Osheaga 2012 - Day Three

Aloe Blacc (Photo: Unknown)

In spite of the rain, the final day at Osheaga was certainly the best day of the festival! First up was the soulful Aloe Blacc. He performed tracks from his album Good Things, including "Green "Lights" and "I Need Dollar." Even though he only had 40 minutes, Aloe really put on a good show and left a strong impression on me. The best part was when he sang "You Make Me Smile," which had everyone in the crowd give their friends a hug.

Common (Photo: Pat Beaudry)

Chicago native Common had so much energy when he got on stage! Performing a lot of tracks from his album BE, he also included little skits in his show, like getting a phone call from his boy in Chicago who had a crazy story to tell, after which he performed "Testify," one of my favorite songs. He even brought a lady on stage for his song "Come Close." He performed some of his older tracks, but nothing from his new album The Dreamer, The Believer. The set ended with "Universal Mind Control," an electronic track that really got the crowd dancing. Common was one of the best shows I saw that weekend, and I was happy that the crowd got a chance to enjoy real hip hop at Osheaga.

Santigold (Photo: Pat Beaudry)

The next show I checked out was Santigold. She got onstage with her two dancers in neon green dresses and glasses, which made it very easy to see her from distance. She sang many songs from her first album Santigold, and newer tracks like "Big Mouth." There were plenty of remixes too! During the show, a person dressed as a Horse came out and Santigold danced beside him. It was an amazing performance, and the only show at Osheaga that incorporated elaborate costumes. Her dancers had cool dance moves and were shaking their booties. I love Santigold's electronic, rock, and reggae style, and I'm glad I got to see this show. I only wish she had more than 45 minutes!

Buraka Som Sistema (Photo: Nick Leger)

After a much needed break to replenish and recover from the downpour, I went to the Piknic Electronik stage to see Buraka Som Sistema from Portugal. This electronic group fuses the African Kuduro genre with techno beats. They performed tracks from Black Diamond and Komba. I loved when they performed ‘Wegue Wegue." People partied in the rain! MC Blaya was hot! She was booty shaking on stage with her purple hair, pink midriff top, and silver shorts. Forget Riri, MC Blaya brings the hotness! This group brought the ghetto party to Jean Drapeau park.

Bloc Party (Photo: Tim Snow)

Up next was Bloc Party. As front man Kele Okereke said "Forget the rain! We're here to party!" And the rock party continued! Osheaga was first time I've heard any of their songs, and after seeing them live, I am a fan! The musicians in the band are amazing, and I loved Kele Okereke's voice. Hey, I'm a sucker for British accents!

The Black Keys (Photo: Pat Beaudry)

The Black Keys closed the festival on the main stage. I've become a fan of theirs over the past year, and I was looking forward to the show. I have to admit, Dave Auerbach is good but he didn't stand out as a performer. Drummer Patrick Carney, however, was insane! He reminded me of Animal from the Muppets. I loved his sparkly rainbow colour drum kit too, with their band name on the front. They performed most of their songs from Brothers and El Camino. I enjoyed hearing their songs live. 

Overall the festival booked a lot of great shows, and the turnout of over 120,000 people proved that. I got to see my favourite artists perform live for the very first time, and it was amazing to discover new artists like Zeds Dead, Sigur Rós, Bloc Party, and The Raveonettes.

-Lady Oracle hosts The Limelight on Saturdays from 6-8pm