Bluesfest: A Perfect Circle

How is it possible that one man have the ability to block my entire view of the huge Bluesfest main stage? The fact he carried 300 plus pounds of bulk most likely had something to do with it.

The band being blocked "A Perfect Circle" were captivating and hypnotic during the moments I could see the stage. The last time I saw them perform (here in Ottawa) was 11 years ago. I hope it isn't another 11 years until I see them again. A huge bravo to Maynard and company for a great show last night.

Does anyone have the set list from last night? I didn't recognize a few songs during their set.

We managed to catch parts of the Peter Frampton and Huey Lewis sets. They aren't really my thing to be honest but the crowds seemed supportive for both. We had planned to see the Dropkick Murphys play earlier in the day but didn't quite make it on time. We kinda knew catching 4 acts play on the same day was going to be ambitious. The allotted time was spent chilling at home after a fun family BBQ we had in the afternoon.

I'm enjoying the variety of musical styles Bluesfest are offering up this year (as they have in the past). Thanks to them I'm catching many acts I normally wouldn't bother going out to see play live on their own. Musical variety does in fact bring a little spice to life.

It was nice to see that the Bluesfest organizers had resolved their crowd control issues and getting into the grounds last night was a non-issue. We'll be back for more next Saturday when Death from Above 1979 and Jane's Addiction hit the stage.

In parting I would like to mention an observation I made yesterday as I watched thousands of music fans mulling about the Bluesfest grounds. People who wear Dropkick Murphy t-shirts are far scarier looking than those who wear Tool shirts. It takes an effort to look scarier than a Tool fan, good on them for succeeding.

In the news...

Im sure you all caught my big appearance on the CBC news last night. My girlfriend however didn't quite make the cut as she was logo'ed out.

A career in journalism is sure to follow. ;)

(Thanks to Sarah for the pic.  I got a big laugh when I saw it)

Bluesfest - Soundgarden / The Flaming Lips

I had low expectations before going to see The Flaming Lips and Soundgarden at Bluesfest. I left pleasantly surprised as both bands delivered great shows on opening night. I'll skip writing a half ass review and let the "experts" do the talking. Here is a review of the Flaming Lips show and one for Soundgarden. I hope to catch the Flaming Lips again in a smaller indoor venue.

Also entertaining is The Flaming Lips lead singer Wayne Coyne's twitter feed. Check it out at your own risk.

So not everything was a big success last night. A huge FAIL goes out to the Bluesfest organizers for the ticket clusterfuck that occurred. They would have know ahead of time there would be a huge number of will call pickups due to the Canada Post strike and should have planned accordingly. I feel for the ticket buyers who waited in line for two hours to pick up their tickets.

Luckily we had purchased tickets ahead of time and were able to skip those lines. We still wasted time trying to figure out how to get in. Take note... There is only one main entrance this year to get into the grounds. That includes people who purchased VIP tickets.

A little parking tip for you guys. There's plenty available off Portage street in Hull and the walk across the EB Eddy bridge goes by pretty quickly. Save yourself the aggravation of trying to find parking in Ottawa.

I'll be there to see A Perfect Circle on Sunday night. See you then!