Welcome to 2016, Happy New Year, and all that jazz. Hopefully you all had an eventful holiday season and enjoyed some time off with friends and family and were able to go out to take in some of what the National Capital Region has to offer, too. It’s now back to business over at Eventful Capital, so here are this week’s event picks if you’re looking for something fun to do in and around Ottawa-Gatineau.
Adult Children, a duo made up of John Aaron Cockburn, former leader of Montreal band Little Suns and Maxim Cossette from Maxim Cossette Combo aka Sick Sick Sicks, is having its Elements EP Release at Mercury Lounge this Thursday, January 7. The show will feature a live performance by Adult Children as well as Ottawa singer-songwriter Keturah Johnson and the Maxime Cossette Combo.
Want to party like it’s the 80s? Then be sure to make your way over to House of Targ any or every Thursday this month for a dance party featuring an eclectic selection of songs and videos from the 80s with host and MC DJ Remi Royale. Oh and video games of course!
January is anniversary month for Venus Envy and this year the store is turning 15 years old. In conjunction with this, the folks at Venus Envy are throwing their annual fundraising group show of erotic/sensual/sexy work called the Filthy Dirty Art Show. The event will be held on Friday, January 8 and will feature works by artists Rebekah Elkerton, Jaime Koebel, Kalkidan Assefa, Leah Hicks, Jaymie Delight, Mark Seabrook, Donald K., and Alex Hutcheon and there will be live art by Kalkidan Assefa from Drippin’ Soul Creations.
If you want to kick off the year with some live ska and indie rock be sure to head over to Zaphods this Saturday night to check out Ottawa 7-piece ska punk band Suits N Toques, Ottawa indie rock 4-piece group The Tackies, and Ottawa indie psych rock outfit Lovegood.
This Saturday, January 9, Rocksteady Bookings presents a special “ladies first” edition of Bars and Breakbeats at Live on Elgin. The all female-fronted music night will feature live performances by Amanda Lowe, Riishi Von Rex, Francesca Daoust, Maya Killtron and Coccinella. A great event to attend if you want to support home-grown talent and hardworking ladies of the National Capital Region.
The National Arts Centre’s NAC Presents Series is turning 5 and to celebrate 5 years of loving and supporting Canadian music, there’s going to be a party on Saturday night in the NAC’s lobby featuring Canadian artists A Tribe Called Red, Mehdi Cayenne, U.S. Girls, and The Lionyls. Happy birthday NAC Presents!
If you’re into bluesy funky rock with a big dash of psychedelia, you may want to head to the Rainbow Bistro this Saturday night to check out a live show featuring sets by Ottawa 5-piece band The Bristol Hum, Toronto 4-piece group Jim Dan Dee and Ottawa weirdos the Masters of Nothing.
Ottawa power pop/punk rock newcomers Holy Christopher are having an EP Release party at Avant Garde Bar this Saturday night. For the occasion, the trio will be playing alongside Ottawa rockers Gnarly Brown, Ottawa group The Burning Tide, and New York rock band Rats Mouth.
There’s a new electronic music series in town dedicated to all things synth and it’s called Switched On Synths. The January edition, happening at House of Targ this Saturday night, will feature new Gatineau analog ambient synth project Paraphonique, industrial techno punk noise band Final Fall, and Ottawa analog electronic indie duo Andre et Michele.
It feels like 2006 all over again. Well, not really, but that’s the last time Obie Trice gave a show in Ottawa and looks like the American rapper is back a decade later to perform at Ritual this Sunday, January 10 as part of his The Hangover Eastern Canada Promo Tour. This time around he’s getting local support from Mace Milly, Ickarus, Dopekiid and others.