Even more Ottawa Bluesfest coverage, this time including Death from Above 1979
[Everything comes from Melody Maloney and Ross MacDonald. – AC]
Fortunately the repressive July heatwave broke and temperatures in Ottawa were optimal in the mid-20s. And good thing because the biggest crowds of the festival were scheduled for Friday evening (17 July) at Ottawa Bluesfest.
The main stage had the phenomenal upstarts Angine de Poitrine and the ever iconic Sheryl Crow.. But the Hard Rock Stage on the other side of the venue was packed with a trio of alt-rock powerhouses.
Opening the night on the back stage was a trio of young women aptly calling themselves Thunder Queens. And by all accounts grunge is back! This band is leading a resurgence in rock music that is more about substance than glamour.
Let’s start with the rhythm section. Drummer Lola does double duty as she is also the band’s singer. And she wasn’t just riding her cymbals, she was pounding her snare and toms hard and fast. All the while singing lead vocals, a remarkable feat. She was reminiscent of a young Dave Grohl, getting her whole body into her drumming.
And up front picking bass strings just as fast was Clara, and also helping with backing vocals. Their song ‘Walk With Me’, opened with a massive bass riff, that was followed a few moments later with the rest of the band joining in.
Unfortunately Thunder Queens were playing at the same time as the aforementioned Angine de Poitrine, who drew away a lot of potential fans. They still had several hundred captivated fans in the back bowl.
Lola and the band were very appreciative and commented: “It’s pretty tough to be playing at the same time as Angine de Poitine, so thank you for coming to see us!”
The Pixies (or perhaps Nirvana) must have had an influence on this band. Their transitions between soft verses (well really soft-ish) with harmonies, moving into intense and pounding choruses kept the audience engaged, hanging on to every note.
Delivering the melodies was the responsibility of Violet on guitar. She was delivering effortless licks all the way up and down the neck of her Strat. And Violet wasn’t just providing periodic backup vocals; she often joined Lola providing beautiful harmonies.
Their song ‘Wait’, started with a distorted guitar riff with the reverb turned way up. Did her parents play Alice In Chains non-stop in her nursery growing up?
Put the Thunder Queens on your must-see list.
The hard rock sounds continued as next up was Nick Earle & The Reckless Hearts. Hailing from Newfoundland Nick and his band have a particular balance between a fresh light feel, but with hard rock delivery. That may sound contradictory, but when you see them perform, it all makes sense.
There must be something in the water on the east coast because musically they are constantly hitting above their weight. And fun, like other bands from out east, Nick Earle and the Reckless Hearts were having FUN!
Nick is obviously enjoying his evolution from successful folk artist to successful rock star. And his band has both a tight feel with a full sound. Nick and Andrew traded back and forth on guitar solos with complementary licks.
And having Clare on bass with Daniel on drums, they held the show together both instrumentally and by adding backing vocals.
Their entire set was well received by the growing crowd, but none more so than their 2022 hit single ‘Born To Lose’. Their one-hour set passed by far too quickly.
Death From Above 1979 (DFA) were next up, headlining the Hard Rock Stage on this second last night of Ottawa Bluesfest.
Despite coming to town less than a year ago, the stage area was jammed packed for DFA 1979; with people filling up onto the grassy hills in the back. The duo came out blazing with energy and excitement.
For only two musicians, this group made some serious sounds on that Hard Rock Stage. Giving us the visuals they are known for, logo in the middle with back lit silhouettes, and flashing lights giving us quick glimpses of Jesse F. Keeler and Sebastien Grainger. Keeler on bass guitar and keys and Grainger heavy hitting the drums.
Opening up with ”Nomad” and ending with Canadian alternative rock core classics “Freeze Me” and “Trainwreck 1979”, this Duo has even more to give the Ottawa Bluesfest crowd. We got a festival encore featuring “Dead Womb” and “Turn It Out”.
At one point, Grainger came off the drum kit and focused on vocals, running all around the stage. The crowd went wild.
Overall the rocking vibe on the Hard Rock stage was a resounding success. Setting up for the final night of Bluesfest.
Death From Above 1979:
Jesse Keeler – bass, keyboards, backing vocals
Sebastien Grainger – drums, vocals
Nick Earle & The Reckless Hearts:
Nick Earle – lead vocals, guitars
Clare Follett – bass, backing vocals
Daniel George – drums, backing vocals
Andrew Rodgers – guitars, backing vocals
Thunder Queens:
Lola Good – drums
Violet Bruneel – guitar
Clara Magnan – bass
