RBC Bluesfest – July 16, 2016
The Lionyls (Photo by Kamara Morozuk)
Although Saturday was slow to start, it wasn’t long before the entire festival was packed full with fans young and old (mostly young) for the day’s top headliners. Massive crowds made it nearly impossible to maneuver with ease around Lebreton Flats, but the weaving in and out of clusters was all worth it once you reached the stage.
Day 8 was exciting nonetheless, and most importantly: it didn’t rain!
Photographer Kamara Morozuk braved the crowds and captured all the excitement from Saturday night. Check out the concert galleries below featuring her work, and follow her on Instagram for more content and updates. As well, for more information on the festival, head to the official Bluesfest website.
Future
Believe it or not, the headliner on Saturday night was at 5pm. Or at least that’s what the crowd tightly packed in front of the main stage would argue. Hip-hop artist Future had one of the most anticipated shows at RBC Bluesfest – but surprisingly not entirely for him. Speculation and rumours have been floating around Ottawa for the weeks leading up to the show surrounding a possible Drake appearance during the set. Regardless of whatever stories and details had been passed around town, Future performed solo, but not without teasing the audience with a handful of empty hints and shoutouts to his Canadian fans and collaborators (a.k.a Drake).
Fortunately, his set was still a wild one, as the crowd refused to hold back from turning up to some of Future’s biggest hits.
The Paper Kites
Drawing one of the largest crowds to the Monster Energy Stage yet, Australian indie folk rock quintet The Paper Kites turned the massive gathering into an intimate experience through their music. Soft spoken in their music and demeanour, The Paper Kites expressed their appreciation for performing for such a welcoming music festival, and in return treated fans to a songs from their most recent album twelvefour, as well as a beautiful performance of their hit single “Bloom”.
The Lionyls
Ottawa soul/funk band The Lionyls are always on the hunt for a good time. Their untameable energy and electrifying stage presence helped the young four piece earn their spot on the main stage Saturday night, performing non-stop from their collection of original songs. Showing no signs of nervousness or intimidation – even with the massive stage behind them – The Lionyls stood strong, completing the challenging feat of captivating an unfamiliar crowd. Within minutes, lead singer Zach Raynor had the audience in the palm of his hand, jumping, clapping, and dancing to his every move.
Holy Fuck
After releasing their first album in over five years, Holy Fuck made one hell of a return to Ottawa Saturday night. Their mesmerizing blend of rock, electronic, and crafty live-off-the-floor effects came to life as the band played through songs from their discography, including some from their latest LP Congrats. With plenty of space on stage, Holy Fuck instead chose to set up close together, mostly facing each other, as if they were performing only for themselves. This tight-knit, cohesive style brought out the best of their music, as the four members seemed lost within their newly-created dimension on stage. Although newer hits such as “Tom Tom” and “Xed Eye” were well received by fans, their older tracks brought out the biggest cheers, most notably their 2007 debut hit “Lovely Allen” near the end of their set.
Check out more full concert galleries from other performances below:
