One final report from Ottawa Bluesfest 2024: Tea Party and JJ Wilde (and no thanks to Motley Crue)

[Ross MacDonald and Karen Coughrey wrap up their cover of Ottawa Bluesfest 2024. They got Tea Party and JJ Wilde but weren’t allowed to cover Motley Crue lest someone expose that they’re actually performing to tracks–some of them, anyway. That’s my theory, anyway and I’m sticking to it. – AC]

The last Saturday night of the 30th Ottawa Bluesfest (July 13, 2024) featured two great Canadian rock acts on the main stage: JJ Wilde and The Tea Party.

JJ Wilde came running out on the stage after being introduced and captivated the crowd immediately opening with an unreleased song ‘Red Flag’ before playing her more popular hit songs: ‘The Rush’ and ‘Hands’. Everyone in the building crowd sang along with the latter two songs.

Although she lives in Nashville and performs in a country girl look (denim cut offs, red bustier, and boots) she is all rock. Her stage presence is undeniably exceptional and her voice is powerful which she proved in her performance of ‘Mercy’, ‘Off The Rails’, and ‘Home.’

She encouraged the crowd to relax and enjoy, perhaps light up a joint, before her song ‘Bushweed’. JJ also played an old favourite she missed performing as she hadn’t sung it live in a long time: ‘Knees’. Then JJ played her newest tracks ‘Arizona’ and ‘Takes Me Back’, all of the time running from one side of the stage to the other, singing directly to everyone in the crowd.

She performed an absolutely fierce rendition of a song close to her, ‘Piece Of My Heart’, an Erma Franklin song made famous by Janis Joplin, and finished up with some of her best songs ‘Best Of Me’ and ‘Best Boy’. It was a performance that surely gained JJ some new fans.

Next up were legendary Canadian alt-rockers The Tea Party. But before they took the stage, they took some time with the family of a late local fan. Earlier in the week Ottawa’s local alt-rock radio station LiVE 88.5 spoke with Zack, the son of Jenn Legari. Jenn was a long-time volunteer at Bluesfest and huge fan of The Tea Party; Jenn passed away in February after a battle with cancer. Jen Traplin and DJ Noah from LiVE 88.5 set up a meeting between Zack, his sister Tatiana, and all three members of The Tea Party. The band were particularly moved to hear that ‘Heaven Coming Down’ was played when Jenn Legari’s ashes were spread.

After the break, The Tea Party took command of the stage with Jeff Martin’s powerful, haunting vocals drawing the crowds in on ‘The River’ and then immediately showcasing the north-west African, middle-eastern, asian influences that gives them a unique progressive rock sound which they call “Morrocan-Roll” on ‘The Bazaar’, all the while demonstrated through the beautiful, intricate, gold, and shades of purple mandala-like backdrop.

Martin took a break mid-song to tell the crowd they didn’t have much time and would be skipping the usual telling of band tales and myths: “We’re on the clock, let’s just play some fucking rock and roll!” But despite this declaration Jeff did in fact have stories for the crowd.

He would explain as intro to ‘Psychopomp’ that it is the guide of souls according to Greek mythology, someone they are familiar with as a dark mysterious rock band who has descended into the depths of darkness and needed to come back.

When the rest of the band took a break and Martin was left alone on stage he explained they have performed several shows back to back and asked for some help with the vocals to help him save his voice as he performed a beautiful rendition of ‘The Messenger’, originally written and recorded by Daniel Lanois.

Next Jeff Martin brought out his double-neck SG and the band would play their 1999 mega-hit ‘Heaven Coming Down’, mashed up with U2’s ‘With Or Without You’. Martin’s vocals had a noticeable reverb and also of note was that one of his strings broke mid-song, but he played through using the remaining 11 (plus 6) and if you didn’t know, you didn’t notice. Jeff Burrows provided stellar backing vocals throughout the concert and they were particularly noteworthy on ‘Heaven Coming Down’ and also their hit song ‘Temptation’.

The Tea Party may be a serious, dark, and mysterious rock band but they are not above a groaner of an intro and Martin introduced the later by explaining that although some of the myths around him are true (rumours of drugs and black magic and the like) that rock and roll is meant to be a distraction and the band doesn’t wish to lead anyone into ‘Temptation’.

The second last song of the set, ‘Winter Solstice’, featured a long acoustic intro as Jeff Martin sat on the drum riser with his acoustic 12-string. The global musical influence was also very evident in this performance where both Martin and Burrows played djembes (African drums), and Chatwood played a harmonium.

Martin has overcome many addictions in his life but one remains, “the addiction to absolute power.” The band would finish their turn on stage rocking their hardest yet in an attempt to have the audience experience absolute power and whether they felt they did or not, they experienced a wonderfully powerful performance of ‘Sister Awake’ interrupted in the middle by a cover of the Rolling Stones’ ‘Paint It Black’.

The Tea Party
Jeff Martin – vocals, guitars, djembe
Stuart Chatwood – bass guitar, keyboards, harmonium
Jeff Burrows – drums, percussion, djembe,

JJ Wilde
JJ Wilde – vocals
Daniel Bossenberry – guitar
Steve Lavery – bass, keyboard
Jay Danza – guitar
Mitch Milley – drums