Given the wide variety of genres and renown, you will be forgiven if you are unfamiliar with every single artist on the lineup. Therefore, as part of our extensive coverage, apt613 will have daily previews of the artists performing that day, so you can plan your festival visit to LeBreton Flats accordingly.
Another epic Bluesfest night in the books last night, thanks to the Foo Fighters yet again. We need to keep hoping Mother Nature doesn’t throw a Monkey Wrench into the plans tonight with an iffy forecast!
Day 6: Thursday, July 13
RBC Stage
6pm Amos the Transparent
7:30pm The War on Drugs
9:30pm Mumford & Sons
Another cohesive trio of bands on the main stage Thursday; fans of any of these bands should be content to find a patch of grass and park themselves for the night.
First up is our very own Amos the Transparent. With almost two decades and hundreds of shows under their belt, the veterans have honed their folk/roots rock built on exceptional harmonies. Their last release in 2020, an EP of reworked covers of Alanis Morrissette’s Jagged Little Pill, highlights the band’s creative arrangements.
Continuing the folk/roots rock lineup is The War On Drugs. Making a return from their 2018 appearance at the festival, the Philadelphia band released their exceptional I Don’t Live Here Anymore, taking their sound into an even more lush and layered direction. Their live jams have become their calling card, and their Live Drugs album exemplifies it at an average song length of over seven minutes.
In the “it’s about time” category, Mumford and Sons finally make their debut at Bluesfest. How such a great festival act hasn’t made a stop here yet is bizarre, but we finally get to see them in their element. Since their show at the Canadian Tire Centre in 2019, the band has undergone quite the ups and downs, with Marcus Mumford launching a successful solo career on one hand, and Winston Marshall leaving the group on the other. Now a trio, fans will be curious to see how they perform live, given the reliance on harmonies and instrument interplay. That said, with their boundless energy on stage, that certainly won’t be lacking, nor will the singalongs to fan favourites “I Will Wait” and “Little Lion Man.”
River Stage (behind the Canadian War Museum)
6:30pm Avery Raquel
8pm Cam Kahin
9:30pm Declan McKenna
Tonight’s River Stage is a mix of genres, with a common thread being youth. And with the talent already on display, any of them could leap from River Stage to the main stage at the following Bluesfests.
First up is Brantford’s soulful Avery Raquel. At 21, her voice seems more mature as she navigates through a blend of influences ranging from R&B to funk, jazz and blues across her four albums and many singles to date.
Another Ontario product in his early 20s, Cam Kahin applies his talent in a different direction, somewhere along the indie alt-rock spectrum. With a pair of EPs released last year, he’s already found chart success with the catchy “compass” and “try again,” and is about to get to work on a full-length album. It will be interesting to see how the do-it-all songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer meshes his myriad of influences as he grows.
The eldest artist to take the stage at a ripe old 24, England’s Declan McKenna exploded onto the scene in 2015 with his debut single “Brazil” which has now surpassed 400 million streams. Not bad as a starting point for an artist who was just 16 at the time. His newest single, last month’s “Sympathy,” continues his evolution, as he clearly is not attempting to replicate his breakout hit, but instead forges a path of his own development.
SiriusXM Stage (behind Main Stage)
6pm Angelina Hunter Trio
7:30pm Lloyd Spiegel
9pm Sudan Archives
The SiriusXM Stage kicks off with a double shot of blues before going in a completely different direction to close the night.
Leading off is Ottawa’s Angelina Hunter Trio. With a brand-new album released last month, the veterans of the local blues scene will have a broader selection to pull from for their set. Showcasing Hunter’s blistering guitar and powerful voice, the new album adds a slight polish without dampening the ferocity or authenticity of the trio. If you don’t believe me, listen to the guitar solo and drum fill on “Back in ‘73.”
You might not consider Melbourne, Australia a bastion of blues, but Lloyd Spiegel’s take on it proves the blues are a state of mind, not a place. Having just released his tenth album this year and marking three decades of performing, his reputation as a showman and entertainer has had plenty of time to be polished.
Closing the tent is Sudan Archives, known for defying categorization. The singer and violinist incorporates elements of electropop, R&B and Afrobeats to create something entirely unique and shifts from song to song, even within her albums. That’s not to say her experimentation isn’t accessible; there remains a familiarity in her songwriting, but the elements combine to create something brand-new every time.
Barney Danson Theatre (inside the Canadian War Museum)
6:30pm Ash Ravens
8pm Loviet
9:30pm Lloyd Spiegel
Ottawa-based singer-songwriter Ash Ravens kicks off the indoor lineup Thursday. The Bangladesh-raised artist has garnered plenty of local attention and accolades, including a Newcomer of the Year nomination at the Capital Music Awards. His guitar talent helps bridge the many genres in his music, from rock to country.
Another up-and-coming Canadian, Loviet is quickly establishing herself as one to watch with her latest EP, The Nighttime Is All In The Timing. Standout tracks “Broken Lips” and “Some Kind of Drug” are gleaming hook-laden indie-pop that can easily soundtrack your summer, and her follow-up single released last week, “What I Wouldn’t Give,” adds a bit more guitar-based indie-rock flavour to her catalogue.
Keep checking apt613.ca and our social media feeds for more previews and photos throughout the festival!
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