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Ottawa Citizen
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Ottawa Citizen
How Bluesfest became one of the best music festivals in Canada
Article content Mark Monahan, the co-founder and executive director of Bluesfest, found himself at this year's festival casting back a couple of decades to the event's four-year stint at Ottawa City Hall. Article content The sight of a baby at Bluesfest brought Monahan back to the festival's early days, when he and his wife, Reine, had a young family. At the time, their youngest (of four) daughters was about the same age as Harley. Article content Article content Article content For three decades, Ottawa Bluesfest has taken over the city for two weeks in July, featuring major concerts on multiple stages and attracting tens of thousands of music fans of all ages. Article content It has grown into one of the biggest summer music festivals in the country, generating a buzz for being well-organized, multi-generational and diverse — with a picturesque location on the grounds of the Canadian War Museum at LeBreton Flats Park, next to the Ottawa River. Article content The biggest shows this year saw crowds of 30,000 or more turn up for Green Day, Lainey Wilson and Hozier, and total attendance is expected to surpass 250,000 visitors. With all those people spending money on restaurants, services and often hotels, the economic impact for Ottawa-Gatineau is estimated to be in the neighbourhood of $40 million. Article content Article content Article content When the festival started in 1994, nothing much happened in the city in July. Colleges and universities were on summer break, Parliament was adjourned, and many Ottawa-area residents flocked to their cottages. Article content The addition of a blues festival to the July calendar was a welcome development, and prompted a flurry of media coverage during the slow summer news period. The low ticket price encouraged the curious to take a chance, and within a few years, Bluesfest was bursting at the seams. It moved several times in the early years, from Major's Hill Park to Confederation Park to city hall. It settled in its current location at LeBreton Flats Park in 2007.
Vancouver Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
How Bluesfest became one of the best music festivals in Canada
Mark Monahan, the co-founder and executive director of Bluesfest , found himself at this year's festival casting back a couple of decades to the event's four-year stint at Ottawa City Hall. The trigger? His first grandchild, 11-month-old Harley, was paying a visit. The sight of a baby at Bluesfest brought Monahan back to the festival's early days, when he and his wife, Reine, had a young family. At the time, their youngest (of four) daughters was about the same age as Harley. Back then, Monahan used to rent a hot tub for his on-site trailer compound, and the kids loved it. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'We don't have the hot tub anymore,' he said, smiling at the memory, and clearly delighted to welcome a third generation to the festival family. 'But it feels like a full-circle moment.' For three decades, Ottawa Bluesfest has taken over the city for two weeks in July, featuring major concerts on multiple stages and attracting tens of thousands of music fans of all ages. It has grown into one of the biggest summer music festivals in the country, generating a buzz for being well-organized, multi-generational and diverse — with a picturesque location on the grounds of the Canadian War Museum at LeBreton Flats Park, next to the Ottawa River. The biggest shows this year saw crowds of 30,000 or more turn up for Green Day , Lainey Wilson and Hozier , and total attendance is expected to surpass 250,000 visitors. With all those people spending money on restaurants, services and often hotels, the economic impact for Ottawa-Gatineau is estimated to be in the neighbourhood of $40 million. But what is it about Ottawa that allowed Bluesfest to flourish? How did a government town come to host one of the biggest parties in the country? The answer lies in the combination of timing, talent and a multi-pronged connection to the community. When the festival started in 1994, nothing much happened in the city in July. Colleges and universities were on summer break, Parliament was adjourned, and many Ottawa-area residents flocked to their cottages. The addition of a blues festival to the July calendar was a welcome development, and prompted a flurry of media coverage during the slow summer news period. The low ticket price encouraged the curious to take a chance, and within a few years, Bluesfest was bursting at the seams. It moved several times in the early years, from Major's Hill Park to Confederation Park to city hall. It settled in its current location at LeBreton Flats Park in 2007. As it grew, the festival dealt with some serious setbacks, including an ill-fated attempt to expand to other Ontario cities in 2005, the tragic stage collapse in 2011, and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 edition of the festival was called off because of the global health crisis, but a drive-in version of it took place that summer. Through it all, the festival's legions of volunteers remained its most steadfast supporters. The volunteer program started with 200 bodies in 1994; this year, volunteers numbered more than 2,300. 'Volunteers have always been some of our best ambassadors,' said Monahan, noting that about 70 per cent of them return year after year. One woman, Nicky Swift, was given an award last year to mark 30 years of Bluesfest volunteer service. When asked why they keep coming back, several volunteers who crossed my path this summer told me they liked meeting people and seeing concerts for free. Of course, Bluesfest is not free for most people to attend, but it's worth knowing your ticket dollars have a purpose beyond the festival operations and talent budget. The festival is a non-profit charitable organization, with a volunteer board of directors made up of local professionals and business owners from different walks of life. Its mandate as a charity is to bring music education to children and youths through the Blues in the Schools and Be in the Band programs . These programs not only help the festival cultivate new generations of live-music fans (and performers) but also build anticipation in the weeks leading up to the festival. Bluesfest's last day is devoted to showcasing the kids' hard work on the LeBreton stage, a finale that attracts dozens of family members and friends . Another factor that differentiates Ottawa's Bluesfest from other festivals is its commitment to local and regional artists. Monahan said a third of the acts on the program hail from the Montreal-Toronto-Ottawa triangle. 'They get treated like all the others,' Monahan said, 'and we have great reviews from them about how happy they are to play on a big stage and be treated so well.' Some of the homegrown highlights of this year's festival were the flute-forward funk band, Funk Yo Self, Gatineau's harmonious Leverage For Mountains, energetic pop-punk rockers We Were Sharks, the groovy duo of Dystoh and blues guitarist J.W.-Jones, who jumped in as a guest with a couple of other acts, too. In addition to the musical ambassadors, connections are forged with local sponsors, suppliers and businesses like Wall Sound, an Ottawa company which has been handling the technical specs for years. Many hours went into positioning the screens and sound gear this year to improve the audio and visuals throughout the main plaza, especially at the street zone on the Kichi Zibi Mikan parkway. And let's not overlook the programming. While most people buy tickets based on the main-stage headliners, there are always some great shows on the side stages and in the opening slots. This year's highlights included Father John Misty, the Decemberists and Men I Trust on the River stage, plus a terrific slate of blues programming on the LeBreton stage, along with intimate performances in the museum's dark, air-conditioned Barney Danson Theatre. 'We've always got something for everyone,' said Monahan, 'but this year was well-rounded, too. 'The level of attention to the whole lineup, from the regional acts to the mid-level to the side stages, is quite intense,' he added. 'We spent a year on this. We're not dropping something in and then doing another festival a month from now.' Because the festival runs smoothly and treats artists well, it has a good reputation in the industry, with credit to the efforts of 20 full-time staff members working out of the Bluesfest office. To make it a year-round job, the team also organizes Ottawa's CityFolk festival at Lansdowne Park in September, and the Festival of Small Halls. 'We have 173 years of collective experience just at this festival,' Monahan said. 'We have all of these ties to the community, and all of us have raised our families here.' Young Harley is testament to that, whether he grows up to be a volunteer, worker, musician or fan. lsaxberg@ We love where we live, and throughout the summer, we are running a series of stories that highlight what makes our community unique and special within Canada. Follow along with 'How Canada Wins' right here .
Calgary Herald
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
How Bluesfest became one of the best music festivals in Canada
Article content Mark Monahan, the co-founder and executive director of Bluesfest, found himself at this year's festival casting back a couple of decades to the event's four-year stint at Ottawa City Hall. Article content The sight of a baby at Bluesfest brought Monahan back to the festival's early days, when he and his wife, Reine, had a young family. At the time, their youngest (of four) daughters was about the same age as Harley. Article content Article content Article content For three decades, Ottawa Bluesfest has taken over the city for two weeks in July, featuring major concerts on multiple stages and attracting tens of thousands of music fans of all ages. Article content It has grown into one of the biggest summer music festivals in the country, generating a buzz for being well-organized, multi-generational and diverse — with a picturesque location on the grounds of the Canadian War Museum at LeBreton Flats Park, next to the Ottawa River. Article content The biggest shows this year saw crowds of 30,000 or more turn up for Green Day, Lainey Wilson and Hozier, and total attendance is expected to surpass 250,000 visitors. With all those people spending money on restaurants, services and often hotels, the economic impact for Ottawa-Gatineau is estimated to be in the neighbourhood of $40 million. Article content Article content Article content When the festival started in 1994, nothing much happened in the city in July. Colleges and universities were on summer break, Parliament was adjourned, and many Ottawa-area residents flocked to their cottages. Article content The addition of a blues festival to the July calendar was a welcome development, and prompted a flurry of media coverage during the slow summer news period. The low ticket price encouraged the curious to take a chance, and within a few years, Bluesfest was bursting at the seams. It moved several times in the early years, from Major's Hill Park to Confederation Park to city hall. It settled in its current location at LeBreton Flats Park in 2007.
Ottawa Citizen
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Ottawa Citizen
Bluesfest Day 9: Kaytranada spins a chill DJ set to wind down the fest
Article content Kaytranada closed out the 31st edition of Bluesfest on Sunday with a solo DJ set that wound down the nine-day party with a chill vibe that was not too heavy, not too loud and fully danceable. Article content With about 10,000 in attendance, it wasn't a massive crowd by Bluesfest standards, especially for an artist who pulls in many millions of views on his YouTube channel. But as the only electronic headliner on this year's program, he had the attention of a demographic that came dressed for the dancefloor, which, in this case, was the rain-dampened dirt in front of the Canadian War Museum. Article content Article content Article content The Haitian-born Montrealer, aka 32-year-old Louis Kevin Celestin, didn't talk much as he conjured a groove-driven set, his surging bass lines dripping with hip hop-laced beats, and often topped off by the ethereal sound of angelic vocals floating overhead. Article content Article content Add a non-stop barrage of strobe-powered lights pulsing to the beat and a closing blast of fireworks, and it was a blissful night for the throngs of fans dancing together on the plaza, including a handful of young women on their boyfriends' shoulders. Article content The instrumental jam band of Canadians barely noticed the change in weather. They were focused on unravelling some intense grooves to warm up the dancers for Kaytranada, and drummer Alexander Sowinski was urging everyone to get loose and shake it out. Article content 'We came to take you on a ride,' Sowinski declared, giving a special shoutout to the band's friends and family in the audience. Turned out it was a homecoming for their Ottawa-born bassist, Chester Hansen, a Canterbury grad. Article content The ride was a musical one that took us down into the funky depths, over a tapestry of jazz and up into the psychedelic atmosphere, with a wonderful salute to the rhythms of Brazil along the way. Article content Article content When the rain hit, Sowinski and his cohorts got even deeper into it, gaining momentum with the increasingly heavy precipitation. Most of the audience scattered in search of shelter in the museum, but a devoted bunch stuck it out to shake and shimmy in the rain.
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bluesfest Day 8: Papa Roach, Daughtry didn't totally suck
Saturday evening at Bluesfest was a night of tattoos and testosterone as two American bands, Papa Roach and Daughtry, delivered back-to-back slabs of pounding modern rock on the RBC main stage. In the headlining spot was Papa Roach, a nu metal outfit from the 90s, while warm-up duties went to Daughtry, the band formed around 2006 American Idol contestant Chris Daughtry. The combination of male-dominated acts from the turn of the century drew thousands of dads and dudes alike to the plaza of the Canadian War Museum at LeBreton Flats Park. Many of the older fellas sported plastic ponchos to ward off the light rain that started during Papa Roach's set. The younger ones, on the other hand, simply flung themselves into the melee. On stage, Roach singer Jacoby Shaddix was the spike-haired, foul-mouthed centre of a loud and powerful rock show. He spat lyrics into the microphone, bantered between songs and basked in the glory of the spotlight as his four bandmates cranked it out behind him. At one point, Shaddix wondered who had seen the Green Day show the previous night. 'You guys had an epic week of music,' he said, noting that his band and Green Day are both from the same area in California. 'We used to go see them back in the day. It's awesome to be on the same festival with a band as iconic as Green Day.' While I wouldn't normally mention Green Day and Papa Roach together in any capacity, I have to say that Shaddix and his crew rose to the occasion at Bluesfest, perhaps inspired by the buzz over Green Day's show. Whatever the rationale, they did a fine job on the big stage, demonstrating the power to impress even the stodgiest classic-rock fan. For Roach, the show was part of a tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of their breakthrough album, Infest, an occasion that called for tracks like Blood Brothers, Dead Cell, Between Angels and Insects, Last Resort and Infest to be played with maximum intensity. S haddix, who's 45, was relentless in enticing fans to crowd surf, mosh, scream, pump their fists and light up their phones. Those up front were quick to oblige, shoving each other around with abandon as the show progressed. The rap-rockers also showed a serious side, delivering a message of suicide awareness via prerecorded video and a song, Leave a LIght On (Talk Away the Dark) to remind listeners that the first step in dealing with mental health is to talk about it. 'Our band has talked about mental health since the beginning of our career,' Shaddix said, recalling the scores of young fans he's met over the years. 'There's no greater feeling than when somebody says, 'Your music saved my life.' He said the band intends to make a donation to a suicide prevention line in each city they play, including Ottawa. Plus, he hinted at a return appearance this fall. Earlier in the evening, following an energetic set by the Ottawa pop-punk band, We Were Sharks, Chris Daughtry embarked on a cathartic journey with his namesake band. The 45-year-old, whose chiselled arms were blacked-out in tattoo ink, sang with an emotional resonance that belied his macho appearance, displaying a voice that was capable of wailing in anguish or soothing with a warm intimacy. He revisited early hits like Home and It's Not Over, but the highlight was a duet with his 14-year-old daughter, Adalynn, that showed he wasn't much different than the other doting dads in the audience. lsaxberg@
