As far as Canadian music festivals go, perhaps the best of the bunch over the last few years has been Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest, which despite the obvious blues fetish, has continued to attract an impressive and broad variety of entertainers. This year is no different, and who are we kidding, easily the strongest line-up to date.
Taking place between July 3 and July 13 in Downtown Ottawa, the ten-day fest will feature over 2,000 performers including big names like Brian Wilson, the Tragically Hip, James Taylor, Feist and Fergie, as well as an array of shall we say "what the kids are listening to these days" artists such as TV On the Radio, Tokyo Police Club, Ladytron, Jose Gonzalez and Calexico, among others.
Visit Ottawa-Bluesfest.ca for more information, including how to get your tickets, which go on sale this Saturday (April 26).
Here's an exhausting but complete list of performers, divided by semi-colons:
James Taylor; Steely Dan; The Tragically Hip; Feist; Wyclef Jean; The Black Crowes; Fergie; Widespread Panic; Brian Wilson; Great Big Sea; Boz Scaggs; Three Days Grace; TV on the Radio; Akon; Primus; Zappa Plays Zappa; Taj Mahal; Lucinda Williams; Donna Summer; Plain White T's; Richard Thompson; Matthew Good and His Band; Don McLean; Keb' Mo'; Robert Randolph and the Family Band; Theory of a Dead Man; Blind Boys of Alabama; Joan Armatrading; Jakob Dylan; Dr. John; Canned Heat; The Secret Machines; Corb Lund, Metric; Calexico; Sean Kingston; The Weakerthans; The Wailers; Johnny Winter; Cassandra Wilson; Kathleen Edwards; Adrian Belew; Bettye LaVette; Shelby Lynne; Wintersleep; Allen Toussaint; Sam Roberts Band; Ray Davies; Martha Wainwright; Master Musicians of Jajouka; Tony D; JW-Jones; Shawn Tavernier; Jose Gonzalez; Michael Jerome Browne; Fiftymen; Amanda Rheaume; Ball & Chain & The Wreckers; Jim Bryson; The Hammerheads; Alexis O'Hara; Budos Band; Ana Muira; Cooper Brothers; Quarter Life; Steve Marriner; Watters Brothers Rebellion; Royal Wood; Lindsay Ferguson; Samuel James; Jeff Rogers; Evil Farm Children; Anders Drerup; Kid Beyond; Guy Forsyth; Guitar Shorty; Roxanne Potvin; Orchestra Baobab; Sonny Landreth; Guy Davis; Seun Kuti; Dave Bidini Band; Christine Fellows; Trevor Alguire; Anders Osborne; Samuel James; Harper; Angelique Kidjo; Back Door Slam; Justin Rutledge; Jon Amor; Michael Burks; Chuck Prophet; Eric Eggleston; Brothers Chaffey; Theory of a Dead Man; NQ Arbuckle; Nick Moss & The Flip Tops; Crooked Still; Ladytron; JJ Grey & Mofro; Lil' Brian Terry & the Zydeco Travelers; Becky Abbott; Hayden; Luke Doucet; Jenn Grant; Guy Forsyth; Krueger Brothers; Elliot Brood; The Holmes Brothers; Nation Beat; Tom Wilson; Otis Taylor Band; The Super Fantastics; Don Vappie; The Bluerunners; Pappy Johns Band; Digging Roots with Hoop Dancer, Jill Buckshot; Sandy Schofield; Billy Joe Green, Mumbo Jumbo Voodoo Combo; The Sauce Boss; Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets; That 1 Guy; David Maxwell; Justin Nozuka; Terry Gillespie; Hollerado; Infected Mushroom; James Blood Ulmer; Terry Evans; The Acorn; HiLoTrons; L'il Ed & The Blues Imperials; Hamell on Trial; Bryan Lee & the Blues Power Band; Chuck Prophet; Catherine Russell; Federico Aubele; Frank Vignola; Rachid Taha; Becky Abbott; Pierre Bensusan; Jully Black; Born Ruffians; Jason Collett; Lil' Dave Thompson; Tokyo Police Club; The Most Serene Republic; Dorit Chrysler; Jason Ricci & New Blood; Stars; Eric Eggleston; John Nemeth; John Allaire; Harry Manx & Kevin Breit; Lurrie Bell; Nappy Brown; Walter Trout; Rozasia; Hayden; Bernard Allison; Sadie Hell; Ben Cooper; Plants and Animals; Lurrie Bell; Melissa Ferrick; Eli 'Paperboy' Reed; Three Days Grace; The Dynamites; Brights; Brothers Chaffey; Acres; Nikkii Yanofsky; Balkan Beat Box; Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys; The Love Machine; Jesse Stewart; If Then Do; Shelby Lynne; Ryan Montbleu Band; World Gospel Jam with Canton Jones, Sharon Riley & Faith Chorale, Sonz of Thunder, Danny Eason, Gods Plan Ministry, New World Son, and Shirley Ceasar; John Kilduff; Porkbelly Futures; Red Volkaert with Cindy Cashdollar; Shakura; Gina Sicilia; Blues in the Schools Performance; Jam Clinic; John Henrys; Grupo Fantasma; The Bush Pilots; Stars; Rozasia; Debbie Davies; Harrison Kennedy; Trevor James and Perfect Gentlemen; Lance Anderson; Nihilist Spasm Band; Baobab Tree and Akpokli; Mr Something Something, Jetplanes of Abraham
Taking place between July 3 and July 13 in Downtown Ottawa, the ten-day fest will feature over 2,000 performers including big names like Brian Wilson, the Tragically Hip, James Taylor, Feist and Fergie, as well as an array of shall we say "what the kids are listening to these days" artists such as TV On the Radio, Tokyo Police Club, Ladytron, Jose Gonzalez and Calexico, among others.
Visit Ottawa-Bluesfest.ca for more information, including how to get your tickets, which go on sale this Saturday (April 26).
Here's an exhausting but complete list of performers, divided by semi-colons:
James Taylor; Steely Dan; The Tragically Hip; Feist; Wyclef Jean; The Black Crowes; Fergie; Widespread Panic; Brian Wilson; Great Big Sea; Boz Scaggs; Three Days Grace; TV on the Radio; Akon; Primus; Zappa Plays Zappa; Taj Mahal; Lucinda Williams; Donna Summer; Plain White T's; Richard Thompson; Matthew Good and His Band; Don McLean; Keb' Mo'; Robert Randolph and the Family Band; Theory of a Dead Man; Blind Boys of Alabama; Joan Armatrading; Jakob Dylan; Dr. John; Canned Heat; The Secret Machines; Corb Lund, Metric; Calexico; Sean Kingston; The Weakerthans; The Wailers; Johnny Winter; Cassandra Wilson; Kathleen Edwards; Adrian Belew; Bettye LaVette; Shelby Lynne; Wintersleep; Allen Toussaint; Sam Roberts Band; Ray Davies; Martha Wainwright; Master Musicians of Jajouka; Tony D; JW-Jones; Shawn Tavernier; Jose Gonzalez; Michael Jerome Browne; Fiftymen; Amanda Rheaume; Ball & Chain & The Wreckers; Jim Bryson; The Hammerheads; Alexis O'Hara; Budos Band; Ana Muira; Cooper Brothers; Quarter Life; Steve Marriner; Watters Brothers Rebellion; Royal Wood; Lindsay Ferguson; Samuel James; Jeff Rogers; Evil Farm Children; Anders Drerup; Kid Beyond; Guy Forsyth; Guitar Shorty; Roxanne Potvin; Orchestra Baobab; Sonny Landreth; Guy Davis; Seun Kuti; Dave Bidini Band; Christine Fellows; Trevor Alguire; Anders Osborne; Samuel James; Harper; Angelique Kidjo; Back Door Slam; Justin Rutledge; Jon Amor; Michael Burks; Chuck Prophet; Eric Eggleston; Brothers Chaffey; Theory of a Dead Man; NQ Arbuckle; Nick Moss & The Flip Tops; Crooked Still; Ladytron; JJ Grey & Mofro; Lil' Brian Terry & the Zydeco Travelers; Becky Abbott; Hayden; Luke Doucet; Jenn Grant; Guy Forsyth; Krueger Brothers; Elliot Brood; The Holmes Brothers; Nation Beat; Tom Wilson; Otis Taylor Band; The Super Fantastics; Don Vappie; The Bluerunners; Pappy Johns Band; Digging Roots with Hoop Dancer, Jill Buckshot; Sandy Schofield; Billy Joe Green, Mumbo Jumbo Voodoo Combo; The Sauce Boss; Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets; That 1 Guy; David Maxwell; Justin Nozuka; Terry Gillespie; Hollerado; Infected Mushroom; James Blood Ulmer; Terry Evans; The Acorn; HiLoTrons; L'il Ed & The Blues Imperials; Hamell on Trial; Bryan Lee & the Blues Power Band; Chuck Prophet; Catherine Russell; Federico Aubele; Frank Vignola; Rachid Taha; Becky Abbott; Pierre Bensusan; Jully Black; Born Ruffians; Jason Collett; Lil' Dave Thompson; Tokyo Police Club; The Most Serene Republic; Dorit Chrysler; Jason Ricci & New Blood; Stars; Eric Eggleston; John Nemeth; John Allaire; Harry Manx & Kevin Breit; Lurrie Bell; Nappy Brown; Walter Trout; Rozasia; Hayden; Bernard Allison; Sadie Hell; Ben Cooper; Plants and Animals; Lurrie Bell; Melissa Ferrick; Eli 'Paperboy' Reed; Three Days Grace; The Dynamites; Brights; Brothers Chaffey; Acres; Nikkii Yanofsky; Balkan Beat Box; Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys; The Love Machine; Jesse Stewart; If Then Do; Shelby Lynne; Ryan Montbleu Band; World Gospel Jam with Canton Jones, Sharon Riley & Faith Chorale, Sonz of Thunder, Danny Eason, Gods Plan Ministry, New World Son, and Shirley Ceasar; John Kilduff; Porkbelly Futures; Red Volkaert with Cindy Cashdollar; Shakura; Gina Sicilia; Blues in the Schools Performance; Jam Clinic; John Henrys; Grupo Fantasma; The Bush Pilots; Stars; Rozasia; Debbie Davies; Harrison Kennedy; Trevor James and Perfect Gentlemen; Lance Anderson; Nihilist Spasm Band; Baobab Tree and Akpokli; Mr Something Something, Jetplanes of Abraham