In with the new

Phew! Here's the last post for Bluesfest, more than a month after it actually came to a close. The New Pornographers put on a tight set for the assembled power pop loving masses. Apart from the great music, the main things I recall are drummer Kurt Dahle singing with a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth and swigging from a bottle of wine and Carl Newman telling the crowd about some tourism ad claiming Ottawa was a combination of London and Paris. This claim was greeted with some bemusement by the audience.



Nothing says "rock" like sandals.



Family singalong action!



I didn't get any decent pictures of guitarist Todd Fancey, tucked away in the corner with his Gibson Explorer, or Dahle, but I did get one of Blaine Thurier playing harmonica. Yay me!



The big picture!



Rock action with bassist John Collins, and niece Kathryn Calder.



Huzzay!



A fine capper to a good festival. Like many I preferred it for the two years when there was Birdman Sound Stage, but I had a pretty good time this year. Flash update: If Pollstar is to be believed, they'll be back in town Oct. 9 for a show at the Capital Music Hall with Calder's other band, The Immaculate Machine, and Novillero.