Eventful Capital’s Weekly Picks: From King Louie and Hip-Hop Karaoke to Structures and The Flatliners

Another week begins, and the Ottawa-Gatineau cultural scene shows no signs of slowing down. If you’re around in the coming days, check out the lineup of solid events happening in and around the National Capital Region and be sure to get out to enjoy some of them. Take a look at Eventful Capital’s weekly picks below to help organize your plans for the days ahead.

The Fau Mardi collective, which recently celebrated its 5th birthday, has released its programming for the month of December. The weekly night, which happens every Tuesday at the Petit Chicago over in Hull, gives a platform to local audio-visual artists in an effort to support the Ottawa Gatineau electronic scene. This week, the Fau Mardi crew is welcoming special guests Chris International, Jas Nasty and DJ Daisy for an all-vinyl set.

Local francophone wordsmith D-Track, who’s both a hip-hop artist and slam poet, will be officially launching his first spoken word EP this Tuesday, December 9 at the Cabaret La Basoche in the Aylmer sector of Gatineau. This is a free event, but to attend, guests must RSVP as space is limited. Details below.

Toronto metal/hardcore band Structures will be making a stop in Ottawa this Wednesday night as part of their Farewell Tour. The Sumerian Recs’ signees will be performing live at Ritual alongside Montreal/Ottawa metal/hardcore group Obey The Brave, Kitchener hardcore formation Exalt and Illinois metal band Villains. 

After a short hiatus, the RADIOACTIVE music series is back and proud to present The PepTides Video Premiere for “Love Will Find You” this Thursday, December 11 at the newly-renovated Mercury Lounge. The event will feature a live performance by electro/synth pop outfit The PepTides as well as an opening set by Ottawa funk/soul r&b band Old Stereo.

The December edition of Bumpin’ Binary is happening at the Mugshots Jailbar this Thursday, December 11. If you’re into swinging funky soul, r&b, blues and gospel, you’ll be served as Don Cummings and Mike Essoudry bring you a night of live music like no other. 

Wanna check out a rock n’ roll show and support a good cause at the same time? Head over to Zaphods this Friday, December 12 for the RocknRoll Benefit for The Snowsuit Fund. For the occasion, 4 local bands will share the stage to help raise much needed funds for this special project. Performing live will be Big Jeezus Truck, The Sick Sick Sicks, Sons of Scotland and Slo’ Tom and the Handsome Devils.   

Club SAW is throwing a Monster Xmas Party this Friday, December 12. To celebrate the holidays, there will be live performances by Montreal punk collective Sharing, Ottawa garage pop/shoe gaze band King’s Quest, Ottawa garage punk/rock group Nightshades and Ottawa psychedelic freak folk project Pith and the Parenchymas. Oh and copious amounts of Mill Street brew.  

Montreal psychobilly/punk trio The Brains will be giving a live show at Cafe Dekcuf this Friday night in support of their latest EP “The Cover Up”. The guys will be back in Ottawa to perform alongside Montreal punk rockers East End Radicals, Ottawa folk punk band The Scally Cap Brats, and Ottawa horror rock outfit Patron Saint of Plagues. 

If you’re looking for something more intimate, you might want to head over to Pressed Cafe this Friday night to see Toronto folk/rock/pop project Octoberman live. The collective will be giving a live set with Toronto lo-fi pop trio Culture Reject and Ottawa folk/pop singer-songwriter Andy Swan. 

Chicago hip-hop artist King Louie aka King L will be live at Ritual this Friday, December 12. The Drill God, who’s been credited for making Chicago the hottest hip-hop scene in 2012, will be performing alongside local rappers Cashtro, Gutta King Chris, Kingscollege and more.

Toronto indie folk pop band The Strumbellas will be making their Ottawa return this Friday night as part of their Ride On North America Tour. The Juno-Award winning group will be performing live at Mavericks alongside Toronto rock and rollers Sam Cash & The Romantic Dogs who’ll take care of opening the show. 

This Friday night at Gabba Hey! two-time TIFF winner Asphalt Watches will be premiered along with the short film Women’s Advocate. Asphalt Watches is a feature-length animation based on a real-life hitch hiking trip taken by the two filmmakers, Shayne Ehman and Seth Scriver, and details the hilarious and harrowing journey of Bucktooth Cloud and Skeleton Hat as they travel eastward across Canada. Artists will be present after the screening to engage in a chat with the audience. This is a free event, but guests are asked to RSVP as space is limited.
If you’re into techno/synth/experimental/noise, you’ll want to make your way over to the Daily Grind this Friday night for the first Transmit – Live Session. The event will feature live sets by artists Paraphonique, Apriorism, and Transmit.   

The December edition of Hip Hop Karaoke Ottawa is happening this Friday night at the Elmdale with hosts DJ So Nice and Atherton. If you want to perform and impersonate Run DMC by doing that Christmas in Hollis track you spent hours memorizing in front of the mirror, now’s your chance to show the world what you’re made of. 

What better place to complete your holiday shopping than at the old fashioned, European-style Christmas market taking place in the beautiful village of Wakefield this Saturday, December 13? In addition to the local vendors, you can expect music, bonfires, twinkle lights, delicious food, mulled wine, hot chocolate and more! 

The one-of-a-kind INDI Bazaar is being held this Saturday and Sunday at SAW Gallery. Featuring a gathering of painters, photographers, designers, musicians, and onstage performers, the event is intended to showcase Ottawa’s independent talent as well as jumpstart the scene for many more similar events of to come. As part of the lineup, Ottawa’s hip-hop trio Just Poets will be performing live on December 13.

This Saturday, December 13, Rocksteady Bookings is celebrating its third birthday with a special edition of Bars and Breakbeats. The local company, launched by Andrea Desjardins, is celebrating by presenting an all female-fronted music night featuring Dead Centuries, Tindervox, Danielle Allard, Arms of the Girl, and Sweet Alps. RSB’s “Ladies First” inspired birthday bash will showcase five great bands for $5, making it an easy and affordable way to support home-grown talent and hardworking ladies of the National Capital. 

If you enjoy garage punk/rock, be sure to head over to Gabba Hey! this Saturday night to rock out to spooky beach punk all-female band Bonnie Doon, post-punk project The Young Offenders and surf-gaze newcomers Ladyboy. Plenty of pizza shark for all. 

 

Toronto punkers The Flatliners will be performing live at Ritual this Saturday night and sharing the stage with Toronto punk rockers PUP, Rochester melodic hardcore/punk band Such Gold and Dundas punk rock group The Dirty Nil.

The Gallop invites you to join them for the release of their third EP ‘Tall Tale Tellers” this Saturday night at the Rainbow Bistro. The local indie rock band will be performing new material and will be sharing the stage with special guests Atherton and Stay Classy.   

This Saturday, December 13, Indie City Madness proudly presents a night of live local music at Avant-Garde Bar featuring experimental electro artist Cosmo Doris, hip-hop group Wotts, psych punk/blues trio ONFILM, indie alt/garage/rock band Elementals and garage rock/pop troublemakers Carpenteers.  

 

Eventful Capital’s Weekly Picks: From Vintage Trouble and Tech N9ne to E.L.E. Fest and the PunkOttawa Flea Market

The upcoming week is packed with music shows, dance parties, and festivals of all genres taking place in Ottawa-Gatineau. Once again, there’s no shortage of interesting things happening this week so wether you’re into metal, hip-hop, folk, punk, rock, there’s sure to be something to satisfy your event-going needs. Take a look at Eventful Capital’s weekly picks below to to help plan the days ahead.

Kansas City hip-hop artist Tech N9ne will be back in Ottawa this Tuesday, September 23. The founder of the Strange Music record label will be performing live at Ritual as part of his Strangeulation Canadian Tour and for the occasion he’ll be joined on stage by special guest Krizz Kaliko, Whistler/NYC hip-hop group Animal Nation, Okanagan hip hop project, Ottawa artist Swisha T and Akwesasne group Story Tellers.  

Metal heads will want to head over to Babylon on Wednesday night to see the live show featuring California Deathcore group Suffokate, Florida Metal band Adaliah, Texas Metal formation Years Since The Storm, Ottawa Metal/Hardcore project The Thirteenth Floor, Gatineau Trance/Metal group Great Knights and Ottawa Metalcore band Obyrne. 

Samantha Savage Smith, a Calgary-based singer-songwriter and guitarist, will be performing live at Raw Sugar Cafe this Wednesday, September 24 in an effort to promote new material featured on her upcoming album “Fine Lines” slated to come out at the end of 2014. The folk/pop musician will be giving a set alongside Montreal-based experimental electro/rock/pop project Chairs. 

If you’re into indie rock and looking for an intimate show this Wednesday night, your best best is probably to head out to Pressed Cafe to see Charlottetown indie-rock band Coyote, Charlottetown rock group The Meds and Ottawa alt rock 5-piece Finding Chuck.  

If I told you that Vintage Trouble gives one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen, would that be enough to convince you to go see them at Mavericks this Wednesday night? Well it should!  The two sets that the excellent 4-piece band gave at this year’s Ottawa Bluesfest were by far one of the highlights of the festival for Eventful Capital. This LA-based indie blues rock band sure knows how to throw a party and to involve the crowd in the process. Frontman Ty Taylor, who’s got more energy than the Energizer bunny, interacts with the public continually and makes sure that the audience participates and enjoys their time with Vintage Trouble. These guys will rock your world, and that’s a promise.

New Jersey thrash legends Over Kill will be in Ottawa for the very first time this Thursday, September 25 to give a live show at Mavericks. The 5-piece metal band will be performing alongside USA metal/hardcore /hardrock group Prong as well as Ottawa metal/hardcore/hardrock group A Darker Day. 

On the University of Ottawa campus this week, there’s going to be quite a bit of live music and that’s pretty awesome. “Rock ta rentrée”, a show organized by Ottawa U’s Community Life Services presented next to Café Nostalgica this Thursday, will feature live performances by up and coming Franco-Ontarian bands Mastik, who just recently performed at the FOÉ, Pandaléon and Céleste Lévis, who we had the opportunity to see in concert at this year’s Franco-Ontarien Festival. Gotta love the event poster too. 

The One World Film Festival, Ottawa’s longest-running annual documentary film fest, is celebrating 25 years with its 2014 edition. With an aim to raise awareness on social justice, human rights and environmental issues through thought-provoking documentaries, the festival will feature five films on global issues as well as engaging discussions, and a festival fair over three evenings from September 25 to 27. The opening night, happening on Thursday, September 25 at Library and Archives Canada, will include 25th anniversary celebrations complete with live music by DJ Jas Nasty, cake courtesy of Auntie Loo’s, as well as other tasty goodies and a kiosk fair.

The E.L.E. Festival, also known as Everybody Loves Everybody, is being held on the Ottawa U campus this Friday, September 26  from 3 to 11pm also in conjunction with the school’s Community Life Services. With a completely free lineup, students and music lovers alike will get to see live performances by local artists Zoo Legacy, The Lionyls, City Fidelia, BlakDenim, NDMA, Eagleson, The Superlative, Monday I Retire, and Sarah Bradley as well as B.C. hip-hop artist SonReal, who’ll be headlining the festival.  Who doesn’t love free live music? 

Over in the Hull sector of Gatineau this Friday night, metal heads won’t want to miss Quebec legends BARF live at the Petit Chicago. The Montreal-based metal/grind/hardcore 4-piece originally formed in 1986 will be giving an anticipated show alongside Gatineau Death/thrash favourites Insurrection, Gatineau Melodeath band My Shadow, and Ottawa death/metal group From The Deep. 

The popular Nature Nocturne series is back! The first party of the season is happening this Friday, September 26 at the Museum of Nature. The theme of this edition being Chemistry, the night promises a rocking dance floor, stunning visuals and cutting-edge interactive music creation on the Reactable with Jesse Stewart in the salon. 

Are you into punk music? If so, chances are you’ll want to make your way over to Pressed Cafe this Friday night to catch Virginia indie-punkers Turnover. The 4-piece band will be giving a live show alongside Toronto emo/punk group Safe To Say, Cleveland pop-punk formation Light Years and Buffalo hardcore project Malfunction. 

If you want to go out and support local music this Friday night, you can check out rock group Subject Sinclair over at Avant-Garde Bar. For the occasion, the Ottawa trio will be performing live with Montreal indie rock/underground grunge group The Madcooks. 

The annual punkottawa.com flea market is back this Saturday, September 27 at Mac Hall inside the Bronson Centre. This is the place to go if you’re looking to buy and sell records, clothing, crafts, jewelry, vegan treats, toys, video games, trinkets and more with proceeds going to the Ottawa Stray Cat Rescue and the Wild Bird Care Centre.

On Saturday night, the one and only Dub Fx returns to Ottawa to give a live performance at Barrymore’s as part of the Theory of Harmony North American Tour. The Australian street performer and recording artist will be joined on stage by Montreal-based DJs and Producers Vilify and Frase. 

If you’re looking for a night of blues, funk, and rock n’roll this Saturday, September 27, be sure to hit up Cafe Dekcuf to see The Powergoats headline with a catchy blues rock set that has R&B, reggae, ska, and alt-rock influences. Folk/alt-rock project Arms Of The Girl will be joining them along with Toronto alt-rock band Paint and Ottawa newcomer Sarah Cogan.  

Looking for a night of dancehall, roots, foundation, and lovers reggae?  Look no further, DJs Magnificent and Select have just the party for you. The two Ottawa friends have joined forces to bring you a solid dancehall/reggae dance party at the Brig Pub every last Saturday of the month starting this Saturday, September 27. 

Ohio Metal group Affiance is bringing its Blackout CD Release Tour to Ottawa this coming Sunday, September 28. For the occasion, the 5-piece band will be performing live alongside California metal group Phineas, Ottawa metal band Of Burning Empires, Ottawa metal formation Through Lucid Eyes, Ottawa melodic metal project Minds Of Men and Cornwall death metal group Observer Effect.