***originally posted for a Sam Roberts message board…may be a little too much for people to read***
***all photos taken from .COBRASNATCH’s Flickr site***
Heading out to Bluesfest’s last night had a sad effect on me as I had been through the gauntlet and survived, but realized that I wished every night of the summer could be like this. Music all summer long. A man can dream.
We got there with time to spare so we grabbed a few beer and got a prime location to stand for the set. On my way over, I was mentioning to my roommate how I’ve finally come down off of my Sam Roberts Band high. Maybe it’s because they are well into the Chemical City tour…maybe it’s because the shows have an air of predictability to them…whatever it was, I wasn’t as pumped as I used to be for a SRB show. Hopefully this feeling would go away soon!
As soon as the opening keyboard chords of The Gate arose into the air I felt the excitement creep back into me. Perhaps all I needed was a kick in the ass of full out rock? The band was getting into the groove of things once With A Bullet was over and done with. The Resistance opened it wide open – crowds clapping, Sam sauntering around, Dave swinging his hair…it was all coming together. Forget what I said before – my love of the Sam Roberts Band came back fast and it was full throttle after three songs into the set.
Hard Road followed and then it happened. Paranoia. Out of all the times I’ve seen the band, they have never played my fave tune live. The night became magic. I will throw out one gripe though (and this has nothing to do with their performance). I enjoyed the jam at the end of Paranoia on their We Were Born in a Flame tour more than the Chemical City tour. From listening to the bootlegs from that era, I can hear some similarities between the jam of Paranoia and what became Mind Flood. So…I have this theory that they felt it was just too similar so when Mind Flood started playing in the Chemical City tour, they figured they had to change the jam at the end of Paranoia. That being said, I loved Paranoia, but I prefer the old jam better. However, I do like a band who shakes things up.
Fixed to Ruin hit everyone (which premiered in Ottawa at the Panda Festival back in the spring) and I have to admit the crowd was loving the new tune. You know you have a hit song when no one knows it but it can move the crowd.
As stated before, Brother Down, you can see Sam having the biggest grin on his face. He just can’t stop smiling at someone in the crowd.
At the end of the song he announces that his daughter is down in the crowd in the pit at her first rock concert. You can see it touches him.
I’m going to make a fairly obvious assumption that she was their with her mother considering I don’t think Sam’s daughter is even walking yet. 
Pretty cool to think that they went into the pit instead of hanging out on the side.
Also around this time, Dave takes the microphone and announces that he wants to wish his cousin a Happy 16th Birthday and that the next tune is for him. I thought that was awesome. He must have made his cousin’s night.
Let’s talk about Dave for a moment here. I don’t know if it was because he had family in the crowd, or if he was playing a hometown show (well, relatively close to home that is), but whatever it was, he was on fire. My roommate commented that he has never seen Dave rocking so much. He was pulling out some excellent leads as well as sheer rocking movements – my fave being the holding the guitar up high and strumming away. Classic guitar move right there people. Practice it if you own a guitar.
15
Other fan faves like Draft Dodger, Bridge to Nowhere and Where Have All the Good People Gone
? Were excellent as always. Mind Flood blew me away once again (as always) and I am hoping there is a bootleg of this show floating out there (although Ottawa is rare on the bootleg scene unfortunately) as the song was one of the more blistering versions I’ve heard.
They came out for the encore of Eileen but then promptly left the stage as another band was taking stage across the festival grounds. I was disappointed that they couldn’t hang out any longer, but the festival rules are there to be followed I suppose.
All in all, my love for the Sam Roberts Band is back and I’m anxiously awaiting them setting up in their studio for awhile and throwing out a new album. Other than that, I’ll just revel in the excellent bootlegs that are popping up lately (thanks Chris and others!) as well as contemplate heading to Montreal for Osheaga.
Setlist:
The Gate
With A Bullet
The Resistance
Hard Road
Paranoia
Fixed to Ruin
Brother Down
An American Draft Dodger in Thunder Bay
Bridge To Nowhere
Where Have All The Good People Gone?
Mind Flood
Encore
Don’t Walk Away Eileen
—-
After the Sam Roberts Band, we headed over to the River Stage for what would be our last Bluesfest concert of the year. There we found alexisonfire in full assault and at this point, I just wanted to hang back and take the entire week in. I grabbed a few beer, talked with some people and laughed with Krista about the absurd things we did the day before at HOPE Volleyball. alexisonfire put on an intense show. They were frantic all over the stage. So much energy being outputted from the stage. I can’t say I know much alexisonfire tunes so I’ll stop there with the review. I’m glad the Bluesfest ended on a high rock note with both bands.
Alexisonfire setlist
Mailbox Arson
This Could Be Anywhere in the World
No Transitory
Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints
Boiled Frogs
We Are the Sound
.44 Caliber Love Letter
Rough Hands
Control
Keep It on Wax
Get Fighted
Happiness by the Kilowatt
Accidents
iplaying: The Second Part – The Dears (No Cities Left)