Luke Bryan brings country music back to RBC Bluesfest on Day 7

It was a double birthday / anniversary celebration at RBC Bluesfest as I was celebrating my 48th and our friends at Country 92.3 CKBY celebrated their 50th year on the air in Ottawa. That’s quite the milestone for radio these days, of course CKBY has gone through some changes over the years but they’re still #1 for Country in Ottawa. So what better way to celebrate than with a huge country headliner, Luke Bryan.

I’ve been celebrating my birthday at RBC Bluesfest almost yearly since I started covering the annual festival, the lineup this year was a solid single day stacked with performances from friends: Sacha, throwback favourites: Wide Mouth Mason, Crash Test Dummies and The Tea Party and one of the biggest country artists in the world: Luke Bryan.

As always the performance timings were a little tricky to navigate and as such I missed the entire Tea Party set this year. Sacha kicked off the day, albeit fashionably late due to flight delays from Calgary. Texting with her as she made her way from the Ottawa Airport to Lebreton Flatts she joked that she and her band might have to go on stage in their sweats. Thankfully they arrived with time to change and Sacha was able to come out onto the stage looking like she had plenty of time to get into her character. One downside to showing up and jumping right into your set is lack of sound check…so some issues were to be expected but Sacha powered through them with her usual grace and style.

As Sacha exited stage right after her set she pretty much just handed the mic to ACM New Female Artist of the Year nominee Caitlyn Smith (there was only about 10 minutes between sets), known for writing music for Miley Cyrus, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks and more I didn’t catch as much of her set as I had hoped to but her stage presence was that of a seasoned entertainer and the crowd responded in kind.

We made our way over to the River Stage for a throwback show with Wide Mouth Mason. It’s nice seeing these Canadian bands get heavily featured at RBC Bluesfest every year. Wide Mouth Mason played a big part in my college years so it was great to see them grace the stage at Bluesfest. WMM last performed at RBC Bluesfest back in 2017 and based on the turnout for their set last night I’d say it’s a safe bet that we haven’t seen the last of Verreault and company at Lebreton Flatts.

On the way down to the SXM Stage we made a quick stop at the Big Chill to visit the team at The Awesome Music Project. If you’re heading to RBC Bluesfest this weekend please stop by and learn about what they’re doing. The Awesome Music Project explores the transformative power of music through the sharing of stories, songs, and science. AMP is dedicated to accelerating awareness, research, and solutions related to music and mental health. I personally believe strongly in the power of music, not only does it bring people together it can change your life. Groups like the AMP need our support, even if it’s just through awareness. Take the time and hear what they have to say and find out how you can help. If you can’t make it down to the Big Chill then visit them here www.theawesomemusicproject.com

Growing up in the late 80’s there was this Canadian band with a catchy tune about Superman simply called “Superman’s Song”. The band was called the Crash Test Dummies and I became a fan the minute I heard that song the first time. It seem to resonate with music fans across Canada as well as it earned the band a JUNO Award for Group of the Year in 1992. The followed up “Superman’s Song” with what would become one of their biggest hits “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm” off their second album God Shuffled His Feet which was also the song that they kicked off last night’s set with. I’ve been waiting to catch the Crash Test Dummies live for a very long time, pretty much since The Ghosts That Haunt Me but last night was the first. Let me tell you it was well worth the wait as Brad, Ellen, Dan, Mitch and Andy gave us an hour of 90’s nostalgia with all their hits including “Afternoons’ and Coffeespoons”, btw that song has become a self fulfilling prophecy; I have a receding hairline and it’s not uncommon to see me in my pjs when I’m working from home, although I figure that’s the case with most of us over the past few years.

By this point Luke Bryan was well into his set on the RBC Stage so we made our way into the crowd to enjoy the last hour, or so. One thing has been clear, so far, this year Ottawa has proven that they will come out and support country music. Last night’s attendance was considerably lower than Luke Combs but still one of the top nights of the festival to date.

Luke Bryan made great use of the catwalk, spending more time out with the crowd than on the stage itself, much to the delight of fans. Having seen Luke Bryan a number of times nothing really made last night’s performance stand out. Luke knows how to work a crowd, and get them fired up there’s no question about that. His style of country is more beach party and the classic girl meets boy type of country compared to Luke Combs who’s definitely more geared towards the beer drinking crowd and the beer lines were evidence of that.

Unfortunately due to the set timings I was unable to make it over to see the Tea Party before the end of their set but no question they were putting on an incredible show back on the River Stage behind the museum as they always do. For me the definite highlight of Day 7 was the Crash Test Dummies, they were everything I could’ve imagined their LIVE set could be and more.

As Luke Bryan says “Sunrise, sunburn, sunset repeat” as we get ready to do it all again tonight. Tonight is the much anticipated performance by Rage Against the Machine, much like Alanis last weekend, a show that has been hyped up for several years and it’s finally here. Unfortunately, for me, I have to pass the baton to my team to cover the rest of RBC Bluesfest for this year as my journey has come to an end. Not bad considering work almost needed me in Calgary for the duration of the festival.

So who to checkout tonight on Day 8, even if you’re not a fan of Rage Against the Machine. If you’re into the big band sound then look no further than the Commotions on the SXM Stage starting at 6pm, no question Run the Jewels will be a popular draw as they kick things off on the RBC Stage at 7:30pm. If you want something a bit mellower then head to the SXM Stage for Suzie Vinnick. She’ll give you a taste of her JUNO Nominated Roots and Blues sound that landed her slots on tours with Downchild and Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe. If you can you’ll want to head over to the Barney Danson Theatre at 8pm as Jessica Pearson & The East Wind will be performing on the stage there, in case you haven’t heard Jessica will be joining us at Happy Green Acres on July 29 as part of the SCE Summer Jam (tickets are just $70 for the weekend and are available now). Milky Chance will headline on the River Stage, opposite Rage Against the Machine, starting at 9:30 so if you’re looking for something a bit more folky and mellow then that’s the stage you’ll want to be at tonight.

As always you can find tickets and a full schedule online at www.ottawabluesfest.ca 

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