Friday night was more than alright at Lansdowne for the second evening of CityFolk Festival. The late summer, yes mid-September is technically still not fall, concert series has been steadily growing since its move to the Glebe’s Great Lawn and this edition seemed extraordinarily well attended.

Music fans of all ages packed the main stage to see a trio of 90s headliners touring together. Bush, Live, and Our Lady Peace electrified the audience with a mix of heralded hits and fresh singles.

Bush performs at the Cityfolk Festival in Ottawa. Photo: Renée Doiron

Bush

After openers Human Kebab and Dear Rouge kicked off the festivities, lead singer Gavin Rossdale and Bush took the stage to a rousing applause from the crowd. Setting the night of nostalgia mood with classic track Machinehead, they followed with other billboard chart toppers like Glycerine and, a personal favourite from Big Shiny Tunes 2, Swallowed.

The UK group also showcased their current single Bullet Holes from upcoming album The Mind Plays Tricks on You, due out in early 2020. Though this was my first time seeing Bush live, I can’t help but feel like I was transported back to the early 90s as their energy was unmistakable.

Live performs at the Cityfolk Festival in Ottawa. Photo: Renée Doiron

Live

Next up was Live, the heaviest of three acts by far. Pockets of the crowd covered in leather and lace came to life when they played songs such as Rattlesnake and Lakini’s Juice, though the entire audience recognized more mainstream offerings like Lightning Crashes and Selling The Drama.

Our Lady Peace performs at the Cityfolk Festival in Ottawa. Photo: Renée Doiron

Our Lady Peace

As the night grew older, the crowd surrounding the main stage grew younger. The Great Lawn seemed to hit mass capacity as Our Lady Peace made their arrival. The Canadian rockers have always been known to put on a stunning show and tonight was no different.

Their long list of hits kept everyone galvanized and singing as one. After taking a short break, Raine Maida and the lads returned to the City Stage to play a three song encore including 4am, Starseed, and Naveed featuring Dear Rouge’s leading lady Danielle McTaggart.

Bonus: Rich Aucoin

After OLP played their encore, I made my way into the Aberdeen Pavilion and experienced the unexpected highlight of my night. If you haven’t seen Halifax’s Rich Aucoin you’re missing out. To be honest, this was my first time, but he was highly recommended by friends that had previously had the pleasure.

And he did not disappoint.

His upbeat indie electronic sound paired with an interactive show unlike one I’ve ever experienced, yes that includes a parachute we danced under with him, was one I won’t soon forget. Highly encourage if you have the opportunity to get to one of his shows, you do just that.