Category Archives: Rock, Alternative & Punk

RBC Ottawa Bluesfest organizers today announced two major additions to an ever-burgeoning line-up, which already includes such heavy weights as Keith Urban, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kanye West and more.

It’s no secret that the city of Ottawa is thirsting for country music lately, with two country music stations and a country heavy line-up at Ottawa Bluesfest, I can’t think of anyone better to kick off a summer of country music in Ottawa than the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan.  Living up to his title Luke proved he was more than ready, and able, to quench our thirst.

Leading Canadian artists and performers have touted the Brockville Arts Centre as Canada’s foremost mid-sized historic theatre. The recent $2 million facelift, has raised the eyebrows of Canada’s musical elite with a sound system equivalent to Celine Dion’s Las Vegas system. Luxurious seating duplicated form Washington’s Lincoln Centre and historic chandeliers from the Trump Plaza in Atlantic City. One of the most memorable compliments comes from renowned Canadian Artist, John McDermott, who was quoted that “of the many continents he has performed at, Brockville Arts Centre has acoustic excellence second to none”.

Dear Rouge – Black to Gold

The list of performers at this summer’s RBC Royal Bank Ottawa Bluesfest continues to grow with Vancouver’s Dear Rouge now added to the list.

Chad Brownlee – Photo by Trish Cassling for Sound Check Entertainment

To say that 2015 has started with a bang is a major understatement.  It took the independent Sound Check over a year to hit 100,000 readers and we hit 200,000 in just the first month and a half of 2015.

Our top stories of Q1 2015 included breaking the news of Luke Bryan in Ottawa and the 2015 Ottawa Bluesfest line-up as well as our coast to coast coverage of Dallas Smith’s Tippin’ Point Tour and Chad Brownlee’s When the Lights Go Down tour not to mention our unprecedented concert coverage from New Country 94’s welcome to Ottawa party with Dallas Smith to Florida Georgia Line and ZZ Top in Kingston. All of this and only in the first 3 months of 2015.

Here’s a look at what’s ahead from April to June 2015

So late Sunday afternoon our friends at Ottawa Bluesfest posted a teaser video, hinting at the BIGGEST headliner yet for this July’s festival.

UPDATE:
Kayne West added to the lineup (March 30).

Ticket prices: There is a wait on the website to get tickets but these are the prices we know:

Day Passes: $50 (plus service charges) except July 9 and 10 ($60 each) and July 11, 16 and 17 ($55 each)
Pick 3: $99
Tier 1: $199 Tier 2: $249 (as each Tier sells out prices will move the next Tier)

While researching for a preview piece leading up to tomorrow’s believed 2015 line-up announcement for RBC Royal Bank Ottawa Bluesfest I came across the 2015 Ottawa Bluesfest website via a Google search. Based on information we had been told leading up to today there were enough constancies to make us believe this is was the real thing.  ***Update: The information below was confirmed by an official announcement by Ottawa Bluesfest posted at the bottom of this article***

So with a little more investigative research it looks like the Sweet Home Alabama hit makers Lynyrd Skynyrd are heading to Canada this summer and will be joining the RBC Ottawa Bluesfest line up on July 14th.   We noticed a post on Pollstar with the news.  With the whole line up only a week away who are you hoping gets added to the line up?

Although he was among the artists rumoured to be in the 21st annual lineup of RBC Royal Bank Ottawa Bluesfest we can now confirm that Keith Urban will perform on July 16.

Although it may be little surprise to many but we can now officially confirm that Blue Rodeo will return to RBC Royal Bank Ottawa Bluesfest this summer.