THUNDER BAY - Kardinal Offishall admitted to being caught off guard when he first took the stage in front of Wednesday night’s crowd at Marina Park.
“The start was interesting because it started off with lawn chairs,” he said. “By the time the show was over it was packed. Everybody was jumping out of their skin, it was a good time.”
Whether it was Offishal, Magic!, or Midnight Shine, each performer gave the crowd reason to enjoy a special Live on the Waterfront edition, courtesy of the free ONTour concert series.
Cultural development and event supervisor Ash Young said he had never seen a free concert of this magnitude in Thunder Bay.
“I’m estimating over 6,000 [people],” said Young. “It’s packed, it’s standing room - that’s a lot different than the usual lawn chair set up that we see down here.”
As Offishal said, his goal was to get people up and out of those lawn chairs.
“This is what we do, it’s never really a challenge for us,” the Canadian rapper said. “I let the crowd become a part of the show. I think once you communicate that energy, everybody is all in.”
Offishal, whose hit song “Dangerous” hit the number two spot in Canada in 2007, put on an electric performance that had the majority of the 6,000 jumping to the rhythm.
“Definitely Thunder Bay has been the most energetic,” he said. “We always have energy, but tonight was like times two.”
Midnight Shine, a First Nation band from the Ontario Far North, had the stage at 7 p.m. and reiterated the positive comments.
“It was a great crowd to be in front of,” said frontman Adrian Sutherland. “I think this show would top most of the shows I did this summer.”
Which says a lot considering the group played alongside Tom Petty and Peter Wolf on Canada Day in Ottawa.
“You have different communities and different energy levels,” he said. “But Thunder Bay was really hopping tonight.”
For Sutherland and his band, the show was a wonderful example of how music could unite a community.
“The music breaks down barriers like nothing else,” he said. “It’s amazing what it can do if you allow it to get into your bones, into your soul and just really enjoy it.”
Offishal offered the same message.
“Whether you’re into rock, hip-hop, country… Whether you’re Christian, Muslim, or whatever gender - the music brings everyone together. Surveying the crowd, you could see everybody let loose. Everybody was just rockin’ - and that’s what it’s all about.”
As the night endured, and the skies opened up to heavy rainfall, the crowd grew in size and strength as the headliner Magic! performed songs like “Rude,” and “Lay You Down Easy.”
“It definitely puts Thunder Bay on the map,” said Young. “We’ll have to come up with something big to top it.”
