Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest

Photos © Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest; Photographers—Peter Waiser; Bill Young; and John Boland
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Festival Events:

Performance feature 2009:

• The Rhythm Room All-Stars (Big Pete Pearson, Bob Corritore, Chris James, Patrick Rynn, and Brian Fahey) take part in The Cisco Ottawa Blues Festival and joining the group for this festival will be the great David Maxwell on piano, and in part of our set, we will call up Kaz Kazanoff and the Texas horns. Both David and Kaz are artists in residence at the festival, and we look forward to supplementing our sound with these great players. The Rhythm Room All-Stars will also back Bob’s lifelong friend Louisiana Red for Red’s Saturday set. For more information about the group visit http://www.myspace.com/rhythmroomallstars
  The performance schedule at The Cisco Ottawa Blues Festival is as follows:
  
  • Friday, July 17th: Barney Danson Theatre, 9pm Rhythm Room All-Stars set
  • Saturday, July 18: Subway Stage, 2:30pm Rhythm Room All-Stars set, then 4:30pm Louisiana Red set
  • Sunday, July 19th: Blacksheep Stage, 6:30pm Rhythm Room All-Stars Set

A stellar line-up 2009:

• Jeff Beck; Amos the Transparent; Busta Rhymes; Amanda Rheaume; Metric; Black Mountain; Sergent Garcia; Tympanic; Blue King Brown; Van der Graff Generator; Jon Creeden; and Monkey Junk; Adam Franklin; Alan Parsons Live Project; All Nations Gospel Choir; Ana Miura; Anders Drerup; Andrew Vincent; The Dead Weather; Ani DiFranco; Arkells; Beast; Becky Abbott; Ben Harper and RELENTLESS7; Blue Rodeo; Bob Corritore; Brian Setzer Orchestra; Brock Zeman; Carlos Varela; Brothers Chaffey; Buckwheat Zydeco; Cake; Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcolm; Chris Smither; Ice Cube; Yeah Yeahs; City of a Hundred Spires; Clem Snide; Coeur de pirate; Concession 23; Colin Linden; Cotton Jones; Craig Horton; C.R. Avery & the Sojourners; Crystal Castles; Daddy Mack Blues Band; Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women; Dave Mason; David Lindley; David Maxwell; Deep Dark Woods; Deer Tick; DeVotchKa; Die Mannequin; Diunna Greenleaf & Bob Margolin; Divine Brown; DNA; The Dodos; Downstone Rhythm; Doyle Bramhall; Drew Nelson; Drive-By Truckers; Eden Brent; Elage Mbaye; Eppiphane; Eric Lindell; Ernie Hawkins; Estelle; FEMI KUTI & The Positive Force; Flecton Big Sky; Freddie Roulette; Funktagon; Girl Talk; GOOD2GO; Gov’t Mule; Gunsmoke; Handsome Furs; Henry Butler; Papa Mali; The Rhythm Council; Hey Rosetta!; Hollerado; Holy F*ck; Homemade Jamz’ Blues Band; Hoodlum; Hubert Sumlin; The Human Statues; Hundreds and Thousands; Iron and Wine; Israel & New Breed; Jackson Browne; James Cohen Caravan; Jeff Lang; Jeff Rogers; Jenn Grant; Jennifer Warnes; Jesse Cook; Jill Barber; Joe Cocker; Joe Louis Walker; Joe Pug; John Allaire; John Vanderslice; JW-Jones with Little Charlie Baty; k.d. lang; Kaz Kazanoff & The Texas Horns; Ken Workman & the Union; King Sunny Ade & His African Beats; Kingdom Shore; KISS; Kyrie Kristmanson; Land of Talk; Larry Garner; Larry McCray; Leif Vollebekk; LeE HARVeY OsMOND; Les Claypool; Library Voices; Lindsay Ferguson; LIVE; Loreena McKennitt; Los Lonely Boys; Loudlove; Louisiana Red; M83; Lucas Haneman; Ludacris; Marc Charron; Marie-Josée Houle; Matisyahu; Matt Andersen; Meredith Luce; Mick Taylor; Mishka; Moreland and Arbuckle; Mother Mother; Neko Case; New Mastersounds; NEWWORLDSON; Okkervil River; Ornette Coleman; Oumou Sangare; Our Lady Peace; Paolo Nutini; Papa San; Pappy Johns Band; Paul Reddick; Philip Sayce; Politique; Poorfolk; Peter Voith; Prescott; Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile; Rachael Yamagata; Reggie Young & Gospel Park; Reverend Billy Wirtz; Rick Fines; Rocco Deluca; Roomful of Blues; Ryan Shaw; Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women; Sam Roberts Band; Sedatives; Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings; Shemekia Copeland; Shiloh; Silver Creek; Sista Monica; Spencer Davis; Steve Earle; Stone Temple Pilots; Sky Diggers; Spam Allstars; Steve Mariner; Steve Poltz; Stone Temple Pilots; Styx; Sugar Blue; Sunparlour Players; Tara Holloway; That 1 Guy; The Allrights; The Balconies; The Church; The Duhks; The Heavy; The Larry McRay Band; The Low Anthem; The Moth; The National; The Rebel Year; The Road Hammers; The Roll Models; The Soul of John Black; The Stills; The Yardbirds; The Zombies; TJ Wheeler; Thunderheist; Toots & the Maytals; Treasa Levasseur; United Steel Workers of Montreal; Voices of Praise; Watters Brothers; Yahowa13; Xavier Rudd; Zac Harmon and many more

Other Sources:

Want more? Click on a color — travel and explore.  

Podcast Interviews:

• If you like this… listen to
  
  • Sharon Jones of Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
    http://kadmusarts.com/podcasts/?p=934

Articles and Reviews:

• Bluesfest confirms festival move (Ottawa Citizen, December 13, 2006)
  http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=5c590f4a-a942-4134-8733-c52ec0aaced1&k=0
• Ottawa festivals brighten summer blues. Four events believed to pack $48M punch. By Mike Levin - Business Edge (Ontario Business News, July 21, 2005 - Vol. 1, No. 14)
  http://www.businessedge.ca/article.cfm/newsID/10128.cfm
• Ottawa Blues Festival 2003. Festival Plaza - Ottawa, ON. By Tim Holek (Blues on Stage, July 4-13, 2003)
  http://www.mnblues.com/review/2003/ottawabluesfest03-th.html

Images:

• Cisco Systems Blues Festival Back Stage
  http://www.ottawapanoramas.com/ciscosystemsblue.html

Practical Info:

Vote Now!:

• Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest has made it to CBC Radio’s Top-40 Best MUSIC Fest in Canada. The race is on and the only way for the blues festival to win is to get out the vote. Top 20 will be revealed on February 24, 2010
• VOTE NOW
• VOTE EVERY DAY
  http://radio3.cbc.ca/#/searchlight/vote

Venues:

• Bluesfest ByWard York Street Outdoor Stage — New venue
  http://www.byward-market.com/
• The Great Canadina Cabin
• Capital Music Hall
• The Hard Rock Cafe
• Fat Tuesday’s
• The Heart & Crown
• The Rainbow
• The Live Lounge
• Mavericks
• Pier 21
• Ritual
• Zaphod’s

Tickets:

• Single day pass
  This NON-TRANSFERABLE Day Ticket permits general admission access to all onsite stages and shows for one specific day. Some exclusions apply.

Event passports:

• Full Festival Passport (Transferable Ticket Series) 
Transferable passports are good for general admission access to all on-site shows for the duration of the festival. Transferable passports are not available at the Rideau Centre Kiosk. Some exclusions apply.
• Full Festival Passport (Non-Transferable Wristband)
  Wristband passports are good for general admission access to all on-site shows for the duration of the festival with the exception of the Pass Plus events, and other exclusions apply. A limited number of non-transferable wristband passports will be available at a reduced price for 18 and under. Ticket holders will be required to show ID at the festival to receive their wristband.
• Weekend Passport
  Weekend passports are good for general admission access to all on-site shows during one weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) of the festival. Some exclusions apply.
• Gold Circle Pass - Limited Number
  A Gold Circle Pass is a transferable pass that provides you with access to the Gold Circle area located adjacent to the Main Stage. With a Gold Circle pass you will benefit from:
  
  • Private bar services
  • Patio tables and chairs
  • Private washroom facilities
• Empire Grill Club Pass
  This transferable pass entitles you to full access at the Empire Grill Club areas at four of our stages.
• Main Stage (Gold Circle)
  
  • MBNA Grassroots Stage
  • Blacksheep Stage
  • ADCN Stage (Club Tropical)
• Inside the Empire Grill Club areas you will enjoy:
  
  • Private bar services
  • Patio tables and chairs
  • Private washroom facilities

Group discounts:

• Groups of 15 or more receive a discount on the per-ticket cost for the festival. For more information email
  info@ottawabluesfest.ca
• Corporate suites
  Corporate suites come complete with 30 tickets to see world-class entertainment with the opportunity to purchase additional seats up to a maximum of 40.
• Great sight line and elevated platform for optimal viewing
• Private bar and catering available with your own attendant
• Patio tables and chairs for your comfort
• 2’ x 2’ company sign
• Access to the City Hall washroom facilities
  For more information call Nathalie Laperrière at (01) 613-247-1188 Ext. 231, or email: nlaperriere@ottawabluesfest.ca

Buying tickets:

• In person (Gold Circle Pass is available from two first and Empire Grill Club Pass only from the first location)
• Bluesfest Office
  1810 St. Laurent Blvd.
• Compact Music
  785 A Bank St. & 134 Bank Street
• Rideau Centre Kiosk
  Located outside the Roots Store
• Online:
  http://www.capitaltickets.ca
• By Phone (01) 613-755-1111

Do you have an update or more information about this festival? Email us at updates@kadmusarts.com
Start or join a conversation about this festival in the Forum.