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After two much-needed days of rest this week, RBC Bluesfest is set to roar back to life Wednesday with rock superstars Foo Fighters kicking off the final stretch of Ottawa’s biggest summer music festival. 

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Still to come on the grounds of the Canadian War Museum at LeBreton Flats Park are main-stage shows by U.K. folk-rockers Mumford & Sons on Thursday, electro-pop chanteuse Charlotte Cardin on Friday, Pitbull aka Mr. Worldwide (with opener Ludacris) on Saturday, and the post-Radiohead project The Smile on Sunday. 

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If you’re a regular Bluesfest-goer, at this point in the event you’ve probably got your plan of attack dialled in, with a strategy for getting there that doesn’t involve parking a car, plus a list of acts you want to see, a spot on site for your crew to meet and maybe a favourite food vendor.

But if you’re new to the game and haven’t had time to dig beyond the main-stage headliners, we can help with that. Here are seven shows not to be missed. 

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Black Joe Lewis

7:30 p.m. July 12, SiriusXM stage; and 9:30 p.m. July 12, Barney Danson Theatre

When COVID hit and the music biz was put on hold, Black Joe Lewis turned to laying concrete to support his family, a trade that makes the music industry look like a breeze. While his boss probably misses him, we’re betting he’s happy to be back on stage with his band, the Honeybears, cranking out the propulsive, Texas-style rhythm and blues that made the Austin singer-guitarist a hit at Bluesfest almost a decade ago. 

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Sauce Boss

7:30 p.m. July 14, SiriusXM Stage; and 9:30 p.m. July 14, Barney Danson Theatre

Longtime Bluesfest patrons are sure to remember the Sauce Boss from his lively performances at past editions of the festival. After all, who could forget a blues show that ends with a sample of gumbo? That’s right: the Sauce Boss is a slide guitarist from Florida (real name: Bill Wharton) who cooks a big pot of gumbo during his show and serves it to the crowd, generously spicing it with his signature Liquid Summer hot sauce. He’s dished out hundreds of thousands of bowls of gumbo since 1990, not only serving the folks at his shows but also making regular visits to soup kitchens and shelters throughout the United States to share the savoury goodness. 

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Allison Russell

8 p.m. July 14, River Stage

Few artists have made as much of an impact with their debut album as Allison Russell. The Montreal-born singer-songwriter, known in the Canadian music scene as a member of Birds of Chicago and Po’Girl, stepped into the spotlight in 2021 with Outside Child, an album that chronicles her traumatic upbringing in a series of songs that draw from Celtic folk, rock, soul and blues. Despite the difficult themes, she has a survivor’s ability to overcome adversity and channel joy in her songs, not to mention a unique voice and knack for a haunting melody. Thanks in part to the support of Brandi Carlile, the album made waves on both sides of the Atlantic, with Grammy nominations, a Juno Award and offers from all the top festivals. A follow-up, entitled The Returner, is due for release in September.

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Fleet Foxes

9:30 p.m. July 14, River Stage

After not spending much time in Canada in the 17 years of their existence, the harmonious Seattle folk-rockers have booked a handful of dates this summer, including Ottawa’s Bluesfest, Edmonton’s folk festival and the jazz festival in Halifax. They’re touring behind Shore, an energizing return to form from the band’s main singer-songwriter, Robin Pecknold, who describes its message as a celebration of “life in the face of death.” Critics are loving it, with one calling it the record that Fleet Foxes fans were hoping for after the “sheer brilliance” of the first two albums.

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Julia Jacklin

9:30 p.m. July 15, River Stage

Julia Jacklin is a confessional songwriter with a striking voice that bears a rare combination of delicacy and power. Born and raised in the Blue Mountains region of Australia, she started writing songs in her teens, inspired by the likes of Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne. Her music, however, is nothing like those pop stars’; instead it draws you in with a comforting intimacy. Over the course of three studio albums, the 32-year-old has been cultivating a wider audience for her poignant songs, bringing them to life in concert with her Montreal-based band. She’s found a second home in Montreal, by the way, which is where she wrote and recorded her latest album, Pre Pleasure. 

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Koffee

9:30 p.m. July 16, River Stage

Koffee is the stage name of Mikayla Simpson, the 23-year-old Jamaican firecracker who’s spearheading a reggae revival. The first female and the youngest person (then 19) to win the Grammy Award for best reggae album, the pint-sized Koffee freshens up the island’s reggae rhythms with Afrobeats, dancehall and soulful pop, topped off by her effortlessly fluid vocals. Her full-length debut, Gifted, came out last spring and was immediately nominated for a Grammy. The Bluesfest gig marks her first appearance in Ottawa. 

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Alvvays

7:30 p.m. July 16, RBC Main Stage

Alvvays are on a roll. Since the release of their much-lauded third album, Blue Rev, the Canadian indie band fronted by Molly Rankin (daughter of the late Rankin Family member, John Morris) has been touring the world at a steady pace, with excursions to South America, the United Kingdom and the United States. They’ve already played two sold-out shows in Ottawa this year, but it seems fans can’t get enough of their dream-pop soundscape, filled with soaring guitars, synth hooks and Rankin’s plaintive, searching voice. Guitarist Alec O’Hanley, keyboardist Kerri MacLellan and bassist Brian Murphy round out the lineup.

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