Mixed Blessings and the Blues

I'm not sure what to think about work last night at Bluesfest.

On the one hand, I think I found my pick of the festival. That honour goes to the wonderful Jim Bryson. The guy had the total package: great music, fantastic stage presence, and a great sense of humour. And he's local too! The crowd was packed in around him at the Black Sheep Stage and loved every minute. If he's ever playing anywhere else in town, I think I may have to show up and buy a CD.

On the other hand, another local boy completely disproved my theory that

Guitar + Guy + Stage = Sexy

I'm not going to name names (though it would be easy enough to find out who I'm talking about) but this guy epitomized the word "Tool". I found his music to be bland, he acted like a total douche on stage and, as a fellow performer who is trying to get funding from the city to pursue her art, I was incredibly insulted by his blazé and ungrateful bragging about what he would do with the money the City of Ottawa has offered him and his band.

Anyway, it was also a bittersweet night because although I got to talk to some pretty nice people (including some folks who wanted me to join them for a beer - Raincheck?), neither myself nor my colleagues managed to make our quotas.

I don't think it was really our fault. Most of the shows were ALL on at the same time so we couldn't help each other out like we have in the past and a lot of people at this point have now answered our survey already, but we still got a talking to for it.

Only 4 nights left...

I wish I was back at the Fringe.