Have you been missing out on all the Ottawa Bluesfest action so far? Well don’t despair, it’s not too late as you’ve got 5 more days of music to make it up and check out some amazing live shows!
There were no performances scheduled today, but things pick up again tomorrow with Animal Collective, El-P, Solange, Passion Pit, Weezer and Ottawa’s own A Tribe Called Red. On Thursday, noteworthy shows include LP and The Tragically Hip, while Friday’s lineup includes Great Big Sea, Balkan Beat Box and Tommy Trash. The last weekend of the 2013 Ottawa Bluesfest promises to end on a high note with performances by Austra, Björk, Serena Ryder, Yukon Blonde, BB King, and festival-favorite Skrillex. To access the full lineup, just click below.
If you’re into dance, you’ll be happy to know that the 2013 edition of Dusk Dances kicks off this Thursday, July 11 and runs until Sunday, July 14 at Strathcona Park. The annual festival, which presents contemporary and traditional dance performances in an outdoor setting, offers free admission however donations are strongly encouraged.
This Thursday, July 11, the Mercury Lounge presents Memoryhouse live in concert. Memoryhouse, a dream pop music group from Toronto, will be joined on stage by Ottawa’s own Flying Hórses and Sarah Bradley of the group FEVERS. The three groups will be performing starting at around 9:00 pm.
Also on Thursday, July 11, hosts DJ So Nice and Atherton invite you to the Pop Off Party at Mugshots. The event will feature special guest DJs The Extremities from Toronto and a performance by MC Mad Dukez. Click on the event poster below to grab details. 
Happy Birthday to Kitchen Party!! On Friday, July 2, the monthly party invites you to celebrate its 2-year anniversary at the Rochester Pub & Eatery. For the occasion, DJs Sweet Cheeks and Hobo guarantee to select the best in funk, soul, disco, hip-hop, electro and everything in between to make sure you dance all night.
If you want to check out a show this Friday, July 12, head over to the Mercury Lounge to see Galitcha and the Bollywood Heat for an evening of live Northern Indian music and dance performances. If you’d like to get out of your comfort zone and discover new music this is certainly the place to be.
Ottawa Explosion brings you the third edition of Funhouse this Friday, July 13 at Mugshots. The now-monthly party will feature DJs Craig Peru and Skid Vicious playing the best in punk and new wave bangers. The event will also feature a special performance by Halifax rock-pop band Monomyth, a group that was part of the lineup for last year’s Ottawa Explosion Weekend, in case you were there. Check it out, it’s “a real cool time”.
After a successful first fabric sale held this past April, Ecoequitable invites you to another “fill-a-bag” fabric sale this Saturday, July 13 on Chapel Street. The concept is simple: bring a standard-size shopping bag and fill it with a variety of fabrics for $10. All proceeds from the sale will go towards supporting sewing programs for immigrant, refugee and marginalized women of the community and that alone is a great deal.
On June 27, 2013, the Canadian Museum of Civilization launched Indigenous and Urban, a summer-long special exhibition and programme presented in conjunction with Sakahàn. Highlighting the creativity and adaptive capacity of Canada’s urban native artists, the programme features visual and media arts, music, dance, film, readings and interactive workshops until September 2.
On the Quebec side this Saturday, July 13, local musician Patrick Lac will be giving his first Gatineau performance at Le Troquet. The singer-songwriter will be promoting his debut album Bridges alongside folk-rock group The Great Novel. What’s more, this is a FREE show! 
Hip hop heads who are into the underground may want to head over to Ritual this Saturday, July 13 to check out R.A. The Rugged Man perform live. The American rapper will be in Ottawa as part of the Legends Never Die Tour and he will be joined on stage by guests Klee Major, Babble Goons, Spitten Image among others. 
On Sunday, July 14, Five Alarm Funk will be performing live at the Mercury Lounge. The Vancouver-based group, that has been around for over 8 years, will be bringing a high-powered performance to Ottawa with their funk, latin, and progressive rock sounds. Based on past reviews and an excellent reputation, Five Alarm Funk is sure to deliver a fantastic performance.
Over in Gatineau this Sunday, July 14, Senegalese trio Les Frères Guissé will be giving a live performance at the Brasseurs du Temps aka BDT. The brothers, who’ve performed in the Ottawa-Gatineau area a few times in the past years, share a beautiful synergy which produces smooth folk sounds and harmonious vocals that will transport you to the heart of Senegal for an evening.
There you have it: these are my suggestions of noteworthy events happening in and around Ottawa-Gatineau this week. Be sure to enjoy all the shows, exhibitions, and festivals that you attend in the coming days and thank me later for the recommendations.
