Ottawa Bluesfest -- July 13

[Northern Neighbour]

1. johnnYYac
2. GO4IT + wife
3. Northern Neighbour + wifey

BTW, I have heard people make negative comments about the Travelodge Doral Inn, so you might want to reconsider your options.

Oh, I was hoping The Roots would be playing the same night as Jacket, but instead they'll be opening for Ben Harper.

[johnnYYac]

BTW, I have heard people make negative comments about the Travelodge Doral Inn, so you might want to reconsider your options.

I read some of the reviews and will take the chance.  Its pretty cheap and location is more important to me.  I'll be alone and I've been in some very sketchy hotels, which adds to the memories.  Also, some of the reviews were positive or mixed.  There was one place in Nashville for a MMJ show last April, though, where I couldn't get a refund but didn't want to risk staying there, so I sucked it up and paid for another, much more expensive, place.  Thought about offering the other place, as it was all paid for, but worried about being liable for any mishaps.  I'm guessing a sketchy Canadian motel is 4-star deluxe for my needs.  Thanks, though.  If its real bad, I'll just follow you home.  ;)     

[cheesemuffins]

I live in Ottawa (hence the Sens logo (NHL team for you americans haaa)) but I'm already going to the roo and will probably be moved down to TO by then. Maybe i'll just see them on the 12th then :(

Leafs suck

[johnnYYac]

Had to go to page 7 to find this!

Any updates on roll call for Ottawa Bluesfest?

Well, I'll be there.  Hope you will too.

4 days!

1. johnnYYac
2. GO4IT + wife
3. Northern Neighbour + wifey

[e_wind]

The bluesfest lineup is one of, if not the best lineup I've seen this year.

[johnnYYac]

The bluesfest lineup is one of, if not the best lineup I've seen this year.

True, but spread over many, many days. 

http://www.ottawabluesfest.ca/performances/grid

I'm only there for the day of the MMJ show and am not familiar with anyone else that day, except for Buddy Guy, and he's playing at the same time.  Too bad; Buddy rocks!

MMJ is 9:15-11:00 PM, btw.  Guess I'll have some time to get to know Ottawa and/or some bands I've never heard of (

[e_wind]

Wow that is many, many days. I would go for the first day, the day Dawes and a few others play, and the dy MMJ plays if I lived in Ottawa.

[johnnYYac]

Wow that is many, many days. I would go for the first day, the day Dawes and a few others play, and the dy MMJ plays if I lived in Ottawa.

Yeah.  The only reason I'm doing Ottawa is, since I'm driving 4 hours to Montreal the day before, I figure what's another 2 hour drive to Ottawa?  Might as well get a two-fer outta my stay in Canada.  Looking forward to another solo adventure far from home and meeting some fellow fans. 

[Northern Neighbour]

The Bluesfest is a long festival, but it's targeted at the local residents.  It is a great time to be in the city, and the 2-week festival pass is quite cheap ($240 this year).  The acts generally are excellent, and even if you don't like something you're likely to discover a new artist on another stage.  The beer is also great (Mill Street, which is a Toronto-based micro-brewery) and the food good and decently priced for a festival.

The turnouts to most shows are generally very good to excellent with most of the headlining acts getting anywhere from 15K to 30K (and some cases more) and the side stages totalling another 10K to 20K depending on who is playing. 

For the Jacket show, I'm concerned that the turnout will be low.  A lot of people that I've spoken to don't know who Jacket are.  And if DBT's show two years ago was any indication, I would expect a pretty small crowd at Jacket's show despite them being on the main stage.  Granted, DBT was up against Lynyrd Skynyrd and Black Mountain on the other stages.  But this year, Jacket is matched up against Buddy Guy, who comes every two years and gets a massive showing (two years ago, about 12K to 15K crammed into the side stage to see him).

One thing that might help Jacket is that Metric is playing right before them, so the crowd on that stage might migrate over to the Jacket stage.  FWIW, the two main stages are side-by-side so there isn't a break between acts.

[johnnYYac]

Countdown To MMJ @ Ottawa Blues Fest

[Northern Neighbour]

Roughly 5.5 hours until show time.

Hopefully the stage crew remember to give me a drum stick.  I asked for one before leaving Montreal last night, and one of the crew members smiled. 

If not a drum stick, a setlist would be nice.  Or, how about Jacket playing "The Bear".