PETTY THE POPULAR PICK
Acts to see in Bluesfest homestretch
LYNN SAXBERG’S PICKS
A Tribe Called Red Friday, 9 p.m. Bluesville Stage The sky’s the limit for the Ottawa DJ crew A Tribe Called Red and their dance floor-shaking mashup of powwow and club beats. Already this year, the trio has won a Juno Award and a Much Music Video Award, while their groundbreaking album We Are the Halluci Nation made it to the long list of finalists for the Polaris Music Prize.
Thornetta Davis Saturday, 5 p.m. Black Sheep Stage The queen of Detroit blues has been to Bluesfest a handful of times over the past decade and never disappoints. A compelling performer with a top-notch band, she seems born to expunge her soul through song. On this visit, Davis brings Honest Woman, her first venture into the studio in 20 years.
Muse Saturday, 9:30 p.m. City Stage Muse’s show at the long-defunct Capital Music Hall 13 years ago was one of the great moments in Ottawa’s rock ’n’ roll history. Then, the British band was on the cusp of worldwide success with Absolution, the first in a string of five consecutive No. 1 albums. Now their post-punk fusion of progressive rock and electronica fills stadiums and an eighth album is in the works.
Peter Wolf Sunday, 7 p.m. City Stage In the ’80s, Peter Wolf ’s flamboyant stage presence made him a lightning rod of a frontman for the J. Geils Band. They topped the charts with songs like Freeze Frame, Love Stinks and Centerfold until Wolf left to pursue a solo career. His latest album A Cure For Loneliness explores the rugged, rootsy terrain between Nashville and New York so effectively that Tom Petty tapped him as the opener on this summer’s tour.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Sunday, 9 p.m. City Stage Rock legend Tom Petty has only played Ottawa once before and that was more than 30 years ago. With a truckload of songs written in the decades since then, there will be some catching up to do when he brings the Heartbreakers back to town on their 40thanniversary tour. Petty’s longtime band consists of masterful sidemen, including keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer Steve Ferrone and stalwart guitarist Mike Campbell, guys the lanky Florida native trusts to stretch out the songs in a jam situation.
AEDAN HELMER’S PICKS
Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals Friday, 8:30 p.m. Claridge Stage The music just flows through Anderson .Paak. The funky drummer and his Free Nationals get the people moving with a fresh blend of neo-soul, hip hop, funk and R&B. His album Malibu features the likes of Schoolboy Q and Talib Kweli and his live show has been drawing rave reviews on his current tour.
Headstones Friday, 7:30 p.m. City Stage The badass cousins of The Tragically Hip, Kingston’s Headstones punched their fists through the early ’90s alt-rock scene with the buzzsaw guitars and acid-spitting lyrics of their debut Picture of Health. The band returns to the charts and the touring circuit with their single Devil’s On Fire and new album Little Army.
Bob Moses Saturday, 9:30 p.m. Bluesville Stage It was a chance encounter that led Vancouver high school pals Jimmy Vallance and Tom Howie to form a band when they found each other living in the same Brooklyn neighbourhood. The Bob Moses “post-club” sound is featured on their 2015 full-length Days Gone By and the duo could present a nice chance encounter for the festival’s final weekend.
Midnight Shine Sunday, 5 p.m. City Stage Midnight Shine frontman Adrian Sutherland gave fans a nice preview during Juno Week after driving three days to Ottawa from his home in Attawapiskat. The acclaimed northern Ontario band embarks on its first coastto-coast tour with a new single, Sister Love, which follows their 2014 album Northern Man.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Sunday, 9 p.m. City Stage Bluesfest didn’t even bother booking anyone on a competing side stage for the festival’s grand finale — the long-awaited return of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, playing Ottawa for the first time since 1981 on this, the rock legend’s (likely) final world tour. This one already has the makings of a classic.