Bluesfest 2010: Day 7

Day 7 (July 13) of Ottawa Bluesfest 2010 turned out to be one of the most exciting and memorable nights of the festival.
Thankfully, the rain had finally disappeared by the time the gates opened at 5 p.m., making way for thousands of fans eager to witness Arcade Fire’s first major outdoor hometown-area performance in Ottawa.

The artists I saw throughout the day were:

The Subway Stage quickly became the destination for fans craving heavy guitars and mosh pits. I started my evening there with Down In Ashes, followed by Moneen and Alexisonfire. It was also the first time during the festival that the centre barrier had been removed, giving fans much more room to mosh. The atmosphere was intense, energetic and chaotic in all the best ways.

I also managed to catch part of Sarah Harmer’s set on the main stage. She looked fantastic in a bright red jacket and sounded wonderful as always. Before she began “The Ring” (formerly known as “Minister of Industry”), Industry Minister Tony Clement took to the stage for a brief appearance. The crowd responded with plenty of boos and jeers, clearly wanting less political talk and more music. It was also a pleasant surprise to see Julie Fader performing with Sarah, while Kieran Adams of Everything All the Time was behind the drum kit.

From there, I headed over to the Barney Danson Theatre to catch Hannah Georgas. She absolutely impressed me. She opened her performance with an a cappella song accompanied only by finger snaps, and the audience happily joined in. The intimate theatre was packed from front to back, and her performance proved why she was one of Canada’s brightest emerging singer-songwriters.

After Hannah’s set, it was back to the Subway Stage for Alexisonfire. The place was complete madness. Crowd surfers flew overhead almost constantly while the mosh pit never slowed down. I was chatting with fellow photographers between songs, and Brennan from EastScene told me about getting his ribs cracked by a crowd surfer at another hardcore show. Thankfully, everyone around me escaped without injury despite the chaos.

Then came the moment I had been waiting years for.

Arcade Fire finally took the stage.

Ever since discovering Funeral—which I later ranked as my favourite album of the decade—they have been one of my all-time favourite bands. Their music completely changed my taste in music and introduced me to an incredible world of Canadian indie artists.

Their stage production was stunning. The video screens featured suburban-inspired imagery that perfectly complemented the band’s aesthetic, while the live camera work showcased every member from unique angles throughout the performance.

I was fortunate enough to photograph the first three songs from the photo pit. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to capture any photos of Régine Chassagne because she was behind the drums during that time. Once the photo pass ended, I immediately made my way into the crowd to experience the concert as a fan.

Hearing songs like “Neighborhood #2 (Laika),” “Crown of Love,” “No Cars Go,” “Rebellion (Lies)” and the emotional finale “Wake Up” made the night unforgettable. Every song was met with huge singalongs, and the atmosphere was nothing short of electric.

Seeing Arcade Fire live had been a dream for years, and they exceeded every expectation. It remains one of the defining concert moments of my life and easily one of the highlights of Ottawa Bluesfest 2010.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my photo gallery from this incredible night.
I found this on Youtube

That was my night!
Here are the photos