Bluesfest: Day 7

There was no programming on Day 6 of Bluesfest, which was a much-needed break for everyone. The next day, I returned to Lebreton Flats for my most anticipated day of Bluesfest.

First, I was able to catch a bit of Animal Collective on the main stage. I was really impressed! I really enjoyed the experimental/psychedelic sound of the group and the crowd was really into it! There was even a bunch of people dressed up in animal costumes. Love it!

** It was announced the next day that Animal Collective had cancelled the remaining of their July tour dates due to an illness. Therefore, Ottawa was pretty lucky to get to see the group!

Afterwards, it was time for Solange, who was playing to a nice crowd at the River Stage. The singer looked stunning in lovely red dress, giant hat and long braids. From the beginning, you could tell the sound was way off. Everyone could tell, especially Solange. Many times during her set, she apologized for the sound. A source told me that she told the audience that this was the worst sound guy she had ever worked with. She was apparently so fed up, she finished her set earlier than scheduled.

Passion Pit was playing at the River Stage, which I was excited about, seeing as that stage is my favourite. However, with the sound issues during Solange's performance, I was really hoping that the techs would have figured out the issue. Unfortunately, the sound wasn't much better for Passion Pit.

The show started off strong with "The Reeling". The group played songs from their latest album, including "I'll be Alright", "Carried Away", "Take a Walk", "Constant Conversations" and "It's Not My Fault, I'm Happy". 

This was my fourth time seeing Passion Pit, and I am a huge fan. However, this was my least favourite performance of them that I've seen (out of the four shows I've seen). Not that the group didn't give a good performance (because they did), but the sound and the crowd weren't great, and that counts for a lot. Also, their show at Osheaga last year was so fantastic, it's hard to beat.

I was hoping to catch a bit of A Tribe Called Red, but I was only able to catch one song. However, there was a big crowd gathered at the Blacksheep Stage to catch the hometown boys in action.

Overall, Wednesday was more of a disappointment for me, although I'm happy I discovered Animal Collective.