More In May To Make You Want To Stay: Yelawolf, Festibière, Great Glebe Garage Sale, and Stalley

Are you enjoying your May long weekend? Because I know I am! As we’re heading towards the last week of the month, you may be tempted to jet to a cottage to soak up the rays that Mother Nature has graciously been granting us the past few days. Having said this, if you choose to stay in the city, there are several exciting things happening that are sure to keep you busy!

To kick things off, Kapacity Entertainment presents Shady Records rapper Yelawolf who will perform at Ritual this Thursday, May 24 as part of the Live On Radioactive Tour. Ottawa’s-own Flight Distance will be opening the night along with Cesch, Thesis and Sahib. This will be Yelawolf’s second Ottawa appearance, following his opening performance for Wiz Khalifa back in 2010.

 

For those of you who love Dutch artist Van Gogh, you’ll be happy to know that the National Art Gallery is opening it’s summer season exhibition Van Gogh: Up Close, this Friday, May 25 and that the show runs until September 3 of this year. The exhibition is the first in 25 years to present over 40 paintings from this famous artist in Canada. In conjunction with this, the Canadian Museum of Civilization is presenting Van Gogh: Brush with Genius at the IMAX theatre. If you choose to do both (in whatever order), keep your ticket for the first and obtain $2 off the second!

 

This Friday, May 25, head over to the Petit Chicago in Vieux-Hull, Gatineau starting at 9pm to dance the night away with Sylv9st9r and Phil Beauch who will be mixing an array of beats from electro to dancefloor hits. Only $2 at the door and that’s a very well spent toonie for a Friday night out in my opinion! More info available if you click the image below.

 

Also this Friday, May 25, Ritual presents the monthly edition of Party Pack downstairs in the lounge with DJ Laocapone and DJ Matt Tamblin who’ll be playing the best new hip-hop. It’s always a guaranteed party for those who love good hip-hop music and know what’s up. More info below…!

 

Starting on Friday and running until Sunday, May 27 is the second edition of the Gatineau Festibière, a new beer festival taking place at the Lac Leamy park in the Hull sector. This is the perfect place to be for beer lovers who wish to learn more about the brew and also to discover various new types of beers that are produced in microbreweries throughout the province of Quebec. Day tickets are $10 and festival passes go for $20. You can get all of the information by clicking on the below poster and visiting the festival’s website.

 

The annual Great Glebe Garage Sale is back and taking place this Saturday, May 26 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm rain or shine. If Mother Nature cooperates however, it promises to be a super fun day for those looking for that special decorative artwork or simply searching for that practical filing cabinet. You can obtain more details on the sale by visiting the Glebe Community Association’s website here.

 

Hip-hop heads will be happy to know that this Saturday night, Kapacity Entertainment presents Curren$y at Ritual nigthclub as part of the Direct Flight Jet Life Tour with The Jets, Smoke DZA, Fiend 4 Da Money, Corner Boy P, Trademark, and Young Roddy. Tickets are $28 in advance and there should be more at the door. You can get all the details if you click on the poster below.

 

Another show for the heads: Stalley will be live at Babylon on Thursday, May 31 on the occasion of his Canadian Tour with opening acts Rich Kidd, Cashtro, and DJ Mes. More info if you click the poster below!

Next up: Festival Season officially kicks off! Stayed tune for more exciting event announcements and reviews!!

 

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May Is On Its Way: Events in the National Capital for the Month Ahead

With May being just around the corner, it’s time to look ahead at the upcoming events that are scheduled to take place in the National Capital this month.

To start things off, Gatineau visual artist Isabelle Boucher is presenting an exhibition at Bistro Ambrosia Ristorante in Aylmer from April 29 to July 29, 2012. The vernissage takes place next Sunday, May 6 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Isabelle principally utilizes pastel colors in her artwork to depict bird’s eye view renditions of her native Abitibi region. A must-see!

If you’re into hip-hop, you might be interested to know that Termanology, Reks and Statik Selektah will be stopping in Ottawa on Thursday, May 3 as part of the Showoff Tour. The show is happening at Ritual Nightclub and tickets can be purchased in advance for $10 and at the door. More info available below.

The 60th edition of the Canadian Tulip Festival kicks off May 4 and continues until May 21, 2012. The opening event takes place on Friday, May 4 at the Mercury Lounge and is themed around the festival’s new tulip logo called “Embrace”. The largest tulip festival in the world will present many events that will take place in the ByWard Market, Little Italy, Chinatown and other popular areas of the city. From music in the streets, to the Great Canadian Tulip Treasure Hunt, to the popular International Pavilion, and a Commemorative Garden Party, this year’s edition promises to delight both visitors and local residents who plan to partake in the festivities. Let’s just hope Mother Nature cooperates with the tulips this year. You can find all of the festival details on the official website here.

 

On Friday, May 4, the Austrian Cultural Forum presents Florian Kmet live at the Mercury Lounge. The Austrian musician, guitarist, and singer, who’s main project is called KMET solo, will perform at 7:00 pm on the occasion of his first visit to Canada. Please note that this is a FREE event thanks to the Embassy of Austria. You can obtain more details here.

Also on May 4, for those who enjoy funk and soul music, Lee Fields & the Expressions will be performing at Ritual with Ottawa’s own soul and reggae providers Slim Moore & the Mar-Kays and Deejay Zattar. The soul singer and his band will be in the National Capital to present songs off of the new record Faithful Man along with some classics. Tickets are $23 presumably at the doors since it isn’t indicated anywhere that you can purchase tickets online.

On Saturday, May 5, DNA Entertainment presents Static featuring Zomboy, an electro/dubstep DJ from the UK. The event takes place at Babylon Nightclub starting at 10pm with Bass Machines. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here.

 

Earlier on Saturday, May 5, the Urban Craft Market is taking place at the corner of Holland and Wellington St. The website describes it as “Ottawa’s first and only monthly craft market, featuring the freshest and hippest vendors around! Taking place the first Saturday of every month in the heart of Hintonburg, Urban Craft is the place for you to find that perfect gift, your new favorite cupcake, or the perfect accessory for your next night out on the town.” Sounds like a great place to browse and discover unique things and enjoy delicious treats.

 

Then on Sunday, May 6, North America’s Biggest Clothes-Swap takes place at Mambo Restaurante with a suggested donation entry price of $10. The S.W.A.P. Team, a non-profit organization based in Montreal, created the largest known public effort in community clothing recycling for North America: a giant clothing swap called Take Off Your Clothes. People who wish to participate should bring gently worn, clean clothing items for men, women or children in wearable condition. They will then be issued tickets valid for a 1-for-1 exchange at the event. Any clothing remaining at the end of the event will be donated to partner organization The Goodwill. This is perfect if you’re looking for inexpensive clothes for yourself and/or the family.

On Sunday evening, John Carroll and the Epic Proportions will be doing a show at the Blacksheep Inn in Wakefield with special guest Andre M. Bluteau starting at 4pm. The group, which offers a mixture of country blues, folk, roots and rock music will be presenting their second performance to date at the Blacksheep Inn. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in advance at http://www.worldfamousmusic.net

This is just a start as more events will be announced next week. Stay posted!

Launch of the City of Gatineau’s 2012-2013 Programming

Last Thursday, The City of Gatineau launched its 2012-2013 seasonal programming at the Salle Jean-Desprez with an evening that offered us a taste of what’s to come in music in the year ahead from Stefie Shock and Ingrid St-Pierre to Dumas.

The Traveler’s Series includes H’SAO, the Montreal afro-pop a capella group originally from Chad, 2-time Juno Award winner Alex Cuba, and Habana Cafe, the Cuban group back for a second time that will make you dance to the sounds of salsa, cumbia and merengue.

 

There are several new musical discoveries from across the country that are worth checking out like Ariane Moffatt’s protege David Giguere, folk rock new-comer Colin Moore, and Kellylee Evans who hails from the latest generation of Canadian jazz singers.

Colin Moore

 

This year again, the City will offer a series of free concerts which include but are not limited to New-Brunswicker Lisa Leblanc and the weird-but-funny Benoit Paradis Trio, Clement Jacques and Francis Faubert and several more.

Lisa Leblanc

 

On the occasion of Halloween, a party is planned with funky eclectic and versatile artist SoCalled. The excentric Josh Dolgin aka SoCalled will be performing songs from his fourth solo album as well as some of his numerous collaborations on October 27.

SoCalled

 

Personal favorites throughout the new season are Andrea Lyndsay who will be performing with Luc Delarochelliere temporarily together to work on an album, the both electronic and acoustic Monogrenade and Toronto-based Jazz artist Alejandra Ribera whom I discovered on the night of the launch and who’s hauntingly charming voice caught my attention like one rarely does.

Alejandra Ribera

 

The city decided to renew its partnership with the Museum of Civilization for a second year in a row to present shows by singer Patrick Watson who will perform songs off of his latest album Adventures in Your Own Backyard, artist Elisapie Isaac who blends English and Inuktitut to electro-pop folk sounds, and the talented Adam Cohen, son of the legendary Leonard Cohen.

Elisapie Isaac

This is just a summary of the music acts that have been scheduled for and by Gatineau for the next few months. Congrats to the city for scheduling such a wide variety of talents from all parts of the province and country and for offering a long list of interesting and inspiring shows to choose from! You can obtain the full program for 2012-2013 on the city’s website here. Enjoy!

April in the Capital Part Two: Nipsey Hussle, Soul Jazz Orchestra, Measha Brueggergosman and Misteur Valaire AKA Qualité Motel

We’re already half-way through the month of April, but there are still many things happening in and around the Ottawa-Gatineau region to get you off your couch and at an event!

First off, this Friday, April 20, the School of the Photographic Arts of Ottawa (SPAO) is hosting a vernissage in order to launch Exhibition No. 7 at the school itself located in the Byward Market. The exhibition will present a collection of works from students of the SPAO Portfolio Program. This group of photographs pays tribute to classic processes while reflecting ideas of self-discovery, our natural environments and the contemporary social issues that surround them. More information available on the poster below.

On Saturday night, April 21, Ottawa-based Afrobeat band Souljazz Orchestra will be performing at Babylon following their first-ever US Tour. The group is set to come home and offer a show high in energy to its local fanbase starting at 10:00 p.m. Click on the poster for more details.

Also on Saturday, Kapacity Entertainment and High Def Entertainment present A Night With Derrick Carter at Ritual nightclub. The Chicago dance DJ internationally known for his contribution to the underground house scene will be mixing alongside guests Jeff Dougler and Balu as 0f 10pm. More info below.

For the hip-hop heads who don’t work on Monday or who simply don’t care if they’re running on no-sleep and coffee all day, you may want to check out Nipsey Hussle at Ritual on the occasion of his Canadian Tour. The West-Coast rapper known for his single “Hussle In the House” will be performing in Ottawa with special guests Cashtro Crosby & DJ Mes. Click on the poster for further details.

Earlier on Sunday, on the humor side of things, comedian Diego will be at Yuk Yuk’s to present his R-rated interactive hypnotherapy comdey show. For $10, you not only get to laugh, but you also get to be hypnotized should you choose to volunteer. This should be quite funny for those who like this type of humor/experiment. You can find out more by clicking on the below poster.

Starting next Wednesday, April 25, Bass Machines take it to the Quebec-side to present Detox, a night dedicated to Dubstep and Drumstep at Club Addiction. If you want to know more, check below!

Then on Thursday, April 26, the Brotherhood presents the 4th edition of OttawaArt at Fall Down Gallery starting at 7pm. Featuring paintings by Komy, Vika K., Prea and poetry by Gavin R, Yan, Mariam I. You can grab more details below.

Measha Brueggergosman, the Canadian soprano who is now also on the judging panel for Canada’s Got Talent, will be in Ottawa on Friday, April 27 to perform at the Bronson Centre. The opera singer and concert artist will be presenting songs from her latest solo album titled I’ve Got a Crush On You released online today and in stores April 24. For event information and tickets please visit the Facebook event page here.

Photo by Mat Dunlap

 

Victoire is holding a Vintage Dress Spring Sale on Saturday, April 28 from 10 am to 7 pm. Check it out if you’re looking for cute dresses to add to your spring/summer wardrobe!

Ending April on the Quebec-side of the river, Misteur Valaire will be back in Gatineau to present their new project called Qualité Motel, which has a primary focus on electronic music as opposed to electro-jazz. On the menu: vintage drum machines , cheesy synth sounds and samples that are sure to make your body move with the Quebec group when they make a stop at the Petit Chicago on Saturday, April 28 to present their album Motel Califorña. More details and tickets available here (in French only).

Enjoy the rest of April in the National Capital Region fellow Ottawa-Gatineau residents!!

Event Review: Kid Koala & the Space Cadet Headphone Experience Concert

This past weekend, Canadian DJ and Scratch Turntablist Kid Koala was in Ottawa to present his Space Cadet Headphone Experience Concert at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. The Montreal-based multi-talented artist had not one but 5 basically sold-out shows in the Museum’s new multi-functional Theatre, a space just like the one built for the War Museum.

Having seen Kid Koala perform in Ottawa before, I knew he wouldn’t disappoint and was sure to bring tons of creativity on the turntables as he’s known for. The show, like no other I’ve attended, is an audio-visual and interactive experience inspired by the birth of his daughter, which presents the soundtrack composed for the Space Cadet picture book with the help of visuals, crowd participation intertwined with humor. Part author commentary and part concert, the show offers the public a humble yet highly entertaining and unique account of Kid Koala’s Space Cadet picture-book and musical composition project.

The experience, presented in two portions, started with an interactive visit of an exhibition which brings together an interesting assortment of old DJ equipment like vintage plastic turntables and other musical artifacts from Kid Koala’s personal collection meant to present certain aspects of the Space Cadet story. For example, a collection of vinyl album covers all representing some type of space-related music and cosmic sounds were fixed to a wall along the Theatre near a keyboard and mic that aloud you to “speak like a robot”.

Eventually, the Theatre doors opened and all 250 of us grabbed a pair of earphones and headed in for the second segment of the event. We were able to find a spot on the floor in the “inflatable space pod seat” environment created specifically for the show and awaited as Kid Koala welcomed us into his world and introduced his friend and musician for the opening act. Out came a certain Michael Feuerstack aka Snailhouse, a soft folk singer-songwriter  and acoustic guitar player from Ottawa who performed a couple of songs from his repertoire for a curious but receptive crowd. Although he sang very nicely and had beautiful texts, his set didn’t seem to ‘fit’ with the whole DJ/Turtablist/Audio-Visual/Multi-Sensorial Earphone Experience as I was expecting a funky DJ and/or act to kick things off. So personally Snailhouse was a very good act but sort of out of place.

Kid Koala soon followed and charmed the crowd with his unique show without pretense that often called on the public’s participation to contribute to the music while his scratching and sound selection enhanced the overall performance. He graciously offered some old classics of his like Drunk Trumpet and Skanky Panky from his earlier days and even introduced some unreleased material coming out later  this year like the fun Mosquito Blues track. The artist was also language sensitive and even spoke French here and there for the bilingual crowd who truly appreciated the thoughtful gesture. As a whole, the experience was extremely entertaining and it felt refreshing in comparison to all the regular shows that repeat themselves in style and format. Thank you Kid Koala for being so creative and innovative and props to the Canada Aviation & Space Museum for being open to hosting such a fun and different event!

April in the Capital: Rahzel, Paul Van Dyk, Kid Koala and Fela Kuti Tribute

With the JUNOs gone since last week, the capital region returned to its regular pace but doesn’t lack interesting upcoming events nonetheless. There’s all sorts of things happening depending on your tastes and interests.

First off, the one and only Rahzel will be at Babylon this Wednesday, April 11 on the occasion of his  I Love Canada Tour. The legendary beatboxer formerly of The Roots will be in Ottawa and opening the night will be up and coming duo of Elap and Johnny Bravo followed by veterans of the scene, Stay and Crack Moses. Tickets are $15 dollars at the door and you can get more info by clicking on the poster below.

 

Also on Wednesday is the International Day of Pink Gala, a free event taking place at the University of Ottawa, meant to gather funds for Jer’s Vision and raise awareness on bullying and how to put an end to it. The evening will include a silent auction and special performances by students from De La Salle High School, speeches by Stephanie Wheeler and the Netherlands ambassador Wim Geerts. Award recipients include Rick Mercer from CBC’s Rick Mercer Report and the late Jack Layton, who’s award will be accepted by Olivia Chow. You can get the full details by visiting the event’s Facebook page.

 

If you’re looking for some pottery to gift or simply for yourself, check out  the Ottawa Guild of Potters exhibition and art sale this Thursday, April 12 through Sunday, April 15 at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orleans. Over 40 artist-potters will be displaying one of a kind decorative and functional clay sculptures. More details are available on the Ottawa Guild of Potters website and on the poster below.

 

Then, to kick off the weekend, Barrymore’s Music Hall presents Paul Van Dyk this Friday, April 13 on the occasion of the Evolution World Tour 2012. This internationally renowned electronic dance DJ who has won many awards namely a Grammy will stop in Ottawa to perform tracks from his long-spanning career along with tracks from his 6th album Evolution. More information can be found on the poster below.

 

Also on Friday, Toxic Twins and Top Of The World present Grillz and Glam at Babylon with DJs NDN and Brains4breakfast starting at 11pm. More info below.

 

To my greatest delight, Kid Koala aka Eric San is back in Ottawa for a weekend of fun to present his Space Cadet Earphones Experience Tour. The Canadian DJ and turntablist will be at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum this Friday, April 13 through Sunday, April 15 to offer an immersive audio-visual and interactive experience to an eclectic and curious public. According to Kid Koala “it’s a headphone concert, gallery, science fair and it’s fun for the whole family”. A Space Gallery accompanies the show complete with interactive Music Spaceship Console, a Space Cadet Soundtrack Cassette Jukebox, and original etch boards from the Space Cadet graphic novel.

“Audiences surrender to the comfort of inflatable “space pods” wired for open air wireless headphones, through which most of the concert’s music is transmitted.” Because the music was written almost as lullabies the layers are really nuanced and subtle.” The feeling during the concert is that you’re having this communal experience with people around you, but everyone is having a personal, unique headphone experience.” Check out the video below to get a feel for the experience and get more details on the event including time and ticket information here.

 

Another weekend event  is the Fela Kuti Tribute at Mercury Lounge celebrating Afrobeat, a complex fusion of Jazz, Funk, psychedelic rock, and traditional West African chants and rhythms. Afrobeat also borrows heavily from the native “tinker pan” African-style percussion.

Friday, April 13: Drumming circle from 7 to10:30 p.m. Followed by Ottawa magnificent D.J. Lance Baptiste, spinning Fela Afro-beat; originals and remixes. With Jesse M. on congas, Docta Lee on djembe, and Mario on trumpet. Saturday, April 14: Live music by the Ottawa Folklore Centre Jazz Band Afrobeat Project. Followed by Ottawa legendary D.J. Trevor Walker, spinning originals and remixes of Fela. More details available on the Mercury Lounge website.

And, to close off this week’s post, my favorites A Tribe Called Red will be throwing down a much-anticipated Electric Pow Wow at Babylon this Saturday April 14 following the release of their first album available for free download here! Please do yourself a favor and get this if you support Canadian music and local Ottawa talent. See you all on the dance floor!

I hope you enjoy this week’s selection and that you take advantage of the many events taking place in the national capital throughout the next few days. Stay tuned for more next week including the announcement of the 2012 Bluesfest line-up being unveiled April 24!!

Easter Long Weekend Events in Ottawa

You’ve got the next 4 days off and are still undecided about what to do? Here are some options of where to go out this Easter long weekend around the nation’s capital.

Tonight, the place to be is Ritual nightclub for the Redbull Thre3style DJ Competition with DJs:

ACRO
SHUB
BRAINS4BRKFST
LUKIJO
JON DECK
SO NICE
DJ AK

The 7 above-mentioned DJs will get 15 minutes to showcase three different styles of music to prove that they are the best party rocker in Ottawa! A panel of judges will evaluate each DJ based on several predetermined criteria and they will announce the winner at the end of the night. Now I’ve been to this competition before and it’s so much fun. It’s always such a pleasure to support local DJs 🙂 Tonight, I’ll be rooting for DJ Shub from A Tribe Called Red, Jon Deck and So Nice! Best of luck to all contestants cause this is sure to be a tight competition!

If you like Reggaeton and want to shake off the week’s stress, head out to Studio SKYbar on Rideau St for I Love Reggaeton with DJ Santana and guests. Tickets are $10 and you can grab more details below.

This Friday, hit up Babylon for this month’s edition of Frenzy with special guest DJ Craze a 5-time world champion from Miami who’s been tour DJ for Kanye West and Yelawolf. Craze will be spinning alongside Ottawa-resident Iggy Smalls starting at 11 pm. More details available by clicking on the poster below.

Also this Friday, Ritual is hosting the CHUO Funding Drive Party featuring Bass Machines, DJ Noble, DJ Alive and Cong. The minimum donation to get in is $3 and all funds raised will go towards CHUO 89.1 FM, the University of Ottawa’s community radio station. Doors open at 10 pm and you can get more details by clicking on the poster below.

On Saturday at Babylon DNA and Droppin Science present Static featuring resident DJ Jon Deck and special guest Felix Cartal, a Canadian electronic music producer and DJ who recently released his fifth EP The Joker and Different Places. More info available by clicking the poster.

Then on Sunday, Mercury Lounge is where it happens with the Easter Sunday Jam with The Play On Players aka DJ Magnificent and DJ Illo. The gentlemen will be dropping beats to make you move , sing and remember the good ol’ days of soul music. Doors open at $10 and more info below.

If you’re looking for something more trendy and upscale for Sunday night, I recommend that you go to Bijou nightclub and lounge for DJ Colleen Shannon, coined the world’s sexiest female DJ who also happens to be Playboy Magainze’s 50th anniversary playmate. I hope that she can spin as great as she looks…! For more details check out the Facebook event page here.

Have yourself a fantastic long weekend ahead and enjoy all that Ottawa has to offer!

XO