Wood and wire

The next performer I laid eyes on Bluesfest was one I'd never heard of, Matt Andersen from New Brunswick. His hometown of Perth-Andover may not be known far and wide a blues hotbed ... in fact Andersen may be its most noteworthy resident, having triumphed at the Tennessee International Blues Challenge in January. He's been building up a strong reputation as a live performer since well before then, one the big man more than lived up to at his Hard Rock Cafe Stage set.

I promise you he is under there somewhere.



He's a leonine fellow.



The end! You can really only take so many pictures of one guy sitting down, no matter how energetic.



After that I went over to the Subway Stage to see Woodhands, who had the tough job of warming the stage up for Marianas Trench, who keytarist Dan Werb described as "the sexiest band we've ever opened for? They're actually back there naked right now!" In the end they proved their party-starting credentials by geting the crowd to clap along enthusiastically to their electro-dance schtick.



Dan and Paul "Double Duty" Banwatt.



Keytar action!



Well, you get the point.



Then I popped over to the main stage to see Crowded House.

• Show reminder: Its stint at Nine may be over, but the the Rock'N'Roll Pizza Party isn't quite dead yet. While its proprietors contemplate its future, they're putting on another show at the MVP Lounge with Miesha and The Spanks and Needles//Pins; Olenka and the Autumn Lovers and Kite Hill play Raw Sugar Cafe; The Creepshow, Hellbound Hepcats, Gunsmoke and Saucy Jack rock Mavericks; Gardening, Not Architecture, Old Crimes and Jonathan Becker play the Avant Garde Bar; The Sheepdogs, Romi Mayes, Silver Creek and Andre Bluteau will undoubtedly put on a fine show at Zaphod's; the Elmdale House hosts Al Wood and the Woodsmen and Jay Aymar.

A beginning and an end

My day began listening to a two-guitar-and drums trio and ended the exact same way, though no one is likely to confuse Detroit's legendary Gories with Calgary's Grown-Ups. I got to Ottawa Bluesfest just as The Gories were cranking things up. Apart from producing three of my favourite albums and influencing hordes of bands that I listen to, The Gories also bequeathed the world the musical genius of Mick Collins (The Dirtbombs, Voltaire Brothers, Screws, etc.) and Danny Kroha of The Demolition Dollrods.

Mick and Danny face off below. On this occasion Montreal psychobilly genius Bloodshot Bill was filling in on drums. There set was pretty bluesy, with covers of Mona and Boogie Chillun.


The Gories at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 15, 2010

They were quickly followed by Old Crow Medicine Show on the main stage. The trad-sounding country combo eschews the drummer, and are well suited for my Fujifilm's 16:9 scale photos. They have a couple of other members off to the right.


Old Crow Medicine Show at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 15, 2010

I then zipped off to see  Matt Anderson, a sizable chap from the East Coast who sounds like Leslie West (at least vocally) and plays some heavy duty acoustic blues.


Matt Andersen at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 15, 2010

I've already seen Woodhands a bunch of times - the electro-dance duo of Paul Banwatt and Dan Werb are always entertaining, and even though I suspect a hefty chunk of the crowd were actually there to see Marianas Trench they were soon waving their hands along enthusiastically. There sound was particularly tight on this occasion, and Werb's banter was also pretty sharp.


Woodhands at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 15, 2010

That done, I hopped over to the main stage again to see Crowded House. I've always thought Neil Finn was an ace tunesmith. I didn't stay long, since I was preternaturally (and incorrectly) worried about the weather, but the handful of tunes I stuck around for were as pleasant as anything I remember watching on MuchMusic back when I was a speckled teen.


Crowded House at Ottawa Bluesfest, July 15, 2010

However, my evening didn't end there ... my next stop, after picking up my SLR at home, was the Rock'N'Roll Pizza Party, where Young Stalin and The Grown-Ups were entertaining a few dozen folks.

I've wanted to see Young Stalin, but two previous opportunities - at the Gaga Weekend and a house show with Libyans - fell through. They ripped through a bevy of hardcore tunes with some pushing and shouting in what seemed like 10 minutes. You may recognize Maverick from his previous appearance on the blog as a member of Germ Attak back when they opened for The Kids at The Bayou.


Young Stalin at Nine, July 15, 2010

Next up, Grown-Ups, who promised they wouldn't be running out into the crowd. Instead they pummelled it with noise.


Grown-Ups at Nine, July 15, 2010

A diverse evening, to say the least.

• Show reminder: If punk is your fancy, Maveriks is the place to be as GBH, Outernational, The Class Assassins, Andy Snap and the Loose Cannons and The Rookers drop by. Greta Knights, Torcherror, and Kimaris are at Club SAW; Komor Kommando and Aliceffekt play Cafe Dekcuf; Bluesville Express plays the Rainbow afterparty; Canada Country Music Hall of Famer Neville Wells brings a bit of Le Hibou to Irene's; Rocket Rached and The Fat City 8 are at the Elmdale House.

Got wood?

Electro-dancepop duo Woodhands have lots of fans, thanks to their energetic, slightly crazed show and their oddball take on the genre. Dan Werb and Paul Banwatt are the guilty pair behind this noise (you may also know Paul from another hot band of the moment, Rural Alberta Advantage, who are playing Zaphod Beeblebrox this week).

Those Hands!



Paul shows the Star Trek love.



Dan multitasks.



Dan sings! And slightly resembles a cranky Elvis Costello.



Gesticulating action!



Dan goes red.



Roof-raising action!



Dan can roll his sleeves up and work on his tan now since it turned sunny.



Paul sings! (There was no girl available to do so.)



Big finish! Or the whole lot, if you prefer.



They've just finished a stint with Junior Boys, and head out west at the end of the month.

• Show reminder: Two Foot Falls perform at Zaphod Beeblebrox. Wise, Young & King perform at The Rainbow. Dan Voltan, Sydney York, Amy Thiessen and Kaley Bird are at the Avant-Garde.
  

Start to finish

If nothing else, Saturday's Bluesfest promised to bookend the day with a couple of hot sets. At the start of my day - which actually commenced at 3 p.m. - Hollerado played the main stage, while at the end Drive-By Truckers, one of my favourite bands, performed on the Fast Food Chain Stage. What happened in-between was pretty good too.

Hollerado put on a typically energetic set of their smart guitar rock. They remind me at times of Weezer. I suspect if they'd come around 10 years ago they'd be huge; as it stands there was a small (for Bluesfest, I'm talking about a few hundred people) but appreciative audience, including Louise Brown, who is a major fan and fielded a water bottle tossed by lead singer Menno Versteeg.


Hollerado, MBNA Stage, Bluesfest, July 18, 2009

They brought in some of the Uplift Gospel Choir to add vocals to a vocals to a few songs like Fake Drugs and Americanarama.


Uplift Gospel Choir with Hollerado, MBNA Stage, Bluesfest, July 18, 2009

I planned to go to the Black Sheep Stage, but with a few minutes to kill I decided to watch some of Paul Reddick's performance. He was on next at the Telecommunications Giant Stage. I reviewed and enjoyed Paul's Villanelle when it came out a few years back, and his rootsy blues-folk has its appeal.


Paul Reddick, Rogers Stage, Bluesfest, July 18, 2009

That said, I figured a good time was to be had watching Woodhands perform. They didn't have any female vocal accompaniment for this show (unlike a previous gig I caught at Club SAW), but still had the crowd dancing through a rainshower that lasted up until they performed a cover of Eddy Grant's Electric Avenue.


Woodhands, Black Sheep Stage, Bluesfest, July 18, 2009

That done I went over to see Becky Abbot perform on the main stage. She brought a sultry touch to covers of Neko Case's Hold On, Hold On and Lucinda Williams' Changed The Locks. She has a nice voice and as I've observed before looks smashing, but I far prefer the originals.


Becky Abbot, MBNA Stage, Bluesfest, July 18, 2009

I did a circle around the Bluesfest setup to return to the BlackSheep Stage, which included a brief viewing of Louisiana Red on the Fast Food Chain Stage and a brief pause to contemplate the T-shirts (sample motto: "Jesus Never Tapped Out") at the Hard Rock Stage, which was given over to gospel acts. He's playing again today in the Barney Danson Theatre


Louisiana Red, Subway Stage, Bluesfest, July 18, 2009

The Deep Dark Woods are a Saskatoon band sometimes described as "alt-country". Judging from their performance on the Black Sheep Stage, I'd say they've listened a lot to the The Basement Tapes. Their show was quite entertaining, though it too was accompanied by a start-to-finish rain shower.


Deep Dark Woods, Black Sheep Stage, Bluesfest, July 18, 2009

After that there was still a few minutes of Otis Taylor's set at the Telecommunications Giant Stage. He was doing a good job of impressed the youngsters waiting for Ludacris to show with his psychedelic blues.


Otis Taylor, Rogers Stage, Bluesfest, July 18, 2009

I wondered a bit more. I was surprised to see Papa Mali performing on the Fast Food Chain Stage. Turns out he is also part of Rhythm Council. I didn't catch enough of the set to say more.


Rhythm Council, Subway Stage, Bluesfest, July 18, 2009

I went back to the Black Sheep Stage to see what That 1 Guy was all about. First he played a song on his boot. Then he played a song on that piping gizmo he uses. The lyrics struck me as a bit like a nursery rhyme. It was a very rhythmic performance - let's say he's the Les Claypool of pipe and boot. He's also playing again today in the Barney Danson Theatre.


That 1 Guy, Black Sheep Stage, Bluesfest, July 18, 2009

After grabbing something to eat I settled down in front of the Fast Food Chain Stage to watch David Lindley. I'm a big fan of his work with Kaleidoscope, and he's an acknowledged master of a variety of stringed instruments. He covered Blind Willy Johnson's Soul of A Man, Warren Zevon's Seminole Bingo and Bruce Springsteen's Brothers Under The Bridge, separating each with an interesting and sometimes amusing introduction. Although Ludacris' set occasionally bled in, for the most part it was an entrancing demonstration of his colossal skill as a musician and his compelling voice. I think I'm going to catch him again today at the Hard Rock Stage.


David Lindley, Subway Stage, Bluesfest, July 18, 2009

After that I just hunkered down and waited for Drive-By Truckers to take the stage. I have all their albums and both their DVDs, so you could say I'm a fan. I thought they played an awesome set and the rest of the crowd seemed to agree. Best of all, they ran out the clock on their encore, playing for an hour and 45 minutes in all.


Drive-By Truckers, Subway Stage, Bluesfest, July 18, 2009


Drive-By Truckers, Subway Stage, Bluesfest, July 18, 2009

Always good to see a performer live up to your expectations.

Couples night

Well that was a fruitful night of watching duos and dodging snow-clearing machinery. I got in the door at Mavericks a bit before 9 p.m. and Ennuie got on stage shortly after. I'm sometimes unsure as to whether Luca and Ivana are playing in time, or even the same song at the same time, but I think I'm starting to get a handle on it. Toronto electro-dance pop groovers Woodhands were on stage next. "It's couples night!" keytar maestro Dan Werb observed, and indeed every band on stage was a duo for this occasion. This meant drummer Paul Banwatt had to "sing like a girl" after rapping since Maylee Todd was back in Toronto, but so be it. Then Handsome Furs came up and rocked it. I like Dan Boeckner's crunchy guitar stuff a lot, and his wife Alexei Perry plays a table full of electronics like a pinball fanatic in love with the tilt sign. They finished off with a cover of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers' You Got Lucky. I really wish I had my camera on hand for the set, but it's still down in Mississauga, so I'll just have to leave you with a photo of Boeckner at Barrymore's with his other band, Wolf Parade.



Incidentally, Ennuie is playing again at Zaphod's January 25.

Dashing through the snow

With no camera and no more pictures of recent shows, I guess it's time to start trawling through the stack of banker's boxes keeping my vinyl company and dig out some never-before-seen pictures from yesteryear. But first, here's a snap from earlier in 2007. Handsome Furs, Woodhands and Ennuie are performing at Mavericks tonight (assuming they make it through the snow). This photo was taken at Woodhand's Club SAW set with Laura Bartlett and Glenn Nuotio.



Flesh Cadillack (a.k.a. Joady Thomas of BusBoyeez) and Andrea Warren also perform tonight at Zaphod Beeblebrox.

They wood if they could

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Woodhands; I've seen mainman Dan Werb before with Spitfires and Mayflowers (he's part of that Henri Faberge and The Adorables crowd, as is Laura Barrett), so with their name maybe some kind of off-kilter yet rootsy concoction? Uh, no. More like Holy Fuck crossed with The Hi Lo Trons, but just two guys (the other is Paul Banwatt, also of The Rural Alberta Advantage and a few other outfits).

The keytar was the first giveaway.



Paul.





Dan and Paul were joined by Maylee Todd (also an Adorable), who I thought I recognized earlier in the evening. The glasses and lack of strategically ripped clothing threw me off.



Dan puts his hands in the air like he just don't care.



Maylee - something about the projection screen background makes me think of American Apparel ads ...



Laura Barrett also joined the duo on stage - yeesh, these guys are half way to being an octet.



Remember, both of these people are in The Adorables. Amateurs should not attempt to be this adorable without proper supervision.



Properly miking a kalimba is a tricky business.



They had at least some of the crowd up and dancing.

• Show reminder: Sleeping Pilot and Metz play Babylon; City of a Hundred Spires, Plaza Musique and Kingdom Shore perform at Mercury Lounge. Yet another edition of Music and Art at Zaphod's; The Rude Dudes and Hellbros return, abetted by The Coggs, Raventamers and some arts and crafts folks eager to sell you their wares.

Nightclubbing

Off to Club SAW for a most eclectic and entertaining show. We've got piano pop, dance-rock and m'bira from an Adorable. To wit:

Pop cabaret artist Glenn Nuotio, seen here singing of long-distance loving and prescription medication - thus the pill projection backdrop.



Last time I saw Dan Werb he was playing keyboards with Spitfires and Mayflowers. Here he is, still playing keys but this time with electro dance-rock duo Woodhands.



Laura Barrett - last seen with Henri Faberge and Co. - rounded things off with her thumb-piano (she also had one of those bass-pedal thingamajigs and Ajay Mehra to play glockenspiel).



I'd also add the turnout was excellent: About 80 people, I'd guess.