Bluesfest 2009, Day 3
Date: July 10, 2009 No More New Territory Bluesfest is always good for bringing in bands who would be unlikely to hit Ottawa. Day three of the festival showcased two such examples for me. First up was Okkervil River, the Austin-based indie rockers who have bypassed Canada's capital in past jaunts north of the border. Following that set, I caught an act with far greater reason for not passing through, Nigeria's King Sunny Adé and His African Beats. Although I expected to arrive much earlier, some travel mishaps saw me arrive mere moments before Okkervil River kicked off their set at one of the side stages. As a result, I was farther back in the crowd than usual; and I ended up suffering through some distracting chatter. Despite those inattentive and rude few, though, I could see that the majority of the sizable crowd was quite engaged by the six players. Frontman Will Sheff was clearly a focal point on vocals and acoustic guitar, but he was backed by a lush and ever-changing arrayof electric guitars and bass, drums, keyboards, trumpet, electric mandolin, and banjo. Even when Lauren Gurgiolo's banjo wasn't coming through the amps, theband improvised, with Justin Sherburn laughingly holding a vocal microphone to her instrument, which was indicative of both the casual mood on stage and the group's commitment to a full sound. Partly as a consequence of Okkervil River's failure to visit Ottawa previously, I had never really delved into the group's music, despite hearing them praised often. As a result, it's hard for me to pick up on the nuances of their hour-long set of indie-pop-leaning, folk-infused music. That said, "John Allyn Smith Sails" and "Our Life is Not a Movie Or Maybe" made a strong case for The Stage Names; and the set as a whole left me feeling that the band is deserving of its critical acclaim. Shifting locations and musical directions, I made my way to the Blacksheep Stage to take in King Sunny Adé and His African Beats. I went into this set blind, as well, having no specific expectations beyond a high-energy good time; but I ended up having a blast. Bluesfest always draws several African acts, making for some of the very few opportunities to see that kind of music around here, particularly at the world-class level of the legendary Adé. That must be disappointing for true aficionados, but as a casual, stage-hopping festival-goer, it means that you'll likely be joining a very enthusiastic audience. That was my experience on this night, as the Blacksheep crowd was one of the best that I found myself in all festival. This was my first dose of jůjú, a rhythmic style of Nigerian music that Adé has been bringing to the world for over four decades. As someone who often gravitates towards the drumming in a rock show, I was happy to see the concert start with half a dozen percussionists taking the stage, all in matching attire, with instrumentation ranging from a standard rock kit to several talking drums played with curved beaters to hand drums to shakers. The percussionists were followed by a bassist, guitarist, keyboard player, and a couple of singers, before Adé himself came to the fore. Musically, the band was extremely rhythm-focused, keeping the crowd hopping with infectious drums and towering bass lines, punctuated by skillful guitar flourishes. I definitely had the impression that the band would be able to jam with the best of them but I was also impressed by how tight they sounded, keeping the sound fresh and engaging over a set that stretched an hour and forty minutes. The singing was particularly striking, overcoming a language barrier between the band and the majority of the crowd. Fortunately, the African Beats needed no translation for their showmanship. In addition to the fact that the players were constantly smiling and dancing, displaying a joy that was inevitably reflected in the crowd, they also incorporated some physicality to their playing. At one point, the singers at the front worked a mime routine into their song, passing an array of invisible objects from left to right. At the end of one particularly frantic interlude, the players all adopted exhausted poses, dragging their instruments and limping about the stage while the music slowed, only to spring into action in unison for the uptempo reprise. The show was also notable for bringing out a pair of full-bodied dancers to shake their stuff, once late in the set and once in the encore, which saw the individual musicians taking a turn trying to match moves with one of the dancers. While I may not have been the most well-informed attendee for Okkervil River or King Sunny Adé and His African Beats, I was very happy that each act made its way to Ottawa, as each satisfied my curiosity with an impressive performance. <--Prev (Bluesfest 2009, Day 2) | Next (Bluesfest 2009, Day 5)-->Return to Concert ListReturn to Main Page |