Pitbull and Ludacris crank up the heat on and already hot Saturday night at RBC Bluesfest

And then there was one…hard to believe 8 nights of RBC Bluesfest are already in the history books. Night 8 was definitely one of the warmer nights of the festival, even though there was definitely more heat for Shania last night felt much more humid. If it wasn’t hot enough already Ludacris and Pitbull took the thermostat and cranked it up even higher making for a steamy night at Lebreton Flats.

*** Editor’s note: media photographers were not permitted to shoot Pitbull at RBC Bluesfest so we’re using photos from when we shot him last summer at Budweiser Stage in Toronto as we have a policy to only use our own photos when possible. All Pitbull photos taken by Angelo Marchini

The night started with our good friend Abby Stewart on the River Stage, Abby was supposed to perform in the Barney Danson Theatre several years ago but rain and thunderstorms delayed the gate opening and Abby’s set was cancelled as a result. It was nice to see the festival give her a shot at one of the larger stages and it was equally nice to see a decent crowd to show up in support of this incredibly talented rising country star. I’ve been friends with Abby and her family since we first met at Bogie Country when she was, I believe, 12 years old and then followed her progress as she took part in the She’s the One emerging artist showcase at RBC Bluesfest a few years later. Abby continues to work hard and has been busy releasing new music over the last few years. No question Abby Stewart is one to watch, perhaps one day we’ll see her on the main stage.

Immediately following Abby’s set we moved to the main bowl for Ludacris. Believe it or not long before I became a country fan my two main genres of choice were rap and metal. Yup I know it’s quite the shift to go to country music but that’s a different story all together. Thanks to RBC Bluesfest I’ve managed to see a number of the artists that made up my playlist in my late teens and twenties like Wu Tang Clan and Naughty by Nature to name a few. Add Ludacris to that list was close to bucket list material. I guess it’s a good thing when a set ends leaving you wanting more because that’s exactly how I felt last night. When they wrapped up the set I looked at Keenan and said that’s it? It felt like we were just getting started. The setlist went through all the big hits including “Area Codes”, “Act a Fool”, “How Low” and wrapped up with “Move B#tch”. Ludacris set the bar perfectly for the main event.

I don’t have exact numbers for last night but I’d say by the time Pitbull hit the stage the crowd had swelled in the main bowl to close to that of Shania Twain on opening night, if less it was only by a hair. Last night was definitely the night that had the most alcohol consumption, as volunteer with the Green Team it was the first night of the year that we simply ran out of time and left the field looking like we didn’t do anything when in reality hundreds of bags of cans and recycling were collected. For those of you who don’t know the Bluesfest Green Team collects and sorts all recyclables and separates beer and alcohol cans and at the end of the festival the proceeds are donated to three charities voted on by the Green Team volunteers. Last year the total donated was over $19,000 which is incredible considering you only get 10 cents a can. It’s hard, sometimes dirty work, but if you see a Green Team member make sure to say thank you because not only do they keep the venue clean their efforts help others in a big way. Of course you can help by ensuring your beer cans and recyclables are put in the right clear recycling bags when you’re done.

Pitbull was scheduled to start at 9:30 but actually started his set about 15 minutes early, perhaps due to a threat of rain and thunderstorms near the end of the night (it never came but it was possible). His full set time ran just under 90 minutes but it was a 90 minute high energy dance workout that got 30+ thousand people in attendance moving. In the 90 minutes he cranked out all of his major hits from “Hotel Room Service” to “Timber”, “I Know You Want Me” and “Fireball” all the way to his closing song “Give Me Everything”.

Everything about the set impressed me. The energy level was off the charts, how he managed with a dark suit and jacket is beyond me. And the dancers…ok granted they weren’t wearing as much as Pitbull was but how they didn’t melt out of their skin or get so hot that they were dropping like flies on the stage was something else. That’s what I call true professionals. One part of the set that really stuck for me was when he gave some advice to the crowd…as someone who makes a living off of social media it was an important reminder. His words were important “Growing up around social media, I grew up around cocaine, crack, heroin…you get addicted to that kind of shit. Social ain’t no different. So all I’m telling you is this: don’t be followers, don’t care about likes; if you really want to make a difference, be leaders, be unique, give back; that’s how you make a change. I’m gonna give you another piece of advice: when it comes to money we all may or may not know how much money we have in our bank account. It goes up, it goes down, you may lose some you may make some. Shit, half of my life I was broke as f#ck. But a bank account it goes up, it goes down you can control that shit one way or another. But when it comes to a time account you don’t know how much time you have. Appreciate every minute, every second of every day. They’ve already robbed you of your privacy, don’t let these motherf#ckers rob you of your TIME!”

He took time to thank a teacher who made a difference in his life: Hope Martinez. “The funny thing is,” he said “I didn’t graduate high school but I learned how to build schools. We’re up to 12 schools, 10,000 kids and hopefully one day we’ll have some schools here in Canada. I only show you this why? Cause there’s no way we’d be able to do this if it wasn’t for the love and support and the opportunities you all give us. So my success is our success.”

It was an audience of mixed ages last night and I hope more people were touched by his messages. I know personally I’ve used the skills I’ve gained through my work with Sound Check Entertainment over the last 12 years to help other artists grow their own careers. I used the same skills to advocate and, ultimately, get elected to my local municipal council in the fall where every day I can make a difference and give back to my community.

As we head into the final night of RBC Bluesfest I have to look back over the last 8 days and I’ve come to the conclusion that the weak lineup that I had envisioned earlier in the year when it was first announced really wasn’t that weak after all. We’ve had 8, going on 9 day, of solid entertainment that literally offered something for every taste. There was no one night that I couldn’t have found something to enjoy. So as we close out the 2023 edition of RBC Bluesfest kudos, again, to organizers on a masterfully crafted festival.

See you tonight for one last celebration at RBC Bluesfest. Notable acts, for me, tonight include Paragon Cause, Steph La Rochelle, Alvvays, Miss Emily and, of course, The Smile.

You can find full coverage, including a gallery of photos, of the festival at our exclusive RBC Bluesfest page here: https://www.soundcheckentertainment.ca/ottawabluesfest/

More Photos