Alright Ottawa, time to let out a unified breath of relief. After a few extra weeks, a couple of false leads and a whole lot of speculation, your RBC Bluesfest line-up has finally dropped.
While there is sure to be the usual rounds of debates, praise and grievances, no doubt names filling the 2019 stages will offer a wide range of music to choose from. You want hip-hop you got Snoop Dogg and the Wu-Tang Clan. You want some country you got Eric Church. Need to relive your high school music crush, enter the Backstreet Boys. Get “Pretty in Pink” with the Psychedelic Furs, get “Pretty Fly” (you know, for a white guy) with The Offspring and get “Laid” with James. Errr, no guarantee on that last one. Heck, Bluesfest, you even got yourself a bonafide living legend of the genre with Buddy Guy!
Other acts include festival returns for The Killers, Pokey LaFarge, Alexisonfire, and Jessie Reyez, some classic rock from America and zip to the left of E-Street with Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul. 2012’s punk rock headline grabbers Pussy Riot look to be making their first stop in O-town. Your annual dip into the Canadiana side of the Bluesfest pool comes in the form of Saskatchewan’s The Sheepdogs and Colter Wall, Cape Breton’s Ashley MacIsaac and Hamilton’s The Dirty Nil, to name a few.
Of course, wouldn’t be the biggest fest of Ottawa’s summer without some locals on the bill. Rebecca Noelle, Renée Landry, Area Resident, River City Junction, Moonfruits, and Outside I’m A Giant are just a few you can check out between July 4-14 down at LeBreton Flats.
“What we’re most proud of is the fact that we’ve become a home-grown success,” says Mark Monahan, the festival’s executive and artistic director. "Much of that success is based on community―Ottawa music fans, countless volunteers, local musicians, long-standing staff, contractors, suppliers and sponsors, who all come together year after year to stage this massive event.
“Clearly the music is front and centre,” adds Monahan, “but the festival’s popularity has a lot to do with bringing the community together for shared experiences. So keep an eye out for upcoming announcements about the many ways we’ll be adding to those experiences this year, while celebrating our 25th anniversary.”
Other confirmed acts include: Kygo; Logic; Kane Brown; The Glorious Sons; CHVRCHES; First Aid Kit; Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit; Taking Back Sunday; Elle King; Rodrigo Y Gabriela; Mustard; Lennon Stella; T-Pain; PUP; Nao; Gone West Feat. Colbie Caillat; Shakey Graves; Murda Beatz; DJ Pauly D; Charlotte Cardin; K'Naan; Matt Andersen & The Mellotones; Lou Doillon; Guided By Voices; Elisapie; Busty and The Bass; Leikeli47; The Trews; William Prince; Yungblud; U.S. Girls; Connan Mockasin; Southern Avenue; Sue Foley; Ziggy Alberts; Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar; The Devil Makes Three; Gashi; Francesco Yates; The Sorority; The Beths; Bad Child; KALLITECHNIS; Brandon “Taz” Niederauer; Cartel Madras; This Is The Kit; Sugaray Rayford; Steve Poltz; Dawn Tyler Watson; Yonatan Gat & The Eastern Medicine Singers; Justin Saladino; Anthony Geraci; Crook The Kid; AJ Ghent; The Proven Ones; David Vest; Little Walter Tribute; Abby Stewart; Abigail Lapell; After Funk; BlakDenim; Brea Lawrenson; Children of Indigo; Del Hartley; Durham County Poets; Ellie Gadzos; Future States; Gabrielle Goulet; GARÇONS; Gavin McLeod; HOROJO Trio; Ikirezi; Kelly Sloan; Kyle Ivan; Loon Choir; Marie-Clo; Melanie Brulée; Mia Kelly; Mike McKenna Jr.; Moonfruits; Moscow Apartment; No Mistakes in Space; Scary Bear Soundtrack; Silent Winters; The Kim Pollard Band; U.N. Jefferson; Vi; and YUKA.
Full day grids are forthcoming but ticket packages are at the ready with a 1-Day pre-sale beginning March 7 at 10 a.m. It includes: U19 Full Festival Wristband *under 19 / U25 Full Festival Wristband *Under 25 / Adult Full Festival Pass / VIP Club Full Festival Pass.