33 shows on 6 stages in 10 days [Bluesfest]

What a wonderful two weeks it's been! Our pilgrimage to this year's musical extravaganza, The Ottawa Bluesfest, was a success. I have been faithfully attending this round-up of talented musicians since its inauguration in 1993, and have discovered some great (and not-so-great) acts that deserve the public attention. My wife joined me 4 years later, and with the exception of the year we got married, we have been doing the lawn-chair shuffle at the festival every single year.

With over 150 acts to choose from, and with only 10 days to do it all, we had to carefully plan which artists would entertain us the most. This was not an easy task, as the festival was set out over 7 weekday evenings and 4 weekends from noon until midnight.

Over the next little while, I will be writing about some of the artists we thought deserved special mention. I won't be boring you with stuff like reviews, not only because music is very subjective, but because you can read about the festival all over the place.

My goal here is to expose you to a variety of artists either just breaking into the music scene, or to make you aware of a specific talent. I encourage you to keep an open ear, and try listening to something you are not used to - you may actually like it!

If you have not yet heard of this amazing event, I invite you to check it out. And if you did attend this year, I would love to hear your comments on some of the rockin' bands you thought were hot this year!