Nobody wants to let go of summer when September rolls around. Thankfully for Ottawa folk, CityFolk Festival arrives just in time to kick the post-Bluesfest blues, bringing a similarly eclectic variety of Canadian and international artists to Lansdowne Park. Like its sister festival that aims to honour its blues roots, CityFolk cultivates a roster of folk artists — but its kick-off evening was nothing but the grit and glitz of the city.
Fresh off the heels of their recent single "Wandering Lies," Montreal ensemble Busty and the Bass brought their unique blend of soul-jazz to the massive TD Stage. The sun had long ago hid behind a gloomy overcast, but the waning warmth of late summer felt crystallized in their sparkly horns and lush vocal harmonies. The musically proficient nine-piece moved between mellow and mind-bending, their exuberance palpable and moving the crowd to dissolve in their groove.
Tucked around the corner was CityFolk's new Courtside Stage, replacing the one previously inside Aberdeen Pavilion. Far removed from the buzz of the Great Lawn, fellow Montrealers NOBRO felt like CityFolk's best kept secret as they conjured chaos in the calm. Running through standouts "Better Each Day," "Marianna" and recent single "Let's Do Drugs," their feral garage punk threatened to set the rows of foldable metal chairs flying. They commanded the small stage like a sticky-floored dive bar, yet it seemed strange that a band of such intensity was placed in such a mosh pit inhibiting space — though that didn't stop fans from letting loose up front. With a debut album on the horizon, it was all the more an incentive to catch them at their next barroom tour.
As Busty and the Bass turned down the bass, a projection that looked like a handful of glitter lit up the TD Stage. The crowd surged closer to the stage by the wonder of Iggy Pop's first Canadian performance since 2017; His presence in a city many larger artists skip felt unbelievable, yet Wednesday marked his sixth concert in the nation's capital, as confirmed by nearby concertgoers' stories of past Iggy experiences. One man couldn't remember much from Iggy's last Ottawa show — a 1990 college circuit stop at Carleton University — save for that Iggy and crowd were "drenched in spit." Another fan recounted a concert at Toronto's Masonic Temple, where Iggy's pants apparently "became undone" during the first song, their wincing expression leaving not much left to the imagination. Iggy's cultural impact can be quite personal.
Some things never change, and a few moments later, Iggy swaggered on stage with a thankfully restrained amount of spitting for the post-COVID era, wearing a leather vest that came off as quickly as his pants apparently did twenty five years ago. Smirking at the crowd as he riled them up, it may as well have been the '80s, though Iggy is getting close to 80 himself. With only a smidge less livewire energy than his younger self, all 5' 6" of Iggy Pop launched into "Five Foot One," wrinkly and writhing and already inciting a multi-generational moshpit in the front row. He mostly stuck to the hits, though the tour was behind this year's Every Loser — its lead single "Modern Day Ripoff" stood out as modern (not a ripoff), yet fitting seamlessly into the set.
It's the hits that really hit, and Iggy played lots of them. His vast discography of timeless classics, such as "T.V. Eye," "Raw Power" and "Gimme Danger" were backed by projections of their respective Stooges albums, all the more striking with the man himself in front of them. Taking a detour to his solo work with "The Passenger," Iggy winked and snarled and blew kisses to women of all ages up front, who returned his gestures with yelling fit for a One Direction concert. His Lust For Life run continued with its title track, Iggy putting the microphone in his pants so he could swing his arms with reckless abandon, knocking the mic stand right off stage at one point.
Things slowed down yet stayed compelling during New Values track "The Endless Sea," a necessary pause in momentum before "Death Trip" kicked off another slew of Stooges staples. Sitting down on stage to mouth off rather than catch his breath, Iggy drawled in a low rasp that "I was in a band once… but they got on my nerves. This one goes out to them… 'I'm Sick Of You'."
Ottawa sure as hell wasn't sick of Iggy Pop though. The moshpit let loose once again, then went full swing with primal energy once the opening chords of "I Wanna Be Your Dog" let rip. Thrashing and rolling onstage like a literal embodiment of its title, Iggy brought an even heavier and darker intensity to the classic. "Lose my heart on the burning sands… of fucking Ottawa!," he yelled. Careful Iggy, Ottawa's beaches are notoriously contaminated with E. coli, though I'm sure he's seen much worse.
Returning after closer "Search And Destroy" for a lengthy encore, Iggy stepped on stage in a bedazzled leather jacket that came off as quickly as he came out. Funhouse classics "Down On the Street" and "Loose" led into new track "Frenzy," performed with equal conviction and chaos. To unknowing ears, it may as well have been a cut from Funhouse, a testament to his endurance as an artist. "This is the best fucking part of my day in fucking Ottawa," he proclaimed as he waved goodbye to each segment of the crowd. The feeling was undeniably mutual.
Fresh off the heels of their recent single "Wandering Lies," Montreal ensemble Busty and the Bass brought their unique blend of soul-jazz to the massive TD Stage. The sun had long ago hid behind a gloomy overcast, but the waning warmth of late summer felt crystallized in their sparkly horns and lush vocal harmonies. The musically proficient nine-piece moved between mellow and mind-bending, their exuberance palpable and moving the crowd to dissolve in their groove.
Tucked around the corner was CityFolk's new Courtside Stage, replacing the one previously inside Aberdeen Pavilion. Far removed from the buzz of the Great Lawn, fellow Montrealers NOBRO felt like CityFolk's best kept secret as they conjured chaos in the calm. Running through standouts "Better Each Day," "Marianna" and recent single "Let's Do Drugs," their feral garage punk threatened to set the rows of foldable metal chairs flying. They commanded the small stage like a sticky-floored dive bar, yet it seemed strange that a band of such intensity was placed in such a mosh pit inhibiting space — though that didn't stop fans from letting loose up front. With a debut album on the horizon, it was all the more an incentive to catch them at their next barroom tour.
As Busty and the Bass turned down the bass, a projection that looked like a handful of glitter lit up the TD Stage. The crowd surged closer to the stage by the wonder of Iggy Pop's first Canadian performance since 2017; His presence in a city many larger artists skip felt unbelievable, yet Wednesday marked his sixth concert in the nation's capital, as confirmed by nearby concertgoers' stories of past Iggy experiences. One man couldn't remember much from Iggy's last Ottawa show — a 1990 college circuit stop at Carleton University — save for that Iggy and crowd were "drenched in spit." Another fan recounted a concert at Toronto's Masonic Temple, where Iggy's pants apparently "became undone" during the first song, their wincing expression leaving not much left to the imagination. Iggy's cultural impact can be quite personal.
Some things never change, and a few moments later, Iggy swaggered on stage with a thankfully restrained amount of spitting for the post-COVID era, wearing a leather vest that came off as quickly as his pants apparently did twenty five years ago. Smirking at the crowd as he riled them up, it may as well have been the '80s, though Iggy is getting close to 80 himself. With only a smidge less livewire energy than his younger self, all 5' 6" of Iggy Pop launched into "Five Foot One," wrinkly and writhing and already inciting a multi-generational moshpit in the front row. He mostly stuck to the hits, though the tour was behind this year's Every Loser — its lead single "Modern Day Ripoff" stood out as modern (not a ripoff), yet fitting seamlessly into the set.
It's the hits that really hit, and Iggy played lots of them. His vast discography of timeless classics, such as "T.V. Eye," "Raw Power" and "Gimme Danger" were backed by projections of their respective Stooges albums, all the more striking with the man himself in front of them. Taking a detour to his solo work with "The Passenger," Iggy winked and snarled and blew kisses to women of all ages up front, who returned his gestures with yelling fit for a One Direction concert. His Lust For Life run continued with its title track, Iggy putting the microphone in his pants so he could swing his arms with reckless abandon, knocking the mic stand right off stage at one point.
Things slowed down yet stayed compelling during New Values track "The Endless Sea," a necessary pause in momentum before "Death Trip" kicked off another slew of Stooges staples. Sitting down on stage to mouth off rather than catch his breath, Iggy drawled in a low rasp that "I was in a band once… but they got on my nerves. This one goes out to them… 'I'm Sick Of You'."
Ottawa sure as hell wasn't sick of Iggy Pop though. The moshpit let loose once again, then went full swing with primal energy once the opening chords of "I Wanna Be Your Dog" let rip. Thrashing and rolling onstage like a literal embodiment of its title, Iggy brought an even heavier and darker intensity to the classic. "Lose my heart on the burning sands… of fucking Ottawa!," he yelled. Careful Iggy, Ottawa's beaches are notoriously contaminated with E. coli, though I'm sure he's seen much worse.
Returning after closer "Search And Destroy" for a lengthy encore, Iggy stepped on stage in a bedazzled leather jacket that came off as quickly as he came out. Funhouse classics "Down On the Street" and "Loose" led into new track "Frenzy," performed with equal conviction and chaos. To unknowing ears, it may as well have been a cut from Funhouse, a testament to his endurance as an artist. "This is the best fucking part of my day in fucking Ottawa," he proclaimed as he waved goodbye to each segment of the crowd. The feeling was undeniably mutual.