout his career. He could lean into his rock groups’ catalog for Rage and Audioslave songs, or supergroup Prophets of Rage, or he could instead draw from his solo work, which includes his two Atlas Underground collaboration albums, or he could surprise everyone and instead pull together a set featuring his folk songs released as The Nightwatchman. Whatever it ends up being, he’s guaranteed to leave viewers awestruck by his iconic guitar work.
Speaking of icons, Def Leppard make their first ever Bluesfest appearance, despite having played the capital at least ten times. And while some of their contemporaries seem to be waning in their later years, the Brit rockers seem to have gotten better with age. They are one of the very few artists to boast a pair of diamond certified albums, Pyromania and Hysteria, the latter having hit 13-times platinum in Canada. The hardest choice will be narrowing down a 90-minute playlist from their career closing in on a half century. Given Morello is immediately preceding them, could we potentially see a rare opportunity for their collaboration “Just Like 73” live?
River Stage
6:15 – The Sarandons
7:45 pm – Amos the Transparent
9:15 pm – The Decemberists
Over on the River stage, the rock takes a bit more of an indie slant, and a fair share of quirk. First is Toronto’s The Sarandons, which fit very much with that local scene. Fans of Tokyo Police Club’s strong bass lines and distorted guitars looking for a new obsession since their retirement should make a beeline for the side stage.
Next up, much closer to home is Ottawa’s own Amos the Transparent. And in true Ottawa fashion, their last release was an EP of Alanis Morrissette covers in 2020 done in their trademark indie folk style. While fans will be growing impatient for a new album since 2018’s Anniversaries, the band teased that work was underway on it, so one can hope for a new release soon.
Finally, continuing the indie folk rock, The Decemberists and their quirky lyrical themes will close out the night. While 2018’s I’ll Be Your Girl had a bit more of a rock feel, especially on single “Severed,” their latest album, the appropriately titled As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again is a return to their more folk arrangements. No matter the genre, the common thread throughout is the storytelling lyrics, conveying a novel’s worth of plot in a single song.
LeBreton Stage
5:30 pm – Funk Yo Self
7:00 pm – D.K. Harrell
8:15 pm – Reignwolf
Over in the tent, the evening kicks off with Ottawa jam band Funk Yo Self mixing up jazz, blues, and of course funk, to create a high energy party no matter if it’s at Irene’s Pub or the Bluesfest stage. Absolutely no need to find a seat for this set as sitting still is impossible.
Following that upbeat party will be bluesman D.K. Harrell, providing electric blues enthusiasts with masterful guitar work that channels the greats that have come before the 27 year old. Bluesy beyond his years, Harrell has already cemented himself among the next generation to take the baton and carry it forward.
Taking that electric blues and merging it with hard rock, up next is Reignwolf. The Seattle band blew up quickly, playing Lollapalooza and earning an opening spot on Black Sabbath’s 2014 tour, before releasing an album. Front man (and Canadian) Jordan Cook brings the intensity, both on vocals and guitar, which is matched on their last single “The Woods” by guest drummer Brad Wilk from Rage Against The Machine. The tent better be tied down tight or it could get blown right off tonight.
Barney Danson Theatre
6:30 pm – Beau Nectar
8:00 pm – Le Winston Band
9:30 pm – D.K. Harrell
An eclectic mix in the theatre tonight starts off with pop duo Beau Nectar. Combining a Franco-Ontarian and Fransaskois, and creating bilingual songs, the mix of ingredients has been a winning one, given their 10 Trille d’Or nominations, and Pop Artist of the Year at the Saskatchewan Music Awards. The complexity of their synth-pop grabs your attention and commands you to pay attention, and clearly the award juries have.
Switching up from synth pop to French zydeco from Montreal? That’s the unique blend only Le Winston Band can deliver, combining French Canadian lyrics with our Cajun distant cousins’ zydeco as a backdrop, and given the common roots, it actually works. The result is a catchy, dance-y genre that will stick with anyone within earshot.
The turntables tonight are being manned by DJ DoubleDown at the Spin Stage, DJMC at The Crazy Horse Saloon.
Keep checking APT613 for our daily previews to get you ready for your excursion to the festival, and then again afterwards for our daily photos to either jog your memories – or instigate FOMO.
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