Guest Review: All Glory, No Consequence for Ben Harper

Ben Harper headlined the first night of the Ottawa Folk Festival and played in front of one of the largest crowds in folkfest history. While I reserve my thoughts for a review piece ill be putting together the fest, my good friend Sam was at the show and enjoyed it so much he was willing to write a review for me! Enjoy.

Last night was, in a few words, a journey into the heart and soul of a musical genius. Having had the privilege of seeing Ben Harper perform several times over the past 10-plus years, it was a pure joy to see him solo on stage. It truly was a special treat to listen and experience Ben in his element. His set list included songs from each of his albums, spanning his entire musical career, as well as some great jams on his slide guitar and piano.  

Each song was played with such bravado and care, emphasizing the importance of emotion and expression when performing. Those of us that were in the front of the crowd could hear a common expression being spoken, “this is Ben Harper exposed.”  

From the very onset of the show, great respect and admiration was shown towards some of Ben’s musical influences including Marvin Gaye, performing his all time classic, Trouble Man, on the xylophone and, later, paying homage to one of his heroes, Jeff Buckley (often referring back to him during the performance. 

The songs performed throughout the night carried an incredible amount of emotion and expression which captivated the audience and kept us wanting more. There is undoubtedly more that can be said about the show last night but words truly can’t do it justice. I am so thankful that I had the chance to share in the music of Ben and the artists that inspired him.

Thank you to the Ottawa Folk Festival for providing a venue that allows musicians to truly share their passion for music.

Sam