RBC Bluesfest – Day 3 executive summary

Day 3 – another hot one.

Amadou & Mariam: The legendary blind husband and wife team were amazing. Funky west-african rhythms that have an amazing club sense… buildups, drops and continuous grooves. Pretty much the perfect band to see in 40-degree weather with a frosty beer.

DJ ACRO: Wow – haven’t heard Tatyana Ali in a while…
+++Update: DJ Acro correctly pointed out that he doesn’t play this song in his sets. Not sure what Rich heard, but it definitely wasn’t that. Regardless – fun hip hop set.+++

Fitz & the Tantrums: This is a band that will have a monstrous hit album. They will perform at the Grammys. They will work with legends.

Not Fitz, but certainly having a Tantrum. Singer Noelle Skaggs.
RBC Bluesfest Press Images PHOTO/Marc Desrosier

Keys ‘N Crates: It’s not the beats that are unique about these guys – it’s their delivery. Not that the beats are bad – they’re quite good and all original trap. It’s just that they perform it on mixers, drum kit & triggers and keys & synths. If these guys keep pushing the limits on their delivery, they could really change the way beats are performed. Monster potential – and more world-class beats from Toronto.

Neko Case: I defy you to not sing a Neko Case song in your head after the first time you hear it. She is a brilliant songwriter. Honestly, I thought the set sounded a bit out of tune at points, and Neko mentioned that, tuning and saying, “my guitars are bitches. They don’t like coming outside.” Ha! Probably not their best gig, but no question about the talent.

Belle & Sebastian: Cinematic alt-pop. This was a brilliant performance with a full string section – 12 musicians on stage. I’ve always liked harder music than this, but I don’t think I ever ‘got’ this band until today.

Sharon Van Etten: I had never heard Sharon Van Etten until tonight. When she came out on stage, I thought she was one thing, and I soon found out she quite another. Folk, but with a much heavier sound than I thought was coming… quite remarkable.

Zed’s Dead: More great beats from Toronto. These guys had the best moment of the day when they played this.

Sorry we missed: Cold Specks

Moment of the day:

This:

Day 4’s can’t miss: The Joy Formidable.