Eventful Capital’s Weekly Picks: From Davido and Double Barrel to Buskerfest and the Casino Lac-Leamy Sound of Light Fireworks

Start your week in music with PEI natives The Beck Sisters, a pop-infused folk duo made up of Amy and Rachel Beck. The sisters will be playing live at Pressed Cafe this Wednesday, August 2 and they’ll be sharing the stage with Ottawa indie folk artist Kyle Ivanich.

The 2017 Capital Ribfest is going down August 3-7 outside the Ottawa City Hall. If you’re a fan of ribs, you’ll get your fill during 5 sticky days where you can get your hands on the best ribs, chicken and pulled pork, as well as enjoy live entertainment, craft beer, contests, and family fun.

This Thurday August 3 at House of Targ, you can check out Toronto indie cabaret rock/jazz singer Nick Teehan who’ll be performing live with Ottawa blues/soul/folk/rock duo Riishi Von Rex and Ottawa blues rock band The Red Rails.

If you’re into ambient experimental sounds, be sure to make your way over to Pressed Cafe this Thursday, August 3 to catch Calgary experimental folk project FOONYAP, Montreal experimental minimalist project Alder & Ash and Ottawa-Gatineau ambient post-rock duo Novusolis.

 

Nigerian sensation Davido will be touching down in Ottawa this Thursday night to perform live at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall. The award-winning afrobeat artist will be taking his fans on a thrilling journey through his repertoire, including the hits Skelewu, Coolest Kid in Africa and more.

The 14th edition of the annual Eclipse Festival is happening August 3-7 just outside of Gatineau. If you’re into trance and techno, this is sure to be right up your alley. Check it out!

Ottawa-based musician Graven will be giving a live show at Pressed this Friday, August 4 and this time around, he’ll be playing alongside Ottawa grunge/folk artist Tariq Anwar, Saskatchewan singer-songwriter Megan Nash and friends.

New Brunswick doom metal band Zaum will be rocking House of Targ this Friday night. For the occasion, the group will be sharing the stage with Pembroke metal/punk duo Flying Fortress, Ottawa-Gatineau doom rockers Muffler Crunch and Ottawa instrumental stoner metal project Monobrow.

This Friday night at Happy Goat Coffee, the Ottawa Ska Syndicate brings you a night of ska music featuring two live sets by local ska/reggae band The Sentries, as well as DJs Longshot and Lord Snappy.

Double Barrel, one of Ottawa’s most popular monthly dance parties, is going down at Babylon this Friday night. This time around, resident DJ Magnificent will be gracing the 1s and 2s solo dolo, and Detroit Soul Food will also be on location to provide tasty eats. An all-vinyl funk, soul, Motown and vintage reggae dance party that’s good vibes only!

Toronto’s Kenny Glasgow will be giving a live set inside Mercury Lounge this Friday, August 4. For the occasion, the North American electronic music pioneer will be joined by DJs Balu and Dougler.

The 2017 Ottawa Buskerfest starts this Thursday, August 3 and runs until Monday, August 7 along Sparks Street. This annual festival showcases some of the best buskers from around the world including local and national acts. This family-friendly event is a great way to get out (for cheap!) and support hard-working artists.

If you love tacos (let’s be real who doesn’t), you’ll probably want to hit up the Ottawa Taco Fest happening this Saturday, August 5. Privé presents the city’s 4th annual taco fest, an event that’s proving to be very popular, duh. The capital’s best taco makers are set to unite under one roof at the Shaw Centre to showcase their culinary take on this foodie favourite.

The Trou du Diable brewery and the Minotaure bring you the first Jour de Cask event happening this Friday night in the Vieux-Hull. There will be five different brews on tap from Trou du Diable as well as a cask, and live music by Gatineau rockers Eldorado, Quebec City rock band Caravane, Montreal indie rock group We Are Monroe and Montreal stone rockers The Hazytones.

Hip hop artist Snak The Ripper is back in Ottawa this Saturday night and this time he’ll be giving a live show at The Bourbon Room alongside Jaclyn Gee, Junk, D-Rec, Kenny Kingcon and others.

This Saturday at House of Targ, The Orange Alabaster Mushroom will be coming out of hiding to give a rare live performance. For the occasion, the Kingston garage/psyche veterans will be performing with Ottawa lo-fi psych/surf band Blve Hills and Ottawa post punk/psych duo Expanda Fuzz.

The Homesick emo night is back at Cafe Dekcuf this Saturday, as the party originally from Toronto announced earlier this year that from now on it’ll host a monthly night in Ottawa. So get that Silverstein shirt out and come feel all the feels with the emo kids during a night of nostalgia and teen angst.

This Saturday at Mercury Lounge marks the launch of Wherehaus with DJ Magnificent. Wherehaus is a new series that brings together the old school and new school, having a collective love for the underground, and the roots of house music. Should be good!

The Music.Art.Ppl. collective Summer Series continues at Bar Robo this Saturday, August 5 with music from local artists and sound selectors Ruth Grader, Jason Skilz and Ollie K. The lovely Coblou will also have a selection of curated art pieces on display.

The Casino Lac-Leamy Sound of Light fireworks kick off this weekend along the banks of the Canadian Museum of History. The special Canada 150 edition will feature four pyromusical fireworks shows from Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and Manitoba including a Grande Finale, which will offer an explosive ending presented by all four provinces. If you plan on attending, why not arrive earlier to check out the Museum or have dinner on site? For more info, tickets and programming details, just click below.

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Eventful Capital’s Weekly Picks: From Peach Kelli Pop and N.O.R.E. to 90s or Bust and Gypsy Kumbia Orchestra

Los Angeles lo-fi rock n’roll all-girl punk band Peach Kelli Pop returns to Ottawa this Monday, May 16 to give an all ages show at House of Targ. The catchy, bubblegum, sandpaper punk group will be joined by Ottawa indie garage grunge three-piece Nightshades and Ottawa hardcore punk newcomers Toxic Thoughts.

Hip hop heads will be happy to know that legendary rapper N.O.R.E. (of Capone & Noreaga) is performing live at the Bourbon Room this Monday night as part of the Drunk Uncle Eastern Canadian Tour. The American hip hop artist will be headlining the show and sharing the stage with Son Of Mary, ProperT, and JCapcity among others. Fingers crossed Noreaga actually makes it across the border this time around.

The Arts department of the Cegep de l’Outouais has teamed up with AXENEO7 and Daïmõn to present Exo(r)de, the students’ end-of-year exhibition, a show will be an opportunity for the 20 graduating students to showcase their work in a professional setting. The vernissage will be held this Tuesday, May 17 at AXENEO7.

Montreal indie band Islands, who’s recently released not one but two new albums, will be playing a live show at Ritual this Tuesday night. The Manqué Music signees are going to share the stage with Philly hip hop artist Lushlife.

UK rock/electronic/metalcore band Enter Shikari is giving a show at Ritual this Wednesday, May 18 and for the occasion they’ll be performing live alongside Australia rockers Hands Like Houses, Los Angeles rock group The White Noise and Ottawa hardcore/rock project Halfsleeper.

If you’re you fan of loud and heavy music, be sure to head over to Mavericks this Thursday, May 19 to catch USA stoner rockers Weedeater, San Diego noise drone project Author & Punisher, USA doom band Today Is the Day and Kitchener stoner rock group Sierra.

Those who enjoy electronic synthpop may want to hit up Zaphods this Thursday night for an early show featuring Kamloops electro-pop outfit Van Damsel, Ottawa synthpop project Townes and more to be announced.

Ottawa post metal band Alaskan is giving its final show at House of Targ this Friday, May 20 and all proceeds from the event will go to the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women. For this final performance, the local group will be joined by NYC’s Black Table as well as Ottawa bands Biipiigwan and Swarm Of Spheres

Ottawa singer-songwriter Danielle Allard will be having a tour fundraiser show at Live on Elgin this Friday night. This time around, the local musician will be sharing the stage with Tina Wallace and special guests.

 

Fresh off the release party of their “All The Hits” EP, Harea Band will be live at the Blacksheep Inn over in Wakefield this Friday, May 20. For this show, the Ottawa pop/soul inspired group will play with Victoria, BC rock 4-piece San Felix and Ottawa indie folk/rock project Sounds of Stories.

 

At Black Squirrel Books this Friday, you can check out a post-punk all ages show put on by the good people at Ottawa Showbox and Casual Hex. The night of live music will feature live sets by Medicine Hate post punks Terra, Lethbridge post punks Participation and Ottawa shoegaze band Doves.

90s or Bust is having a big celebration for its 3rd birthday this Friday night. The popular monthly, that features the best in 90s and early 2000s hip-hop and r&b, will be marking the occasion with Spiderwebs, a No Doubt tribute band, so if you’re looking for a old school vibe party that’s the place to be.

This Friday night, SPOOR presents the latest edition of The Deep End at Ritual. Once again, the crew is bringing you a mixed bag of techno beats all through the night while also bringing a unique experience; intersecting music, lighting and video projections. This is an excellent party to check out if you’re into techno, house, and electronic music. 

If you’re in the mood for some live afro-latin percussion and balkan brass section with some choreography dance thrown in, head to Mercury Lounge this Saturday night to see Gypsy Kumbia Orchestra. The high-energy group that’s very interactive with the crowd will be joined by resident DJ Trevor Walker who’ll play music before and after.

If you’re a supporter of Canadian hip hop, you might want to make your way over to the Bourbon Room this Saturday night to check out BC rapper Snak The Ripper perform live as part of his From the Dirt Tour. The Stealth Bomb Records artist will be joined by a stacked bill including Golden, Junk, Fallen Ones, JR and more.

Scottish punk/oi! band The Strike will be making a stop in Ottawa on Saturday, May 21 to give a live show at Mavericks. The 4-piece will be playing street drunk punk band Alcohol Fueled, punk/rock n’rollers Ape City and hardcore/thrash/punks Uncooperatives.   

Pantera tribute band Fantera will be back in Ottawa this Saturday, May 21 and this time around they’ll be giving a live performance at Ritual. The three-piece tribute from hell will bring back Pantera to life like no other band can. 

USA harsh grinding/death metal Full of Hell are going to be in town on Sunday night and they’ll be playing live at Cafe Dekcuf with Tongue Eating Louse, Brain Scorcher and Hunter, Gatherer.

For Victoria Day long weekend, lots of us are off on Monday, so it’s a great occasion to get out and check out some live music. One place to go to catch some this Sunday is at Live on Elgin where there’s going to be sets by Chicago emo/midwestern punk band Dowsing, Chicago, indie emo group Kittyhawk, Grand Rapid emo/indie rock outfit The Carboard Swords, Ottawa indie rockers Missioner and Ottawa emo solo project Silent Lovers.

Finally for this week, Debaser presents an all-ages show at Pressed. The intimate night of live music will feature Calgary fuzz pop band Lab Coast, Toronto fuzz pop project Twist and Ottawa act Mixer.

 

 

 

Eventful Capital’s Weekly Picks: From The Gatineau BeerFest and LOUDPVCK to Latin Sparks and Atmosphere

If you’re in Ottawa-Gatineau this week and have time to check out some events, there’s no shortage of things to do. Take a look at Eventful Capital’s weekly picks below for a glimpse into the number of events happening in and around the National Capital Region in the days ahead.

If you’re a foodie and want to support the Ottawa Fringe Festival, be sure to make your way over to the GCTC on Wellington West this Monday night for the Great Curry Cook Off fundraiser. Divine creations by Ottawa’s top chefs and restaurants will keep your plate replete and palate pleased with vegetarian, vegan, chicken, fish, pork and beef entries. Come hungry and let your taste buds crown a champion!

This Tuesday, May 27, Barristers returns for its 12th consecutive year in Ottawa so if you enjoy good hip-hop, dancehall and r&b, be sure to head over to Sparks Street and hit up Parliament Pub to join the celebrations and have a good time with Jon Deck and guest DJs who’ll be featured at this monthly throughout the summer. 

This Wednesday, May 28, Snak The Ripper will be performing live at Ritual as part of his Just Giver Canada Tour. The hip-hop artist based out of Vancouver will be in Ottawa in support of his new album alongside Merkules, Jaclyn Gee, DJ Makeway as well as local hip-hop artists Kingcon, Moun Fou, and Black Market Underground. 

 

Michigan hardcore group Hollow Earth is embarking on a summer tour and for the occasion they’ll be making a stop in Ottawa this Wednesday, May 28. The 5-piece will be performing live at Pressed Cafe alongside Detroit d-beat/hardcore band From Hell and Ottawa hardcore project Rad Doom. 

If you enjoy spoken word, there’s a special fundraising event being held this Thursday, May 29 at Pressed Cafe. Dubbed Poets for Humanity, it’ll bring together local artists Ali Alikhani, Brad Morden, Hyfidelik, JustJamaal, V and Nathanael Larochette for an inspiring night of poetry. 

Niagara-based group Xprime will be giving a show at Zaphod Beeblebrox this Thursday night. The pop/rock/blues band will be performing live with Ottawa-based trio Mastik and Ottawa folk blues singer-songwriter Kristine St-Pierre. 

 Starting this Thursday night, there’s a new monthly kicking off at Babylon called 613 All Stars. Every month, a new round of local DJs that have added to the foundation of Ottawa’s music scene will be featured. This non-genre specific night will give the local DJs the freedom to play the music they love, and show us why they are notorious in this city. This first instalment will feature DJs Laocapone, Calkuta, Danya D, Jon Deck, Marz.  

 From May 30 to June 1, the Gatineau Beer Fest, better known as the Festibière, will be taking over the Jacques-Cartier Park for its 4th annual edition. This year, 55 artisans and over 350 beers will be presented to the public. The event will also feature live shows by Radio Radio, Damien Robitaille and the Mackenzie Rhythm Section along with animations and workshops 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 30, the 6th annual One World Awesome Arts Festival is taking place at York Street Public School. This unique family-friendly festival will feature live performances, artwork and videos created by the youth of Lowertown. The event will also include the presence and participation of several local artists from various disciplines. 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! 

The Asinabka Film and Media Arts Festival is holding a party at Gallery 101 this Friday, May 30 in support of this year’s edition. The fundraising event will feature live performances by Elizabeth Riley Band, Dynamite Hotel, Dj Adam, the Gallop, and Erin Adair along with drum group Frazier Whiteduck and the Capital Warroris.  

Wanna attend a rock show this Friday night? Ottawa neo rock n’ roll group Double Experience will be performing live at Zaphods this Friday, May 30. The local 4-piece will be sharing the stage with Ottawa rock band Iconoclast and and Ottawa alternative group Crossing Jane. 

 Gallery Recording Studio, Dan Rascal, and LOG Creative Bureau have teamed up to try something new called the Crowded Room Concert Series, a place with no stage where bands are mixed amongst the audience in the old chapel of the Gallery Recording Studio, with the entire evening filmed. No second takes, no overdubs. The videos from each event will be put online, in hopes of sharing an honest and genuine account of the music and live energy of each band and audience. 100% of all ticket sales are given to the musicians and with no promoter or venue fees, audience members truly pays for their entertainment in full. For this very first Crowded Room, Moonfruits and The Split will be the featured bands.  

Over in Hull at Le Troquet this Friday night, Halifax psych pop group Walrus will be performing live. For this show, Walrus will be joined by Ottawa garage psych band Organ Eyes and Halifax psych pop rêve The Everywheres and Montréal psych surf folk project The Walls Are Blond. 

If you’re a fan of techno/electro/acid/house then you should definitely head to Ritual this Friday, May 30 to check out the unique Longwalkshortdock. The Shambhala, BC DJ/Producer will be giving a live set in Ottawa alongside London, ON producer Arkhive and local DJ JC Boom.   

Toronto electro-pop duo Ark Analog will be giving a live performance at the Mercury Lounge this Friday, May 30. The group made up of soul songstress Maylee Todd and Dan Werb, one half of acclaimed synth-punk Woodhands promise to make you dance alomg to their lively set. 

This Saturday, May 31 Ottawa celebrates its love of bicycles with Capital Velo Fest taking place outdoors in front of the Ottawa City Hall. The 2014 edition of this bike festival will feature a bike rodeo, a night ride under the stars and live music by Kontrast, Crimsonics, The Ven Dreddies, Arms of the Girl, Tindervox and Glorious Moonrockets courtesy of CKCU. 

The prison Ceremony dance party is back for another monthly edition happening at Mugshots that’s guaranteed to have you dancing the night away outside under the stars of the courtyard of the old jail hostel. This Saturday night, Ceremony is the place to be for the best techno house dance music offered in the city.  

The International convenes latin lovers to kick off the summer with Latin Sparks this Saturday, May 31. Taking place outdoors along Sparks Street, the block party promises to offer a night of dancing under the stars with complimentary workshops, latin music, latin cuisine and live percussionists and entertainment.

Only a week after its launch, Motion, Ottawa’s newest monthly dedicated to featuring rising international DJs/Producers, is back this Saturday night inside Babylon. The second edition of Motion will feature the trap producing NY/LA duo LOUDPVCK. 

If you’re a fan of Minneapolis hip-hop duo Atmosphere, you probably know that they’ll be performing live at Ritual this Sunday, June 1. For the occasion, the Rhymesayers artists will be joined on stage by PROF and Dem Atlas, also of Minneapolis. If this show isn’t sold out by now, it’s just a matter of time. The promoters will probably have a few tickets available at the door, so don’t sleep if you intend on being there. 

 

Early February in the City: Cracking Up The Capital, Ottawa Fashion Week, Radio Radio and the WIFF

As we kick off the month of February in the National Capital Region, Winterlude festivities are well under way following the successful first weekend of this annual festival, which celebrates the joys of winter. In addition to the National Capital Commission ‘s (NCC) programming, several other related events have been organized alongside Winterlude to offer a wider range of activities for festival-goers and tourists.

Namely, Sparks Street is throwing its very own Winterlude celebrations, complete with a treasure hunt, ice sculptures and a beer festival. To access details, visit the Sparks Street website by clicking on the below poster.

Ottawa’s very first comedy festival, Cracking Up The Capital, will hold its inauguration night on Wednesday, February 6 with an event called Women of Comedy: An Intimate and Interactive Evening featuring Deb McGrath, Sheila McCarthey and Nikki Payne. The festival will also include Improv Games with youth comedy, an Aboriginal Comedy Evening with Don Kelly, Ryan McMahon and Dawn Dumont and a Finale featuring Big Daddy Tazz, John Wing, Tracey MacDonald and Don Kelly. To get the full lineup and program, simply click on the poster below. 

This Thursday, February 7, as part of its De Natura interactive evening series, the Canadian Museum of Nature presents a discussion on the Arctic with panelists Aaju Peter, Inuk lawyer, activist and Order of Canada recipient, David Reid, founder of Polar Sea Adventures and Michelle Valberg, renowned photographer and founder of Project North. For further information on this event and series, simply click on the event poster below.

On Thursday, February 7, Snak The Ripper will be live at Ritual as part of the Dynamite Canada Tour. The Vancouver rapper will be performing in Ottawa alongside special guests Jacklyn Gee and Merkules. You can grab more info if you click on the poster below. 

Starting this Friday, February 8 and taking place until Sunday, February 10 is the Ottawa Fashion Week’s Autumn/Winter 2013 edition. Local and national designers will have the opportunity to present their upcoming collections at the Ottawa Convention Centre in front of media, members of the pubic, dignitaries and celebrities from the Canadian fashion industry. For the full schedule and for ticket information, click below. 

This Friday, February 8, as of 8pm, the Mercury Lounge invites you to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Ottawa’s Carnaval Party A Taste of Brazil. The carnaval will feature the Bacille Brasil live band, which includes Florquestra Brasil and Roda de Samba, a live Capoeira performance by Dende Do Recife, DJs Lance Baptiste and Rayaz playing the best in Brazilian carnaval music and brazilian food bites. Advance tickets are sold out, but more will be available at the door. For everything you need to know, click on the poster below. 

For the electrohouse, dubstep and bass music lovers, Dubsmack presents Apashe and Dabin live at Ritual this Friday, February 8 starting at 10pm. The Kannibalen record label mates will be doing live sets at Ritual with opening sets by local DJs Rainman and Damage. For more info, check out the event’s Facebook page by clicking on the poster below. 

On Saturday, February 9, Moguai will be throwing a live set at Era as part of DNA Presents’ Privé Series. The techno and electro punk rock DJ signed to Mau5trap/PUNX Records will be performing live alongside EDM DJ Mister Parker. To obtain details, just click below. Acadian trio Radio Radio will be taking over Ritual this Saturday, February 9 for a live show with special guests D-Track and DJ CPI. The East Coast electro-rap group known for it’s unique style will be performing live in Ottawa in an effort to promote their latest album Havre de Grâce. For tickets and details, simply click on the poster below.

Last but not least for this week’s event suggestions, the Wakefield International Film Festival kicks off this Sunday, February 10 and runs until March 24. Now in its 4th year, this community festival presents current and award-winning documentaries from Quebec, Canada and around the world. In addition, the festival aims to encourage discussion by including panel discussions and Q&As. For the full programming and schedule, visit the official website by clicking below.