End April in the National Capital With StillNative, Northern Scene, Peanut Butter Wolf and Double Barrel

This upcoming week in the National Capital is so rich in events that it’ll certainly be hard to choose what to attend and what to miss out on. It’s not only rich in numbers, but also in variety!

To kick things off in music, the Up & Up Concert Series presents StillNative live at the Mercury Lounge. The Ottawa rock duo, made up of members Patrick Steele and Max Savage, will be performing some new material along with tunes found on their self-titled debut album. For detais on this show, click on the poster below.

Starting this Thursday, April 25 and taking place until May 4 is Northern Scene, a festival celebrating Canada’s northern culture, presented by the National Arts Centre. The 10-day celebration will feature 50 events with 250 artists spanning from the theatre, danse, film, music, food, fashion and visual arts fields. For the full programming and festival details, just click on the below poster.    

This Friday night, April 26, art enthusiasts will want to check out Swarm, a gallery crawl across the National Capital which presents 145 artists and 15 exhibitions. Organized by the National Arts Centre, the free event includes a fashion show and music performances at the NAC and will conclude with an after-party at Club SAW. You can grab more info, by clicking on the event poster below.

On Friday, April 26, World Famous Music presents John Carroll & The Epic Proportions live at the Blacksheep Inn in Wakefield. The singer-songwriter and his band, whose musical style mixes influences of blues, folk, roots and rock, will be joined on stage by special guest Ken Voita. For details and ticket information, simply click on the event poster below. 

Also this Friday, April 26, Stones Throw Records founder Peanut Butter Wolf of LA will be doing a rare live VJ set at Ritual alongside special guest Homeboy Sandman. To grab everything you need to know on this event, just click on the below poster. 

Les vendredis complètement malades present Retour vers le futur this Friday, April 26 at the Petit Chicago in the Old Hull sector of Gatineau. DJs Manalogue, Grumpy B, Julien Racine and VJ Bourgatron invite you to help raise funds for Parkinson research during a futuristic retro night of music. If you’d like to know more on this event, just click on the poster.  

This Friday, April 26, DJ Magnificient invites you to a special April edition of Double Barrel with invited guest The Gaff. The Saskatoon-based DJ, currently on a North American tour, will be making his Ottawa debut with an all-45s set featuring the best in Funk, Soul, Motown, and Vintage Reggae. For details, simply click the event poster below.

On Saturday, April 27, bboys and bgirls across the National Capital Region will surely gather at McNabb Recreation Centre for the Keep Rockin’ Vol. 2 breakdance battles. The event, presented by Icanbboy, will feature 3 on 3 battles and 1 on 1 toprock battles with crews from Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal and beats by DJ Zattar. Following the battles, there will be an after party at Fall Down Gallery. If this is an event for you, click on the poster below to grab more info. 

Also on Saturday, April 27, Madamme SweetPea presents Striphop, an Evening of Burlesque Hip Hop Fusion at Babylon Nightclub. The event, taking place before the monthly edition of Grind, will feature Jesse Dangerously, electropop sweethearts Billz & Woo, Rockalily Burlesque and more. 

If you’re into calypso and roots reggae, I encourage you to head over to Ritual this Saturday, April 27 for the Kobo Town Album Release Show. Toronto-based group Kobo Town, who’ll be launching their new album Jumbie in the Jukebox, will be performing live in Ottawa to promote their latest studio effort. For ticket information and details, just click on the event poster below.

Other noteworthy events happening this week include Firebelly live at the Brasseurs du Temps  this Monday, April 22. The up and coming modern blues group from the Outaouais region will be performing as of 7:30 pm.

With respect to the spoken word poetry scene, the Urban Legends Poetry Slam will take place this Friday, April 26 at 7:15 pm at the Architecture Building at Carleton University. This edition of the poetry slam will feature Ottawa spoken word artist John Akpata and will be hosted by ArRay-Of-Words.

Another big event for the spoken word scene is Capital Slam featuring OpenSecret  this Saturday, April 27. The slam, which will take place at the Mercury Lounge, will present a special feature with Ikenna Onyegbula aka OpenSecret, the Champion of this year’s Canadian Individual Slam Competition and a personal favorite of mine and many.

Venezuelan-born international visual artist Juan Carlos Noria, also known as Dixon will present an exhibiton of paintings entitled Damaged Goods at Fall Down Gallery as part of the venue’s two-year anniversary party. The event will feature some of Dixon’s latest work along with beats by DJ Acro.

So this wraps up my suggestions of exciting events for the days ahead. Here’s to hoping you find something fun to do this week and that you enjoy the end of April in Canada’s National Capital.

Event Review: Ariane Moffatt Woos Ottawa-Gatineau With Her Latest Show

Ariane Moffatt © photo courtesy of Philippe Rezzonico

Ariane Moffatt will never call Ottawa boring again thanks to the warm welcome that she received from her fans from the National Capital Region who gathered at the Theatre of the National Arts Centre on Thursday, April 18, to see the popular francophone singer-songwriter perform live.

Ariane Moffatt performed in front of a sold-out crowd who was visibly thrilled to have her back in the area after her last performance in the region which dated back to March 2012, when she gave a concert at the Canadian Museum of Civilization as part of the MA Tour.

Fanny Bloom, better known for her contribution to the now-defunct electro-pop trio La Patère Rose, took care of the opening set during which she introduced songs from her debut solo album Apprentie Guerrière released in 2012. It was a short but sweet set at the piano allowing the public to discover Fanny Bloom’s latest project.

A short intermission followed the opening act, after which the main portion of the night unfolded. Ariane Moffatt, who recently finished filming the French-version of the popular television show The Voice, was joined on stage by her excellent musicians, who all share a nice complicity with the singer-songwriter.

As with every performance, she was vibrant, energetic and in great shape, often speaking with the crowd as if everyone was a childhood friend. Since the show was meant to promote her latest album MA, Ari, as her friends call her, sang most of the songs from her fourth studio effort.

The set list featured a nice variety of songs from all four of her albums, including Walls of the World, In Your Body, Hotel Amour, Mon Corps, Too Late, and Sourire sincère from MA, La fille de l’iceberg from Tous les sens, Imparfait and Le coeur dans la tête from Le coeur dans la tête, and Poussière d’ange from Aquanaute that she performed solo on the piano.

Ariane also performed a beautiful cover of Kate Bush’s song Running Up That Hill, which the public surely enjoyed based on the crowd’s reaction and cheers.   

Pleased with the crowd’s response, she concluded with not one but two encores, performing the songs Je veux tout, Montréal, Will You Follow Me and Point de mire to the public’s greatest delight. It’s safe to say that Ariane Moffatt’s latest show wooed her Ottawa-Gatineau fans who cheered throughout most of the performance. Ariane promised to be back in the near future to everyone’s delight.    

Discover Ariane Moffatt and listen to the singer-songwriter’s music via her official website site.

You can also check out the video for Too Late below

Event Review: La Cavale Delights Gatineau With a Brand New Show

Antoni Gilbert of La Cavale © photo courtesy of O-Zone Productions

It certainly isn’t easy to gain recognition when you are an emerging band getting started in the music industry. This being said, the challenge hasn’t stopped La Cavale from growing and spreading its francophone folk music across the province of Quebec.

La Cavale, a francophone folk music project launched in the Outaouais region a little over two years ago, is lead by Antoni Gilbert, a hard-working singer-songwriter who sings, plays the ukulele, the piano and the harmonica all during one show. Antoni is accompanied by violonist William Lamoureux, drummer Mathieu Péloquin, acoustic guitarist Alain Barbeau, and bassist Nicolas Crisafi and together they form La Cavale.

After performing their first show ever at the Petit Chicago two years ago, La Cavale returned to the Gatineau venue this past Wednesday, April 17 equipped with a debut album, unreleased material and an all-new show, which clearly delighted the crowd of people that had gathered to see the local group perform live.

Opening for La Cavale was Bastien Vaultier, a singer-songwriter originally from La Rochelle in France who’s been working out of Gatineau and Montreal for some time now. Vaultier’s musical style blends pop, funk, folk, soul and blues accompanied by light-hearted lyrics and a beautiful voice, which combined, bring the listener on a joyful musical journey between France and Quebec. Bastien Vaultier was joined on stage by an acoustic guitarist, a drummer, a guitarist and bassist, musicians who were great additions to the live performance. The 30-minute set list included Chemin de traverse, Les princesses de La Rochelle, A quoi ca sert d’être malheureux, and closing song La nuit noire. Bastien Vaultier’s refreshing performance was the perfect opener for what would follow.

La Cavale took to the stage shortly after 10:00 pm, visibly happy to be back at the Petit Chicago after a two-year absence. Encouraged by the crowd’s enthusiasm, La Cavale delivered a refreshing performance, which clearly showed the progress and experience that the group gained over the past year. A confident and comfortable Antoni kicked things off with Les affranchis followed by La fille de la maison de thé, and L’Homme debout qui observait le ciel, a song that won a poetry contest with Impératif Français, an organization which promotes the French language and culture.

The group continued with L’Emile, a crowd favorite found on the album Le coureur des voix that talks about the love of a father for his son. They carried on with Le balcon des cerisiers, a song that speaks about grieving a sudden death. From one tune to the next, La Cavale sings about life and death, about loving and grieving, and the hardships of mental health (5e étage), subjects that are part of the group’s growing repertoire. It’s impossible to talk about La Cavale without mentioning the poetic texts found at the heart of each composition. A true poet and storyteller, Antoni writes evocative songs and knows how to captivate his audience with beautiful lyrics that depict intricate visual imagery and stories.

During the second half of the show, La Cavale performed Le bal de Pampelune, a beautiful valse on which the violin has a strong presence, also found on Le coureur des voix. Then, seemingly out of no where, Antoni invited on stage special guest Mathieu Gagnon, a talented harmonica player part of the local group Firebelly, who played his instrument during a super fun blues satire song on French protests about same-sex marriage.

La Cavale ended their one-hour set with L’ancre qu’il nous faudra jeter and concluded with A l’ombre du rêve d’hier soir during which Antoni introduced his musicians and thanked the crowd for their presence and ongoing support. Despite the audience’s cheers and applause however, La Cavale didn’t come back for an encore, to the disappointment of many, something they should’ve done for their fans. Regardless, the group delivered a professional and entertaining performance during which the musicians were in great control of their instruments and demonstrated a strong stage presence.

After a successful show at the Petit Chicago in Gatineau, the group now embarks on a tour of Quebec to be discovered by new fans and to spread their sounds across the four corners of the francophone music scene. If things keep looking up for La Cavale, Antoni and his musicians have a promising career ahead of them.

Get to know La Cavale by checking out their  BandCamp page  and listen to Le coureur des voix to become familiar with the group’s music.

Mid-April in the Capital City: From Swollen Members and Bonobo to One More Time: A Daft Punk Tribute

If you thought last week was packed with exciting events happening in and around the National Capital Region, wait until you read the list of events that I’ve prepared for you for the next seven days. It’s safe to say that once again, the week ahead has something fun in store for everyone in Ottawa-Gatineau.

This Monday, April 15, fans of underground hip hop will be happy to know that the Swollen Members will perform live at  Ritual Nightclub. The Vancouver-based rappers will be giving an all-ages show in Canada’s Capital City alongside CityReal and Buck n’ Nice. To get more information on this event, just click on the image below.

On Wednesday, April 17, Gatineau folk group La Cavale returns to the Petit Chicago in the city’s Old-Hull sector to give a live performance after a two-year absence. Presenting new songs and unreleased material, La Cavale will be accompanied by opening act Bastien Vaultier. For details, click on the event poster below. 

Also on Wednesday, April 17, Bonobo will be doing a live DJ set in Ottawa as part of the North Borders Tour. The British DJ and Producer, initially scheduled to perform at Babylon, will now be doing his set next doors at Barrymore’s due to overwhelming demand. If you want to know more on this event, click on the poster below. 

This Thursday, April 18, Kapacity Entertainment presents Sean Price aka Sean P of Bootcamp Click and Duckdown Records live at Ritual. The Brooklyn rapper will be performing live in Ottawa alongside DJ PF Cuttin’ and special guests Fortunato, Mic Boogie, Brokenbridge and more. For event details, just click on the below poster. 

The April edition of Hip Hop Karaoke Ottawa is happening this Thursday, April 18 at Babylon. As of May, the monthly event will be moving back outdoors to Mugshots for the summer season. If you’d like to sign-up to perform or if you simply want more info, click on the banner below.

Those of you who enjoy Electronic Dance Music will be glad to know that Congorock will throw a live set at the JunXion Public House alongside Clockwork as part of the April 18 special edition of Wild Things Thursdays. The Italian EDM DJ and Producer, whose debut album will be released this Spring, will be supported by NYC-based DJ Clockwork. You can grab more info by clicking on the event poster below.   

With respect to the local artistic scene, host Brandon Wint invites you to attend the april edition of the Artistic Showcase this Friday, April 19 at Pressed Cafe. The evening of artistic expression will feature music and poetry by Amanda Cottreau, Ali Alikhani, Hyfidelik the Gypsy Sun, Balam Santos and Amai Kuda. To obtain more info, simply click on the event poster below.   

Special guest DJ Quantic of of Tru Thoughts will be doing a live set a the Mercury Lounge this Friday, April 19. The British-Colombian DJ and Producer known for his important contributions to the international alternative dance music scene, will be laying down dancefloor tunes alongside resident DJs Lance Baptiste, Ray Ray and Balu. If you’d like more info on this event, you can get some by clicking on the poster below.

Daft Punk fans will surely head over to LS Live this Friday, April 19 for One More Time: A Tribute to Daft Punk. The first and only realistic tribute of their kind, Daft Punk Tribute recreates a one hour 15 minute set of Daft Punk classic anthems complete with a full scale pyramid stage. For everything you need to know, click on the event poster below.   

Fool’s Gold Records founder Nick Catchdubs will be stopping by Babylon this Friday, April 19 for a live DJ Set. The Brooklyn DJ and Producer will be dropping heavy sounds alongside Iggy Smalls, Gregular, I8A4RE, and Matt Tamblyn. Catch more info by clicking on the event poster below.

On Saturday, April 20, World Famous Music presents Rankin Yout & the Dub Pilots, Ottawa’s newest dub reggae project, live at Ritual. Featuring vocalist and frontman Ranking Yout (aka Gary ‘Slim’ Moore’) of Slim Moore & the Mar-Kays, the group will be supported by DJ Zattar who’ll be providing the beats and warming up the crowd. For more info, you can click on the event poster below. 

Other noteworthy events happening this week include Anberlin, Paper Route, Make Do and Mend live at Ritual on Wednesday, April 17. For those unfamiliar with the bands, the live show will feature a mix of alternative rock, punk rock and electro pop music.

The Mercury Lounge invites you to the launch of Night One this Thursday, April 18, a collaboration between Fau Mardi and BSK which brings a night of live electronic sounds, visuals and installations by Ottawa and Montreal-based artists. The event will feature performances by Noir, Your Best friend John Jacob, Grumpantic, and André & Michele with visuals by Matt Cameron, Sasha V.

On Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20, Victoire boutique invites you To The Nines: A Vintage Dress Event. This is a rare occasion to get your hands on unique one-of-a-kind vintage dresses for the summer season. The sale will include vintage bridal gowns and bathing suits as well.

For those who like R&B, you may want check out Silk on Saturday, April 20 at the Raw Sugar Cafe. I8A4RE, Eric Roberts and Matt Tamblyn will be playing the best R&B anthems from the 90s to today.

So there you have it Ottawa-Gatineau, these are my suggestions of events for the upcoming days. Keep in mind that this is just a glimpse of what’s happening out there! I hope you enjoy your week wether you’re in Ottawa or the Gatineau area and that you have the opportunity to attend some of the fun events taking place in the days ahead in our eventful National Capital.

Event Review: VioleTT Pi Makes a Colourful Gatineau Debut

VioleTT Pi, comprised of lead vocalist and guitarist Karl Gagnon, bassist Éric Auclair, drummer Maxime Drouin, and guitarist and sampler Sylvain Deschamps made their Gatineau debut this past Saturday, April 13, with a live performance at the Petit Chicago meant to promote their first full-length album titled eV.

A confusion of alternative rock, mixed with electroclash, pop, and punk with undertones of grunge: this is how one could attempt to describe the sounds of VioleTT Pi, an emerging francophone band originating from Granby lead by frontman Karl Gagnon. Then again, attempting to describe VioleTT Pi’s musical style is a challenge of its own since there is apparently no such thing as being definable in Karl Gagnon’s world. A world in which the listener is asked to enter without prejudices and with an open-mind capable of absorbing the colourful and sometimes macabre visual imagery painted by the lyrics.

Without an opening act, VioleTT Pi performed two sets to a decent crowd of 40 to 50 people gathered at the Old Hull venue to discover the intriguing character live. Donning a Korn t-shirt, flowery Adidas track pants, huge glasses and a ninja turtle cap, the 25-year old francophone singer-songwriter gave out great energy and projected a flexible voice which moved from whispers and metal gore screams to high-pitched tones.

At times cannibalistic and somewhat depressive, the lyrics can be borderline creepy for some, seemingly thrown together without much thought, but with lots of word play, sexual tension and emotional turmoil spread throughout. That being said, the ever-changing rhythms and musicality behind each song evoke liveliness and carefully thought out compositions. Although the upbeat sounds inevitably make you tap your feet, the lyrics leave you wondering what goes on in the mind of VioleTT Pi. The setlist included the tracks Petit Singe Robot, Pogo, Princesse carnivore, Jeffrey Dahmer au musée d’art contemporain, Black Velvet, Bulbe, La pluie du dragon and Fleur de Londres for which a video was released.

Although unpredictable and a bit hard to follow, VioleTT Pi gave an entertaining performance true to his undefinable image, concluding with a dance solo signed Karl Gagnon, who was clearly amused by his own little routine. The musicians were consistently solid from start to finish and elevated the show thanks to their respective talent.

VioleTT Pi’s eccentric personality may be too much to take in for some, but it’s clearly part of the character and desired image projected by Karl Gagnon. To help focus on the sounds rather than the person, it’s safe to say there could be less blabber to let the music speak for itself. Let’s just say VioleTT Pi sounds better on record, than he does live at this point.

To discover VioleTT Pi, take a look at the group’s official BandCamp page and give eV a listen. You can also check out the video for Fleur de Londres below.

Event Review: Pac Div Brings the Cali Vibe to Ottawa

Pac Div in Their Natural Environment – Photo courtesy of Stephanie Meiling

LA-based hip hop trio Pacific Division, better known as Pac Div, brought their Cali vibe to Ottawa this past Sunday night with a live show at Ritual that left many wanting more.

BeYoung, Like and Miggs performed a short set in Canada’s National Capital as part of the Light the Night Tour, which is taking the LA boys across North America in an effort to promote their latest album GMB.

Opening for Pac Div were The Antiheroes, Gabriel Royal, Johnny Polygon and apparently After The Smoke who, unfortunately, was no where to be found despite being on the bill.

The Antiheroes, a hip hop duo from Toronto comprised of Flex and Sha Prince, kicked things off with a few tracks from their Modern Day Riot project.

They soon made way for Gabriel Royal and Johnny Polygon, who warmed up the crowd before Pac Div took the stage. Gabriel Royal, a musician and songwriter from Oklahoma currently residing in New York, opened the set with a beautiful song that he sang while playing the cello. Johnny Polygon, also hailing from Oklahoma and currently residing in LA, soon joined him on stage and rapped and sang alongside Royal’s cello. The unexpected combination of their sounds made for a great on-stage collaboration. Both artists gave a good performance and the crowd definitely enjoyed the music as it was clear that some of the audience was already familiar with Polygon. The tunes performed were off of Polygon’s new album The Nothing and included Lovesick, Landscapes, and Super No Lye. 

After the opening acts did their thing, Pac Div wasted no time and got right down to business with Intro, the first track off of GMB, their newest album. The members of Pac Div all have great stage presence and they’re extremely lively and laid-back dudes.  They certainly don’t take themselves seriously as they goof off with one another and with the crowd, making everyone around at ease. Miggs, who’s clearly the most rowdy, jumped down from the stage and into the crowd a couple of times, wilding out with the fans left and right, which kicked the energy up a notch and made the performance all that much better. To the crowd’s delight, Pac Div performed fan favorite Anti-Freeze immediately followed by Posted along with Shut Up and Mayor among others.

Even after the show, the boys hung out at the merchandise table and were super accessible, talking to fans and taking photos with anyone who asked. They stuck around Ritual to dance, drink and mingle, which doesn’t often happen with artists, especially after a show.

Although the performance lasted a bit less than an hour, Pac Div delivered a solid set and confirmed that they have a loyal fan base in Canada’s National Capital Region.

If you’re into underground hip hop and don’t know Pac Div, get familiar by visiting their official website.

You can also check out the video for Mayor below.

 

April in the National Capital City: From Cormega and Flosstradamus to Joey Bada$$ and Oliver Tuku Mtukudzi

I don’t know about you, but I’m barely catching my breath from how busy last week was that another load of events is being delivered in our National Capital City just in time for the start of April.

As per usual, my selection of events for the coming days mostly highlights music shows, but also includes spoken word and an album release. Ottawa’s been particularly good with hip hop lately and this week is no exception.

To kick things off in music, fans of Waka Flocka Flame will be happy to know that the Atlanta rapper is performing live at Ritual Nightclub this Monday, April 1 as part of the Do Right U Gain Success Canadian Tour. This is no April Fools. Grab more info by clicking on the poster below.

On Wednesday, April 3, Far West Productions and Kapacity Entertainement present none other than Cormega and Large Professor, two legends of American hip hop culture. The two rappers, who teamed up for a mini-tour of Eastern Canada, will be performing live at Ritual alongside Leaving for LA, Pusha Wood and Philly Moves. To get details on this event, just click below.  

If you’re into trap music, Flosstradamus will be doing a live set at Babylon as part of the Underground Nights Tour this Wednesday, April 3. The Mad Decent/Fool’s Gold DJ duo from Chicago will be accompanied by Iggy Smalls and DJ Spinz. If you plan on attending, I warn you: dress light because it’s going to get sweaty. For more info, click on the event poster below. 

On Thursday, April 4th Cafe Dekcuf is hosting the Out of Control EP Release Show as of 8:30 pm. The Ottawa rock band will be playing alongside Harea Band and Monday I Retire, both also from the National Capital. This is the perfect opportunity to discover emerging local music at its finest. If you’d like additional information, click on the event poster.  

Also on Thursday, April 4, the Mercury Lounge presents Evandro Gracelli live alongside opening band Congas On Candomblé. The Brazilian musician will be performing in Ottawa with percussionists Emilio Martins and Angel Araos and bassist Marc Decho. Grab everything you need to know by clicking on the poster below.   

If you’re into spoken word and want to support a good cause, head over to Babylon this Thursday, April 4 for Good Vibes, a night of poetry, music and fun times. The event will featuring performances by Juice, Lay-D Shelz, Jerushah, Just Jamaal, Sense Say along with music provided by DJ Alive. Details are available by clicking on the event poster.

Fans of underground rap will agree that this Saturday, April 6 is guaranteed to be a big night for hip hop music in Ottawa. This is due to the fact that up and coming artist Joey Bada$$ will be performing live at Ritual alongside Pro Era as part of the Beastcoastal Tour. The Pro Era boys will be joined by opening acts Flatbush Zombies and The Underachievers. For event details, click on the poster below.

To finish off the week with some World Music, catch Oliver Tuku Mtukudzi live at Ritual thanks to World Famous Music with an acoustic solo set by Ottawa-based singer-songwriter Mighty Popo to open the show. Zimbabwean music icon Oliver Tuku Mtukudzi will be performing in Canada’s National Capital alongside The Black Spirits. Details on this event are available by clicking below.

Other noteworthy events happening this week include Tropikalo on Friday, April 5, which is launching at its new relocated venue. The monthly event, now at the Mercury Lounge, features a mix of afro/latin/carribbean/tropical sounds provided by DJ Zattar, Trevor Walker and Lance Baptiste.

The monthly edition of Frenzy is also taking place at Babylon this Friday, April 5 with special guest Grandtheft, one of Canada’s most toured DJs. The event will include Ottawa DJs Iggy Smalls and Foster.

For those who like Electronic Dance Music, you may want to go see Carlo Lio live at Era on Saturday, April 6 as part of the Privé series. The Toronto DJ will be doing a live set at Era alongside resident Ryan Labelle.

Here you go Ottawa-Gatineau, these are my suggestions of events for the upcoming days. Keep in mind that this is just a glimpse of what’s happening out there! I hope you enjoy your week wether you’re in Ottawa or the Gatineau area and that you have the opportunity to attend some of the fun events taking place in the days ahead in our eventful National Capital.

Event Review: Teen Daze Live at the Mercury Lounge

Vancouver-based DJ/Producer Teen Daze was in Ottawa this past Friday, March 29 on the occasion of a mini-tour of Eastern Canada that is taking him to Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto.

Around 40 to 50 people gathered at the Mercury Lounge on Good Friday to catch the artist for a live  DJ set.

True to the Ottawa scene, doors opened at 8:30 pm and the show was set to start at 9:30 pm, but since so little people had arrived at that time, Teen Daze waited until 10:00 pm to begin his set as there were no special guests opening for him despite what the event poster indicated.

Teen Daze started with more mellow and ambient sounds and he gradually picked up the tempo with composed and well-arranged tunes as people progressively gathered onto the dance floor. He played tracks from All of Us, Together along with newer ones from The Inner Mansions among others.

Unfortunately, as it can often happen with technology, the music was cut off three times throughout the set and wether this was a problem from the venue’s side or from Teen Daze himself, it didn’t tamper too much with the crowd’s mood who seemed to enjoy what they were hearing.

Although he regularly uses a microphone during his live performances to project vocals that overlay some of the tracks, Teen Daze didn’t do so this time around as it was solely a DJ set. Having said this, something was missing from the overall look and feel, perhaps it was a visual component that would’ve projected the music’s emotion onto a screen as if to spill the artist’s soul on a canvass for our eyes and hearts to absorb. This could’ve potentially driven the audience closer to the music during the performance, both physically and emotionally. Thankfully, the Mercury Lounge’s in-house lights, lazers and smoke machine helped create the ambiance.

Granted, whether instrumental or vocal, his music is certainly not for everyone and caters to a precise niche audience, one that enjoys meditative, sometimes contemplative chillwave sounds that allow you to drift off into other realms of consciousness. It’s music that makes you want to move while immersing you into a dream-like world of beautifully arranged sounds.

Despite the lack of live vocals, visuals and repeated technical difficulties, the Ottawa crowd embraced the chillwave tunes played by Teen Daze and had fun throughout the set as they danced the night away.

If you’re into ambient/lo-fi/electro-pop/dance sounds, then be sure to check out Teen Daze’s music via the artist’s bandcamp.

End March in the National Capital with Masta Ace, Spirit Tracks, Teen Daze and Double Barrel

There are only a few days left in March, and although it’s been a good month in Ottawa-Gatineau, it’s also been a bit rough since Winter is lingering and very slowly making way for Spring.

With the end of March comes an early Easter Break, and as we’ve come to realize, long weekends usually equal numerous exciting events to choose from. So if you’re sticking around the National Capital Region this weekend, you’ll be happy to know that there is no shortage of shows and fun events happening.

For example, this Tuesday, March 26, Kisagiyan is taking place at Pressed Cafe as of 7pm. Kisagiyan, which means love in Algonquin, presents an eclectic evening of spoken word poetry, flamenco guitar, aboriginal songs, theatre performance and more. The event will feature artistic performances by Moe Clark, Balam Santos, Naomi Athena, Jeremy Sills and Jacqui Du Toit. If you’d like more information click on the poster below.

Also on Tuesday, March 26, Fau Mardi is taking over the Petit Chicago for a FREE night of electronic music and visuals. This week’s event will feature Andre et Michele, a collaboration between Singer/Songwriter Michael Glenwright and DJ/Producer Andrew O’Malley. Combining an array of instruments, from retro synth sounds and club beats to soaring melodic guitars, Andre et Michele weave together real-time improvised soundscapes using live performance looping. Fau Mardi will also include Guillaume Nolin and residents Phil Beauch and Sacha Vreca. For more info, just click below. 

This Wednesday, March 27, DNA Presents and TheKnwldg.com bring you the Execution Tour featuring Excision of Rottun Records alongside special guests Paper Diamond and Vaski live at LS Live. The Execution Tour is described as a new submersion into bass music accompanied by an intense audiovisual experience that will completely blow you away. For details on this event, click on the below poster.

On Thursday, March 28, the Mercury Lounge presents Bombay Records Sessions WMC Closing Party with special guest DJ Awaaz of Bombay Records. DJ Awaaz, known for his musical style mixing Tropical, House,  Afro, Soul, Deep Disco sounds will be spinning live alongside resident DJ Lance Baptiste. Grab details by clicking on the wildly beautiufl event poster below.

Also on Thursday, March 28, on the hip hop side of things, Masta Ace will be performing live at Ritual Nightclub as part of the Son of Yvonne Canada Tour. This hip hop pioneer from Brooklyn will be joined on stage by Wordsworth, Stricklin, The Bundies and Canadian artists Citizen Kane, Grindhouse Project and Ill Tone & The Kids.  For more info, click on the event poster below. 

Over on the Quebec side, Les vendredis complètements malades present Party de Perruques at the Petit Chicago, a fundraising event to raise for Cancer research. The organizers encourage you to bring your wig to dance the night away to the sounds of DJs Jas Nasty and Grumpy B, all for a good cause. If you would like additional information, simply click on the event poster. 

Also on Friday, March 29, Artengine and the Electric Fields Festival present Spirit Tracks: a special twist on the Electric Pow Wow with A Tribe Called Red, Cris Derksen, Rhonda Doxator, and Lorenzo. The unique event, taking place at St. Brigid’s Centre for the Arts  will premier a new collaboration between aboriginal artists from across the country and re-organize the dance floor in a special location, rich with its own spatial history. For everything you need to know, click on the event poster below. 

Also on Friday, March 29, Vancouver-based DJ/Producer Teen Daze will be doing a live set at Mercury Lounge thanks to a collaboration between IndieMontreal, CHUO FM and the venue. Teen Daze, known for his ambient/dance/electronic/lo-fi/pop sounds will be stopping by the National Capital to promote his second full-length album The Inner Mansions. If you would like to know more on this event, click on the poster below.

If you’re looking for something more vintage, head over to Mugshots this Friday for Double Barrel, Ottawa’s only night of soul, funk, retro reggae and motown strictly played from 45s. The March edition of Double Barrel will feature special guest DJ Eric Roberts of Timekode.  Grab details by clicking below. 

This Saturday, Mach 30, World Famous Music presents Boogat live at Ritual Nightclub. The Montreal-based artist characterized by his unique take on latin hip hop will be performing live in Ottawa in an effort to promote his latest album entitled El Dorado Sunset. Boogat will be accompanied by opening acts Missing Linx of Ottawa and DJ Nom de Plume of Radio Radio. For details, click on the poster below. 

If you’re looking for a great place to go dancing on Sunday night, look no further than the Mercury Lounge for the Afro Beat party with a live performance by special guests the Berekete Afrobeat Band.  Afrobeat, which is a mix of jazz, funk, psychedelic rock and African rhythms, is guaranteed to make you move your feet. If you want to know more, just click below on the event poster.

Other noteworthy events happening this week include the Journey of Nishiyuu that Ottawa will be welcoming this Monday around noon. This is a group of originally six courageous Cree teens under the age of 20 accompanied by a very wise guide who walked from Whapmagoostui in Northern Quebec to their final destination of Canada’s National Capital. Many others have been joining them along the way from Cree & Algonquin communities on their path. The youth are essentially partaking in this walk to raise awareness regarding pressing First Nations issues and parallel to the Idle No More movement. Find out more information on their arrival and get involved in the celebrations being organized to welcome them to Ottawa.

If you like to support local artists, check out Jazz and Poetry at Pressed Cafe this Saturday, March 30.  This event will feature young jazz vocalist Renee Yoxon and guitarist Mark Ferguson along with spoken word artist Brandon Wint who will deliver a performance of original poetry.

Another event worth mentioning this week for the hip hop heads out there is Pac Div live in concert at Ritual Nightclub on Sunday, March 31. The trio originating from Southern California will be performing in Ottawa for the first time in an effort to promote their latest album entitled GMB. Pac Div will be accompanied by After The Smoke and Johnny Polygon.

So there you have it, these are my suggestions of events for the upcoming days. I hope you enjoy your week wether you’re in Ottawa or the Gatineau area and that you have the opportunity to attend some of the exciting events happening in the days ahead in our eventful National Capital.

Mid-March in Ottawa-Gatineau: From Action Bronson to Florquestra and Maseo

As we head into the final stretch before Spring officially arrives in the National Capital, you may be running out of patience when it comes to Winter and its cold white partner-in-crime. That being said, rest assured that there is no shortage of events happening this week and that there are plenty of fun things to do to beat the winter blues.

First off, hip hop heads will be happy to know that Action Bronson will be stopping by Barrymore’s Music Hall this Wednesday, March 20. The Queens rapper often compared to Ghostface Killah, will be performing live alongside TFHouse, Young N Restless, City Fidelia, Slightly Famous, and Black Jesus, For tickets and information, simply click on the poster below.  

On Thursday, March 21, the Up & Up Music  Concert Series presents Florquestra live at the Mercury Lounge. Florquestra is a band composed of six Canadian musicians originating from Brazil, Chile and Romania, each building a rich musical background prior to joining the group. The band’s unique world sound mixes elements of samba, bossa nova, forró, Andean, Parisian, Afro-Brazilian and Balkanic rhythms among others. This is sure to be a colorful show to say the least. To get more information on this event, just click on the below poster. 

This Thursday, March 21, Babylon Nightclub presents the monthly edition of Hip Hop Karaoke with DJ So Nice and Atherton. The two hosts promise a night of fun with this twist on traditional karaoke that steps away from the conventional “mom n’ pop video screen bouncy ball read-a-long half-assed last-minute-plan-with-your-girlfriends-in-korea-town karaoke jam”. If you think you got what it takes to rap along to your favorite hip hop song, sign up for HHK Ottawa. Check out all the details by clicking on the banner below.

This Friday, March 22, the Mercury Lounge invites you to attend The Soul Motivators’ EP Release Show for a night of deep funk and soul music. The Soul Motivators, a 9-piece, 3 horn deep funk ensemble, with a soulful flair are guaranteed to get you moving and grooving to their new retro sounds. For additional info, click on the event poster below.

On Saturday, March 23, Kapacity Entertainement presents Stakes Is High with Maseo of De La Soul. The member of the legendary rap trio, also known as Plug 3, will be throwing a live DJ set at Ritual as he celebrates his 43rd birthday in Canada’s capital city alongside local DJs Laocapone and Acro. For everything you need to know, just click on the event poster below.  

Also on Saturday, March 23, for this week’s edition of Privé, DNA Presents brings you Myon and Shane 54 live at Era. The Electronic Dance Music DJ duo from Budapest will be stopping by Ottawa for a live set accompanied by guests Landry and DJ Charles. For details on this event, just click on the poster below.

Other noteworthy events happening this week include Francophone folk group La Cavale who’ll be giving an all-new show at the Brasseurs du Temps this Monday, March 18. La Cavale will be performing live alongside Charabia, a local swing rock duo from the Outaouais region.

The Student Federation of the University of Ottawa invites you to “New Music. New Spaces.” with Ben Caplan this Tuesday, March 19. The indie folk singer-songwriter from Halifax, who was recently in Ottawa to perform at Mavericks, will be giving a FREE show in the University Center so be sure to check him out if you missed him last time.

If you like to support local artists, check out the March edition of the Artistic Showcase at Pressed Cafe this Thursday, March 21.  This event, hosted by spoken word artist Brandon Wint, will feature poet John Akpata, Nathanael Larochette aka Sir Realist, Rosie M formerly known as Elle-P, Rommel Ribeiro and special guest Suzy Pankhust.

Also this Thursday, March 21, head over to Ritual for a live show with Trust, Eraas, and Death Ledger. If you’re a fan of Austra and enjoy synthpop and atmospheric ambient electro sounds, this is definitely for you and you’ll want to check this show out.

Another event worth mentioning this week is Sweatshop Union live in concert at Ritual Nightclub on Saturday, March 23. The Vancouver-based hip hop heavyweights will be performing in Ottawa in an effort to promote their latest album entitled the Bill Murray EP.

So this is it Ottawa-Gatineau, these are my suggestions of events for the upcoming days. I hope you enjoy your week and that you have the opportunity to attend some of the exciting events happening in the days ahead in our eventful National Capital.