JazzFest 1 - a long way from the Steel City, and a hidden surprise

First big music festival of the summer (and my first full summer in Ottawa) and a meditation on the steel city on the Don, Sheffield. The previous time I saw Robert Plant, in Sheffield way back in 2002, it was in a packed-out university venue. Not a shade on the crowd gathered in Confederation Park on 23rd June, though. According to a fellow attendee, this was maybe the biggest crowd ever at JazzFest?! Due credit to support act Bahamas - new to me but the band, with frontperson Afie Jurvanen, payed a good mix and received more than a polite response from the ever-growing audience, and not just for a few lines of Led Zeppelin.

Thunder and lightning added to the atmosphere as Robert Plant and the Band of Joy (including Grammy winner Patty Griffin) took the stage with a 'jazz time' take on Black Dog. The majority of the set comprised songs from recent albums Band of Joy and Raising Sand, with the combined vocals of Plant and Griffin and talents of the Band creating a captivating, supple sound. Plant also included solo hit 'Down To The Sea' as well as What Is And What Should Never Be. Potential setlist (from setlist.com):

        Black Dog
        Down to the Sea
        Angel Dance
        What Is and What Should Never Be
        House of Cards
        Somewhere Trouble Don't Go
        (vocals: Buddy Miller)
        Monkey
        A Satisfied Mind
        (Vocals: Darrell Scott)
        Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down
        Ocean of Tears
        (Vocals: Patty Griffin)
        Black Country Woman
        In the Mood
        Please Read the Letter
        Misty Mountain Hop

        Encore:
        Gallows Pole

The 2002 Plant concert sticks in my mind as one of the best I've seen. This concert, although with a very different setlist, was no less impressive.

The rain arrived, slowly at first, during Plant's show, and quite a few people went to the OLG stage to shelter from the rain and encountered local band The PepTides, who, according to this week's interview with Apartment 613, were performing with a band for the first time!

A name relatively new to me, but I think it will become much more familiar. There are 5 singers with The PepTides along with 5 band members. From their very varied setlist, I caught references to Scissor Sisters, a touch of Chic, UK bands The Sugars and (first album era) The Pipettes, plus a bit of Kitty Daisy and Lewis, to name a few. A lot of thought had clearly gone into costumes and set design, so maybe add cabaret to the list! A very very enthusiastic (and slightly damp) audience, including an impromptu dance towards the end of the show, listened to a series of 'acts' comprising songs mostly from recent album For Those Who Hate Human Interaction. I purchased this after the show but have yet to sample. I look forward to doing so and to future PepTides shows in the city.

Angela Hewitt Week, 14th-20th May 2012

I just received information from a friend about Angela Hewitt Week in Ottawa, 14th-20th May as declared by Mayor Jim Watson. Ms Hewitt is performing with Chamber Players of Canada on Friday 18th May; there will also be An Afternoon With Angela Hewitt on 20th May at the National Arts Centre hosted by the Canadian Friends of the Trasimeno Music Festival .

Pigeon Funk

Notes on a very random purchase. Earlier today I acquired Venetian Snares 'Rossz Csillag Alatt Sz ü letett ' purely on the basis of the language and artwork. Its certainly something different - and most definitely not pop. After a bit of searching: Venetial Snares is, according to Wikipedia, the performing name of Aaron Funk, who seems to specialise in experimental tracks in odd time signatures. Article here . The sleeve notes for this album (whose title is Hungarian for 'Born under a bad star') poses the question: what if, for just a day, we could both be pigeons? Interessant. Apparently this concept (a day in the life of a Hungarian pigeon) is non-typical of Venetian Snares sound, but one could ask, does Mr Funk do 'typical'? On first listening, the sound of this CD mixes classical/traditional Hungarian sounds and breakbeats. but aside from that? Definitely a 'listen for yourself' artist; try the website , fan site or myspace .

Mini update

I have finally sorted out my site links to reflect some new/renewed interests and my current location. We have something of a National Arts Centre bonanza shortly: I had already booked to see Angela Hewitt on 16th Feb but found a good ticket offer on LivingSocial.com to see Radu Lupu this coming Wednesday, 26th. In addition to all that, New Yorker music critic Alex Ross (his recent book, Listen To This , is excellent, as well as his previous tome, The Rest Is Noise ) is giving a talk there on 13th February. This is all followed in March by a complete about turn to the Bronson Centre to see Finnish band Apocalyptica . They have been somewhere on my radar for a while but I was spurred on to book tickets after a bout of nostalgia. M and I were regular visitors to Wolverhampton UK to see various bands at Civic Hall/Wulfrun Hall; a few months ago a mutual friend posted on that there Facebook thing about seeing said Apocalyptica at Wulfrun Hall. Nostalgia for the venue and renewed intere...

PrettyInScarlett

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