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Photos by Andre Gagne, Danyca MacDonald and Scott Penner
Bringing equal parts country and party tonight at RBC Bluesfest, it was easy to get sucked into either genre as the DJ's worked the crowd and the country stars impressed and hit the heartstrings. Here's some highlights from Day 2 of the fest!
DJ Mustard
Starting his set with a godly entrance, DJ Mustard kept the awe flowing right into his opening Big Sean track. Umbrellas thrown across the shaking crowd, it was a veritable thunderdome in the audience long before the smoke cannons went off.
Along with the cries of "Mustard on that beat," the crowd was screaming for every hit he dropped throughout the set. Mixing in "Get Low" and "Party Up" he wasn't content to just spin tracks, even sampling in some O.D.B. vocals to hype up the crowd.
Debuting new remixes as clothes were soaring through the air, Mustard had the perfect mix to make the crowd lose their minds. Blasting "Power" by Kanye West, the claps and screams from the crowd were intense.
Justin Moore
Working the stage as much as he worked the crowd (and even camera on occasion) Moore rocked just as hard with or without his guitar. As his band moved up and down the multi-level set, he controlled the crowd as they clapped and cheered through the night.
Celebrating both America and Canada, he jumped into "Small Town USA", taking things down to a much more sombre note as the crowd swayed along. Through the song's earnest lyrics about the working class, the chipping concrete look of hid set became all the more appropriate.
Through the roaring guitars of "Small Town Throwdown" the band grooved while Moore reached out across the crowd. Leaning into his microphone stand he led a dynamic vocal solo before bringing The Band back in for a swinging performance of "I Could Kick Your Ass."
Returning to the screaming crowd for his encore take on "Point At You" he shredded from the top of his riser before throwing the crowd into one last dance to close out the night.
Matt Andersen
Chugging through his bluesy grooves and laid-back summer tracks, Andersen belted out his tracks with authority. His soulful delivery and consistently tight and impressive band never eased up, elevating each song. His effortless ability to change gears between slow-jams and hard funk made the set a constantly satisfying roll of tracks.
Anna Lunoe
Throwing her own spin on dance tracks from Kendrick Lamar and Drake alike, Lunoe had the noticeably young crowd in a hectic frenzy. Working in unique mixes of tracks like Future's 'Mask Off,' to elevate tracks of her own, the set was an earth-shaking sight to behold. With waves of teenagers jumping to the flashing lights non-stop, it was like Escapade had one last hurrah.
