Photos from Ottawa Bluesfest 2025, day three (part 1
[Zachary Resnick was on site. – AC]
The third day of Ottawa Bluesfest 2025 saw huge attendance despite the sweltering heat. And while I like a good schvitz as much as the next person, I certainly appreciated the shade and cool breezes found in the vicinity of the River Stage as the sun finally set.
By ten to nine, a modest crowd had formed in the pit, eagerly awaiting the night’s final act. As more and more people trickled down towards the stage, a few (damp) Men I Trust t-shirts could be spotted in the sea of bodies. 
By the time the band made their appearance on the stage, it was elbow to elbow in the pit, and the grassy hills were packed tight with eager spectators. Montreal’s Men I Trust emerged to an ear-splitting pop, each member taking their own riser, save for lead Emmanuelle Proulx – she stood centre stage as smoke rose from behind and bright lights flashed over the audience.
Starting the set off with “To Ease You,” was a perfect introduction to Men I Trust for those uninitiated. Their signature dreampop sound – wavey, synth-y, relaxing – is a cocoon of pleasant auditory stimuli.
Soft pink lighting had Proulx outlined in silhouette as a steady drumbeat brought us into the harmonies – vocal and instrumental – of “Come Back Down.” I found myself wondering: is this what Fleetwood Mac would sound like had they come out in the 2010’s?
The low, bass-y start to “Husk” had the crowd nodding and grooving along, while the dreamy synths were back for “How Many More” and everything took on a warmer tone for the more upbeat “Sugar.” 
About halfway through the set, the creeping, breathy vocals of “Serenade of Water” had everyone swaying, with not a few hands in the air, as though their owners simply didn’t care. The low-fi-esque beat is one you could get lost in, before getting snapped back by the poppier pace of “Where I Sit.”
Men I Trust raised the tempo and got everyone on their feet again at the end of the set with the snappy chords of “Worn Down,” before ending their stellar set with the urgent, atmospheric, and ethereal “Billie Toppy.” The crowd cheered thunderously for a good long while, and then dreamily dispersed, floating away on a synth wave high in the warm night air.
