Concert review: A sublime Saturday at Bluesfest, with Robert Plant, Allison Krauss, Daniel Lanois and Blackie and the Rodeo Kings

Published Jul 09, 2023 • Last updated 1 hour ago • 4 minute read

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss ended their world tour with a sublime concert at RBC Bluesfest on Saturday. Photo by Sean Sisk /Bluesfest Photo Services

Rock legend Robert Plant and bluegrass queen Alison Krauss wrapped up their Raise the Roof world tour in Ottawa on Saturday with a sublime concert on RBC Bluesfest’s main stage at LeBreton Flats Park. Their English-American roots collaboration capped off an evening program that also included a fantastic set by Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, who were joined by another rock legend, Daniel Lanois.

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Plant and Krauss, although they seem to make an unlikely duo, showed they actually share many of the same influences, and both enjoy digging deep into the roots of traditional music. Their set included material from their first album together, 2007’s Raising Sand, and the long-awaited followup, Raise the Roof, as well as a Plant solo tune, acoustic reworkings of hits from his old band, Led Zeppelin, and even a nod to the British folkies, Fairport Convention.

Backed by a massively talented band that featured plenty of stringed instruments, including mandolin, fiddle, banjo and upright bass, Plant was the undisputed frontman of the show, directing the ebb and flow of the proceedings with a masterful hand. The music swelled from delicate folky strains to powerful grooves, the feeling of catharsis underscored by well-timed moments of tension. His distinctive voice was riveting.

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Next to him was Krauss, in a gorgeous patterned dress, who elevated the show with her graceful playing and added a layer of ethereal vocals. Not to say that Plant hogged the mic, but my one minor quibble is that it would have been nice to see Krauss featured in a bigger way.

One of the many highlights of the show was a mesmerizing interpretation of Matty Groves, a traditional number considered one of Fairport Convention’s greatest hits, that had Krauss singing the lead vocal before shifting into the old Zep thumper, Gallows Pole, with Plant’s wail sending it over the moon.

Despite the plethora of entertainment beckoning from the three other stages at Bluesfest on Saturday, that night I decided to embed myself at the main stage, not wanting to miss a minute of Plant and Krauss, or before them, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.

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Blackie, as you may know, is a Canadian roots-rock supergroup that consists of Tom Wilson (newly appointed to the Order of Canada), Colin Linden and Stephen Fearing. They already played Ottawa once this year, stopping at the National Arts Centre last winter. As good as that show was, this one was even better — and not just because everything sounds better on a big stage under a summer sky.

Joined by their usual crack rhythm section of bassist John Dymond and drummer Gary Craig, the band was on fire, blazing through the songs Stoned and Black Sheep, on which they were joined by Can-roots maven Suzie Vinnick. The seasoned crew hit a gospelly groove before introducing the other guitar player who had appeared on stage, unannounced, in a white hat.

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The fellow in the white hat was none other than Lanois, the legendary musician and producer of acts like U2, Bob Dylan and Emmylou Harris. An esteemed elder statesman of the global music scene, the 71-year-old was born in Hull and spent his early childhood exploring the shores of the Ottawa River.

Lanois wasted no time in taking the reins, orchestrating the music with a simple nod or brief glance to the others. He alternated between guitar and pedal steel, and featured a handful of songs from his solo career, reaching way back for Under the Stormy Sky and then pulling a fully realized rendition of The Maker out of his bag of tricks before leading the charge on a multi guitar-fuelled Lotta Love to Give.

Lanois stayed on for the rest of the show, which also included an exhilarating romp through the Band’s Linden-penned hit, Remedy, and an epic performance of the old Willie P. Bennett classic, White Line, kicked off by Wilson’s call to make the world a better place for future generations. “I believe in love, Ottawa,” he declared to a multi-generational audience of thousands gathered in front of the stage. It was an uplifting moment.

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Bluesfest continues Sunday with Death Cab for Cutie headlining the main stage, their first visit to Ottawa since 2011 when their set was cancelled after the stage collapsed in a freak gust of wind.

The festival takes a break on Monday and Tuesday before roaring back to life with Foo Fighters on Wednesday and Mumford and Sons on Thursday. Charlotte Cardin ushers in the weekend on Friday, followed by a Saturday-night hip-hop bill with Pitbull and Ludacris. Bluesfest ends July 16 with an appearance by the post-Radiohead project, the Smile.

Beyond the main-stage headliners, each day features additional acts on two other outdoor stages, the tented Sirius XM stage and the River stage, and indoors in the Barney Danson Theatre.

For info on tickets and scheduling, go to ottawabluesfest.ca.

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