Latest news with #GreenDay
Ottawa Citizen
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Ottawa Citizen
OC Transpo sees ‘strong ridership' through Bluesfest
OC Transpo experienced 'strong ridership' throughout Bluesfest, which ran from July 10 to 20. Article content Line 1 saw an estimated 650,000 customer trips while Line 2 saw 87,000 customer trips, according to a Tuesday memo to members of city council from Troy Charter, acting general manager of transit services. Green Day's July 18 headlining performance saw the busiest ridership, with about 112,000 customer trips on Lines 1 and 2 combined. Article content Article content Article content Article content
CTV News
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
OC Transpo touts strong O-Train ridership during Ottawa Bluesfest
OC Transpo is reporting strong ridership on all O-Train lines during Ottawa Bluesfest this summer. This year's edition of the popular music festival marks the first time that the north-south Line 2 and the Line 4 airport spur have been in operation alongside the east-west Line 1, which stops right outside the festival grounds at LeBreton Flats. 'Strong ridership was observed throughout the festival with an estimated 650,000 customer trips on Line 1 and 87,000 customer trips on Line 2,' said acting general manager of Transit Services Troy Charter in a media release Tuesday. Charter says the busiest day was July 18, when Green Day was the headliner, which had a combined 112,000 customers trips on Lines 1 and 2. 'Strong usage of the new Park & Rides connecting customers with Line 2 was also observed,' Charter wrote, though no specific numbers were included in the release. Festivalgoers could board an OC Transpo bus, an O-Train, or take Para Transpo using their Bluefest tickets during the festival. 'Transit service performed as planned. Signage was placed at various locations to help customers during the festival. Staff were at key locations to support customers throughout the festival, and announcements were made in and around stations,' Charter said. There was one hiccup with signage, when some people spotted mistranslated signs for eastbound travellers that said 'vers l'ouest' in French, which means 'westbound.' OC Transpo said the signs were quickly replaced. Charter said OC Transpo will continue to review operations to capture lessons learned and improve the customer experience at future major events. More than 250,000 people attended Ottawa Bluesfest this year.
Ottawa Citizen
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Ottawa Citizen
Bluesfest Day 8: Papa Roach, Daughtry didn't totally suck
Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content Article content Article content 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. Article content Article content Article content 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. Article content At one point, Shaddix wondered who had seen the Green Day show the previous night. Article content '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.' Article content Article content Article content 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. Article content 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. Article content Article content Shaddix, 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. Article content 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.
The Star
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Niche live events could be the way to go for Malaysia
KING of K-pop G-Dragon is back in town this weekend for a much long-awaited concert. While ticket bots and scalpels almost outpriced Malaysian fans from grabbing tickets, many were just relieved that they did not have to fork out extra to trudge over to our southern neighbour to get a glimpse of the former BigBang lead man. In fact, we even have some of our neighbours, including some Singaporeans, travelling to our shores to partake in this ubermensch (superman) gig. Of course, G-Dragon is no Taylor Swift or Beyonce (sorry oppa Ji-yong), but his concert is one of the few we are cashing in on this year. Then there were also the no-Singapore exclusive concerts such as Green Day, who performed only in Malaysia and Indonesia for their South-East Asian leg in February. Next week, we are set to host the first ever international extension of Indonesian indie music extravaganza Pestapora called Latihan Pestapora. A few Malaysian acts will be joining the selected Indonesian stars on stage of this 'training opener' for the upcoming main fest in Jakarta. Our strong sets, however, could be the niche music shows and festivals, as Sarawak's recent Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) 2025 shows. Capitalising on Sarawak's rich natural and cultural heritage, the niche world music festival has continued to boost the state's tourism profile and receipts. While it may not be everyone's cup of tea, RWMF 2025 saw a rise in family attendance with parents, children and even grandparents sharing the festival experience, from cultural workshops to co-educational spaces. Intergenerational fun. The festival's emerging multigenerational appeal reflects its evolution into a family-friendly celebration rooted in music, learning and connections said Sarawak Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah. It has boosted the state's events industry and tourism, contributing to its wider economy. 'Tourism currently contributes 8% to the state's GDP (gross domestic product). This year, the state's tourism earnings exceed RM1bil each month,' Abdul Karim told reporters during a press conference at the festival grounds in the Sarawak Cultural Village, Kuching. 'When I say tourism receipts, it involves the spillover that goes into the hotels, going into the food and hospitality industry. 'So those that come in for the RMWF, they have to stay somewhere, they have to eat our food, they have to use our transport, and a lot of them are bringing back souvenirs,' he added, highlighting that last year alone, around 294 events were held as part of its strategy to sustain visitor inflows year-round. 'We always look at it holistically. That is why the ministry is prepared to come up with so many events, whether it is music, sports, cultural or food and drink events in the whole of Sarawak.' Noting the rising competition in the regional live music scene, he said the state has been supporting event organisers through seed funding to help lower ticket prices and make local events more accessible. 'That's why you go to RWMF, you just need to pay RM200 plus. Whereas if you go to a concert in Singapore, it would cost you probably RM1,000,' he said. This does not include the more expensive accommodation, food and other expenses. Abdul Karim revealed that although it would be a dream to host big name international acts for mega-sized concerts in Sarawak, the state does not have the venues for them yet. 'Our present venue, our stadium, the most we would be able to cater for is maybe 20,000. The maximum would be 30,000. Our indoor stadium can only cater for 4,000, 5,000. But we are building our second Borneo Convention Centre, which would have a 10,000 capacity. 'It should be ready in two years' time. And I'm very happy to see that the state government is also embarking on its own airline, so that we can have certain target cities and bring in more tourists and stars.' 'So definitely, we would love to see a mega concert here but there are lots of things that we have to put into consideration first. It is also expensive, and we need to make sure we can recoup the investment, at least in the ticket sales,' he said, noting that at the moment Sarawak is focusing more on smaller and niche concerts like jazz, Indonesian music and K-pop, while promoting the state's tourism attractions, especially in nature and adventure tourism. 'But when we organise these events, we have to be responsible. Make sure that the environment, including the local culture, is looked after. 'That's how we look at it. Most of the other music festivals or events that we are organising, whether through cultural support or business events, we communicate that kind of responsible and sustainable outreach,' he stressed. Malaysia definitely has a lot to offer in niche events and local festivals, which the state tourism agencies along with Tourism Malaysia have been promoting while putting the spotlight on the tourism attractions around or near the venues, from the Kota Kinabalu Music and Dance Festival to the Dragon Boat Festival, George Town Festival and Lenggong Tapau Fest. This year, the Tapau Fest 2025 in Lenggong, Perak, will feature Asean arts and cultural performances while showcasing its Unesco listed archaeological heritage and geopark adventures. In time, we might be able to host large music festivals at the country's iconic natural spots, albeit responsibly. And who knows, we could even attract the more environmentally-conscious stars like Coldplay and Massive Attack without having to pay a bomb to secure them or their exclusive rights. It's the rainforest ambience that gives the RWMF its unique feel. — Sarawak Tourism Board As for RWMF, the Sarawak Tourism Board CEO Sharzede Datu Salleh Askor said the 2026 and 2027 editions will be marquee events in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2026 and the 30th anniversary of the fest. The STB is also looking at organising a Rainforest Cultural Festival during VMY2026. 'It will be good if we could expand RWMF to celebrate these two important milestones. 'But I don't know. 'To move this iconic event to a different venue – out of the cultural village, away from the rainforest – and put it in a stadium, for example, does not make sense to me. It will give it a different feel , a different meaning. "With RWMF, it's the ambience that makes it what it is.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bluesfest Day 7: Green Day conquers the masses
Green Day, one of the United States' most popular punk-influenced bands, descended on Bluesfest for the first time Friday, deploying a volley of hits during a momentous main-stage performance that drew a huge crowd to the plaza of the Canadian War Museum at LeBreton Flats Park. Under clear skies and refreshingly cool temperatures, the legendary rockers worked hard to make it a great show, winning over a crowd that had been buzzing with anticipation for weeks. In fact, it was hard to tell who was more into it, the fans of all ages packed shoulder to shoulder singing along to every word, or the band members rejoicing that they weren't at home in Trump's America. 'This is Ottawa. This is Canada,' bellowed singer-songwriter Billie Joe Armstrong at one point. 'This is not America.' In that spirit, the protest-minded American Idiot made a perfect starting point, with lyrics tweaked to reflect the current political situation. It was followed by the still-relevant, anti-war anthem, Holiday, and the 2009 advisory Know Your Enemy, which also carries some pertinent messages for today's voters (and featured a fan from the audience shout-singing along on stage). Come to think of it, most of the Green Day catalogue has aged remarkably well, largely thanks to the combination of smart songwriting and the resurgence of an uncertain political climate. Core members Armstrong, Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt, now in their 50s, looked to be in great shape, too. Instead of dwelling on the issues of the day, however, they made the concert great fun, feeding off the energy that emanated from the crowd. When he wanted to gauge reaction, Armstrong shouted 'Hey-O' and listened for the echo. When he wanted to rage, it was 'Let's go crazy, Ottawa.' Armstrong was so impressed with everything that he announced a new headquarters for the California-based band. 'I'm not going home,' he declared. 'We are Green Day from Ottawa, from now on.' The love grew with each song, from Boulevard of Broken Dreams to Longview, Welcome to Paradise, Dilemma, 21 Guns, Basket Case and more. A final singalong, this time on the melodic Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), lulled listeners into a sense of bliss as the show ended, only for a dazzling fireworks display to provide the real climax. Earlier in the evening, the punk-themed night on the RBC main stage also featured L.A.'s Linda Lindas and Quebec's Les Shirleys, two predominantly female groups that proved you don't have to be a dude to rock out. For their part, the Linda Lindas absolutely slayed, railing against the patriarchy with a blockbuster set. The quartet took their opening duties seriously. 'I feel like we need to get you warmed up for Green Day,' observed drummer Mila de la Garza. 'I wanna see everybody moving and dancing along.' Their songs bore the influence of pop, punk and something even thrashier, delivered with pounding drums and shredding guitars. The intense workout peaked with an urgent call for freedom in oppressed countries around the world, along with a plea to keep standing up for trans people and immigrants. That impassioned outburst led into the scorching set-closer, Racist, Sexist Boy, sung by Eloise Wong in a most intimidating growl. Fresh off three weeks in a van in Europe, Les Shirley kicked things off on the RBC main stage with their own snappy set of pop-punk. On the River stage, another discovery was the stylish, multi-national ensemble of mostly women called Les Bitchos, who cruised through a series of sleek instrumentals that balanced groove and melody. Two Ottawa bands demonstrated their talents on Friday, too. On the LeBreton stage, The Commotions mounted a big-band extravaganza, with the stellar voices of Rebecca Noelle and Jeff Rogers soaring over the soulful, horn-fattened sound, while newcomers Four Eyed Muscle Man constructed a solid indie-rock foundation around the powerhouse vocals of Soleil Crispin. As for the blues highlight of the day, that honour went to Fantastic Negrito, the Oakland-bred performer who was making his first visit to Ottawa, accompanied by his band. In front of a full house at the LeBreton stage, the singer-guitarist lived up to his name with a bluesy melange that wandered from hip hop to funk to gospel. A highlight was his unhurried and soul-stirring reworking of the old Leadbelly standard, In the Pines. Bluesfest continues to Sunday, with Papa Roach and Daughtry holding down a Saturday-night rock bash, and Canadian mixtape wiz Kaytranada plying his beats on Sunday. lsaxberg@
