RBC Ottawa Bluesfest Back with a Bang on Day One!

RBC Ottawa Bluesfest gave its long-waiting faithful what they’ve been waiting for for years with a return to Lebreton Flats and a jam packed night of entertaining performances.

Canadian sweetheart crooner Sarah McLachlan headlined Thursday night’s lineup, but in true Bluesfest style the artists leading up to the main event were also a joy to take in. The Bluesfest team seems to have a knack for spotting up and coming artists who eventually become household names. We’ve seen Kendrick Lamar, Post Malone, and many others on the roster before they blew up and it’s always fun to guess who will be next. The first performer on the big stage on Thursday night may just be one of those. Jessia, the music major graduate from Ucluelet BC made her debut by releasing a TikTok video in early 2021 for her song “I’m Not Pretty”. She was soon scooped up by Republic Records and seems to really be making a name for herself, particularly with the young female audiences who identify very much with her female empowerment messaging. Her stage presence is outstanding to boot. She skipped around the stage and contorted her body much to the joy of we photographers. Her tunes are catchy and fun to sing along with. Keep an eye on this one!

We try to cover as many of the acts for you as we can get to, which often means running between stages. We next headed over to the River Stage to see indie rocker Deanna Petcoff. We’re told that playing her own unique brand of confessional indie rock, Petcoff grew up worshipping the music of David Bowie and Patti Smith. She is obviously a strong songwriter and vocalist who writes and performs from the heart. Many of her songs tell stories about her frustrating experiences as a young woman finding her voice and identity while navigating an ever changing world. The Torontonian sticks to simple chords and a classic feel and it works.

Continuing with the trend of strong female performances (we see what you’re doing Bluesfest and we love you for it!) was Juno and Grammy award winner and Brampton native Alessia Cara. She flew on to the big stage as her fans, many young and female, went wild! Like Jessia who we saw earlier in the night Alessia made her debut on social media. When she was only 13, she started posting covers of songs that she performs on YouTube to showcase her ability and eventually gained a big following. She’s gone on to become one of Canada’s most celebrated young artists. Internationally, she has also received much acclaim, including taking home the Grammy for Best New Artist in 2018. Her music chronicles the aches of growing up as an outsider. She sings anthems for the isolated, the anxious, and the self-branded antisocial. Her fans relate to her and adore her.

We then headed over to the River Stage where the vibe is a little more chill. This was a perfect setting for the next band, Ocean Alley. The Australian psychedelic rock band from the Northern Beaches were equally interesting to watch and listen to. Their style of music has been described as “cruisy psych, rock and reggae fusion” and we predict big things for this charismatic group who have already made it big in their home country.

Although we would have liked to catch the Dean Lewis show, which was on at the same time as Sarah McLachlan’s set, we couldn’t miss the big event of the night. She’s beautiful, she’s a lovely person, and that voice still gives you goosebumps every time you hear her. She played her big hits including “Building a Mystery” and “Adia” and capped off the night with “Angel” much to the delight of her adoring audience. We don’t have much more to say about her performance. It was perfection, and it didn’t hurt to have Whitehorse’s Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland backing her up. What a combo!

We’re all set for night #2 with headliner and pancake lover Jack Johnson!

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