Photo Credit: Steve Gerecke
The Scene
Winning the title for “festival that sounds least like its name”, the Ottawa Bluesfest hits almost every genre even including a little bit of blues. Starting as a small fest over twenty years ago, they have grown exponentially to a ten-day mult-stage event that’s one of the highlights of the Canadian summer.
2012 Artist Lineup
- A Tribe Called Quest Red
- A-Trak Electro
- Adam K Electro
- Akron/Family
- Alan Doyle
- Alice Cooper
- Amalgamation
- Amanda Bon
- Ana Miura
- André M. Bluteau
- Andy Mineo & KB
- Ariyan Electro
- Arkells
- Arty Electro
- Ashley Crnic
- Autumn’s Canon
- AWOLNATION
- Be In The Band
- Become the Sun
- Beirut Claridge
- Bettye LaVette
- Big Wreck
- Billy Bragg
- Birthday Girls
- Blitzen Trapper
- Blue Rodeo
- Blues In The Schools
- Bluestone
- Brea Lawrenson
- Brothers Chaffey
- Building 429
- BZRK
- Carly Rae Jepsen
- Carolyn Wonderland
- Cassie Taylor
- Chains of Love
- Chali 2na
- Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires
- Chromeo DJ Set
- City and Colour
- Cody Allen Band
- Cole
- Conor Oberst
- Cowboy Junkies
- Current Swell
- Damon Fowler
- David Gray
- Deep Dark Woods
- Deltron 3030
- Detroit Cobras
- Diplo Main Stage
- Dirty Projectors
- DJ Illo
- Down With Webster
- Downchild Blues Band
- Downhere
- Drastik
- Drop the Lime
- Dry River Caravan
- Emma McNichols
- Father John Misty
- Felix Cartal
- Fet.Nat.
- Fevers
- Fire and Neon
- Fishbone
- Flight Distance
- Folklore String Band: Bluesfest Revue
- Freelance Whales
- Good Old War
- Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
- Grandtheft
- Grimes
- Hellbros
- Hey Rosetta!
- I Mother Earth
- Iron Maiden
- James Vincent McMorrow
- Jamiah on Fire & the Red Machine
- Jeff Rogers and the All Day Daddies
- Jesse Greene Band
- John Allaire
- John Mellencamp
- Johnny Sansone and MonkeyJunk
- Jordan Cook a.k.a. ReignWolf
- Josef Pollock
- July Talk
- K’NAAN
- Kalle Mattson
- Karen Lovely
- Keek
- Kelly Richey
- Keturah Johnson
- Kid SL
- KOAN Sound
- Lake Street Dive
- Lazybones
- LMFAO
- Loon Choir
- Lucas Haneman
- Lukas Nelson
- Lynn Drury
- Marcia Ball
- Mastodon
- Matt Dorgan Project
- Meredith Luce
- Metric
- Mister Parker
- MonkeyJunk
- Monophonics
- Monster Truck
- Mother’s Children
- Ms. Lauryn Hill
- MSTRKRFT
- Mustard Pimp
- My Darkest Days
- Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas
- NEWWORLDSON
- Nickelback
- Norah Jones
- Oliver Mtukudzi
- Orgone
- Our Lady Peace
- Pat “Hatrack” Gallagher and TJ Wheeler
- Paul Oakenfold
- Philly Moves
- Plants and Animals
- Pretty Lights
- Quebec Celebration Gospel Choir
- Red Bull Thre3style Showcase
- Reverend Raven and the Chain Smokin’ Altar Boys
- Rich Aucoin
- Riot Police
- Rory Gardiner
- Rudeboy
- Sam Roberts Band
- Seal
- She’s The One
- Shemekia Copeland
- Shinedown
- Shred Kelly
- Sierra Leone’s Refugee Allstars
- Skrillex
- Sleigh Bells
- Snoop Dogg
- Sound of Lions
- Sparrows
- Spencer Scharf
- Sugar Ray and the Bluetones
- Super Chikan
- Tangerine Dream
- Tedeschi Trucks Band
- Terry Gillespie
- The Balconies
- The Bright Light Social Hour
- The Bushpilots
- The City Harmonic
- The Claytones
- The Dirty Heads
- The Ethics
- The Flats
- The Hold Steady
- The Love Machine
- The Melvins
- The Pack A.D.
- The PepTides
- The Postelles
- The Royal Southern Brotherhood
- The Sheepdogs
- The Souljazz Orchestra
- The Strain
- The Trews
- The Weeknd
- The White Wires
- The Wooden Sky
- Thievery Corporation
- Tiësto
- TJ Wheeler
- TOKiMONSTA
- Tommy Lee and DJ Aero
- Toronzo Cannon
- TYGA
- Tyler Kealey
- Victor Nesrallah
- Walk Off The Earth
- Winchester Warm
- Wolfgang Gartner
- Young Empires
- Young the Giant
- Youth Lagoon
- Zeus
- Zoo Legacy