It was no secret that Day 7 at RBC Bluesfest would be challenging. Popular hip hop artists Migos and Lil Yachty were among the headliners and massive crowds were expected.
There's been a lot of talk over the last 24 hrs about RBC Bluesfest not booking certain genres to avoid trouble but let's be honest here. When I was in my late teens going to concerts I attended a lot of metal shows by acts like KISS, Metallica, AC/DC and Guns N Roses to name a few. They had the mosh pits and the pushy crowds and the fights too. These things happen when you get a large number of people in a small space.
I was midvenue between the two main stages for much of the two acts and the crowd itself was fairly tame inside. Sure they were pumped up and energetic but if you were aware of your surroundings you could easily avoid trouble. The security teams made up of Toersa Security and the Ottawa Police Service ramped up their presence and, from my perspective they did a bang up job keeping the peace.
As for the music I was impressed by Migos, they put on a solid show which impressed both me and the thousands of fans in attendance.
Lil Yachty was much the same, again I should qualify I'm not a fan of hip hop or at least not modern hip hop. Both of last nights acts impressed me enough that I'd check them out again.
To close out the night I took in an old favourite, Alan Doyle. It's always a party when the east coast comes to visit and last night Doyle drew a large crowd that was kept on their feet all night long.
As Alan was wrapping up I made my way out to the main stage to catch the tail end of Flume. I didn't see enough to get much of an opinion but it was an intriguing set to say the least. We'll be catching up with Flume again at Way Home Music and Arts Festival later this month.
Tonight I celebrate my birthday onsite again with performances by The Glorious Sons, Headstones and Live as we head into the final weekend of RBC Bluesfest. For full schedule and tickets visit www.ottawabluesfest.ca
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Field Service Tech by day, Live Music Nut by night! My family and I call the Thousand Islands region of Ontario home. I'm a blogger, social media geek, tech, and live music fanatic. I founded Sound Check Entertainment in 2010 to help promote festivals and emerging artists from across Canada and the world! I now act as festivals liaison, manage media relations and, of course, cover events in the National Capital region. I'm also a diehard Habs fan but Sens fans fear not; as long as they aren't playing against my Habs I cheer just as loud for the Sens.