Photos and a Review of Ottawa Bluesfest 2025 Night One (part 2)
[There are a couple of teams on the ground to cover this year’s Bluesfest. This report is from Zachary Resnick, Ross MacDonald, and Melody Maloney. – AC]
The 2025 edition of Ottawa’s Bluesfest kicked off with a strong showing of varied acts on Thursday, July 10th. I found myself drawn to the River Stage for many of the opening offerings.
London-born (UK), Ottawa-based DB Cohen kicked things off with a high energy set. The sun was shining down as he and The Revelers took the River Stage as this year’s inaugural act. Cohen’s unique blend of blues, ska, and folk drew an impressive crowd which would grow over the course of the set.
Starting strong with “Do What You Want,” blaring brass and thrumming bass assertively set the tone for what was to come – funky, jazzy, electric. “Shit Jobs,” a humorous, relatable poke at the shitty jobs we’ve all taken to make ends meet, was a bit slower and smoother.
Cohen and co. then favoured us with “The Dealer,” lyrics all ache and urgency. The afternoon sun was making its presence known, Cohen declaring it to be “hot as a rattlesnake’s belly button,” before launching into “For the Love of Ella.”
Cohen took a moment to introduce his daughter Liz who was in the audience – a tongue-in-cheek segue to “Do You Love Me Now Daddy?” Following that were the haunting keys of “Bus 142,” a song celebrating the life of Christopher McCandless, who was made famous by the Sean Penn directed film ‘Into the Wild.’
“Holidays in Rome,” “Uncommon Love,” and “Don’t Forget to Write” featured upbeat harmonica, jangly keys, and brass harmonies, while “Don’t Follow Me Down” and “Dinner Party” were a bit more restrained. The screechy sax on the latter was absolutely my cup of tea, though.
Cohen closed out his set with “All in Vain,” a ska tune which encouraged the crowd to get their knees up for what was to come.
And what was to come was the Melbourne Ska Orchestra, playing their first ever Ottawa show. This 26 piece (!) band, led by the charismatic Nicky Bomba loves ska, and wants you to love it even more.
The members trickled out onto the stage to some spaghetti western background music before exploding into an all guns blazing rendition of “Lygon Street Meltdown,” ending with a triple finish of horns, each to increasingly loud pops from the crowd.
“Good Days, Bad Days” kept the energy high, especially during the healthy drum solo which Bomba took part in. Working the crowd seems to be a specialty of the Melbourne Ska Orchestra, and audience participation with the onstage antics seemed all but mandatory. The crowd had no complaints.
With an amazing saxophone performance, “He’s a Tripper” had the crowd dancing. The band followed it up with their cheeky ska rendition of the “Get Smart” theme (though if I’m being honest, a good portion of the crowd was probably unfamiliar with Get Smart) and knees got higher.
This was my first time seeing the orchestra live, and the thing that impressed me most was how in sync they all are. “Spring In My Step” and “Bom Bom Bom” were so tight you’d be forgiven for assuming they were recordings. Kudos to the whole band.
As the sun began its descent, we were treated to a sing-along medley of ska classics and familiar tunes with a ska coat of paint. “A Message To You, Rudy” and “Monkey Man” were the highlights for me, and the ska take on “Lollipop,” made famous by the Chordettes, brought a smile to my face.
The main event at the River Stage on day one was undeniably Father John Misty. The air had cooled slightly as the stage was being set, but the crowd was biggest by far and an excited hum could be felt.
I became a fan of Father John aka Joshua Michael Tillman about a million years ago when he was the drummer for Fleet Foxes. Since then, his music and stage presence have evolved into something magical. Weird, sure – but in the best kind of way.
As the sky turned to night, the band took the stage to an angelic chorus, before turning to face the crowd in front of a devilish red backdrop. Misty took hold of the crowd immediately, launching into a sexy, sultry, throbbing rendition of “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools Of Us All.”
“Josh Tillman and the Accidental Dose” was slower, more deliberate, even a little creepy, and the crowd ate it up. A few tunes later, “Being You” sent shivers up my spine, the lyrics dripping with an unfulfilled yearning that shook the audience and had them erupt at the song’s close.
“Nancy From Now On” and “Goodbye Mr. Blue” had a more traditional blues-folk feel, though in true Father John Misty style, the lyrics are anything but. Those clever, satirical lyrics were on full display in the one-two punch of “Mental Health” and “I’m Writing a Novel.”
Another high point in the set was the booming funk and electricity of “She Cleans Up,” which had the whole crowd grooving. The hypnotic beat and chunky riffs bounced off every dancing body, giving the pit an almost bacchanal vibe.
Father John Misty closed his set with the pounding keys and dream-like melodies of “Mahashmashana,” though anecdotally, I could have listened to him for another few hours. This song, the title track off his new album, sent the crowd off in peaceful bliss, chanting, clapping, and cheering. Pure sonic satisfaction.
All in all, it was a stellar lineup to kick things off at the River Stage. Bluesfest 2025 has started on an extremely high note.
