He ain't heavy

The Pernice Brothers played at Bluesfest's muggiest moment: 1:30 p.m. Sunday. There was profuse sweating as the group gave its country pop gems a robust treatment. I just listened to their third studio album, Yours, Mine & Ours, and heard what I was missing from their live set: Some fabulous harmonies. Well, I predicted their more ethereal compositions wouldn't sound the same coming from the Main Stage back when they were added to the bill - and as I said earlier, they had some bravura guitar moments. It was slightly drippy (which is why the monitors are dressed in plastic) but there wasn't much in the way of rain, as I recall.

Joe Pernice sweats the pounds away.



Guitarist Peyton Pinkerton was feeling it.



There regular bassist, Thom Monahan, was taking a break (their website takes pains to explain he is not dead, jailed, or involved in a love triangle, rhombus or trapezoid), so I can't say who's providing the low end. However, that is James Walbourne playing keys, guitar, and cocking the occasional suspicious eyebrow at the rest of the band.



And last but not least, drummer Patrick Berkery.



The band has a live DVD and CD Nobody's Watching (Nobody's Listening) out, and just released their fourth studio album Discover a Lovelier You. Based on their past output (as well as side projects like Big Tobacco and Chappaquidick Skyline) they're both worth checking out.

From Massachusetts to Mauritania

Sunday's Bluesfest threatened to be a bit of a slow fade for me ... there were only two acts I was really interested in seeing. The first was The Pernice Brothers, who put on a great show on the Main Stage at 1:30. Not many people showed up, since the weather was both muggy in the extreme (Joe Pernice joked that he sweated off six pounds while playing) and threatening. True, the band can't duplicate the delicate moments of tunes like Chicken Wire in such a venue, but some striking electric guitar work was a fine trade off.
The second was Holly Golightly (who a little bird tells me will returning to Ottawa in the not-too-distant future). I saw her at Barrymore's when the Birdman Sound crew brought her to town and she was great as always, rounding her set off with a version of The Len Bright Combo's Comedy Time.
After that I headed back to the main stage to see Mary Gauthier, who did not grab me. I found her somewhat flat singing style a turn off. Then I went to check out Sonny Landreth. After I snapped a few photos I decided that he wasn't really my thing either, brilliant slide player though he may be, so I circled back to The Black Sheep Stage to see Daby Toure, who was well worth making the circuit for. Despite some evident sound problems he put on a dynamite show. The crowd wasn't huge, but it was very enthusiastic.
Unfortunately, the folks who develop my pictures are experiencing technical difficulties, so no pictures for the next day or two.

• Upcoming shows: Illuminati, From Fiction and the Lords of Vanier play Zaphod's July 20. Kepler has a CD release at Mavericks July 22 with support from Jennifer O'Connor and Robot Kill City. Collapsing Opposites, Saint Bernard of Love and Daydream Square perform at the Avant Garde Bar July 23; Daydream Square also has a date with My Dad vs Yours and Parades Against Parades at Irene's at Club SAW July 28. Same night, The Double Pumpers and From Rags to Bitches play Zaphod's.