Roots music

The only other time I've seen Plants & Animals was also at Bluesfest, in 2008. I thought they played a pretty good set. They've come to town at least once since then, to middling reviews from people I know. No such complaints for their latest Bluesfest show; they really blew the roof off.

Nic and Warren have ditched the urban hipster look I razzed them for last time. It's strictly utilitarian now, people.



The shadowy Matt Woodley on drums.



The whole, singing-along lot!



I do like the Fujifilm's quick frame-change.



A shouty bit from Warren.



Singalong action!



And some keyboard action.



Warren goes down.



Nic rocks the hollowbody.



They're out in California right now, as part of a tour that will take them across the southwest and up the east coast. Their next date in the vicinity is at the Blacksheep Inn November 26.

• Show reminder: We Came As Romans, In Fear And Faith and Upon A Burning Body play Mavericks. The Megan Lane Band and Pamela Pachal play The Rainbow.

Juke joint melodies

Off my first day of SLR-less Bluesfesting, and I have to say that my  Fujifilm F200 EXP has behaved pretty well. There aren't going to be any closeups, but the resolution an focus seems all right. I actually saw a bunch of people with SLRs and standard lenses ... the policy around cameras seems a bit fuzzy. Well, I'm not going to spend any more effort figuring out what the heck is going on, so on to the photos of the many fine acts I witnessed yesterday. I started off at the Hard Rock Stage ...

Last time I saw Capital Grass and The No Men I was very impressed. They were based in Guelph then, but have since moved to the capital. At the Club SAW gig in question they mentioned they were working on a full length album, and it's finally arrived.


Capital Grass and The No Men at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 14, 2010

I didn't stay long because I wanted to see Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba. Ngoni Ba is a family band based around the lute, grand ancestor of the banjo. Like so many of the African acts bought to the festival by the Black Sheep crowd, the band is all killer and no filler. A lot of fest-goers are obviously wise to this as well, as the Black Sheep tent was actually quite full, with even the stands well-occupied. When I walked in his percussionist was tearing things up on the tamani. Bassekou is the gent second from left in the photo below.


Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 14, 2010

After that most enjoyable set I returned to the Hard Rock Stage, where emcee Steve Lund tossed out a few beads before The Rural Alberta Advantage came on. As it happens the first time I saw them was at the same show where I first clapped eyes on Capital Grass. Once again this was a very nice set, with old favourites like Frank and a few new tunes intended for a possible upcoming album. They also covered Maybe Tomorrow (the theme from Littlest Hobo, that is) and Survivor's Eyes of the Tiger.


Rural Alberta Advantage at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 14, 2010

I then went off to grab something to eat while I was serenaded by That 1 Guy and his electric boot. Since he has a lot of songs about food, I guess it was appropriate. Actually his music is quite krautrockish at times.


That 1 Guy at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 14, 2010

I then headed back to the Hard Rock Stage - there wasn't much else on - to watch Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes. It was a rocking set from an artist who's usually tied in with the working class rock of Bruce Springsteen. "We're going to have some extra blues in this set because the woman who manages this stage ... threatened me with a gun," he quipped.


Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes  at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 14, 2010

One of the advantages of the Fujifilm - it's a cinch to switch up the dimensions, good for those group photos.


Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes  at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 14, 2010

I rounded the evening off watching an excellent set from Plants and Animals. They were in excellent vocal form and quite energetic. Less energetic was my camera battery, which managed about 200 photos before winding down.


Plants and Animals at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 14, 2010

I also made a slight detour during Plants and Animals set to catch Santana playing Black Magic Woman. I think that's him in the middle ...


Santana at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 14, 2010

Not quite up to last night's Arcade Fire set, but a good day nonetheless.

• Show reminder: The Agonist, The Catalyst, Black Market Surgery and Last Day Within rock Mavericks; Calgary's Grown-Ups and Young Stalin get hardcore at Nine for the RRPP; Roots Movement take a break from their usual reggae night at the Rainbow to play the Bluesfest afterparty at the Rainbow ... wait a minute ...; Vancouverites Kilmore Place and This is Franco join The Sonic Defence Project at the Elmdale House; Thisquietarmy and D/A A/D are at the Avant-Garde.

Vegetable, Animal, Mineral

Now on to the stylish men of Plants and Animals ... I don't usually comment upon the clothes of performers (when it comes to snazzy duds, I'm on very thin ice) , but the guys in P&A all look like the just walked out of Urban Hipster Outfitter. Then again, they are all urban and hip, so maybe that's okay. I find their sound a bit hard to define ... they draw on jazz, pop, rock gospel, folk and sundry other forms. Most folks agree their music is buoyant and they make me think of the similarly uplifiting Akron/Family.

Big pink frame sunglasses and patterned shirt on Warren Spicer. Eek!



Matthew Woodley is a tad more elegant as he shakes it.



Nic Basque on bass, guitar and pastels.



Also keyboard.



Singalong action!



More yelling from Warren!





Warren goes down!



The whole lot!



Big finish, big crowd!



They're on a tour of the U.S. right now, and play Portland, Oregon tonight.

• Show reminder: Fred, The City Above and Kris Ward play Zaphod Beeblebrox; Mt. Eerie, Julie Doiron and Calm Down It's Monday play Club SAW; Suffokate, The Breathing Process, Woodhaven, Caramel Waltz and My Giant rock Mavericks.

As the bird flies

It's getting late, so I'm going to keep this short: My musical Thursday began with a trip to the River Stage where Sadie Hell was performing.


Sadie Hell, Ottawa Bluesfest, July 10, 2008

They sounded great, but my true destination was the Black Sheep Stage, so I only stayed for a couple of songs.


Plants and Animals, Ottawa Bluesfest, July 10, 2008

The only band I was really interested in seeing was Plants and Animals. The Polaris Prize-nominated combo had already attracted a hefty crowd. They sounded pretty sweet, but they didn't grip me live to the same degree as their debut EP.


Eli 'Paperboy' Reed, Ottawa Bluesfest, July 10, 2008

There was no one else I was particularly hankering to see that evening, just a few promising acts, the first of which was Eli 'Paperboy' Reed, and unabashedly retro performer from Boston. He's influenced by the soul and R&B music of the 1960s and has a mighty voice which he uses to good effect.


Remesha Drummers, Ottawa Bluesfest, July 10, 2008

After catching Reed I went back to the Black Sheep Stage to see The Mighty Popo. When I got there a huge crowd was covering the entire paved area in front of the stage. For a moment I was wondering if Popo had attained amazing new heights of popularity, but in fact it turned out that a good chunk of the space was occupied by Burundi's Remesha Drummers, who were knocking the crowd dead with some bouncy polyrhythms and lots of enthusiastic jumping.


The Mighty Popo, Ottawa Bluesfest, July 10, 2008

As for The Mighty Popo, he's played around town for what seems like ages, but I'm embarrassed to say this is the first time I caught his act. On another night I would have stuck around, but I was feeling a bit footloose so I walked over to the Roots Stage to see Michael Jerome Brown.


Michael Jerome Brown, Ottawa Bluesfest, July 10, 2008

I watched Brown - a short fellow in a snappy suit - run through a capable set of folk and blues accompanied by Steve Marriner and a couple of ringers from the Steve Barry band. He played covers by Bo Diddley and Tommy Johnson and a few solid originals. I wandered off again as he was rounding things up to see what was happening on other stages. I watched the kids going wild for Three Days Grace and less wild for Kid Beyond - young people these days! - then went back to the Black Sheep Stage to see Sean Kuti. But hark, what sound beckons from o'er yonder hill?


The Dynamites, featuring Charles Walker, Ottawa Bluesfest, July 10, 2008

As it turns, out, the funky rhythm was being produced by the Dynamites (and the Dynamite Horns). The funky band has brought former Chess, Decca and Champion veteran Charles Walker aboard, and they make a soulful sound much in the vein of early James Brown. It was pretty rocking, and I stuck around for half an hour or so before going back to see what Sean Kuti was up to.


Sean Kuti and Egypt 80, Ottawa Bluesfest, July 10, 2008

Young Kuti has inherited his dad Fela's band, but they didn't grab my attention like his brother Fema's outfit did last year, so I headed off.


Black Crowes, Ottawa Bluesfest, July 10, 2008

On the way out, I stopped to watch a song or two by The Black Crowes, but I can't dig the big concert scene. Small clubs are my style: The Bytown Tavern for example, about which more later. I will grant that the Crowes were making a swell psychedelic racket as I bicycled off into the night ...