The air was filled with hip-hop nostalgia on a warm Sunday night
All good things come to an end, and that includes this year’s annual Bluesfest in Canada’s capital. Sunday saw the last festivities at the RBC Stage — however, as the saying goes, last but certainly not least, the performances from that night did not disappoint in the slightest.
Training Season
A Ottawa trio called Training Season held the first set of the evening. I was excited to see this band, as I discovered their music around a year ago and adored it. Their combination of alternative rap and R&B, their eclectic stage presence, and their mix of anime visuals with snippets of their music videos gave a fun introduction to this evening. Their energy was electric and friendly as I saw them interact with many people in the audience, giving them free sweaters and shaking their hands.
Down with Webster
As the time approached 7:30, a visible crowd was forming to see Toronto’s Down with Webster, who were appearing at Bluesfest as part of their reunion tour. Fans seemed excited to see the band live for the first time in nearly 10 years, and many in the crowd sported shirts and hats with the group’s iconic logo.
They entered the stage with their song “One in a Million,” and the crowd’s energy spiked; everyone around was jumping, screaming, and having fun. The same can be said for the performers as well.
Their set resembled a beach party, with an inflated beach ball and red Solo cups being thrown around the crowd. There were also moments when water was doused into the audience, keeping us cool during this warm evening.
The band’s songs shaped the childhoods of many young adults in the crowd, hearing their most popular hits such as “Rich Girl,” “Chills,” and “Your Man” on the radio in the early 2010s. As these songs were played out, everyone in the audience, including myself, was hit with a wave of nostalgia. I felt transported back to when I was around 10 years old, in the back of my parents’ car. The lyrics came flowing back to me, and I joined the audience by singing my heart out.
Nas
The final performer to conclude the 30th annual Bluesfest was East Coast rap legend Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, a.k.a. Nas. Time was inching towards 9:30, and the crowd went from small puddles to a sea of people, anticipating his set. Nas was celebrating a 30th anniversary of his own this year, as his acclaimed debut studio album Illmatic turned 30 in April.
The New York native walked onto the stage as a massive visual of a boombox with his name plastered on it showed up, starting his set with his song “Get Down;” the crowd erupted in excitement, and I found myself caught up in the energy.
Nas took the audience through music history with DJ Green Lantern’s excellent transition mixing. One that stuck with me was when they started playing Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” and smoothly transitioned it into “It Ain’t Hard to Tell.” I literally yelled, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who had that reaction.
The entire atmosphere during his set felt like a cookout, with old and young people singing and dancing to old classics in a family member’s backyard. Many people who grew up with Nas’s music sang every lyric word for word, screaming when Nas pointed the microphone to the crowd. His set was filled with iconic songs such as “N.Y. State of Mind,” “Life’s a Bitch,” “One Love,” “The World is Yours,” and “Spicy.”
After 10 days of memorable performances by a variety of artists from different genres ranging from Grammy award winning pop, to alt-country, rock, hip-hop fusion, and everything in between; Bluesfest 2024 came to a close on a beautiful and warm Sunday evening with an ensemble of talented rap artists.
