Too Soon For the End of June: Ziggy Marley, Escapade Music Fest, Ajapai and DJ Premier

So it’s already the end of June, where did the time go? With the amount of exciting events, shows, festivals and other activities that took place this past month, no wonder it’s almost July!

Before we leave June behind us though, there are a couple of noteworthy events that you should be aware of as we get closer and closer to Canada Day festivities.

The five-time Grammy-winning musician, actor, artist and humanitarian Ziggy Marley will be performing at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival this Tuesday, June 26 on the occasion of his Wild and Free tour. The eldest of Bob Marley’s sons, Ziggy is expected to present songs off his latest solo studio album titled Wild and Free along with classics and perhaps some pieces from his legendary father’s repertoire. If you love reggae music, don’t miss out on this performance, which promises to be memorable!  The show is set to begin at 7:30 pm and tickets are still available online on the festival’s website.

Later this week, lovers of dubstep music have the chance to see Ajapai live at Ritual on Saturday, June 30. This japanese DJ and producer hailing from Tokyo has built a solid reputation amongst the international bass/dubstep scene and it just keeps growing as he consistently releases hit tracks on the charts. Ajapai will be joined by Liondub, Vilify & Maysr, and Rainman. You can grab all the details by clicking on the poster below.

Also this week is the start of the Escapade Music Festival dedicated to celebrating Electronic Dance Music in its many shapes and forms. Now in its third year, this festival has grown exponentially since its inauguration and has now moved to the Ottawa Stadium to accomodate the growing number of festival-goers that attend the 2-day event. Headlining this year are the likes of Avicii, Eric Prydz, Afrojack, Alesso, Chuckie and more. 70% of tickets are now sold out so if you intend on going make sure you grab yours fast! You can get more details by clicking the festival poster.

Happening on Saturday, June 30 is the Grind Pre-Canada Day Party at Babylon which begins at 11:00 pm. This edition of the monthly event will feature resident DJ Jon Deck and Montreal’s D.R.one. For those who attend Grind, you know that the music is off the hook and that it tends to be one heck of a night. That’s about all the info available at this point.

On Sunday, July 1st, to celebrate Canada Day, Kapacity Entertainment presents the legendary DJ Premier alongside Bumpy Knuckles aka Freddy Foxxx. Having seen Premo in Ottawa twice I can guarantee that this is sure to be an amazing Canada Day party and if you’ve seen him too you know I’m not lying. This is definitely the event to attend if you love hip-hop and Gangstarr because it doesn’t really getter better than this. Premier is basically one of the best producers in hip-hop history if not the best.  You can get all the info by clicking the poster below.

Also on Canada Day is the Piknic Electronik taking place in the River Park behind the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau from 2 to 9pm. This Sunday’s edition will feature Manalogue, The Gulf Stream, Math Rosen and A Tribe Called Red as the headliners. Entrance is $10 and there is a BBQ and beer available on site. You’ll get all the details if you click below. Enjoy!

Event Review: Electric Pow Wow with A Tribe Called Red and Ryan McMahon

This past Friday, I attended the Electric Pow Wow at Babylon on the occasion of the Asinabka Film and Media Arts Festival. This special edition featured the DJs from A Tribe Called Red, creators of Pow Wow Step and the EPW, and Ryan McMahon, an Ojibway/Metis comedian who’s gaining more and more recognition amongst the Aboriginal community and the Canadian comedy scene.

It was McMahon’s second public appearance in Ottawa after having collaborated with ATRC last year for an Electric Pow Wow special that took place at Ritual nightclub and that introduced us to the Clarence Two Toes character. This time around, McMahon, who’s a graduate of the prestigious Second City Conservatory in Toronto, presented all new material and tested this fresh show on his Ottawa audience. To my greatest disappointment, he didn’t bring out Clarence Two Toes for this performance, however he did pull out some pretty funny jokes involving grocery store separators and jacuzzis. He tried something different this time and mainly presented jokes that pertained to his daily life as a comedian and father of two living out West. He did however omit to include what he’s best known for in my opinion: presenting the “Native dude” perspective on the realities of modern society. That’s what people love him for along with his Clarence Two Toes character.

Ryan McMahon is the first Aboriginal comedian to get his own hour-long standup comedy special. The show called UnReserved will air on CBC August 18.

Right after the comedy show, Deejay Shub, Deejay NDN and Bear Witness immediately jumped on the turntables to do what they do best: make the crowd dance to their irresistible beats! It didn’t take long before they had people moving to the sounds of Pow Wow Step and Reggae/Moombahton infused rhythms. The Electric Pow Wow has been a successful event since its inception in 2008 and the movemement keeps growing in Canada and abroad. The boys from A Tribe Called Red, who made the Polaris Music Prize long list, play Bluesfest on the Electro stage on July 8. Be sure to check them out and represent your city!

Photo Credit: Mallory Whiteduck

Ryan McMahon and I at the Electric Pow Wow 

Event Review: Janelle Monáe and the Wondaland Arch Orchestra at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival

Photo Credit: Ottawa Jazz Festival

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the Ottawa International Jazz Festival for the very first time in order to see Janelle Monáe. The soulful R&B singer from Kansas City offered an immensely pleasant performance in the heart of the national capital accompanied by her band, the Wondaland Arch Orchestra.

From the very first song, she graced the crowd with her beautiful voice and contagious energy. Monáe certainly delivered her material in a sublime manner performing pieces like Dance or Die, hit-song Tight Rope and Cold War, a personal favorite. She also included a Prince cover and did the classic song by Michael Jackson, I want You Back to everyone’s delight!

Photo Credit: Ottawa Jazz Festival

Her performance was highly energetic interspersed with a few mellow tunes, and she managed to eventually get the sea of people who were seated in chairs standing and dancing. If there’s one thing I can complain about is that there were way too many chairs and ‘reserved sections’ with chairs that stopped us from getting closer to the stage.

At one point, Janelle Monáe even took out a canvas on which she painted while singing. At the end of the show, she gave the painting to a man who’s birthday it was. It’s really the kind of performance that gets you on a natural high and makes you feel most alive and I’m glad I was there to experience it.

At the end of the show, the crowd definitely wanted more and everybody made enough noise for Monáe and her orchestra to come back on stage for 2 final songs. She concluded by saying she would be back and I’m already looking forward to it!

Harvest Noir organizers plan even bigger flash picnic this fall in Ottawa

Reblogged from Ottawa Citizen:

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Above, last year's first Harvest Noir held in October at the Canadian Museum of Civilization attracted 750 flash picnickers -- about double what organizers originally expected. This year they plan an even bigger pop-up picnic at a prominent secret location in downtown Ottawa.

JUN 19 12 - 6:50 AM -- Buoyed by their successful  first "flash picnic" last fall in the nation's capital, organizers promise an even bigger Harvest Noir when the second edition rolls around on Sept.

Read more… 604 more words

No new acts announced, yet, Hoedown refunds available today

Reblogged from Ottawa Citizen:

The day that everyone who has bought tickets for the illfated Capital Hoedown has been looking forward to has arrived, refund day.  The only question that remains is will it be an easy or painful process.  One of my Facebook fans spoke with Front Gate tickets yesterday and they advised that fans awaiting refunds can expect long delays.

Here are the details on how to get your refund: Tickets can be refunded by calling 888-512-SHOW.  

Read more… 21 more words

Nine Ottawa jazz players pick their must-see festival shows

Reblogged from Ottawa Citizen:

Who do Ottawa's jazz musicians want to see at the 2012 TD Ottawa International Jazz Festival? Many, many answers below:

From saxophonist Doug Martin, who plays the Rideau Centre stage Thursday, June 21 at noon with his quartet:

Reducing my picks to three has proven to be virtually impossible, but here goes.

1) David Mott Quintet - He has always been an artist of great originality.

Read more… 933 more words

Start Summer in the Nation’s Capital with the Asinabka Festival, Porter Robinson, the Ottawa Jazz Festival, and l’Outaouais en Fête

This week brings its load of events starting with the launch of a new arts festival celebrating aboriginal film and media art called Asinabka. For its first edition, this festival gives itself the mandate to “allow independent artists (national, international, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal) to share, present, and disseminate their work. It is is also to screen films by Aboriginal peoples and films about Aboriginal topics/issues; to support artists and filmmakers; to promote Aboriginal cultures and languages; to educate people about Aboriginal issues in Canada, and about Indigenous issues internationally; to provide a space where Aboriginal peoples can tell their own stories and see their own cultures reflected back at them; and to entertain and be innovative”. The festival starts today, June 18 and continues until Sunday, June 24 and it takes places at various locations around the downtown core. You can get all of the details and the schedule of events by clicking on the image below. Be sure to check it out!

 

For the fans of electronic dance music, DNA presents Porter Robinson at Barrymore’s this Wednesday, June 20 as part of the Language Tour. Porter Robinson will be accompanied by Mat Zo and The M Machine and tickets are still available for $25. You can grab all of the info by clicking the poster below.

 

For those who planned on going to see hip-hop artist and producer MF Doom at Ritual this Thursday, June 21, Kapacity Entertainment has had to cancel the show after MF Doom cancelled his entire Canadian tour. You can get all of the details and obtain refund options by clicking the poster below and accessing the Facebook event page.

 

Another festival that starts this week is the Ottawa International Jazz Festival which runs from June 21 to July 1 at Confederation Park. This year’s edition promises to blow you away with a lineup that includes Chris Botti, Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Janelle Monae, and Ziggy Marley with his Wild and Free Tour. I’m really looking forward to seeing Janelle Monae and Ziggy Marley perform live as I particularly enjoy both artists’ music. You can obtain the entire festival lineup and all other details on the festival website by clicking the below image.

 

This Friday, June 22, there will be an Electric Pow Wow with A Tribe Called Red and comedian Ryan McMahon aka Clarence Two Toes as part of the Asinabka arts festival. The event, which takes place at Babylon, will start with Ryan McMahon at 10pm and will continue with the DJs from A Tribe Called Red who will make you dance all night to their unique and catchy Powwow Step sounds. All the information is available on the Facebook event page here.

 

On Saturday, June 23, Ottawa will be host to the first-ever Hip-Hop Karaoke event taking place at Mugshots, the HI Ottawa Jail Hostel bar with host Atherton and beats by DJ So Nice. The event starts at 9pm and if you’d like to sign-up for a song visit http://www.HHKOTT.com

 

Also this weekend are the Outaouais en Fête celebrations on the occasion of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Quebec’s national holiday. The festivities kick off on Friday evening and last until Monday, June 25. I’m especially looking forward to seeing Vincent Vaillieres (for free!) on June 23 and Malajube and Quebec legend and singer-songwriter Jean Leloup both on June 25. This year’s celebrations include tons of family-friendly activities in both Aylmer and Gatineau and they offer a variety of shows that are sure to please everyone gathered to celebrate Quebec and its culture. All of the details are listed on the official website and you  can access them by clicking below.

 

Event Review: 2012 Festival Franco-Ontarien

Photo Credit: Sylvain Marier

This past weekend was all about the Festival Franco-Ontarien at Major Hills Park for me. This year again, I had the pleasure of attending all three days of the festival. The 2012 edition was all-in-all a success, however several aspects must be improved if the festival wishes to fulfill its mandate and maintain its popularity.

Although the festival was back at Major Hills Park this year, which is a much bigger and better location for the FFO, there was a lack of variety of food vendors. Yes you go to a festival for the music, but while you’re there you often end up buying food and drinks. There was hardly any selection compared to other festivals who offer a wide range of food options. A bad choice considering there was sufficient space to welcome more vendors.

On Thursday, June 14, the Festival kicked off with Julien Tremblay, a Franco-Ontarian comedian who replaced Brigitte Boisjoli at the last-minute as the singer cancelled her appearance due to illness. Unfortunately, Julien Tremblay’s improvised show was rather boring, certainly not funny and even somewhat racist. As a result, most of the festival-goers who were already on-site didn’t seem to find the act interesting despite his failed-attempt at making the crowd laugh. Although they hardly had time to find a replacement for Brigitte Boisjoli, the organizers certainly could’ve made more of an effort to locate a talent other than this so-called comedian. Despite this bad call, the FFO’s opening night was a wonderful salute to francophone music with a splendid show offered by Les Cowboys Fringuants. The group from Quebec delivered a highly energetic performance in front of an impressive crowd that had gathered to dance and sing along to the band’s biggest hits. Listening to Les Cowboys Fringuants live gave me a sense of renewed pride in my French-Canadian roots and culture. It was definitely a fantastic show!

Photo Credit: Sylvain Marier

The following evening, festival organizers brought the East Coast to Ottawa with yet another super energetic performance by Radio Radio, a trio of boys from the Maritimes who create part-electro part hip-hop music coupled with the ever-unique chiac language of the Acadians. Their friendly approach and laid-back style offered the perfect mix on such a beautiful summer evening. Even those who claim not to like them were charmed by Radio Radio’s simplicity and lively vibe. Although they were back for the second year in a row, it was still an excellent choice which made for an excellent show The crowd loved every minute of it and so did I!

Photo Credit: Sylvain Marier

However, once Radio Radio finished their performance, the night went downhill as Mia Martina took to the stage with mainly English material. Not only did she start her show with an English song, which was bad enough as it is at a festival that promotes francophone culture, she clearly lacked stage presence and as a result, many people left Major Hills Park during her performance. To me, this demonstrates how an artist like Mia Martina may have hit songs on music charts, but since she isn’t associated with a sense of belonging for francophones, people don’t really jump on board. In my opinion, Mia Martina’s cover of Julie Masse’s Zéro and Roch Voisine’s Hélène are what saved her performance from disaster.

On the final night of the festival, Congolese singers Ngâbo and Mohombi rocked the stage to the delight of hundreds of fans who had gathered at Major Hills Park to partake in the last day of festivities. I was pleasantly surprised by Ngâbo who was definitely a nice musical discovery.

 

Right before Mohombi’s performance, two of the festival’s sponsors, Radio NRJ and Metro News took 2 minutes to address the crowd, which is standard procedure at most festivals. Having said this, the Metro News spokesperson delivered her speech in English as if Metro News was unable to select a bilingual representative that would’ve been able to address festival-goers in French. Another fail.

Mohombi certainly didn’t disappoint performance-wise as he’s full of energy, has killer dance moves and can definitely sing his heart out. Having said this, again, most of his performance was in English despite him being a francophone and this aspect of the show was definitely unpleasant for many who expected to hear more French material. Either way, he definitely brought it and threw an amazing party!

Photo Credit: Sylvain Marier

 

In this morning’s press release however, the festival organizers did clarify that it was stipulated in Mohombi’s contract that he would perform 80% French material and exactly the opposite happened. Thankfully, the organizers did apologize for this error and promised that this would never happen again at the Festival Franco-Ontarien. Let’s just hope they keep their promises for next year’s edition!

In Tune With June: Explosion, Ottawa Fringe Festival, Jeru the Damaja, FFO and Break North

With the amount of festivals in store across the National Capital Region, the week’s are getting more and more exciting (and busy!) as we get closer to summer.

This week alone, festival-goers have the choice to attend the Ottawa Fringe Festival, the Franco-Ontarian Festival (Festival Franco-Ontarien), the Break North Festival and the Ottawa Explosion Festival. There’s really something for everyone!

The first festival to kick-off this week is Ottawa Explosion, which takes place from June 13 to June 17. Now in its second year, this new festival aims to promote underground music by presenting over 40 bands from across Canada and the United States. Unlike outdoor festivals, Ottawa Explosion focuses on venues such as bars, record stores, basements and even laundromats to showcase the various bands. This year’s full line-up can be found on the event Facebook page here. You can also grab more information on the festival by clicking on the image below.

Next up is the Ottawa Fringe Festival which runs from June 14 to June 24 at various indoor and outdoor locations. Celebrating 16 years of Fringe, the festival is the ideal opportunity for those who love theatre and artistic expression of all sorts. With local, national and international companies presenting their best performances, this year’s edition promises to be more exciting than ever! You can obtain all the details by clicking below or by visiting the Fringe’s Facebook page here.

On the hip-hop side of things, classic rap connoisseurs are most likely already aware that legend Jeru The Damaja will be performing live at Ritual this Thursday, June 14. And if you don’t know, now you know! Get all the info you need by clicking the poster below.

Also happening this Thursday is the launch of the Franco-Ontarian Festival better known as the Festival Franco-Ontarien. This veteran of Ottawa festivals will take place from June 14 to June 16 at Major Hills Park. A personal favorite of mine, the FFO allows you to purchase festival bandanas for the cheap sum of $20 and twenty bucks to have access to 3 days of francophone music shows is a great deal in my book. Also, new with this year’s pass, the festival has partnered with Piccolo Grande, The Cupcake Shoppe, Fat Tuesdays, Cornerstone Bar & Grill and Steak Modern Steakhouse Lounge to offer exclusive deals to FFO bandana holders! This year’s festival features Quebec-favorites Les Cowboys Fringuants, Brigitte Boisjoli, New Brunswick trio Radio Radio, Mia Martina and Mohombi. In addition, for the last song of Mohombi’s performance, yours truly will be participating in a Flashmob to show the world how dynamic the Franco-Ontarian community is! Get all the details by clicking the poster below.

New to the festival family this year is Break North, presented by New Cadence North, Beau’s Beer and CKCU FM from June 14 to June 17. Taking place at the Elmdale Tavern and the Rainbow Bistro, the inaugural festival will present 16 bands in an effort to showcase independent and emerging Canadian musicians. Get all the details below!

 

Last but certainly not least, the second Piknic Electronik of the season is taking place behind the Canadian Museum of Civilization in the River Park this Sunday, June 17 from 2 to 9 pm. This week’s edition features Polyslax, Dom Dumoulin, Dorobo VS Bushido and Bruno B. Get all the info here and see you at one of the many events taking place this week!

Event Review: Arboretum Reveal and The Hidden Cameras at Westfest

This past Thursday, I attended the launch of a new arts, music and food festival called Arboretum at Babylon nightclub. The Arboretum reveal had for objective to announce what this new festival is all about and to raise funds in order to make it happen considering this will be the first edition and the organizers have a very limited budget to work with. Hence, admission was by donation.

Ontario breweries Beau’s and Kichesippi were specially on site to promote their beers as part of the festival’s food partners. Also on location was Art-Is-In Bakery, making delicious grilled-cheese sandwiches for the crowd to enjoy.

The decoration and event atmosphere was conceived by Carleton University architecture students who designed a progressive space with an emphasis on nature. Kitchen Party DJs got things started as both members of the media and public trickled into Babylon, after which Managing Director Marlene Powers and Artistic Director Rolf Klausener made their way to the stage to announce the line-up.

Powers and Klausener began by explaining how they had the idea to create an urban camping festival in the city by putting an emphasis on nature and the local scene. They highlighted the festival’s partners which include Forest School Canada, Artengine, CHUO FM, Saw Gallery, the Ottawa Art Gallery, the Ottawa International Animation Festival, and Ottawa Explosion. By presenting the National Capital Region with something off the beaten path, they hope to offer visual and media artist collaborations as well as showcase the most progressive foods rooted in the community. Part of Arboretum’s mandate is to remain local and this is reflected in their music selection which ranges from Adam Saikaley to Highneken to Gatineau-band Eraserheads and Montreal-based Snailhouse.

Several fundraising incentives will be taking place throughout the summer to raise funds for Arboretum and you can find all of the details on the official website here. The festival is set to take place on September 15 at the HI Ottawa Jail Hostel. More to come!

Then on Friday, June 8, I attended Westfest for the first time and checked out The Hidden Cameras on the main stage. Not only was it my first time at Westfest, it was also my first time in Westboro and I was immediately charmed by the boutiques and cute store facades. What a great way to discover one of the many unique neighborhoods of Ottawa! And all that without spending a penny (aside from my Bridgehead Chai Latte that is)! The Hidden Cameras, an indie-pop band from Toronto, were a nice musical discovery as well Although the sound wasn’t very good, the group put on an energetic show and performed a variety of songs from their repertoire including several crowd-pleasers. All in all, a great family-friendly festival, which is extremely accessible and fun to partake in! Kudos Westfest!