Alright Ottawa, time to let out a unified breathe of relief. After a few extra weeks, a couple of false leads and a whole lot of speculation, your RBC Bluesfest line-up has finally dropped.
While there is sure to be the usual rounds of debates, praise and grievances, no doubt names filling the 2019 stages will offer a wide range of music to choose from. You want hip-hop you got Snoop Dogg and the Wu-Tang Clan. You want some country you got Eric Church. Need to relive your high school music crush, enter the Backstreet Boys. Get “Pretty in Pink” with the Psychedelic Furs, get “Pretty Fly” (you know, for a white guy) with The Offspring and get “Laid” with James. Errr, no guarantee on that last one. Heck, Bluesfest, you even got yourself a bonafide living legend of the genre with Buddy Guy!
Snoop Dogg. Photo: Renée Doiron
Other acts include festival returns for The Killers, Pokey LaFarge, Alexisonfire, and Jessie Reyez, some classic rock from America and zip to the left of E-Street with Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul. 2012’s punk rock headline grabbers Pussy Riot look to be making their first stop in O-town. Your annual dip into the Canadiana side of the Bluesfest pool comes in the form of Saskatchewan’s The Sheepdogs and Colter Wall, Cape Breton’s Ashley MacIsaac and Hamilton’s The Dirty Nil, to name a few.
Of course, wouldn’t be the biggest fest of Ottawa’s summer without some locals on the bill. Rebecca Noelle, Renée Landry, Area Resident, River City Junction, Moonfruits, and Outside I’m A Giant are just a few you can check out between July 4-14 down at LeBreton Flats.
The Sheepdogs: Kayla Winkworth
“What we’re most proud of is the fact that we’ve become a home-grown success,” says Mark Monahan, the festival’s executive and artistic director. “Much of that success is based on community―Ottawa music fans, countless volunteers, local musicians, long-standing staff, contractors, suppliers and sponsors, who all come together year after year to stage this massive event.
“Clearly the music is front and centre,” adds Monahan, “but the festival’s popularity has a lot to do with bringing the community together for shared experiences. So keep an eye out for upcoming announcements about the many ways we’ll be adding to those experiences this year, while celebrating our 25th anniversary.”
Eric Church. Photo By EGO
Below is a listing of confirmed 2019 RBC Bluesfest acts and performance dates. Artists are listed by-day in alphabetical order.
July 4 – Abigail Lapell, Charlotte Cardin, CHVRCHES, First Aid Kit, Kelly Sloan, Little Steven & The Disciples Of Soul, Marie-Clo, Nao, Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar, Steve Poltz, U.S. Girls
July 5 – AJ Ghent, Anthony Geraci, Colter Wall, Eric Church, Gabrielle Goulet, Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, Little Walter Tribute, Melanie Brulée, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Yungblud
July 6 – Children of Indigo, Dawn Tyler Watson, KALLITECHNIS, Lou Doillon, Moscow Apartment, No Mistakes in Space, PUP, Rebecca Noelle, Renée Landry, Taking Back Sunday, The Beths, The Glorious Sons, This Is The Kit
July 7 – Ashley MacIsaac, Bad Child, Elisapie, Future States, James, Justin Saladino, Mike McKenna Jr., Moonfruits, Mustard, Outside I’m a Giant, River City Junction, The Killers, The Proven Ones, The Psychedelic Furs, William Prince
July 8 – CLOSED
July 9 – Buddy Guy, Connan Mockasin, Gashi, Kygo, Lennon Stella, Scary Bear Soundtrack, Sue Foley, The Kim Pollard Band, The Trews
July 10 – Crook The Kid, Elle King, Ellie Gadzos, GARÇONS, Jessie Reyez, Logic, The Devil Makes Three, The Sheepdogs, Yonatan Gat & The Eastern Medicine Singers, Ziggy Alberts
July 11 – Abby Stewart, Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, Brea Lawrenson, David Vest, DJ Pauly D, Gavin McLeod, Gone West Feat. Colbie Caillat, Kane Brown, Leikeli47, Murda Beatz, Shakey Graves
July 12 – Alexisonfire, Area Resident, BlakDenim, Busty and The Bass, Guided By Voices, Loon Choir, The Dirty Nil, The Offspring, T-Pain
July 13 – After Funk, Cartel Madras, Del Hartley, Ikirezi, K’Naan, Matt Andersen & the Mellotones, Pokey LaFarge, Pussy Riot, Snoop Dogg, Southern Avenue, The Sorority, U.N. Jefferson, Wu-Tang Clan, YUKA
July 14 – America, Backstreet Boys, Durham County Poets, Francesco Yates, HOROJO Trio, Kyle Ivan, Mia Kelly, Silent Winters, Sugaray Rayford, Vi
The festival lineup is always subject to change. A full schedule with set times and stage locations will be published later this spring.
Jessie Reyez. Photo: Renée Doiron
While that info isn’t up for grabs yet, ticket packages are at the ready with a 1-Day pre-sale beginning March 7 at 10 a.m. It includes: U19 Full Festival Wristband *under 19 / U25 Full Festival Wristband *Under 25 / Adult Full Festival Pass / VIP Club Full Festival Pass.
