Music

Ottawa Bluesfest lineup leaks, features Iggy Azalea, Jason Aldean, Skrillex and Hedley

by Tyler Munro

As is the nature of big festivals, the Ottawa Bluesfest has evolved over the years. Like Riot Fest, which eschewed parts of its punk backbone last year to book bands like Metric and Death Cab for Cutie in Toronto, Bluesfast has expanded into hip-hop, electronica and country in recent iterations.

Still, when its 2015 lineup first leaked, people flipped. Given the name, it’s almost expected. Iggy Azalea? She can barely rap, let alone toss out a sultry blues lick. Skrillex? Drops aren’t blues, man. And don’t get us started on Jason Aldean, a yarling country superstar who seems to sing almost exclusively about cowboy boots and pickup trucks.

People are mad. So mad, in fact, that the festivals website had to be temporarily taken offline after a cyber attack:

Dig a little deeper into the line-up though and you’ll find a pretty diverse range of talent. Where else can you catch Run the Jewels, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Weird Al on the same stage? What other festival puts up and comers like Metz and Alvvays next to Deep Purple and Interpol?

So no, Ottawa Bluesfest 2015 might not be focused around the sway of the Delta Blues.

It’ll probably still be pretty fun. Here’s what’s been announced so far: