Night six of Bluesfest was a muddy one but festivalgoers were prepared, as the ponchos and rain boots were out in full force for an evening headlined by the Zac Brown Band. The group had a slew of talented musicians on the roster, and interestingly enough, did numerous covers–from “Paint it Black” to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Zac Brown wasn’t just the face and vocalist of the band: the Atlanta lead dealt a decent amount of the guitar work as well. The band had to cut their set short as the 11:00pm curfew came into effect, and so quickly started their encore to fit in a fast version of their hit “Chicken Fried.”
Charley Crockett was one of the standouts of the night, as the Texan artist brought a fresh take on classic country reminiscent of the 1960’s. The Medicine Singers took the tent stage to another level, doing a unique rendition of Link Wray’s “Rumble,” incorporating traditional powwow and psychedelic rock.
Matthew Good closed the river stage, drawing a large, dedicated crowd. Texas King opened, with an energetic performance which the early crowd matched.
We’re in the final four days of the festival, and each of the top billings promises something different, from hair metal to 90’s hiphop, and punk to country!
RBC Ottawa Bluesfest runs from July 4-14 at Lebreton Flats, with passes and tickets available here.
