Buskers roaming around Major Hill Park during the 2013 Festival Franco-Ontarien © Photo courtesy of the Festival Franco-Ontarien

The 38th edition of the Festival Franco-Ontarien, held from June 13 to June 16, has ended on a high note with three days of fun in the sun and live francophone music enjoyed by a crowd of around 20,000 people, 5000 more than in 2012. Themed around the 4ooth anniversary of Champlain’s passage in the region, this year’s Franco, as it’s called for short, offered a winning formula combining youth-friendly shows and activities along with a variety of performances and animations to please the older public.

The annual festival, which celebrates Francophone music and culture, especially Ontario’s Francophone community, was once again held at Major Hill Park, an ideal location compared to the previous one situated in front of the Ottawa City Hall where festival-goers felt somewhat constrained. The open park concept at Major Hill allows for a nice balance between the stage, crowd, food vendors, VIP section, kids zone and buskers.

Mother Nature turned up for the entire duration of the festival, to the organizers’ relief, and so did the crowd who got to cool off with complimentary freezies courtesy of Air Canada, a nice touch from the major sponsor. It was certainly encouraging to see this many people attending, considering past years have been rough financially. Then again, ever since Groupe Simoncic (the production company that runs the festival) took over the Franco, people have been coming in large numbers to hear live Francophone music at an event that proves to be accessible and family-friendly year after year.

For the 2013 edition, members of the public had the opportunity to discover emerging talent from the National Capital Region and beyond and to sing along to their favorite songs from veterans of Francophone music. There were also returning artists like the Remesha-Drums, Swing and Damien Robitaille, local favorites who’ve performed at the Franco on several occasions.

The only down-side to point out is the lack of originality and variety with respect to this year’s half-time shows, which are meant to entertain the crowd while the main stage is preparing for following acts. This year, organizers partnered with a local dance school who presented a variety of amateur choreographies, most of which were mediocre and cute at best. Instead of pumping the crowd, these dance performances ended up creating a lull when they should’ve been warming up the audience for upcoming acts. What’s more, the same performances were presented on both Saturday and Sunday, which proved to be dull for festival-goers attending all three days.

To kick off this year’s installment, festival organizers presented a colorful night dedicated to the 400th Anniversary of Champlain’s passage with a special l’Echo d’un peuple presentation and a “kitchen party” complete with a lively performance from legends of Quebec folklore, La Bottine souriante who were joined on stage by Swing.

Damien Robitaille charming the crowd at the 2013 Festival Franco-Ontarien © Photo Courtesy of the Festival Franco-Ontarien

As for Friday, June 14, Billy Love Band, an emerging local rock group from the Outaouais region, opened the evening by introducing the public to material from their first EP titled Au Delà du Pain aux Bananes. Lead by singer-songwriter and violinist William Lamoureux, also member of local group La Cavale, the Billy Love Band offered a respectful set to a receptive audience.

Following Billy Love Band, local favorite Damien Robitaille took to the stage with his group of musicians to the delight of many fans who had gathered at Major Hill Park to see the Franco-Ontarian singer-songwriter perform live. Robitaille has a charming personality and great stage presence which makes him enjoyable to watch. A definite crooner, he also threw in a good dose a humor throughout his set which included the songs Serpents et échelles, Porc-épic, Ta maman m’amadoue, Mot de passe, La danse du drapeau, and Mètres de mon être among others.

The night concluded with a special performance by veteran Francophone group Les Colocs, who premiered Les Colocs pour la vie, a reunion show that will be taking them across the province of Quebec this summer. The guys from the now-defunct folk/rock/reggae/blues group were joined on stage by special guests Loco Locass, Elage Diouf, Mara Tremblay, Seb Plante of Les Respectables, and Marc Déry who took advantage of the occasion to celebrate Les Colocs’ musical legacy. The set list included the popular hits La rue principale, Julie, Bon’yeu, and Tassé vous de d’la among many others from the repertoire.

The final day of the festival was clearly geared towards a younger audience, a bold move from the organizers which proved to be successful. La Bronze, a Montreal-based electro/rock/pop group whose founding member and lead singer-songwriter, Nadia Essadiqi, is originally from Gatineau, kicked things off with an energetic and engaging performance combining music and choreographed dance. The set list included a couple of covers along with the tracks Tes cheveux de feu and La course nue dans les prés from the group’s self-titled EP. It was a captivating, refreshing and intriguing show and it definitely sparked the crowd’s curiosity despite being a bit progressive for many.

The evening continued with Coeur de Pirate, whose presence attracted an impressive crowd of fans. Sitting behind her piano for the majority of the set, singer-songwriter Béatrice Martin, humbly admitted to giving her first group performance in a year as she’s been on a solo tour for the past months. True to Coeur de Pirate’s mellow style, the set started off rather smoothly, and picked up towards the end to finish on a solid note with the hit single Comme des enfants, that the audience happily sang along to.

To conclude the annual festival, Misteur Valaire headlined the final night in front of a primarily young crowd gathered to dance and groove to the sounds of the eclectic electro-jazz group. Presenting new material from their upcoming album to be released in September, Misteur Valaire started their performance with Bellevue Avenue, the title-track off of the group’s latest project. They gave an energetic show to a fun audience and concluded their hour-set with the popular Ave Mucho. 

It’s safe to say that festival organizers can be pleased with this year’s turn out while taking note of the good and not-so-good moves for future years. There’s not doubt that the 2013 Festival Franco-Ontarien will go down as a memorable edition for every one in attendance.

The people behind Ottawa Explosion have prepared a series of shows leading up to this year’s Ottawa Explosion Weekend. As part of this lineup, Danish post-punk group Iceage will be performing live at Babylon this Monday, June 17 alongside Ottawa’s own Pregnancy Scares and Lower. This will be Iceage’s first time in Canada, so if you’re into punk music, be sure to welcome them to Ottawa in large numbers!

If you’re single, looking for a date and want to try something new, then Summer Fling Speed Dating might be just for you! Two Guys With Beards invite you to partake in two nights of summer speed dating on June 18 at the Hintonburg Public House and on June 20 at Shanghai Restaurant. Tuesday, June 18 is specially dedicated to men and women between the ages of 30 and 40 while June 20 is tailored for people who situate themselves between the ages of 25 and 35.

The second annual edition of the Ottawa Explosion Weekend runs from June 19 to June 23 at various locations across Ottawa including Club Saw, Mugshots, Mavericks, Cafe Dekcuf, and Avant-Garde Bar. This young music festival which features underground indie bands from Ottawa and beyond will present over 75 groups, the majority of which you’ve probably never heard of but that you should definitely discover and encourage nonetheless. This is what Ottawa Explosion is all about.

The Ottawa Dragon Boat festival is celebrating it’s 20th anniversary this year with tons of free family-friendly activities. Namely, the organizers are offering a series of free live shows featuring the Sam Roberts Band, Born Ruffians, Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace, Sloan, and Great Lake Swimmers among others. Get the full programming by clicking on the below banner. 

Ottawa’s largest theatre festival, the Fringe, is back for its 17th season this year from June 20 to June 30 at 14 different downtown locations. The 2013 edition will feature over 300 performances half of which are local-based productions. The Fringe is one of the city’s most accessible festivals with tickets for performances priced under $11. New this year, festival organizers will introduce a series of free outdoor concerts for which beautiful posters created by Pascal Huot are available below.    

To kick off the 2013 Fringe Festival, organizers invite you to a complimentary launch party with the PepTides at the Arts Court Courtyard. The PepTides, a local favorite avant-garde pop group, will be performing live alongside Ottawa DJ Sweet Cheeks.

On Thursday, June 20, the Ottawa Fringe Festival presents Blue Sky Miners live at the Arts Court Courtyard. The second free concert of the series, organized as part of Fringe, will feature Blue Sky Miners, a Toronto-based folk group from BC. 

Later this month, on June 27, it will be The Elwins’ turn to take over the Arts Court Courtyard for a free live performance. The Ontario-based indie pop quartet will be performing in Ottawa in an effort to promote their latest album And I Thank You.

For the last free concert of the series, Fringe organizers invited Ottawa’s own StillNative to perform live at the Arts Court Courtyard. The local rock duo will be giving a live show on July 1, which is none other than Canada Day, in front of what is sure to be a packed audience.  

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves and get back to what’s happening this week in the National Capital: the launch of the Ottawa International Jazz Festival. This year’s eclectic lineup includes headliners Dr. John & The Nite Trippers (see below poster), Willie Nelson, Macy Gray, David Byrne & St. Vincent, Boz Scaggs, The Heavy and Mavis Staples among others. Organizers have also included several local acts to the roster namely The Souljazz Orchestra, Florquestra, The Hornettes and Sax Appeal. The After Dark series is also back this year with some fantastic acts including The Herbaliser, Gregory Porter, Tin Men & The Telephone, Carmen Souza and Young Galaxy. Check out the full lineup by clicking below.

The third annual Summer Solstice Aboriginal Arts Festival & International Competition Powwow is being held from Friday, June 21 to Sunday, June 23 at Vincent Massey Park in Ottawa. The 2013 edition, which offers free admission to all, will feature a variety of traditional powwow dance competitions along with free music shows (namely a performance by Holly McNarland), a drum contest, a children’s village, workshops, artisans, crafts, a selection of traditional aboriginal foods and more. 

On Friday, June 21, Spectrasonic and punkottawa.com present Ivan and Alyosha, Neulore, and Bronson Novella live at Zaphod Beeblebrox. If you enjoy a mix of indie folk rock and folk pop, you may want to check out this show and click below for more info.

Just in case there weren’t enough festivals happening in the National Capital Region, ELE aka Everybody Loves Everybody will soon be born. According to the ELE Fest Facebook Page, this is a project “run by young people, showcasing young talent” and who’s goal is to “encourage the rise of original music in Ottawa”. The new music festival is set to inaugurate in September, but in the meantime organizers invite you to the ELE launch party at Babylon this Friday, June 21. To give you a taste of what’s to come, The Lionyls and Madison & Fifth will be performing live alongside beat-providers Neegus, Jarett Lopez|Black Jesus, Wolfie and J.A.H.

As part of the Ottawa Jazz Fest, the Mercury Lounge proudly presents LAL live this Friday, June 21. The Toronto-based electronica/down-tempo/soul trio which weaves Asian, African and diasporic rhythms into its sound will be giving a live performance alongside Mercury Lounge resident DJ Lance Baptiste. 

Also this Friday, June 21, Hip Hop Karaoke Ottawa is celebrating its 1-year anniversary at Mugshots. Hosts DJ So Nice and Atherton invite you to partake in the monthly hip-hop party by either performing a track or by encouraging the Jay-Zs and Lauryn Hills of the night. To sign-up or to get details, simply click below. 

On Saturday, June 22, Ottawa-based multi-disciplinary artist Rise Ashen will be launching his new album titled Music in the City at the Mercury Lounge. Rise Ashen will be live for a Mercury Lounge Locally Grown Edition to bring attendees on a journey across futuristic deep global house and club music. The album launch will be followed by live disco beats provided by resident DJ Trevor Walker.

Other noteworthy events happening this week in the National Capital include Wonder Geeks Activate! 3: Retro-Active taking place at Zaphod Beeblebrox this Monday, June 17. Simply put, this event is an 80s and 90s themed night where you have to sport you’re most colouful fanny-pack and neon leggings, where you need a side pony-tail to get in, and where you’ll be able to play old school Nintendo games all with 80s and 90s throwbacks provided by DJ Lowpass.

If you’re into Canadian metal, there will be a show at Cafe Dekcuf this Wednesday, June 19 featuring live performances by Rainbow Pony Power, Striker, and Descendant.

If you want to check out some EDM, head over to Ritual on Friday, June 21 for Flex Friday featuring a live set by Frederik Mooij, an eclectic DJ based in Mexico that mixes House/Electro/Progressive and Hip-Hop sounds.

On the Quebec side this Friday, June 21, D-Track and Kalibre will be performing live at the Petit Chicago alongside Le R. D-Track, a local rapper and slammer, will be joined on stage by his partner Kalibre and Le R, a West African rapper now based in Quebec who’ll be presenting material from his first solo EP Maktub. 

So there you have it Ottawa-Gatineau: you certainly can’t say that the National Capital Region is boring with the amount of amazing events happening in and around town in the days ahead. Wether you’re a resident of this city, a student temporarily living here for school, or visiting from outside, be sure to enjoy your week in our eventful capital!

Heidi Happy live in concert. Photo courtesy of La Liberte ©

NXNE is spreading its wings outside of Toronto and into Ottawa this year. As a result, the festival’s 2013 edition brings its eclectic celebration of arts to the National Capital to the delight of many.

Ottawa’s Mercury Lounge has partnered with NXNE to showcase a variety of artists from Canada and abroad. For the occasion, Little Sun and Heidi Happy  performed live at the downtown venue this past Saturday, June 8. A crowd of roughly 40 people gathered at the Mercury Lounge to check out the two featured acts.

Heidi Happy, a folk-pop singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Switzerland, opened the show with a solo set. On tour to promote her latest album On The Hills released this past March, she started off with a song fittingly-titled Canada, that she sang while playing the guitar. She then admitted to being rather nervous as she’s normally accompanied by a live band. Regardless, the crowd didn’t seem to notice the difference as her smooth mellow voice captivated the audience right from the start. 

The set list included the tracks Ooh-Oh-Oh, the soothing Now, My Love Won’t Wait For You, Escape and Dance With Another, which can also be found on the new album. She concluded her set with an acapella cover of a delightful German-Swiss song and humbly thanked the audience for their presence and applause.

Throughout the 30-minute performance, Heidi Happy played the guitar, the xylophone and used her versatile voice to create a variety of melodies and sounds. It was a refreshing performance and the audience clearly enjoyed each composition.

Little Sun live in concert at the Mercury Lounge, June 8, 2013

Following Heidi Happy, Montreal-based group Little Sun took to the stage as the headlining act in an effort to promote their new EP Normal Human Feelings.

Ironically, the six-piece band, originally from Ottawa, has less material and experience than the Swiss singer-songwriter and should’ve technically opened the show, but ended up being headliner. Having said this, Heidi Happy’s music turned out to be more appealing to me  although Little Sun undoubtedly gave a solid performance full of high energy and enthusiasm.

Comprised of  a cellist, a contrabassist, a drummer, a clarinetist and saxophone-player, a tubist, and an accordionist and lead singer, Little Sun offered a lively mix of folk, indie pop, dance and funk styles alongside upbeat rhythms and beautiful melodies. By then, what had started as an intimate show suddenly turned into a dance party to the band’s great pleasure. At the crowd’s request, Little Sun finished with an encore leaving the audience wanting more.

To check out Heidi Happy’s music, I invite you to visit her official website as for Little Sun, you can take a look at their Facebook Page for more info.

The Mercury Lounge has teamed up with Toronto festival NXNE to present a series of shows with a variety of eclectic artists. As part of this collaboration, the venue brings you The Crackling with special guest Michael Cassidy who’ll perform live this Tuesday, June 11. The Crackling, a Vancouver folk-rock band, will be performing songs from their new album Mary Magdalene in an effort to promote their latest studio effort.

Tuesday, June 11 also means that Fau Mardi will be taking over the Petit Chicago with special guest DJ Sylv3st3r who’ll specially be mixing warp records to highlight the release of the highly anticipated new album by Boards of Canada.   

While we await Ottawa Explosion Weekend, which takes place June 20 to June 23, the festival organizers are presenting a pre-Ottawa Explosion show this Wednesday, June 12 at Pressed Cafe. The show will feature live performances by Seattle-based group Big Eyes, Male Nurse Band and Tropical Dripps, both of Ottawa. This is a good way to preview the sort of bands that you’ll be able to catch during the festival if you’re not sure wether you want to attend Ottawa Explosion.

This Wednesday, June 12, Indie Montreal presents We Are The City (Indie Rock), Highs (Indie Afro-Pop), and Hannah Epperson (Orchestral Folk/ Alternative Indie Pop) live at the Raw Sugar Cafe. If you’re interested in checking out this show, you can grab details by clicking on the event poster below.

Another NXNE-related event happening at the Mercury Lounge this week is Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes featuring High Waters. The two alternative rock groups will be performing live as part of NXNE, an eclectic Toronto-based festival which celebrates variety in music, film, comedy, and art.

The Festival Franco-Ontarien kicks off this Thursday, June 13 and is being held until Saturday, June 15. The 2013 edition will celebrate the 400th anniversary of Champlain’s passage in the Ottawa/Outaouais and it’ll continue to present popular francophone musicians from French Canada including Damien Robitaille, Les Colocs, Coeur de Pirate and Misteur Valaire. Check back in on the blog next Sunday, June 16 for a full coverage of Friday and Saturday’s performances.

Los Oxidados is yet another group of NXNE showcasing artists performing live in Ottawa this Friday, June 14. Joining forces with the Embassy of Mexico in Canada, the Mercury Lounge welcomes the instrumental rock four-piece for a show of live music induced with surf, western, and garage vibes à la Tarantino.    

If you enjoy indie rock, you should head over to Mavericks this Friday, June 14 to check out Wintersleep. The Halifax-based group will be performing live alongside Data Romance, an indie electro group from Vancouver.

The people behind Ottawa Explosion and Kichesippi Beer bring you the second edition of Funhouse this Friday, June 14 at Mugshots Jail Bar. DJs Craig Peru, Barb and Kristina will be  spinning choice punk tunes and new wave tracks. Apparently this is a ‘really cool time’, so check it out for yourself! 

This Friday, June 14 and Saturday, June 15, Amnesia presents the 8th annual Rockfest in Montebello, Quebec, just 45 minutes away from Ottawa. The festival promises 150 groups on 5 stages including headliners Rise Against, The Offspring, Marilyn Manson, and Alice Cooper. The organizers offer an on-site camping option for those who wish to attend both days and stay overnight.

On Saturday, June 15, the Capital Poetry Collective invites you to the Night Watch album release. The Ottawa-based cinematic instrumental group will present their first full-length album in its entirety. The musicians will be joined by spoken word artists who have been chosen by the group to create pieces to accompany every song. Each poet will be performing their pieces, followed by the performance of the corresponding song. This unique show is sure to be a beautiful mix of instrumental music and poetic majesty. 

Ottawa’s original pantsless party, the 6th annual No Pants Dance Party is happening this Saturday, June 15 at Babylon. With music by DJ Lowpass, the event will feature performances by Rockalily Burlesque, Glitter Galore, Donna Dee Dead and Frank N Beans. If you’re worried about what you’re going to do with your pants, don’t, there will be a pants check. 

So there you have it Ottawa-Gatineau, this is my selection of noteworthy events being held in and around the National Capital Region in the coming week. Be sure to enjoy the days ahead by attending an event or two in our Eventful Capital because there’s certainly no shortage of music shows and festivals happening this week.

This Wednesday, June 5, The Mohawk Lodge will be performing live at the cute and cozy Pressed Cafe in an effort to promote their album Damaged Goods. The indie soul/rock group from Toronto will be playing in Ottawa alongside local folk artist André M. Bluteau (whom I’ve recently discovered and find amazing by the way).

This Thursday, June 6 is Jutes’ Space Highway album release party at Babylon. The Ottawa/Toronto hip-hop artist Jutes will be celebrating the launch of his new album alongside several local musicians including Alex Silas, Izzy Liberace, and Suits ‘n’ Toques. Support local artists! In celebration of the 10th anniversary of Westfest, the annual community festival brings you not three but four free (yes, free!) days of concerts and activities in Ottawa’s Westboro neighborhood.  This year’s festivities, which run from Thursday, June 6 to Sunday, June 9 will bring you artists such as Jane Siberry, Holly McNarland (!), Skydiggers, Amos The Transparent, and Fiftymen among others. To check out the full programming, simply click below.

This Friday, June 7, the Mercury Lounge invites you to an evening of progressive, instrumental music with three groups of local musicians. Progressive chamber folk trio Musk Ox, instrumental innocence band Flying Hórses, and instrumental fingerstyle musician Michael Mucci will be performing live for those who would like to experience a night of music out of the ordinary. 

Also on Friday, June 7 at the Mercury Lounge, the monthly edition of Tropikalo is happening with DJs Zattar, Lance Baptiste and Trevor Walker playing the best in afro/latin/caribbean/ music. If you want to dance the night away this Friday, this is the place to go!  

This Saturday, June 8, Flavor Factory presents the return of the Jack of All Styles breakdancing battle at St. Patrick’s High School. The competition will include two different dance battles: a 2 vs. 2 Breakin’ Battle and a 2 vs. 2 Freestyle Dance Battle. If you’re into street dancing, you should definitely check this out! There will be an after-party at Ritual later that night. 

Also this Saturday, June 8, if you enjoy pop/folk music, be sure to head over to the Mercury Lounge to catch Heidi Happy, an adorable singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Switzerland who’s currently on a mini Canadian tour to promote her latest album On The Hills. Heidi Happy will be performing live alongside opening act Little Sun, a Montreal-based band.

Another event taking place this Saturday, June 8 is Ondaflor. For this edition, DJ D-Mass will release his first EP, The Sound EP, on the Spins & Needles record label. JayBizz LeFresh will be joining D-Mass as per usual for a night of hip-hop, dancehall, juke and dance at The Daily Grind.

Gab Roy, an up and coming comedian from Montreal, will be stopping by Gatineau this Saturday, June 8 as part of his tour of Quebec called Sur la route. If you enjoy live comedy shows, go to Le Troquet in the Old Hull sector of Gatineau to watch Roy’s performance. 

The Urban Craft Market is back for its Summer Edition this Sunday, June 9 at the Glebe Community Centre. This is the perfect place to find vintage items and gourmet goods from over 40 of Ottawa’s hottest hand-crafters. What’s more, the market offers free admission!

As we approach Ottawa Explosion, a full weekend of live performances by local and regional bands, the organizers bring you a pre-Explosion show featuring Chains Of Love, Ketamines and Zebrassieres. If you’re into the latest indie sounds coming out of Vancouver and Toronto check out the show at Pressed Cafe this Sunday, June 9.  

So there you have it, these are my suggestions of events happening in and around Ottawa-Gatineau in the next few days. Hopefully this guide will help you pick out what to attend in the week ahead. Enjoy our eventful capital and stay posted for many more exciting events coming up later in June!

For the youthful and the young at heart, the Ottawa International Children’s Festival is taking place from May 28 to June 2 at LeBreton Flats. The 2013 eiditon of this 6-day annual festival will feature a wide variety of shows, activities, workshops, face-painting, storytelling, an instrument petting zoo and more. This year, with the significantly reduced amount of school groups visiting, it needs your attendance more than ever! Check out the full programming by clicking on the event poster below.

This Wednesday May 29, Daniel Wesley will be performing live at Mavericks as part of his Ontario tour to promote his latest album Ocean Wide. The Vancouver-based reggae/rock singer-songwriter will be giving a show alongside opening acts Toronto reggae/folk artist Dylan Murray and Ottawa latin/groove/rock band Tympanic. 

This Thursday, May 30, Ranking Yout & The Dub Pilots will be performing live at Babylon. Ottawa’s newest dub reggae group, lead by none other than Gary Slim Moore of Slim Moore & The Mar-Kays, will be accompanied by DJ Zattar who’ll provide a afro-latin-caribbean and calypso vibes. 

From May 31 to June 9, the Orpheus Musical Theatre presents the Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel musical at the Centerpointe Theatre. While keeping true to the story, the Orpheus production of Carousel will be a revival, appealing and relevant to a 2013 audience.  For tickets and information, just click on the event poster below.

On Friday, May 31, fans of jungle and drum and bass music will want to head over to the Cock & Lion Pub for Scene 20/20 featuring Toronto DJ Marcus Visionary, one of Canada’s top jungle/dnb producers. Marcus Visionary will be joined by several local drum and bass DJs.  

The May edition of Double Barrel is going down this Friday, May 31 at Mugshots. The all funk, soul, Motown, vintage reggae party will be back outdoors for the summer season starting this Friday with resident DJ Magnificient and special guests. 

In case you hadn’t already noticed, the National Capital Region loves its bicycles. As a result, this Saturday, June 1st, the 2nd edition of Velo Vogue will be held at Kichesippi Brewery to raise money for Cycle Salvation. The bicycle fashion show, showing off models wearing stylish and functional outfits while riding bikes, will also include food, drinks, a silent auction, a raffle, and more. This year’s installment will feature Tour La Nuit, a ride under the stars without any cars for an 18km stroll through the streets of the city. 

Saturday, June 1 marks the outdoors return of Hostylez at Mugshots with DJs Prufrock Shadowrunner and So Nice. The two sound selectors will bring you strictly dancehall, reggae and hip-hop to keep you moving and grooving all night.

Mushroom jazz what? Yes, that’s right, none other than Mark Farina will be stopping by Ritual Nightclub on Saturday,June 1 for noe one but two live DJ sets as part of his Urban Coyotes Tour. The San Francisco-based DJ and producer will be doing a mushroom jazz set in the lounge from 11-12am followed by a house set in the main room alongside Jeff Dougler and Balu and the Trackstars DJ Crew.  

Other noteworthy events that are taking place throughout the National Capital Region this week include the launch of the 11-year anniversary of Barrister’s happening at the Parliament Pub on Tuesday, May 28. Season 11 kicks off with Ottawa veteran DJ Illo.

Swirl & Twirl is back for a 9th edition at the Ottawa City Hall this Thursday, May 30. The wine and beer-tasting fundraiser for Bruce House, The Canadian Tribute to Human Rights, Jer’s Vision and PTS will feature music selected by DJs Chris Murray and Ashley Gauthier.

Also on Thursday, May 30, Montreal-based Fransaskois singer-songwriter Anique Granger will be giving a live performance at Pressed Cafe in an effort to promote her second album Les outils qu’on a, a record tinted with folk roots sounds.

The Capital Slam Finals are going down at the Alumni Auditorium at Ottawa U this Saturday, June 1. On this occasion, 8 poets will go head to head to see who will make the CapSlam Team and who will become Slam Champion. If you’re into spoken word and poetry, be sure to attend this important slam.

Voilà! These are Eventful Capital’s suggestions for the days ahead in our Capital City. Enjoy your week in Ottawa-Gatineau and make sure you check out one of these exciting events!

André M. Bluteau

Coming in to the Mercury Lounge this past Friday night, May 24, I had no real expectations other than to let live music carry me away for the evening. A handful of people gathered at the venue for an intimate show of music with Mike Dubue of the Hilotrons and André M. Bluteau.

Having heard the headliner’s name a few times, I knew that André M. Bluteau was a local alternative folk singer-songwriter, but I hadn’t had the opportunity to see him live until then.

To open the evening, Mike Dubue, founding-member of the local new wave/pop group Hilotrons, gave a stripped-down solo set that turned into a piano/drum duo when halfway through his performance he called Jamie Kronick, drummer with André M. Bluteau, over to accompany him.

Dubue’s setlist included the beautiful song Emergency, followed by the lovely Runaway Heart, Not There Tonight and She Knows My Condition along with a whole lot of random talking about poop (of all things!) that the crowd certainly could’ve done without. The thing with artists is that they’re often very talented, but socially-awkward individuals who sometimes end up talking way too much during their set, and this tends to take away from the overall performance. Just a small observation.

Following Dubue’s opening set, André M. Bluteau immediately came on stage for his performance. For this show, the lead singer-songwriter was joined by musicians Jamie Kronick on drums, Gabrielle Giguere of HerHarbour on soundboard, bells and vocals, Pierre-Luc Clément on bass, and Philippe Charbonneau on stand-up bass.

Bluteau, who admits to being an unsocial person with complete honesty, instantly charmed me with the unique sound of his deep but soft raspy voice. His raw yet humble talent, clearly palpable, delicately resonated within me as I took in this new musical discovery with great pleasure. It was a beautiful performance, and the musicians complemented Bluteau’s presence perfectly.

He opened his set with Paper Bags after which he followed with Green Eyes, Midas Touch/All Our Guns Are Drawn, We’ll All Be The Dogs and You, songs found on his first album Crooked Smiles released in 2010. The introverted Bluteau concluded the hour-set with a solo encore about his family members, to the crowd’s delight.

Despite being a bit short, it was truly the ideal show to attend on a cool rainy night in Ottawa.

To get familiar with André  M. Bluteau, visit his Bandcamp page and take a listen to Crooked Smiles while we await Sons, the singer-songwriter’s anticipated upcoming new release. You can also check it out below.

A blank canvas hung by the windows of the Rainbow Bistro this past Sunday, May 19, inviting attendees of Nationless Nights: Edition Zero to immortalize the night by leaving their mark of love on the white surface.

Organized by Ottawa’s Nationless Minds crew, the inaugural night of music and poetry featured a variety of local artists who gathered under one roof to celebrate community, love, and freedom through the arts.

It was encouraging to see the crowded venue right from the get-go and the great turn-out demonstrates that the tightly-knit Ottawa arts community supports the launch of Nationless Nights in large numbers.

To kick off the night in music, Slim Moore, front-man of Slim Moore and The Mar-Kays and of Ranking Yout and The Dub Pilots, performed a soulful song entitled Sleeper Awake, which set the tone for what was to come. Partly acting as MC, Slim Moore returned to the stage several times throughout the night to either perform or to introduce the next performers.

Candice Bruchhaeuser, a local slam poet, followed Slim Moore’s opening performance with a lovely piece of poetry after which Toronto-based rapper Rosie Monday aka Elle-P, took to the stage with a dynamic set during which she reached out to people with her lyrics, concluding with the strong track United We Stand. Although she was a bit difficult to hear at times, Rosie Monday delivered a powerful performance fittingly in tune with the night’s theme.

V’s poetry came next, intertwining the musical performances with an in-your-face piece proclaiming, namely, her disdain for Fendi and Prada.

Following V’s high-powered piece, Slim Moore returned for the ‘half-time’ show with additional material, this time performing catchy reggae tunes from his new project Ranking Yout and The Dub Pilots.

After Slim Moore’s intermission set, it was The Key Components’s turn to perform for the audience. Comprised of members Aspects Bloclawz and Moun Fou, the acoustic hip-hop duo presented several original tracks along with a couple of cover songs including Aloe Blacc’s I Need A Dollar. Based on the crowd’s response and overall reaction however, The Key Components were not the high point of the first edition of Nationless Nights. Having said this, kudos and cookie points for the effort and stage presence.

Once The Key Components wrapped up their set, Prufrock Shadowrunner, a local spoken word artist, rapper and DJ, took a break from his DJ duties to perform a hilarious poetic piece on douche-bags after which Candace Bruchhaeuser came back on stage with yet another beautiful piece of poetry while Jaguar Priest set up the stage for their performance.

Saving the best for last, Jaguar Priest, by far the highlight of the night, came on stage towards the end of the show. Comprised of rapper Hyf the GypsySun, accoustic guitarist Balam Santos, bassist Salomon Carrillo and percussionist Denis Kashi, the newly-formed Ottawa group opened the door to their sound and invited the attentive audience into a unique world of afro/flamenco/hip-hop music.

Balam Santos alone, the lead guitarist, was simply humbling to watch and listen to as he vigorously strummed the strings of his acoustic guitar, producing beautiful harmonies reminiscent of the graceful touch of Spanish flamenco guitarists. His expressive body language, clearly feeling every note being played, made it an even more engaging performance to watch while Hyf the GypsySun brought his soul on to that stage, delivering a high-energy performance full of passion and dynamism, clearly giving his all to the public.

Jaguar Priest’s overall performance somewhat resembled a ceremonial rite of passage into the world of music inviting audience members to embrace one another for an inspiring night of lyrical unity. It was lively, refreshing, engaging and invigorating all at once and it’s surely only the beginning for this talented group of musicians. There’s no doubt about it, Jaguar Priest made quite an impression.

Towards the end of the show, the white canvas that I’d seen when I arrived at the Rainbow had been filled with inscriptions by community members who understood the importance of capturing the essence of such a great night of artistic freedom.

It’s safe to say that Nationless Nights: Edition Zero has made a name for itself and paved the way for future artistic gatherings of the sort in Ottawa. It’s still unclear when and where the next installment will be, but one thing is certain: it’ll turn you nationless, if only for a moment, a song, or a poem.

To kick things off this Monday, May 20, 106.9 The Bear, Spectrasonic and punkottawa.com present One Bad Son, Eagleson, and The Wicked Mercy live at Cafe Dekcuf. This is sure to be a full night of live rock music performances for those who enjoy these three Canadian rock groups. For more information on this show, just click on the event poster below. 

On Tuesday, May 21, the Rainbow Bistro is hosting a Bob Marley & The Wailers Memorial Party featuring live performances by Jadah Band, Naky B, Blakdenim, and special guests. Bob Marley, who passed away on May 11 1981, will be remembered and celebrated through a variety of tribute performances meant to highlight his legacy.  

On Thursday, May 23, the Up & Up Music Concert Series presents Sound of Lions live at the Mercury Lounge. The Ottawa-based pop/trip-hop group will be performing some new material set to feature on their second studio effort along with songs from their first full-length album. If you haven’t seen Sound of Lions live yet, this is your chance to check them out! 

Also on Thursday, May 23, Ottawa’s own Claude Munson & The Storm Outside will be giving a live performance at Pressed Cafe alongside Delta Will. Claude Munson and his band, characterized by roots/alternative/folk/rock and experimental/ambient sounds, will be joining forces with folk/blues artist Delta Will for a great night of live music. 

There are some new-comers taking over Mugshots this Thursday, May 23 and they have one objective: to make you dance the night away until your legs hurt. They go by the DJ names of Total T and Soul Senga and they bring you Kontrast, a night dedicated to soul, funk, garage and psych. See for yourself!

On Friday, May 24, André M. Bluteau and Mike Dubue of the Hilotrons will be performing live at the Mercury Lounge. André M. Bluteau, a local folk-pop band comprised of five hard-working members, will be presenting songs from their first album Crooked Smiles along with some new material.

On Friday, May 24 and Saturday May 25, the 5th annual One World Awesome Arts Festival is taking place at York Street Public School and at Le Patro Parking Lot.  This unique festival will feature live performances, artwork and videos created by the youth of Lowertown. The goal of the Awesome Arts program is to raise awareness about global issues through the arts. This is a great opportunity to encourage the youth in our community! 

From May 24 to May 26 the Gatineau Beer Fest, better known as the Festibière, will be taking over the Jacques-Cartier Park for its third annual edition. This year, 55 artisans and over 350 beers will be presented to the public. The event will also feature 20 shows and animations and 15 conferences on beer and beer-making. Make sure you check out this event if you’re a beer lover: you certainly won’t regret it! 

On Friday, May 24, Spectrasonic presents The Old Salts and The Richardson Band live at Raw Sugar Cafe. The Ottawa-based Richardson Band will be giving a farewell show while The Old Salts, a Toronto roots/rock group that is here to stay, will offer on-stage support.

Also on Friday, May 24, DNA Presents brings you Dubfire at LS Live for a pre-Escapade music festival event. The house/techno DJ from Washington DC will be giving a live set alongside Shaded and Ryan Labelle.  

For the May edition of Ottawa’s favorite dancehall, reggaeton and hip hop party, Grind goes bananas – literally – as it welcomes the Bananas Caribbean Grill and Take-Out to Babylon Nightclub. In other words, come hungry and ready to dance cause this is sure to be one helluva party! 

Hip-hop heads will be happy to know that Brooklyn, NY heavy-hitters M.O.P. will be performing live at Ritual Nightclub on Sunday, May 26. The world famous rap duo, known for their hits Ante Up and Cold As Ice will be in Ottawa with Wu-Tang’s Bronze Nazareth, beatboxer Scott Jackson, Philly Moves, Aspects and Missing Linx among others. I heard they give a really hype show, so if you don’t know, now you know.

Other events happening this week in Ottawa-Gatineau that are worth mentioning include the Urban Legends Semi-Finals featuring Britta Badour, a Toronto-based poet and spoken word artist. Unlike regular slams, this one will take place on Thursday, May 23 outside of Carleton University’s Patterson Hall weather-permitting otherwise it’ll be relocated in Room 282 of Patterson Hall.

On the Quebec side this week, Motel 72, an emerging americana rock band from the Laurentides will be performing live at Le Troquet in the Old Hull sector of Gatineau on Thursday, May 23.

Those of you who are fans of West Coast hip-hop will be happy to know that Tha Dogg Pound aka DPG will be giving a live performance at Ritual this Thursday, May 23. This will be Tha Dogg Pound’s first Ottawa appearance so be sure to represent our city to the fullest!

On Friday, May 24, Stamina will feature special guest DJ Andy C of the UK, the number one drum & bass DJ in the world, no biggie. This is huge and if you’re into drum & bass you know you ought to be at Ritual for this live set.

The Great Glebe Garage Sale is taking place this Saturday, May 25 in the Glebe neighborhood of Ottawa. The annual community event, which rises in popularity year after year, is happening between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. Pro tip: if you’re hoping to get your hands on a hot-ticket item like a bike or a vintage piece of furniture, you want to be there at the crack of dawn, just sayin.

This coming Sunday, May 26, at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall, check out the Idle Hands Arts, Craft and Vintage Sale. The event, taking place from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, offers a great opportunity to buy quality art, handmade and vintage one of a kind items.

So this is it folks, these are my event suggestions for the days ahead in Ottawa-Gatineau. I hope that you get to enjoy one or two of these exciting events in our wonderful national capital. Please feel free to share your opinions in the comments below if you attend something that you find worth mentioning!

Have a great week!

First off, if you enjoy spoken word and poetry, I encourage you to go out to Pressed Cafe this Tuesday, May 14, for the Ottawa Youth Poetry Slam Finals with a featuring by Greg “Ritallin” Frankson, the co-founder of Ottawa Youth Poetry. If you’d like more info on this event along with any other suggested event just click below.

The weekly Fau Mardi is taking place this Tuesday, May 14 at the Petit Chicago in the Hull sector of Gatineau, just across the bridge from downtown Ottawa. This week will feature funky breakbeats selected by DJs Lakes District, Mr. and resident Phil Beauch.

In conjunction with the Canadian Tulip Festival, DNA Presents brings you Electrik Tulipe, an outdoor event featuring a live DJ set by W&W, a trance duo from the Netherlands. W&W will be joined on stage by Ariyan this Thursday, May 16 at the Ottawa City Hall Plaza.  

On Thursday, May 16, The Jessica Stuart Few will be in Ottawa in an effort to promote the release of their new album Two Sides to Every Story at Pressed Cafe. The Toronto-based folk/jazz trio will be accompanied on stage by Ottawa’s own Three Little Birds.

Bay Area legend Andre Nickatina will be stopping by Ottawa this Thursday, May 16 on the occasion of the Nickatina Experience Tour. The San Francisco rapper, previously known as Dre Dog, will be performing live at Ritual alongside guest Roach Gigz.

Hip Hop Karaoke Ottawa is now on Fridays and the May edition is happening this Friday, May 17 at Mugshots Courtyard. As of now, the monthly event will be back outdoors for the summer season with your regular hosts DJ So Nice and Atherton. If you’d like to sign-up to perform or if you simply want more info, click on the banner below and check out Eventful Capital’s Special Feature on the monthly night.

House music lovers will want to head over to the Mercury Lounge on Friday, May 17 to check out special guest DJ Jason Hodges. The Canadian-born DJ will be doing a live set full of hard-hitting beats with deep grooves to make sure you dance up a storm from the moment you step in the door.

The Queer Mafia presents Offbeat this Saturday, May 18 at Babylon. Offbeat, Ottawa’s newest gay dance party will feature special guest DJ Pat Scott from Atlanta. There will also be visuals and a photobooth courtesy of BustedLimb.  

Wether or not you work on Monday, you may want to check out the live performance by Rock Snake at Babylon Nightclub . The 70s rock cover band from Ottawa will be doing a 90-minute set as part of Mod Club. After the show, the regular Mod Club night will follow with DJs Emmett and Gaz.

Also on Sunday, May 19, Missing Linx and the Nationless Minds Crew invite you to Nationless Nights: Edition Zero at the Rainbow Bistro. The lineup for the night will include Slim Moore of Slim Moore and The Mar-Kays, Jaguar Priest, The Key Components along with special performances by Candice Bruchhaeuser, Elle-P and DJ Shadowrunner on the decks.

For the poster alone, a painting by Ottawa artist Jennie Lynn MacDonald, I decided to include the Manx Pub’s lineup for Manx Music: May to give you an idea of what this beloved  neighborhood pub has to offer with respect to weekly live music. Every Sunday and Monday night, Manx Music has something different for you. Check out the May offerings below!  

Other noteworthy events happening this week in the Capital City include a live performance by SOA Jazz at the Mercury Lounge on Thursday, May 16. The trio, comprised of singer Chrystelle Maechler, pianist Eric St-Jean and percussionist Moïse Yawo Matey, will be in Ottawa to promote their EP A New Life.

For those of you who like R&B, you should check out Silk on Saturday, May 18 at the Raw Sugar Cafe. I8A4RE, Eric Roberts and Matt Tamblyn will be playing the best R&B anthems from the 1990s to today.

If you have a penchant for contemporary visual arts, the 5th edition of Chinatown Remixed is kicking off this Saturday, May 18 and running for a full month at various locations along Somerset Street West. This annual celebration of art highlights an eclectic group of local artists in an array of neighborhood settings. 

On the Quebec side, local band Les Mosquitos will be performing live at the Petit Chicago this Saturday, May 18. The reggae/ska/ ragga group from Aylmer will be giving a show in an effort to promote their latest album Chasing the Dragon. 

Also this Saturday, May 18 at the Blacksheep Inn in Wakefield, The Split will be debuting their project presenting the launch of the region’s newest neo soul band. Don’t miss this if you’re a fan of soul music.

So there you have it Ottawa-Gatineau! I hope you find something fun in these suggestions that makes you want to go out to see a show and try something different. Enjoy your week in our eventful national capital!