To kick off another busy week in Ottawa-Gatineau, those interested in the music community can check out the June edition Music Mondays at Live on Elgin. This Monday’s discussion will look at how music media can survive in 2016 and will include a live performance by local experimental project Trails.
This Wednesday night at theByTowne Cinema, there’s a very special screening of “Stretch & Bobbito: Radio That Changed Lives”, a documentary film that focusses on how radio DJs Stretch and Bobbito introduced the world to an unsigned Nas, Biggie, Wu-Tang, and Big Pun as well as an unknown Jay-Z, Eminem, and the Fugees back in the 1990s and created a platform that changed music forever. DJ Stretch Armstrong will be in Ottawa for the occasion to take part in a Q&A session following the screening. A rare chance to see and speak to an influential figure of 1990s hip hop brought to you by CHUO FM.
Le pARTy, the Ottawa Art Gallery’s annual art auction fundraiser, is being held this Thursday, June 9 at the OAG and the 20th edition of this benefit event will go to support the gallery’s programming. The auction will feature works by 65 regional artists, ranging from emerging to established and drinks and apps will be served as well for those in attendance.
There’s a new summer dance party launching at Babylon this Thursday night and it’s dubbed Whip Whip. The summer monthly reggae pop dance party will feature DJs NautyNyce & Selekta Shellz playing it all from dancehall to club anthems, soca, reggaeton & R&B.
CKCU 93.1 FM presents the latest instalment of Radioactive Underground, a monthly live music and DJ series at Mercury Lounge. For the June edition, the event will feature a performance by Ottawa instrumental lo-fi spy rock band The Reverb Syndicate and DJs Trevor Walker and Dick AltaVista spinning before and after the group’s set.
What So Not will be making a return to the Nation’s capital this Thursday, June 9 to give a live set inside Ritual. The afrobeat/dub/house producing duo made up of members Emoh Instead and Harley Edward Streten (better known as the excellent Flume) will be living alongside Toronto’s Internet Daughter and others. If you plan on attending, be ready to get down and get sweaty.
Ex-Misfits vocalist Michale Graves will be live at Mavericks this Friday night with a full band, playing music from his solo repertoire as well as Misfits classics. Graves will be sharing the stage with Toronto party punk band Mineta, Ottawa punks The Lindbhergh Babies and Ottawa punks Shootin Blanx.
This Friday June 10, Ottawa songstress Rita Carter will grace the Kinki Lounge Patio stage with her band for her last concert before the release of the collaborative album, “All Of We: Gift to the City” coming out this August. The night of acoustic/hip hop/r&b/soul music will also feature performances by local hip hop artist Aspects, local hip hop/spoken word collective Missing LinX and hip hop/r&b musicians Dreamo & Rejuno.
Vancouver garage rock/punk/pop band The Pack AD will be back in the national capital this Friday as part of the Turn It Up Hard Tour. The duo will be playing at House of Targ with Ottawa garage-pop trio Nightshades and Toronto/Calgary indie/electro group Werewolves, Beware!
This Saturday, check out the New Art Festival happening in Central Park in the Glebe, an outdoor celebration of original art and the people who created it. The day-long event is Ottawa’s largest non-commercial outdoor art festival and features nearly 200 visual artists working in a wide range of styles and media.
Do you or someone you know have a sweet tooth? Then spread the word, cause Dessertfest 2016, the largest dessert festival in North America is coming to Ottawa this weekend. Happening at Lansdowne, the event will give you the chance to indulge in Chocolate Land, Candy Land, Ice Cream Land as well as kid-friendly and adult-only activities.
On June 11, CKCU FM invites you to celebrate Reggae in the Fields, Canada’s longest running reggae radio program, for its 40th anniversary. There will be a free family picnic at Vincent Massey Park, as well as a domino tournament, a kid-friendly “soccer festival” card games, prizes and other surprises. Between noon and 6 pm, CKCU and CHUO will carry a double simultaneous broadcast live from the park. This radio marathon will be hosted by O’Shea Adagio, Papa Richie, Junior Smith, Mikey Wizdom and a variety of special guests. Caribbean cuisine will also be available on site for the hungry bellies.
Starting this Friday, June 10, Wall Space Gallery presents “Land Locked”, a new art show by Ottawa-Gatineau artist Mat Dubé. This two-dimensional painting exhibition that challenges us to consider the connections between our subconscious and physical being. If you have an interest for visual arts, be sure to discover this talented artist’s work, it’s really special!
Ottawa’s The PepTides are back at the Black Sheep Inn this Saturday, June 11 for a night of music mayhem with neo soul/funk/jazz band the Chocolate Hot Pockets. Bring your dancing shoes and let the music wash over you in a funktastic pop explosion sure to awaken your mind and soul.
2 rooms, one outdoor and one indoor, and 10 DJs is sure to make for a true summer classic party over at Kinki this Friday night. Special guest DJ/Producer Onionz from NYC will be spinning house music alongside a slew of talented local DJs namely Balu, RayRay, Mace, Rise Ashen and more.
This Saturday, as part of the 35th National Campus and Community Radio Conference, Debaser presents Montreal glam pop artist Johnny De Courcy live at Pressed Cafe. Fusing music and theatre, De courcy creates his own world of freak-rock and psych-cabaret expressions by employing an array of ego and persona roles. For the occasion, he’ll be sharing the stage with Victoria post-pop project Painted Fruit and Ottawa glittery rock band spell.
There’s a Metal Nite going down at House of Targ this Saturday featuring Edmonton metal band Striker, Toronto greasy metal group Axxon and Toronto speed metal project Manacle. DJs Erin, Gen, and Val will also be playing records all night before and after the bands.
Ottawa’s How Far to Mexico is having their EP Release party this Saturday at Irene’s Pub over on Bank St. For the occasion the local psych/indie pop band will be playing alongside Waterloo experimental folk musician JoJo Worthington and the amazing Ottawa psych/heavy soul group The Heavy Medicine Band.
If you’re looking for a night of music featuring live singer-songwriters, head over to Flapjacks this Saturday to catch Saskatoon/Edmonton folk musician Old Towns perform with local folk/rock artist Jonathan Becker (solo), local folk punk singer-songwriter Anthony Cardozo and local guitarist and singer-songwriter Lucila Al Mar. Music for the soul.
New York hardcore band Pro-Pain have set off on a 25th Anniversary Tour and they’re stopping in Ottawa to perform at Mavericks this Sunday, June 12. The veteran hardcore group will be sharing the stage with Ottawa hardcore formation Life on Trial, Ottawa melodic metal outfit The Observer Effect and Ottawa metal project Footsteps to Gaia.
If you’re into hip hop and you enjoy visual arts, you should definitely check out Mean Muggin’ 4, a selection of new artwork by Al Bender of Flight Distance fame. The exhibition vernissage is happening at Oz Kafe this Sunday evening June 12 with DJs Nalls & Kane providing the beats and Bender himself doing some live painting.
Looking for the best summer vibes in the city on a Sunday? Look no further than Pozativ Vibrationz By Da Beach, a family-friendly outdoor event happening every sunny Sunday starting June 12 at Petrie Island. What more could you want than a free jam by the beach featuring top notch DJs, tasty eats & refreshing beverages provided by Banana’s Beach Grill & Rum Shack.The event was initially supposed to launch last Sunday, but Mother Nature wasn’t in favour, so it was postponed to this week. Positive vibes all around, guaranteed and fingers crossed that the sun shines bright this Sunday!