Today marks the kick off of Bluesfest 2013! In the past, we nuts have gotten our fill of this outdoor music festival, especially Jess who did two week stints of taking in every performance and having little sleep. As always, the line up has something for everyone, with great headliners like The Dixie Chicks, Fun., RUSH, The Tragically Hip, The Black Keys, B.B. King…. the list goes on and on.
Read on for some things that you should definitely do to make the most of your Bluesfest experience!
1. Leave your chair at home
While it’s inevitable that you’ll see folding chairs set up for an evening of music, I’d recommend leaving the chair at home (if you can). It’s such a fun experience to be in the crowd, swaying to the sound of the music – rather than sitting at the back or feeling nervous about being trampled. Besides, the less stuff you have to carry around between stages, the better.
2. Invest in a decent satchel
Ladies, this tip is for you. Festival fashion goes hand in hand with any music fest and so do lost belongings. Chances are you’re going to wind up, jumping, dancing and even moshing at some point. Find yourself a stylish and practical satchel with a zipper. Don’t let lost ID or money put a damper on your fun.
3. Get ready to tweet
Two summers back, Bluesfest jumped on the social media bandwagon, displaying (almost) live-tweets from festival-goers their massive screens. Shout out the performance, your friends, the volunteers and the organizers. It’s an awesome feeling to see your handle up in lights. (Also, since you’re already on twitter, go ahead and follow us @inanutshellca).
4. Check out The Fort
New to 2013, The Fort is a place at Bluesfest to meet up with old and new friends. Located beside the Canadian War Museum, it will have live local DJ’s spinning from 7-9 p.m in the Red Bull Live area, food & drinks (Mill Street Beer Tent), merchandise and a miniature Casino put on by Lac Lemay. It sounds pretty cool and I’m looking forward to checking it out!
5. Have a Mill Street beer (or ten)
Mill Street is the official beer of Bluesfest and if you haven’t tried their craft beers before, here’s your chance! Supporting local and craft breweries is something that we love to do, so make sure you grab a pint on your way to the stage.
6. Fall in love with at least one new band
The great things about festivals like Bluesfest is the wide variety of bands that become instantly accessible. While the headliners are always worthwhile to see, the smaller stages often feature some gems that you’ve never heard of. Find some of these bands and take in their performances; Chances are, you’ll stumble upon a new favourite! Besides, when they make it big, you can remember when you saw them way back when…
7. Have fun, but be courteous
Jess has spoken to concert etiquette in the past. Rules of common decency still apply, despite the laid back, bohemian atmosphere that any music festival offers. The next two weeks will be filled with unbelieveable live music and wild times, but let’s remember to respect the people around us. Music is supposed to bring us together, not tear us apart.
And there you have it! To all of you who are gearing up for an exciting two weeks of live music and late nights, we wish you the best Bluesfest experience possible. And keep your eyes peeled for the Ottawa chapter – chances are we’ll be bouncing around with the crowd on many occasions!
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