One final report from Ottawa Bluesfest 2026: The Guess Who, The Sheepdogs, Rebelle
[Photos by Ross MacDonald and Melody Maloney. Review by Karen Coughtrey. – AC]
Sunday July 19th 2026 was day 9, the last night of Ottawa Bluesfest 2026. As Ottawa is celebrating its bicentennial (Ottawa 200) this year, it was a big night featuring Rebelle, The Sheepdogs and The Guess Who on the RBC mainstage.
Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman have reclaimed the name of their original band and brought their The Guess Who Takin’ It Back Tour to Ottawa, headlining the main stage after a spectacular drone show to celebrate Ottawa’s 200th birthday.
The Canadian rock royals have still got it and put on a great show, and they filled the stage with a full band. They were supported by Joe Augello and Tim Bovaconti on guitars, Sean Fitzsimons on drums, Nick Sinopoli on percussion, and Jeff Jones was doing a solid on bass. Fun fact: Jeff was the original bass player for Rush before stepping aside for his friend Geddy Lee.
It felt like a visit with an old friend both because of the camaraderie among the fans in the crowd (an older crowd than your typical night at Bluesfest for whom these songs were the soundtrack of their youth) and because of the way Burton told stories between each song.
Although for the younger members in the crowd, these songs came out long before their birth, they are the songs they listened to with their parents or grandparents and hold special memories in their own right. This is Classic Canadian rock still appreciated and needed by all in this day and age and this was likely a bucket list show, to see these songs performed by these two legends, for many.
A recording of ‘Hang On To Your Life’ played as they set up and then they opened, leaving no doubt that this was a celebration of Canadian rock with ‘Runnin’ Back To Saskatoon.’
Burton played the keys, guitar, harmonica, tambourine and flute and Bachman played guitar and they were both still solid at all of it. In one thing that likely only happened at the Ottawa show, Cummings had to complain at one point about all the bugs on his keyboards, the little gnats have been bugging crowds for the entirety of the festival and so this drew a good laugh as the audience could relate to the annoyance.
The setlist included all the favourites you would expect including ‘These Eyes,’ ‘Undun’ and ‘No Sugar Tonight/ New Mother Nature.’ It of course also offered hits from the Bachman Turner Overdrive discography including ‘Let It Ride’ and ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet’ and one from Burton’s solo days ‘My Own Way To Rock.’
The crowd got involved in the show and Cummings even led through a rehearsal for their key part in ‘Clap For The Wolfman.’
Cummings, who was wearing a Doors T-shirt, snuck a cover of their song ‘Roadhouse Blues’ into the intro for ‘American Woman.’ The sentiment of “get away from me,” was well received by the crowd in this time of political tension with our neighbours to the south and the audience sang loudly along.
The show ended in a song-along, as all the best concerts do with hits ‘Share The Land’ and ‘Takin’ Care Of Business.’
Opening up for the Canadian legends were revered Canadian rockers in their own right, fellow Canadian prairie boys, the pride of Saskatchewan, The Sheepdogs.
The Guess Who were a band performing in the 1960’s and 70’s and the Sheepdogs channel that time perfectly. Everything about the band brings that era to mind from their analog instrumentation, to style (striped bellbottoms, corduroy) to the backdrop imagery (concentric squovals, lava lamp like, tie-die and kaleidoscopic) to the golden/sepia lighting. It really made them the perfect opening band for the occasion.
They were stoked to be opening for such an iconic band explaining that not only had The Guess who greatest hits been the go to album when driving around the outskirts of Saskatoon but that they had played with all the members individually but never had the chance to share the stage with them together as the original band.
In case anyone might have mistakenly thought they were going to be a classic rock cover band they opened with ‘Gonne Be Myself’ and the setlist included their own popular songs such as ‘Feeling Good,’ ‘I Don’t Know,’ ‘I’ve Got A Hole Where My Heart Should Be,’ and ‘Who?’ and invited the crowd to help them sing ‘How Late, How Long.’
The band released a new album this past February ‘Keep Out Of The Storm’ and played interspersed throughout the set the title track, ‘I do’ and ‘Nobody But You’ from that album.
Like most bands they gave their voices break with long instrumental interludes that really showcase their superior musicianship.
They thanked the crowd for supporting Canadian rock before closing their set with their song ‘Nobody.’
Getting the evening started on the mainstage were local (Wakefield, QC) rock foursome, Rebelle. Their brand of heavy rock attracted a good early evening crowd and when asked nearly half the crowd had seen them before indicating a dedicated and growing fanbase.
David Taggart is the lead singer and he and the band came ready to rock putting on a stellar show, catching the ears and attention of many a passerby with their unique brand of hard but fun rock.
They opened with ‘Head On Fire.’ Other songs included ‘Kicks’, ‘New Era Dream,’ and ‘What I Want.’ Bassist Riley took over the lead vocals for ‘Easy.’
They sing about the usual themes, such as getting older. ‘Blood’ is a song about Bonnie and Clyde and they ended with ‘Rapture’ a song about the end of the world.
The Guess Who
Burton Cummings – lead vocals, keyboards
Randy Bachman – guitar
Sean Fitzsimons – drums
Jeff Jones – bass
Nick Sinopoli – percussion
Tim Bovaconti – guitar
Joe Augello – guitar
The Sheepdogs
Ewan Currie – lead vocals, guitars, keys
Ryan Gullen – bass, backing vocals
Shamus Currie – keys, trombone, guitars, backing vocals
Ricky Paquette – guitars, backing vocals
Rebelle
David Taggart – lead vocals and guitar
Rylee Taggart – synths, keyboards, and backing vocals
Ryan Wiles – guitar and backing vocals
Joey Kane – drums
