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Articles Tagged ‘music’

THE WEEKENDER: Contemporary dance, an a cappella concert, and five other fun outings

Traces, presented by the School of Dance, is all about contemporary dance.

TRACES
Like watching better than doing? How about a night of contemporary dance featuring new works by some of Canada’s leading choreographers. Heidi Strauss from Toronto and Louise Bédard from Montreal are just two whose work will be featured alongside local choreographers in Traces. Performed by the up-and-coming contemporary dance students from the School of Dance. Friday, Dec. 16, and Saturday, Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m. $25, $20 for students and seniors. Arts Court Theatre, 2 Daly Ave., 613-564-7240. www.theschoolofdance.ca

ST. VINCENT AT RITUAL NIGHTCLUB
Or do your own contemporary dancing at Ritual Nightclub as you enjoy tunes by curly-haired indie songstress, St. Vincent. Also known as Annie Clark, the singer-songwriter worked with Sufjan Stevens’ performing band before releasing her debut album in 2007. Now on her third album, entitled Strange Mercy, Clark has been hitting the road, performing her newest guitar-oriented ballads. Must be 19 and over. Friday, Dec. 16, 9 p.m. Tickets $23 in advance (available at Vertigo Records, The Record Shaap, or online). 137 Besserer St. www.ticketweb.ca

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Ottawa Magazine Staff  |  December 14, 2011 at 11:36 am

SOUND SEEKERS: Karkwa

Photo by Marie-Claude Hamel

They are the first francophone band to have won the Polaris Music Prize, an annual nod given to a band solely on artistic merit, no sales figures required (unlike that other big award). Montreal’s Karkwa took home the 2010 award, in a surprise win announced last fall (they beat out Caribou!). The band is actually 12 years old and has four albums to its credit, but was mostly unknown in English Canada until the Polaris win.

Now, the band is embarking on a string of dates at major gigs including tonight’s double-header: the  televised Genie Awards at the National Arts Centre AND a concert with Plants and Animals.

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Ottawa Magazine Staff  |  March 10, 2011 at 11:12 am

SOUND SEEKERS: Shannon Rose and her Thorns by Fateema Sayani

Where to be this weekend

Ottawa bandleader Shannon Rose is a fine songwriter. Her carefully etched vignettes start from that well-worn path (love land) and spiral out into pretty melodies that put her achy, parched vocals front and centre. She puts her songs to a folk-pop bed, which is played by her band The Thorns (get it?).

She released her debut disc, Sing Me A Song, in 2008 and will launch a string of seasonal works this weekend. The first is a five-song EP called Winter.

“These EPs will allow me to be busy with music all year,” Rose says. “I love every aspect of being a musician, and releasing a new album every three months will keep me in a happy loop of writing, rehearsing, recording and performing.”

The EPs feature the talents of Ottawa musicians Steve Matylewicz (guitar), Dean Watson (bass), Tim Watson (drums), Michael Schultz (horns and piano), Adam Fogo (strings), and Stuart Lee (strings). Both the lyrics and the melodies resonate with the theme of winter.

“The seasons are all so different and they all have different feelings associated with them,” Rose says. “Winter is cozy and pretty and magical, but also a little lonely and reflective, and I wanted some of that to be captured in the songs.”

Saturday, Feb. 12. 9 p.m., $6. Elmdale Tavern, 1084 Wellington St. West.

Sound Seekers is published weekly at OttawaMagazine.com. Read Fateema Sayani’s culture column in Ottawa Magazine. Subscribe to the print edition here.

Fateema Sayani  |  February 10, 2011 at 2:43 pm

SOUND SEEKERS by Fateema Sayani

Where to be this weekend

The Paramedics have a finely honed sense of emergency. It comes across on III, their first release which is full of atmospheric rock with an experimental edge.

The Ottawa band comprises Jordan Allan (guitars, drums, effects), Allan Gauthier (guitar, percussion), Luke Duross (bass), and Jamie Kronick (drums). Kronick does double duty as the band’s photographer (he took the photo, above) and is honing his craft at the School of Photographic Arts in Ottawa.

Gauthier takes a step away from his role in the city’s premier pop act The Love Machine to unleash his darker side with The Paramedics. Duross, meanwhile, did a turn in Relief Maps, a band that puts urban malaise to song. The album’s wall-of-sound production quality comes from studio whizzes Jonathan Chandler and Jason Fee.

“We’re striving for the live show to be very intense and dynamic. Our loud is very loud and our quiet is very quiet,” Kronick says.

Download a free track here and see them with The Paint Movement and The Love Machine. $10. 9:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 22. Babylon, 317 Bank St.

Watters’ Wattage

The sibling duo of Muddy and Danny get stronger with every album. Their latest — Rock and Roll Mansion — combines dirty rock riffs, a bluesy edge, and a few pop salutes. In other words, the stuff of good times, which is the message the Ottawa duo likes to convey in songs such as Life Is a Gas and Seize the Day. The tune Synthesizer City is worth searching out. $7 adv. 8:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 21. Black Sheep Inn, 753 Riverside Dr., Wakefield.

Elsewhere out there

More atmospheric rock from the Goodluck Assembly (formerly Sojourn), as the Ottawa four-piece releases it latest, Glowscape. Thursday, Jan.  21. Live Lounge.

Jazz, hip-hop and electronic music meet in Halabisky’s Uprising, led by capital city economist and horn player Dave Halabisky. Saturday, Jan. 22. Café Dekcuf.

Sound Seekers is published weekly at OttawaMagazine.com. Read Fateema Sayani’s culture column in Ottawa Magazine. Subscribe to the print edition here.

Fateema Sayani  |  January 20, 2011 at 3:35 pm

FROM THE PRINT EDITION: Going green with a solar-powered sound system

By Fateema Sayani. Portrait by Aaron McKenzie Fraser.

Michael Caffrey and Kerry CampbellMichael Caffrey and Kerry Campbell have melded their avant-vogue ideas, AV know-how, and a need to party into an eco-innovative idea for the dance floor. The couple — he’s a DJ; she’s a VJ; both are electronic musicians in their own right — have been tweaking their GhettoBlast Sound System for the past eight years. It’s a mobile heap of wires, old solar boards, and recycled stereo parts packed into ancient Samsonites. After a solar charge of 40 to 70 hours, the system can generate 10 hours of smog-free sound. Compare that with most outdoor systems, which run on generators that burn hundreds of dollars’ worth of gas.

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Ottawa Magazine Staff  |  January 18, 2011 at 9:10 am

FROM THE PRINT EDITION: A guide to Ottawa’s musical innovators

By Paul Gessell, Patrick Langston, Lynn Saxberg, Fateema Sayani, and Rob Thomas. Portraits by Aaron McKenzie Fraser and Rémi Thériault

The Scene Changers

Illustration by Michael Deforge

A group of tastemakers and sound creators is shaping the direction of the ever-evolving Ottawa music scene, using the forums and methods of the underground and even the resources of formal institutions to show the rest of us where culture is going and how to keep it alive and raging forth with new ideas, big sounds, and novel concepts.

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Ottawa Magazine Staff  |  January 6, 2011 at 9:10 am

WEB EXCLUSIVE: Photographer Rémi Thériault blogs about shooting Ottawa bands Prescott and Sound of Lions

Photos and text by Rémi Thériault.

Thériault shot portraits of individuals in the local music scene who are making waves for “Scene Changers,” which appears in the December 2010 issue of Ottawa Magazine. See more of Thériault’s work at http://remitheriault.com

I recently finished a shoot for the current issue of Ottawa Magazine about up-and-coming people in the Ottawa music industry. My gig was to get bands to play/sing for me while I was taking the photos in their rehearsal space. I was thrilled that my photo of Whitney from Sound of Lions made the cover.

First photographed PRESCOTT at their country home/studio just outside the city. Got a huge welcome from a pack of five dogs jumping at me (wish I had a photo of that), took a bunch of photos (top left), then played with some guns, all while listening to Prescott’s amazing vocals.

Quick dinner break, then we went to SOUNDS OF LIONS’ practice studio/basement.

Only got a welcoming by one huge dog this time, but a nice one. It was a tight squeeze to take the photos (bottom left) in the basement, but the lighting was great. The cover image was actually the only photo I didn’t use flash for. You can see the perfectly positioned fluorescent light in the photo (left).

Click on any photo to see a full gallery of photos from these shoots.

Ottawa Magazine Staff  |  December 16, 2010 at 9:45 am

The Weekender: A soulful singer and a couple funky craft sales, plus four other awesome outings

Singer-songwriter Royal Wood plays at the NAC on Nov. 20. Photo credit: Ivan Otis.

ROYAL WOOD
You might have heard singer-songwriter Royal Wood when he opened for national tours with Serena Ryder, Sarah Slean, and David Gray. If you’re a fan of Grey’s Anatomy, you’ve encountered his mellow, velvet-smooth voice on the soundtrack. Here’s your chance to hear him on his own well-deserved tour to promote his latest album The Waiting. Those in the know have even gone so far as to put his talents in the same league as Sexsmith and Wainwright. Saturday, Nov. 2o, 8 p.m. $25. National Arts Centre, Studio, 53 Elgin St., 613-755-1111. www.nac-cna.ca

THE ONE & ONLY CRAFT SALE (FREE!)
For those keeners (you know who your are!) who like to start their Christmas shopping in November, the One & Only Arts and Craft Fair is the place to be this Sunday. For one day only, the Sandy Hill Community Centre plays host to an eclectic group of vendors displaying funky jewellery, stuffed toys, purses, artwork, and knitted items. But what really sets this craft show apart is the free buffet of comfort foods and sweets. Sunday, Nov. 21, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sandy Hill Community Centre, 250 Somerset St. E. www.sandyhillsoneandonly.blogspot.com

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Misa Kobayashi  |  November 17, 2010 at 11:59 am

The Weekender: Freaky animation, a folk duo, and five other fun activities

Artophile will be at the Ottawa Antique Show (Oct. 22 to 24) with rare Hollywood art by Silvano "Nano" Campeggi.

OTTAWA ANTIQUE SHOW
Spend a weekend trolling for treasure at this sale that runs the gamut from the traditional (furniture, fine china) to the extraordinary (“wearable art” designed for Karl Lagerfeld, retro handbags). There are 70 boutique vendors to choose from, but our vote for coolest wares goes to Artophile, which sells rare original Hollywood art by Silvano “Nano” Campeggi. Take home an illustration of leading lady Marilyn Monroe or film posters from classics like Casablanca. $10, under 18 free. Oct. 22 to 24. Carleton University Field House, 613-521-1970. www.asinter.com

OTTAWA INTERNATIONAL WRITERS FESTIVAL
This jam-packed festival brings the best writers from around the world to various Ottawa venues for author talks, readings, performances, and other fun events — like brunch! This is your chance to ask that favourite writer about that weird plot twist, tell the famous poet how much you love their work, and meet other local bookworms. A few event suggestions: Capital Xtra’s Transgress always makes for a great, R-rated time (Fri., Oct. 22); Tarek Fatah’s conversation with Lucy van Oldenbarneveld is bound to raise some controversial issues; and a trio of authors, including Giller Prize winner David Bergen, will explore family relationships as they play out in fiction (Sun., Oct. 24). See website for full schedule. $15, students and seniors $10, free for Carleton University students. Oct. 20 to 26. Various venues. 613-562-1243. www.writersfestival.org

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Ottawa Magazine Staff  |  October 20, 2010 at 12:28 pm

The Weekender: Dancing, drive-ins, and three other inspired weekend ideas

Catch the Sound of Light grand finale on Aug. 21.

CASINO DU LAC-LEAMY SOUND OF LIGHT
This annual fireworks fest draws to a close on Saturday night with the aptly titled grand finale. The best pyrotechnics from four different countries duke it out to see who puts on the best show set to music — and earns bragging rights and the coveted Zeus trophy. Head out to see if Portugal, the defending champs, can hold on to their crown. Aug. 21 (9:30 p.m). General admission $10, free for children 11 and under, reserved seating $23. Lac-Leamy, 1 boul. du Casino, Gatineau, 819-771-FEUX (3389). www.feux.qc.ca

BELL BIV DEVO
Parliament Ultra Club hosts its biggest Rewind Party ever, courtesy of Bell Biv Devoe. Guaranteed to perform their smash hits “Poison,” “Do Me,” “I Thought It Was Me,” “When Will I See You Smile,” “She’s Dope” etc. Dress code: chic + summer. Vibe: dance till you can dance no more. Aug. 21 (9 p.m.). $35-$45. Tickets at Norml Clothing, The Pita Pit, Fades, and Mama Cee’s, as well as online. Parliament Ultra Club, 151 George St. www.capitaltickets.ca

PORT ELMSLEY DRIVE-IN
Relive your youth — visit the drive-in and make out under the stars. If you’re under 40 and have never experienced the drive-in, grab some friends and head to Port Elmsley to enjoy the groovy-ironic retro-cool vibe. First up, it’s The Switch with Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman. After that, some hardcore action with The Expendables. Movies begin at dusk. $10, children, $2. Snack bar available. Cash only. 333 Port Elmsley Rd. (just outside Smith’s Falls), 613-267-7772. www.portelmsleydrivein.com

IBL ALL-STAR CLASSIC
The boys of summer keep that sweet season feeling alive, serving up the Intercounty Baseball League All-Star Classic at sunny Ottawa Stadium (Lynx Stadium to baseball old-timers). The two-match series sees two Ottawa Fat Cats All-Star players (Cody Mombourquette and Danny Desclouds) suiting up for the IBL. On the other side, the cream of La Ligue de Baseball Senior Elite du Quebec (LBSEQ). Aug.21 (7 p.m.) and Aug. 22 (2 p.m.). Adult $10.62, child $5.31, seniors and students $7.08. 300 Coventry Rd., 613-749-2020. www.ottawafatcats.com

JUSTIN BIEBER
Ok, so this concert takes place after the weekend, but how could we not mention the Stratford, Ontario-native? Since becoming a YouTube sensation, this kid has attracted more than four million followers on Twitter, performed on Saturday Night Live alongside Tina Fey, and set the online world abuzz about his dreamy hair. Plus, he can sing! Songs like “Baby” and “One Less Lonely Girl” have no doubt made their way into your head and camped out for days. See what “Bieber Fever” is all about when he comes to Ottawa on Aug. 24. $32.50-$52.50. Scotiabank Place, 1000 Palladium Dr., 613-599-3267; 877-788-3267. www.scotiabankplace.com

Misa Kobayashi  |  August 19, 2010 at 10:17 am

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