May 3, 2024

The Queens County Citizen

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Bluesfest, NAC team up for generate-in live performance collection

Bluesfest, NAC team up for drive-in concert series

Ottawa Bluesfest and the National Arts Centre, each sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic this summer months, are teaming up to deliver a collection of live drive-in concert events, beginning at the stop of July.

Headliners Sam Roberts Band, Patrick Watson and Tim Hicks are amid the roster of artists who’ll be doing on an outdoor stage at the Zibi site in Gatineau, Que., even though concertgoers enjoy the tunes from the convenience and safety of their automobiles.

“We’re just content that we can start to do one thing that will hopefully guide to a revival of the tunes field, which has really been devastated by the pandemic,” claimed Bluesfest founder and executive director Mark Monahan.

Juno-successful Ottawa jazz musician Kellylee Evans will carry out on July 31, the opening evening of the live performance sequence. (Xavier Chauvet)

Commencing July 31, songs fans will be ready to drive to the internet site on the Ottawa River, park two meters apart, tune in on their car radios and check out the live performance from their vehicles. If actual physical distancing guidelines are calm by the end of July, concertgoers will be equipped to sit in lawn chairs beside their vehicles.

The checklist of verified artists contains:

  • July 31: Marie-Mai, Donovan Woods, Terra Lightfoot, Julian Taylor, Kellylee Evans.
  • Aug. 1: Sam Roberts Band, Shad, Haviah Mighty, LeFLOFRANCO.
  • Aug. 7: Patrick Watson, Basia Bulat, Zaki Ibrahim, Asuquomo, Silla and Rise, Geneviève et Alain.
  • Aug. 8: Tim Hicks, Kira Isabella, Chris Labelle, Crystal Shawanda, Lyle Odjick & The Northern Steam, Amanda Rheaume.

“We are producing certain that we are representing a huge range of musical genres, emerging and set up artists, area and Indigenous artists,” said  Heather Gibson, the NAC’s executive producer of popular audio and wide variety.

We communicate with Bluesfest’s Mark Monahan and the NAC’s Heather Gibson about the CanadaPerforms at RBC Bluesfest Push-In. 7:50

Recent journey restrictions restricted organizers to inviting musicians from Ontario and Quebec, but Gibson said as procedures loosen they hope to include things like artists from throughout the nation and add much more dates to the concert series.

“It is a little bit of an experiment, there’s no template for how to do this,” claimed Monahan, who imagines the outdoor concert events as “form of tailgate party without people today actually collecting in significant teams.”

Montreal-based art rock quartet Patrick Watson are scheduled to complete Aug 7. ((EMI Records))

Pressured to terminate his 26-12 months-old summer season tunes pageant for the reason that of the pandemic, Monahan said he was established to obtain an opportunity of provide reside songs again in a protected ecosystem by working with public overall health officers and next provincial rules.

  • Gates open at 6 p.m., exhibit starts at 7 p.m and ends at 10:30 p.m.
  • Concertgoers are encouraged to arrive early to protected a very good parking place.
  • Cost: $75 per car or truck. Tickets must be ordered in progress and will be scanned upon entry.
  • Tickets go on sale Tuesday, June 23, at 10 a.m., and can be purchased in this article.
Mark Monahan, executive director of Ottawa Bluesfest, says Ottawans will be capable to park two metres apart and listen to reside music from the basic safety of their vehicles. 1:12

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