The Arkells

I *heart* the Arkells and was thrilled to see them (in the front row no less!) at Bluesfest last week.

KISSfest

So if you're on facebook then you've probably already seen these photos but I wanted to post them anyway, for the sake of the few who aren't.

Bluesfest has been packed with great shows, but in terms of actual showmanship I'm not really sure these guys can be beat. Before this show the Rolling Stones would have topped my list, but they pale in comparison to KISS's performance.

Brannon and I headed for the stage a couple of hours before KISS was set to take the stage in order to get a good spot. We weren't interested in being right at the very front (we appreciate our ear drums too much!) but we did want to be close. We wound up in an open little space to the slight right of the stage and it turned out to be an awesome location.
The photos aren't in the correct order they were taken, but I couldn't be bothered to play around with them that much.

Getting things started!

I actually find this whole blood spewing thing rather disgusting but the crowd LOVED it!

Hmm - some things never change I guess!

Help from some platforms!

I-I-I wanna rock and roll all night!!!

The confetti that was launched into the air during this song (a full half-hour before the end of the show) was unbelievable. It just never seemed to stop. The next day at Bluesfest it was still all over the ground both in and outside of the grounds!

The drummers are always hard to photograph. I like this one because you can see how fast his drumsticks are moving!

Of course there was fire-breathing!

He was looking right at me - hehe :) :)

They often play in unison - a bit cheesy but fun!

I was quite surprised to learn that a KISS show isn't really just a "Gene Simmons Show". I knew they all sang but I still expected him to be the front man. In all truthfulness I'd have to say that it's an equal split between Gene, Paul, and Tommy - no one really overshadows anyone else which is pretty rare for a rock band, especially one with one really high-profile member.

Paul Stanley (arguably the lead singer) took a little swing out into the crowd. Check out how high those heels are!

Bluesfest - Thurs, July 9

I brought my camera along on my first night of Bluesfest.
The first show we saw was Shiloh; she's a bit of an Avril wannabe (in my humble opinion) but she has a strong voice and really played to the crowd.

Sista Monica - your typical southern female blues singer. She can really sing!
Emily Haines of Metric, they're my favourite band right now and I LOVED this show. I hope they'll be back in Ottawa (or somewhere nearby) again soon so I can see more!

This was as close to Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 as I could get (so ya, not close at all - haha). They were good, but not as good as I was expecting.
I didn't bring my camera with me last night but I saw The Stills, Okkervil River, Sam Roberts (who was much better than I had anticipated, I'm not much of a fan normally), and Jackson Browne. I found JB to be a bit too 'adult contemporary' for my liking but Brannon thoroughly enjoyed it, dancing the whole time (to my dismay - hehe). We were right next to the stage so that was pretty great.