On my way
Posted by Nick Milne on June 27, 2009
I had always hoped that this would transpire one day, but I never suspected it would happen this soon or this easily.
The sprawlingly enormous Ottawa Blues Festival will be starting soon (July 8th, to be precise), and there’s a heck of a lot of talent lined up. There’s some I don’t quite understand as inclusions at a blues festival, like KISS and Ice Cube, but most of the dozens of performers are tangentially related to the field.
There’ll be a lot of folks there that I want to see. Jeff Beck. Joe Cocker. The gypsy rock band DeVotchKa (most famous for their work on the score for Little Miss Sunshine). Loreena McKennitt. The Brian Setzer Orchestra. Lots more besides. Unfortunately, however, they’re spread out over a number of days, and I am only a poor impecunious student. It’s about $40 just to attend one day, but there are discounts the more days you buy. A full pass is around $225, which is pretty good considering the thing runs from the 8th to the 19th, but I don’t want to see all of it, don’t want to spend over a week at the same concert, and certainly don’t intend to still be in town by the 18th anyway.
So I bought a ticket for one day – Sunday, July 12th. Joe Cocker plays that day – nice! So does noted English hip-hop singer Estelle – fair enough. But really it’s just a lot of stuff I’ve never heard of.
Except for at 7:30PM, when – the point of this post – Neko Case takes the stage.
Regular readers will know how pleased I am that this should be so.
cburrell said
A few weeks ago I was dawdling down Bloor St. in Toronto when I heard Neko’s voice floating through the evening air. I looked across the road and there was a big tour bus parked in front of a concert hall. It was she, right enough, but I could not explore further on account of I had to get the Pious Infant home. My steps homeword were heavy with regret.
All of which is to say: have a great time!
I attended the Ottawa Blues Fest two years ago when the big headliners were Bob Dylan and Van Morrison. I don’t think they’ve got anybody of that calibre this year.
Brian Patrick Cork said
Nick,
I will gladly sponsor the $225 if you promise to document the festival experience.
Cork
Sam said
Sweet, hope you have a good time!
Can I earn a PhD in English Literature online or thru distance learning? | Literature Organizer said
[...] On my way « The Daily Kraken [...]
Nick Milne said
Craig:
It’s often the case that one encounters great music simply by walking around. I think I’ve already noted on this blog the lovely experience that was stumbling across a public concert being given by the Glengarry Bhoys one summer in London (Ontario). I was then unburdened by any responsibilities; in your case, however, young Dulcinea Bombastica would take priority over even Neko, Loreena McKennitt, Linda Ronstadt and the revivified corpse of Janis Joplin playing a six-hour set of entirely original music.
As for the Festival having nobody of the calibre of Bob Dylan or Van Morrison this year, well, I’ve been credibly informed that KISS is the greatest rock band in the history of the entire universe. Not even Bob Dylan can lay claim to such a devoted following!
Brian:
That’s a tremendous offer, but I must sadly decline. I really don’t have the time to attend the whole thing, and I’m sorry to say that I wouldn’t want to comment on all of it even I did. Nevertheless, you can expect a full report on the one day I will attend, and I’ll do my best to see as broad a variety of performances as possible.
Brian Patrick Cork said
We shall look forward to your report. Of that I am certain.
Cork