Latest news with #OttawaBluesfest
Ottawa Citizen
7 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
7 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
7 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
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Ottawa Citizen
'Bubble man' comes to Ottawa Bluesfest
Article content If you've seen a cloud of bubbles floating above Ottawa Bluesfest crowds, it's probably Michael Lalonde. Article content It all started at a dollar store, where Lalonde bought a two-dollar, hand-pump bubble gun before a HOPE Volleyball event. Article content 'People loved it so much, they loved it, they were obsessed,' Lalonde said. Article content It was then that Lalonde decided to continue investing in more intricate bubble guns. First came a battery-powered gun. Then he upgraded to rechargeable bubble guns so he could sidestep the need for batteries that depleted too fast. Article content Article content Three years later, Lalonde's bubble gun fame has generated countless stories. Article content Article content At an Arkells show at CityFolk in 2023, lead singer Max Kerman took Lalonde's bubble gun and used it throughout the crowd. Article content 'It was a whole song. He did a full U around the crowd, and you can only see the bubbles,' Lalonde said. 'He posted: We must have more of the bubbles.' Article content But it's not just musicians that Lalonde gifts his bubble guns. He often gives them to kids who are at shows with thankful parents. Article content It's all good, however, as Lalonde carries a deep arsenal of bubble guns at home. 'I've had 20. I've given a lot of them away over the years.' Article content Lalonde, who is both a musician and co-owner of an Ottawa tech company, is something of a renaissance man who reinvented himself since the COVID-19 pandemic. In his 20s, Lalonde didn't attend many concerts, focused instead on working and paying down student debt. Article content Article content Then, around eight years ago, he joined as an owner of the upstart tech company PureColo. On July 17, the Ottawa Business Journal reported that the company had a non-binding letter of intent to be acquired by Vancouver data centre company Carrier Connect Data Solutions in a deal valued at $4.1 million in shares and $4.4 million in cash. Article content It was only four years ago that Lalonde taught himself guitar. Since then he has released an album with his Petty Cache project, which featured Jake Boyd and Nixon Boyd from Hollerado fame. Article content Article content 'During the pandemic, I got into music. I started going to shows and realizing the genuine connection and feeling that you can have and the people you can find,' Lalonde said, turning towards his girlfriend.
Ottawa Citizen
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Ottawa Citizen
Bluesfest Day 5: Def Leppard dishes out the hits, Tom Morello urges resistance
Article content Def Leppard sent the Ottawa Bluesfest crowd back to the 80s during the hit-packed main-stage concert that kicked off the festival's second week with the city still under a heat warning. Article content The English rockers dished out a full platter of rock-centric radio hits, including Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop), Rocket, Let's Get Rocked, Rock of Ages and more, endearing themselves to the multi-generational crowd of thousands on the plaza in front of the Canadian War Museum at LeBreton Flats Park. Article content Article content Article content Although a steaming mass of humanity packed the front of the stage, conditions further back were tolerable after the sun set and a breeze wafted through the air. Article content Article content On stage, singer Joe Elliott, who's 65, was in fine form, pleased as punch with the turnout to the geezer band's first Bluesfest appearance. He looked over the vast crowd, and gave a wow of amazement. 'Thank you, Ottawa,' he said. 'Thank you very much.' Article content The anthemic crunch of Foolin' was a highlight, partly because it prompted Elliott to recall playing it on their 1983 tour of Canada, when it probably sounded a lot the same as it did Wednesday. The band clearly hasn't lost its polish. Of course, much of that is due to the chemistry of the musicians, who have been together playing the same songs for decades. Singer Elliott and bassist Rick Savage are original members, joined in the 1990s by one-armed drummer Rick Allen, guitarist Phil Collen and guitarist Vivian Campbell, who looked to be in good health after a bout of cancer. Article content Article content Another notable moment was a guest appearance by Tom Morello, who had played an opening set earlier in the evening. He was also the musical director of the recent mega-celebration of Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne, which included a contribution from Def Leppard. To mark that connection, Leppard invited their new pal, Morello, to join them for a high-octane spin through Just Like 73. Article content With Def Leppard topping the bill and Morello warming up, it was one of the festival's biggest nights so far in 2025, and a must-see for classic-rock fans. Article content Perhaps the only disgruntled voice of the evening belonged to Colin Meloy, singer of the Portland, OR indie folk-rockers Decemberists. He feared for the quality of the sound on the River stage. Article content 'We're going to do our best to compete with Def Leppard,' he said, referring to the potential for sound bleed from the main stage. For the capacity crowd, sound bleed turned out to be a minor issue during the enjoyable set, although another technical glitch came up and the show was paused to take care of it.
