Originally published on Couch Assassin.
You're out on the town, at a bar. From the corner of your eye, you notice two people. The situation seems funny to you; One of them looks uncomfortable. Maybe like they're stuck in an unpleasant, possibly dangerous situation. Something definitely doesn't seem right. So what do you do?
Introducing Project Soundcheck. This initiative was brought to life after a study came out from the Ottawa Hospital that one in four sexual assaults take place in mass gatherings. After this study was released, the Sexual Assault Network (SAN) and the Ottawa Coalition To End Violence Against Women (OCTEVAW) put a proposal together and they received funding from Crime Prevention Ottawa to create and deliver bystander intervention at local music festivals.
Kira-Lynn Ferderber is the project lead of Project Soundcheck. She was hired in April as a consultant to organize and deliver the training. She has been teaching anti-bullying anti-homophobia workshops and been involved in anti-violence activism and feminist activism for a long time. She is also a performer and rapper in Ottawa.
The project's first phase began this past summer, with events such as Canada Day in Kanata, Bluesfest, Escapade and Arboretum Festival. Phase two of the project was launched in September and included events such as CityFolk, Ottawa Burlesque Festival, House of PainT and Nuit Blanche.
As Ferderber explained, the training touches upon different kinds of things that can happen that could potentially lead to sexual violence. "The kind of training I do is called bystander intervention. People might picture this as making a dramatic scene, and them coming in running in a situation, punching someone or trying to rescue someone. But we're not trying to create violence and you can actually intervene effectively by talking and checking in."
If you're in a public space, and you see two people and you feel concerned for one of them, you can intervene without confrontation or accusation. Going up to someone and saying "Hey, how's it going?" or "How's your night going?" is a good way to let people know that you see them and that you are there. For the perpetrator, now they know that people are looking at them. For the person potentially in trouble, if they were hoping to ask someone for help but they don't know who, now they have an ally. "Sometimes, people who want to intervene don't want to confront someone, especially if they are wrong and that everything is fine," added Ferderber. "If you say to someone "Hey, how's your night?", it's not a big deal. That's why it's called Project Soundcheck [...] We check in to make sure everyone is safe and sound."
Another technique that works is to create a distraction. You can use this technique to engage the person you're worried about or you can use it to engage the person whose behaviour you're worried about. This gives an opportunity to the person (potentially) in trouble to leave the problematic situation. This technique doesn't take as much courage; you can act like oblivious, like you don't know anything is wrong.
Right now, the training is focused on staff and volunteers of local music festival. Ferderber envisions the project growing to eventually include patrons and artists to receive this type of training. For Bluesfest and Escapade, Ferderber's team attend the volunteer orientation session in order to give the training. Volunteers received handouts, which included a small cards with cliff notes. The cards include tips and tricks as well as a list of resources. The card is a good reminder of what is discussed at the training but also serves for volunteers who missed the orientation sessions. The feedback that the team has received so far has been positive. Ferderber would love to see this expand. Other places in Ontario have inquired about the project. "Every festival can benefit from this kind of training."
"The goal of the project is ending sexual violence but if sexual violence still happens, we want to have a good, effective response to it. We're trying to make Ottawa festivals safer but we're also that hoping people will use these skills when they leave Ottawa. They might use them at another festival they attend in another city. They might need to use them when they're volunteering at Bluesfest but they might need to use them in January when they're in a bar in the market." If someone hears about an incident that has already happened or if something happens in another setting, they can use the resources and tips that they have learned during the training.
There are many resources in Ottawa for those who need them, including the Sexual Assault Support Centre and the Ottawa Rape Crisis Centre, who both have crisis lines that you can call. OCTEVAW's website is a great source of information with many resources listed. If people are planning a festival or big event in Ottawa, SAN is still available to provide training, free of charge. Kira-Lynn can give training to your staff or volunteers. The sessions vary from event to event and the training can be customized accordingly to what the needs of the volunteers are. So what's next? The project is hoping to expand and possibly release a podcast on some issues, including bystander intervention and racism.
"Music festivals have the potential to be a safe space. because there are a lot of people to help you if you're in trouble. But they can also make people feel invisible in a crowd, they feel like that they can get away with something because everyone thinks that someone else will do something to stop it." Therefore, we all have a role to play in ensuring everyone's safety.
Saturday, 3 October 2015
Sunday, 13 September 2015
Showin' Off Them Legs!
Originally published on Couch Assassin.
Random photographs of urban Ottawa. That's how Brant Thompson describes his work. Working under the moniker Random Incident, Thompson's focus is mainly street photography. His images expose the hidden (and sometimes not so hidden) charms of Ottawa, especially Centretown, which is where he lives. "I have my camera on me all the time. As I'm walking around the streets, if I see something interesting, I'll take a picture of it."
Thompson was born and raised in Ottawa. A graduate of Algonquin College's photography program, he became interested in photography when he was young. Despite this, he set aside photography until recently. So what prompted his return to photography? "Three years ago, when I got a decent cell phone with a good camera [...] I had a camera on me all the time so I started taking pictures more regularly." He purchased a new camera shortly after that, and he's been enjoying his endeavours in photography since then. Last year, Thompson had an exhibit at the Atomic Rooster called Intersections.
Thompson's recent exhibit is now on display at the Ministry of Coffee. It's entitled Best Legs Contest and Other Stories. The show features - you guessed it - legs! But not just any legs - lovely, tattooed legs! "I had taken a picture of someone with tattoos on their legs, and then that evolved into a series of photographs of people with tattoos on their legs," said Thompson. Legs aren't your thing? Don't worry. This show is a series of photographs and topics, which includes street art and more.
When Thompson was first curating this exhibit, he had certain photographs in mind. Initially, the exhibition was going to be called Water Under the Bridge and Other Stories. But when he started pulling the photographs for the show, he discovered a huge difference between the images on the screen and the printed photographs. "When I was printing the images, I was discarding half the ones I had chosen. I was thinking to myself 'I have all these great pictures but they're not translating into anything.' So it's funny that the piece of the show that I had mind when I approached the Ministry of Coffee to be the main focus of the exhibition, was the piece that was the hardest to pull together."
Thompson also mentioned that the venue was an important consideration when curating the exhibit. "The Ministry of Coffee is a fun, young, hip place so I thought about the people who go there and I wanted this exhibit to be light and fun. It needs to appeal to the crowd that goes there." But, as Thompson mentioned (and the proof is in his images), light and fun can also be beautiful.
One of the series of images is Enchanted Garden. It features a vacant lot on Gladstone Street with lots of flowers and weeds, which create a nice contrast with the great graffiti. Another series of images is entitled Water Under the Bridge. Thompson was taking bike rides down the Ottawa river and noticed the interesting graffiti under the bridges. He started documenting the art and things nearby during his bike rides. Another exquisite image is The Last Good Man. Thompson had found a book right beside one of the bridges, with its pages blowing in the wind. The book has been mangled by the weather; it was mouldy. And it just so happened that the title of the book was "The Last Good Man". A stunning image!
One of Thompson's favourite images is a picture of an old stone industrial building, with a wall of gray cement with some graffiti on it, an old mill on Victoria Island. One of the images that really stood out for me is called “I Love My Body”. The image features street art currently on display on Elgin Street. According to Thompson, since the street art is the size of a newspaper box, no one has taken it away or removed it. On one side, it says "I Love My Body" and on the other, "Life is Really Beautiful". Thompson's goal is always "finding this object and finding an interesting way of photographing it". These two images are striking and the people walking on the street beside these strong messages make it quite romantic.
So what's next for this local photographer? Thompson just started taking photographs of musical performances this past Summer at Glowfair and he's looking forward to doing more of that. Thompson likes attending community events, including Ravenswing. He would love to put together a show of these images.
Check out Best Legs Contest and Other Stories at the Ministry of Coffee until September 30. All the prints on display are for sale. You can see Thompson's work here.
Best Legs Contest and Other Stories
September 1 - 30, 2015
The Ministry of Coffee
279 Elgin Street
Photo by Brant Thompson. Tattoos by Edith Fluet, Blue Blood Custom Tattoos
Random photographs of urban Ottawa. That's how Brant Thompson describes his work. Working under the moniker Random Incident, Thompson's focus is mainly street photography. His images expose the hidden (and sometimes not so hidden) charms of Ottawa, especially Centretown, which is where he lives. "I have my camera on me all the time. As I'm walking around the streets, if I see something interesting, I'll take a picture of it."
Thompson was born and raised in Ottawa. A graduate of Algonquin College's photography program, he became interested in photography when he was young. Despite this, he set aside photography until recently. So what prompted his return to photography? "Three years ago, when I got a decent cell phone with a good camera [...] I had a camera on me all the time so I started taking pictures more regularly." He purchased a new camera shortly after that, and he's been enjoying his endeavours in photography since then. Last year, Thompson had an exhibit at the Atomic Rooster called Intersections.
Thompson's recent exhibit is now on display at the Ministry of Coffee. It's entitled Best Legs Contest and Other Stories. The show features - you guessed it - legs! But not just any legs - lovely, tattooed legs! "I had taken a picture of someone with tattoos on their legs, and then that evolved into a series of photographs of people with tattoos on their legs," said Thompson. Legs aren't your thing? Don't worry. This show is a series of photographs and topics, which includes street art and more.
When Thompson was first curating this exhibit, he had certain photographs in mind. Initially, the exhibition was going to be called Water Under the Bridge and Other Stories. But when he started pulling the photographs for the show, he discovered a huge difference between the images on the screen and the printed photographs. "When I was printing the images, I was discarding half the ones I had chosen. I was thinking to myself 'I have all these great pictures but they're not translating into anything.' So it's funny that the piece of the show that I had mind when I approached the Ministry of Coffee to be the main focus of the exhibition, was the piece that was the hardest to pull together."
Thompson also mentioned that the venue was an important consideration when curating the exhibit. "The Ministry of Coffee is a fun, young, hip place so I thought about the people who go there and I wanted this exhibit to be light and fun. It needs to appeal to the crowd that goes there." But, as Thompson mentioned (and the proof is in his images), light and fun can also be beautiful.
One of the series of images is Enchanted Garden. It features a vacant lot on Gladstone Street with lots of flowers and weeds, which create a nice contrast with the great graffiti. Another series of images is entitled Water Under the Bridge. Thompson was taking bike rides down the Ottawa river and noticed the interesting graffiti under the bridges. He started documenting the art and things nearby during his bike rides. Another exquisite image is The Last Good Man. Thompson had found a book right beside one of the bridges, with its pages blowing in the wind. The book has been mangled by the weather; it was mouldy. And it just so happened that the title of the book was "The Last Good Man". A stunning image!
One of Thompson's favourite images is a picture of an old stone industrial building, with a wall of gray cement with some graffiti on it, an old mill on Victoria Island. One of the images that really stood out for me is called “I Love My Body”. The image features street art currently on display on Elgin Street. According to Thompson, since the street art is the size of a newspaper box, no one has taken it away or removed it. On one side, it says "I Love My Body" and on the other, "Life is Really Beautiful". Thompson's goal is always "finding this object and finding an interesting way of photographing it". These two images are striking and the people walking on the street beside these strong messages make it quite romantic.
So what's next for this local photographer? Thompson just started taking photographs of musical performances this past Summer at Glowfair and he's looking forward to doing more of that. Thompson likes attending community events, including Ravenswing. He would love to put together a show of these images.
Check out Best Legs Contest and Other Stories at the Ministry of Coffee until September 30. All the prints on display are for sale. You can see Thompson's work here.
Best Legs Contest and Other Stories
September 1 - 30, 2015
The Ministry of Coffee
279 Elgin Street
Photo by Brant Thompson. Tattoos by Edith Fluet, Blue Blood Custom Tattoos
Wednesday, 22 July 2015
Bluesfest: Week Two
Originally published on Couch Assassin.
They say all good things must come to an end. Well they must be talking about the 2015 RBC Ottawa Bluesfest. After 11 days of jam-packed music, a lot of us need a vacation. Or a giant nap. Or maybe that's just me.
Regardless, I took a few days to digest all the music I experienced at this year's Bluesfest. Here are some of my highlights of week two:
FET.NAT. Definitely in my top 5 favourite local acts. These guys don't play shows often enough (in my opinion) so it's always fun to catch them live. They put on a great show at the Canadian stage. Frontman Mononc Jayno was up to his usual shenanigans, as we've come to expect!
Pony Girl. So great to see these guys perform again, especially in an intimate venue like the Barney Danson Theatre, where the sound is fantastic. It was lovely seeing them perform new material from their upcoming new album "Foreign Life".
Current Swell. Perfect summer festival music. One of my favourite discoveries of Bluesfest! Will definitely be seeing these guys again.
Weird Al Yankovich. My expectations were high for this show, and Weird Al did NOT disappoint! A very fun, interactive performance, which included numerous costume changes and video montages.
Purity Ring. Having seen them perform a weeks prior, I didn't expect the show to be as good as the first one I saw. Despite the set starting late (due to the weather), the duo put on a great performance, complete with an incredible stage setup. And the pouring raining definitely added to the magic of the show.
The Tragically Hip. You can never go wrong with the Hip. Seriously. I believe I heard one patron say that one time, Gord Downie played a show sober and it was boring. Well, that definitely wasn't the case Friday night. People were soaked head to toe, but it was worth it, especially since they were celebrating the anniversary of the album "Fully Completely".
MonkeyJunk. These local guys ended the festival with a good dose of blues! Great performance with a big crowd. This band is worth checking out!
Some acts that surprised me and blew me away included METZ, Flight Distance and Run the Jewels.
There were a few disappointing performances as well, including Grime Kings, the Glorious Sons, Gaslight Anthem, Interpol and Lowell. Although I did enjoy Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, it wasn't their best performance that I've seen to date.
In case you missed them, here are my highlights from week one. I was also asked to be a guest on Lunch Out Loud Ottawa and share my thoughts on this year's festival. Check it out: Part 1 + Part 2.
What were some of your highlights from week two? Who would you love to see at the 2016 RBC Ottawa Bluesfest?
Photo: The Tragically Hip. Credit: Mark Horton
They say all good things must come to an end. Well they must be talking about the 2015 RBC Ottawa Bluesfest. After 11 days of jam-packed music, a lot of us need a vacation. Or a giant nap. Or maybe that's just me.
Regardless, I took a few days to digest all the music I experienced at this year's Bluesfest. Here are some of my highlights of week two:
FET.NAT. Definitely in my top 5 favourite local acts. These guys don't play shows often enough (in my opinion) so it's always fun to catch them live. They put on a great show at the Canadian stage. Frontman Mononc Jayno was up to his usual shenanigans, as we've come to expect!
Pony Girl. So great to see these guys perform again, especially in an intimate venue like the Barney Danson Theatre, where the sound is fantastic. It was lovely seeing them perform new material from their upcoming new album "Foreign Life".
Current Swell. Perfect summer festival music. One of my favourite discoveries of Bluesfest! Will definitely be seeing these guys again.
Weird Al Yankovich. My expectations were high for this show, and Weird Al did NOT disappoint! A very fun, interactive performance, which included numerous costume changes and video montages.
Purity Ring. Having seen them perform a weeks prior, I didn't expect the show to be as good as the first one I saw. Despite the set starting late (due to the weather), the duo put on a great performance, complete with an incredible stage setup. And the pouring raining definitely added to the magic of the show.
The Tragically Hip. You can never go wrong with the Hip. Seriously. I believe I heard one patron say that one time, Gord Downie played a show sober and it was boring. Well, that definitely wasn't the case Friday night. People were soaked head to toe, but it was worth it, especially since they were celebrating the anniversary of the album "Fully Completely".
MonkeyJunk. These local guys ended the festival with a good dose of blues! Great performance with a big crowd. This band is worth checking out!
Some acts that surprised me and blew me away included METZ, Flight Distance and Run the Jewels.
There were a few disappointing performances as well, including Grime Kings, the Glorious Sons, Gaslight Anthem, Interpol and Lowell. Although I did enjoy Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, it wasn't their best performance that I've seen to date.
In case you missed them, here are my highlights from week one. I was also asked to be a guest on Lunch Out Loud Ottawa and share my thoughts on this year's festival. Check it out: Part 1 + Part 2.
What were some of your highlights from week two? Who would you love to see at the 2016 RBC Ottawa Bluesfest?
Photo: The Tragically Hip. Credit: Mark Horton
Tuesday, 14 July 2015
Bluesfest: Week One
Originally published on Couch Assassin.
Well, folks. The first week of RBC Ottawa Bluesfest is officially done! It was definitely eventful and I, like many of you, was able to catch some great live music and enjoy some nice (hot) sunny weather.
Here are some of my highlights:
BlakDenim. Blakdenim - one word, no c. Ottawa's very own hip hop/soul/funk/everything band put on a great performance on the River Canadian stage Thursday night. Although it wasn't packed, the crowd seemed to really enjoy discovering this local gem.
Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires. Wow. Bradley, also known as the Screaming Eagle of Soul, gives it his all on stage. And you can sense the love he feels for the crowd. The talented singer started out as a James Brown impersonator but he definitely has enough soul to stand on his own and leave his own mark.
The Souljazz Orchestra. A local favourite. It's so great to see them back on stage. This local act has been working on a new album "The Resistance", which will be out in September. There was a great crowd of people gathered at the Monster stage to see the show, some of which showed off their dance moves.
Nas. Although I don't know much about hip hop, and I'm not a fan of Nas, his performance was impressive. The turnout for his set was impressive as well. The rapper delivered a solid performance and he was quite enthusiastic and gracious to be playing to such a huge crowd.
Arkells. These guys won me over the second I first saw them play Bluesfest a few years ago. They give it their all on stage and they are just so fun to see live because they are having tons of fun on stage. This performance did not disappoint!
A few performances that fell flat for me included Kanye West. I'm honestly not sure what I expected but I definitely expected more. More spectacle. More visuals. More ranting... Although his performance was solid and generally good, I was left wanting more.
In week one, there were also many (pleasant) surprises and new discoveries:
Shakey Graves. This folky/blues rocker demands your attention as soon as he walks on the stage. Starting off with just him on stage, he was soon joined by supporting musicians. He drew a big crowd, and keep us entertained the whole time!
Jungle by Night. While waiting to catch another show, I stumbled upon these young men from Amsterdam who play a cool mix of funk, afro-beat and jazz. Their sound was refreshing and you couldn't help but have fun during their set.
Hat Fitz & Cara. Featuring Hat Fitz, a talented Australian blues guitarist and Cara Robinson, a talented soulful vocalist who plays the drums, the washboard and the flute, this duo is insanely talented and hilarious. Their songs are infectious and you cannot help but be sucked in right away. They definitely won over the huge crowd and put the blues back in Bluesfest.
There's so many great acts to catch during week two, including locals Hilotrons, FET.NAT, the Haig, Gold and Marrow, New Swears, and more! Some of the other acts I'm excited to check out include Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, CHVRCHES, Purity Ring, Tragically Hip, just to name a few.
Stay tuned for highlights of week two! See you at Lebreton Flats!
Photo: Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires. By Scott Penner
Well, folks. The first week of RBC Ottawa Bluesfest is officially done! It was definitely eventful and I, like many of you, was able to catch some great live music and enjoy some nice (hot) sunny weather.
Here are some of my highlights:
BlakDenim. Blakdenim - one word, no c. Ottawa's very own hip hop/soul/funk/everything band put on a great performance on the River Canadian stage Thursday night. Although it wasn't packed, the crowd seemed to really enjoy discovering this local gem.
Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires. Wow. Bradley, also known as the Screaming Eagle of Soul, gives it his all on stage. And you can sense the love he feels for the crowd. The talented singer started out as a James Brown impersonator but he definitely has enough soul to stand on his own and leave his own mark.
The Souljazz Orchestra. A local favourite. It's so great to see them back on stage. This local act has been working on a new album "The Resistance", which will be out in September. There was a great crowd of people gathered at the Monster stage to see the show, some of which showed off their dance moves.
Nas. Although I don't know much about hip hop, and I'm not a fan of Nas, his performance was impressive. The turnout for his set was impressive as well. The rapper delivered a solid performance and he was quite enthusiastic and gracious to be playing to such a huge crowd.
Arkells. These guys won me over the second I first saw them play Bluesfest a few years ago. They give it their all on stage and they are just so fun to see live because they are having tons of fun on stage. This performance did not disappoint!
A few performances that fell flat for me included Kanye West. I'm honestly not sure what I expected but I definitely expected more. More spectacle. More visuals. More ranting... Although his performance was solid and generally good, I was left wanting more.
In week one, there were also many (pleasant) surprises and new discoveries:
Shakey Graves. This folky/blues rocker demands your attention as soon as he walks on the stage. Starting off with just him on stage, he was soon joined by supporting musicians. He drew a big crowd, and keep us entertained the whole time!
Jungle by Night. While waiting to catch another show, I stumbled upon these young men from Amsterdam who play a cool mix of funk, afro-beat and jazz. Their sound was refreshing and you couldn't help but have fun during their set.
Hat Fitz & Cara. Featuring Hat Fitz, a talented Australian blues guitarist and Cara Robinson, a talented soulful vocalist who plays the drums, the washboard and the flute, this duo is insanely talented and hilarious. Their songs are infectious and you cannot help but be sucked in right away. They definitely won over the huge crowd and put the blues back in Bluesfest.
There's so many great acts to catch during week two, including locals Hilotrons, FET.NAT, the Haig, Gold and Marrow, New Swears, and more! Some of the other acts I'm excited to check out include Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, CHVRCHES, Purity Ring, Tragically Hip, just to name a few.
Stay tuned for highlights of week two! See you at Lebreton Flats!
Photo: Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires. By Scott Penner
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
Studio La Mouche Takes Flight
Originally published on Couch Assassin.
In case you haven't noticed, Ottawa's artistic scene is jam-packed with talented people. Sometimes promoting our city’s talent is where the challenge lies. Enter Studio La Mouche.
Lucie B, a local artist, started the project. Born and raised in Ottawa, she has been involved in the artistic community through her circle of friends, especially in the music scene. Having studied in chemistry, Lucie has no formal training in visual art. She shared that she was working on her Masters' degree when she acquired a silk-screening machine. She got the idea to start Studio La Mouche after realizing that some of her drawings would look good on t-shirts. "I decided to silk-screen my own stuff. Then I started noticing other artists around me and thought that their designs would work well on t-shirts too [...] Then I asked myself, 'why am I only printing on t-shirts? I could make prints easily.' It grew from me to multiple people to multiple products." Right now, Studio La Mouche is printing many different products, including apparel, prints, book covers, stencils, patches, etc. The studio also produces original artwork.
So what's story behind the name? According to Lucie B, the name came from fly drawings that she used to produce. "The company was originally just going to sell t-shirts with my fly drawings on it, so I picked that name. Then all the other artists came after and I kept the name. It's in French because of my Franco-Ontarien background and me wanting to keep bilingualism as part of the company's identity." The studio's new website will be bilingual as well. "I thought the word studio was a good way to encompass everything [...] It would be nice to eventually to get a dedicated studio space." Studio La Mouche has no physical space to call its own just yet. Lucie's ultimate goal is to open up a communal space. The space would be available to the artists if they need a working space and so they could use the different equipment and machines. Lucie also hopes to have a shop where prints can be sold, and a gallery space for viewings. She also mentioned that the gallery space or shop could be transformed into a live music space. But for right now, artists work on their own and Lucie B works from her apartment where she keeps all the materials and equipment.
Eight local artists are currently part of Studio La Mouche. Lucie acts as a curator and is selective when approaching artists to get involved. She is in talk with a few more artists to get on board, people that she met through her connections in the community. Ideally, as the company grows, she will ask artists to join as she meets them, and if she feels their aesthetics fits with her vision for the company. In terms of the style of art at Studio La Mouche, it is pretty open. According to Lucie, “it’s more on the grunge side, although there is more delicate stuff as well”. If any local artists are interested in getting involved with Studio La Mouche, she encourages them to get in touch with her with examples of their work.
Although the project has been launched for about a month, Lucie B has been working on it for over a year, gathering information, looking at different resources, such as producers and printers as well as making a business plan. The project was launched using a Kickstarter campaign. The Kickstarter page is currently being used as the studio's online shop. As soon as the campaign is done, an online shop will be open. Studio La Mouche will also participate in pop-up shops and festivals, so keep an eye out for that.
So why a Kickstarter campaign? While talking to some friends, Lucie got the idea to use Kickstarter. The project kept growing, and more and more artists were getting involved, and more products were in the works. "I didn't have the money to print that much artwork on that many different products," she said. "The Kickstarter campaign was a risk-free way to get started."
The campaign was launched with a show at the end of May at Pressed featuring local bands the Sick Sick Sicks, the Heavy Medecine Band and Tindervox. According to Lucie, there is a lot of potential for great work to be done. “The studio is trying to promote art in all forms, and we're trying to promote collaborations among artists and with musicians and performers. We are open to commission work. If bands or musicians are looking for album artwork and t-shirt designs, they can check out our roster of artists and if they like a particular style, we can connect them and they can collaborate."
The studio also wants to keep putting on live music shows and have a merchandise table, where visual art will be sold from different La Mouche artists, which could include band merchandise as well. Lucie B is a fan of the local music scene. She's a big fan of the Heavy Medicine Band (vocalist Keturah Johnson is one of the artists at Studio La Mouche). Lucie also recently discovered Randy Shenanigans and Bonnie Doon, two groups she says she would love to work with.
All the products are at a discounted price during the Kickstarter campaign. The campaign's goal is set to $5,000. This is the minimum amount that the studio would need to fulfill the campaign rewards. The more money the studio raises through this campaign, the more funds are available to get inventory ready for the online shop, once it opens. It is also worth noting that if the studio does not meet its goal, it received none of the money pledged.
There are still a few days to show your support and contribute to the Kickstarter campaign. Click here for more information. The campaign ends on July 28, 2015. So go check out Studio La Mouche and keep your eyes open for amazing art.
In case you haven't noticed, Ottawa's artistic scene is jam-packed with talented people. Sometimes promoting our city’s talent is where the challenge lies. Enter Studio La Mouche.
Lucie B, a local artist, started the project. Born and raised in Ottawa, she has been involved in the artistic community through her circle of friends, especially in the music scene. Having studied in chemistry, Lucie has no formal training in visual art. She shared that she was working on her Masters' degree when she acquired a silk-screening machine. She got the idea to start Studio La Mouche after realizing that some of her drawings would look good on t-shirts. "I decided to silk-screen my own stuff. Then I started noticing other artists around me and thought that their designs would work well on t-shirts too [...] Then I asked myself, 'why am I only printing on t-shirts? I could make prints easily.' It grew from me to multiple people to multiple products." Right now, Studio La Mouche is printing many different products, including apparel, prints, book covers, stencils, patches, etc. The studio also produces original artwork.
So what's story behind the name? According to Lucie B, the name came from fly drawings that she used to produce. "The company was originally just going to sell t-shirts with my fly drawings on it, so I picked that name. Then all the other artists came after and I kept the name. It's in French because of my Franco-Ontarien background and me wanting to keep bilingualism as part of the company's identity." The studio's new website will be bilingual as well. "I thought the word studio was a good way to encompass everything [...] It would be nice to eventually to get a dedicated studio space." Studio La Mouche has no physical space to call its own just yet. Lucie's ultimate goal is to open up a communal space. The space would be available to the artists if they need a working space and so they could use the different equipment and machines. Lucie also hopes to have a shop where prints can be sold, and a gallery space for viewings. She also mentioned that the gallery space or shop could be transformed into a live music space. But for right now, artists work on their own and Lucie B works from her apartment where she keeps all the materials and equipment.
Eight local artists are currently part of Studio La Mouche. Lucie acts as a curator and is selective when approaching artists to get involved. She is in talk with a few more artists to get on board, people that she met through her connections in the community. Ideally, as the company grows, she will ask artists to join as she meets them, and if she feels their aesthetics fits with her vision for the company. In terms of the style of art at Studio La Mouche, it is pretty open. According to Lucie, “it’s more on the grunge side, although there is more delicate stuff as well”. If any local artists are interested in getting involved with Studio La Mouche, she encourages them to get in touch with her with examples of their work.
Although the project has been launched for about a month, Lucie B has been working on it for over a year, gathering information, looking at different resources, such as producers and printers as well as making a business plan. The project was launched using a Kickstarter campaign. The Kickstarter page is currently being used as the studio's online shop. As soon as the campaign is done, an online shop will be open. Studio La Mouche will also participate in pop-up shops and festivals, so keep an eye out for that.
So why a Kickstarter campaign? While talking to some friends, Lucie got the idea to use Kickstarter. The project kept growing, and more and more artists were getting involved, and more products were in the works. "I didn't have the money to print that much artwork on that many different products," she said. "The Kickstarter campaign was a risk-free way to get started."
The campaign was launched with a show at the end of May at Pressed featuring local bands the Sick Sick Sicks, the Heavy Medecine Band and Tindervox. According to Lucie, there is a lot of potential for great work to be done. “The studio is trying to promote art in all forms, and we're trying to promote collaborations among artists and with musicians and performers. We are open to commission work. If bands or musicians are looking for album artwork and t-shirt designs, they can check out our roster of artists and if they like a particular style, we can connect them and they can collaborate."
The studio also wants to keep putting on live music shows and have a merchandise table, where visual art will be sold from different La Mouche artists, which could include band merchandise as well. Lucie B is a fan of the local music scene. She's a big fan of the Heavy Medicine Band (vocalist Keturah Johnson is one of the artists at Studio La Mouche). Lucie also recently discovered Randy Shenanigans and Bonnie Doon, two groups she says she would love to work with.
All the products are at a discounted price during the Kickstarter campaign. The campaign's goal is set to $5,000. This is the minimum amount that the studio would need to fulfill the campaign rewards. The more money the studio raises through this campaign, the more funds are available to get inventory ready for the online shop, once it opens. It is also worth noting that if the studio does not meet its goal, it received none of the money pledged.
There are still a few days to show your support and contribute to the Kickstarter campaign. Click here for more information. The campaign ends on July 28, 2015. So go check out Studio La Mouche and keep your eyes open for amazing art.
Friday, 19 June 2015
Making the Most out of Music Festivals
Get ready, Ottawa! Festival season is here!
I've been to my fair share of music festivals. I'm not saying I'm an expert by any means, but my schedule pretty much revolves around music festivals and live shows, especially in the summer.
From my experience, there are many factors that affect one's experience at a music festival. Here are a few tips to keep in mind in order to maximize your festival-going experience.
Dress appropriately. Pick your outfit based on your surroundings and based on weather predictions. If you’re going to be standing in a field in the middle of nowhere for an entire day, wearing comfortable footwear would be a wise idea. If the weather is going to be rainy and cold, be sure to bring a warm sweater or jacket. Once you're on site, you don't want to be uncomfortable and/or miserable, wishing you would have dressed differently.
Protect yourself. I know we’re adults and it’s not cool to wear sunscreens… But get over it! Bring some sunscreen and apply some regularly. What's worse than getting a bad sunburn? Going back on site the next day to spend an entire afternoon in the sun when you're trying to nurse a bad sunburn. Do you burn easily? Wear sleeves and a hat.
Stay hydrated. Yes, drinking an ice old beer while watching live music is pretty awesome. And a lot of us enjoy this activity during music festivals. However, be careful. My advice is to consume in moderation and make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day. You don't want to be that person who passes out while waiting for your favourite band to start their set. Also, if you end up being that person who passes out from dehydration, that could seriously damper the experience for your friends. So don't be stupid and drink water!
Rest. That's right. If you're planning on attending every day of a weekly-long or two week music festival, make sure you rest and get enough sleep so you're in top shape to catch as much live music as possible. There's nothing worse than being overtired and missing an evening of good music and great bands because you can't get off the couch or keep your eyes open.
Pick a meeting spot. Planning to meet your friends at Bluesfest? Why not come up with a meeting spot right off the bat, instead of constantly texting your friends back and forth, and trying to locate them in a huge crowd of thousands of people. Identifying a meeting spot early on will help you save time, which means more time checking out the awesome live shows.
Make a schedule. If you're like me, you want to most bang for your buck. And because festivals aren't cheap, it's good to catch as many acts as you can. So prepare a daily schedules of bands you want to see, so you get an idea of what your day will look like and what time you have to be on site. Make sure you check what times and what stages each band you want to see are playing at. If you're organized, you'll be able to catch as many shows as possible.
Ditch your phone. That's right - Put your phone away! If you're in the presence of one of your favourite bands while they are playing a live set, why would you answer those text messages or check your Instagram? That can wait 'til later! Put your phone away and take it all in! Although it's important to have a phone with you in case of emergencies (or if you lose your friends), why would you play with it during a live show? You may never have the opportunity to see these bands perform live again so take full advantage while you can!
Get involved! Let’s be honest: Music festivals aren’t cheap! Not everyone can afford a full festival pass for all the music festivals happening this summer (because there are lots!). One way to save money is to get involved and volunteer. Most of these festivals would not happen without the assistance of volunteers. Volunteers get lots of perks, including free admissions to shows at the festival. The commitment differs from festival to festival. If you work a certain number of shifts, you get to see shows for free. As someone who's volunteered for many festivals, including the Ottawa Jazz Festival and Bluesfest, I can tell you that it's a very rewarding experience. Not only do you get free admission to shows, you get to meet cool people. So if your schedule permits, get involved!
So those are my tips for making the most out of your music festivals. So get out there, Ottawa! Be safe, have fun and enjoy that live music!
Photo: Wu-Tang Clan at RBC Ottawa Bluesfest. Credit: Steve G.
Monday, 8 June 2015
Lunch Out Loud Ottawa
As the Associate Editor of Couch Assassin, I get to do fun things and meet really cool people. Last week, I'm thrilled to have been a guest on Lunch Out Loud Ottawa, a weekly podcast that promotes the amazing talent, food, events and music Ottawa has to offer. I'm a big fan of LOLO and how they promote the cool stuff happening in our city (just like us!) and I'm thrilled to have been a part of their Summer Music Festival Preview.
The episode was hosted by Nick Bachusky, and joining me as guests were Peter Simpson (Ottawa Citizen) and Ming Wu (CHUO's No Filter). We talked about Westfest, Ottawa Explosion, Dragonboat Festival, Ottawa Jazz Festival, RBC Bluesfest, Arboretum Festival as well as CityFolk.
Want to know my recommendations for all the upcoming festivals this Summer? Have a listen!
Sunday, 26 April 2015
Get on the Scene: Celebrating Ontario's Best!
Originally published on Couch Assassin.
Ottawa, you're in for a treat! This week, the National Arts Centre presents Ontario Scene. The festival starts Wednesday and ends on May 10. During the 12 days, there are over 90 events that will feature over 600 artists. The events will happen in over 30 venues across the Ottawa-Gatineau area. Very impressive!
Ontario Scene is the seventh event in a series of multidisciplinary festivals showcasing the work of artists (both established and emerging) from a specific region of the country. The festival will feature music, dance, theatre, visual and media arts, film, literature and culinary events.
Although the event focuses on the best of Ontario artists, there are many local acts that will be featured during the festival, including Zoo Legacy, Boyhood, Big Dick, Kalle Mattson, Nightshades and more. On Thursday, April 30, check out Next Wave: Ottawa Music Spotlight at SAW Gallery. The show will feature Roberta Bondar, the Yips, Bonnie Doon and DJ Gina Vanelli.
Ontario Scene also features many free events, including most art exhibitions as well as a Gallery Crawl.
There are so many cool events lined up for this festival; I dare you to find something that doesn't tickle your fancy. Here are a few shows I'm excited about:
Daniel Lanois and Basia Bulat with the NAC Orchestra: Sure to be an unforgettable evening! Lanois played the Ottawa Jazz Festival last summer (in the pouring rain) and gave a solid performance. His resume of musical accomplishments is impressive! Worth checking out. On her end, Basia Bulat is making waves in the national music scene as well and has played many shows in the National Capital Region lately. She's quickly becoming a favourite of many.
Cold Specks: For those of you who've never heard of Cold Specks, listen up! This musician should be on your radar! This Toronto based singer/songwriter released her second album last year. Her style of music is hard to describe but her vocals are out of this world. After one song, you'll be hooked. Take my word for it - Do not miss this show!
Shad: Although he's recently been propelled in the spotlight because of his new gig as host of popular CBC Radio One program Q, Shad's refreshing style of hip hop has been making waves in the Canadian music scene for a while now. Two years ago, the Kenya-born, Toronto-based rapper performed at the Ottawa Folkfest and delivered a great performance. Going there with absolutely no expectations, I was blown away and I've been a fan ever since. And although I'm not a fan of the Bronson Centre as a music venue, this should be a great show.
Excited to check out Ontario Scene? Couch Assassin is giving away two pairs of tickets for Shad on May 2nd. Check out our Facebook page for more details!
For a complete schedule of events, check out the Ontario Scene website.
Photo: April Verch. Credit: Parker J. Pfister
Ottawa, you're in for a treat! This week, the National Arts Centre presents Ontario Scene. The festival starts Wednesday and ends on May 10. During the 12 days, there are over 90 events that will feature over 600 artists. The events will happen in over 30 venues across the Ottawa-Gatineau area. Very impressive!
Ontario Scene is the seventh event in a series of multidisciplinary festivals showcasing the work of artists (both established and emerging) from a specific region of the country. The festival will feature music, dance, theatre, visual and media arts, film, literature and culinary events.
Although the event focuses on the best of Ontario artists, there are many local acts that will be featured during the festival, including Zoo Legacy, Boyhood, Big Dick, Kalle Mattson, Nightshades and more. On Thursday, April 30, check out Next Wave: Ottawa Music Spotlight at SAW Gallery. The show will feature Roberta Bondar, the Yips, Bonnie Doon and DJ Gina Vanelli.
Ontario Scene also features many free events, including most art exhibitions as well as a Gallery Crawl.
There are so many cool events lined up for this festival; I dare you to find something that doesn't tickle your fancy. Here are a few shows I'm excited about:
Daniel Lanois and Basia Bulat with the NAC Orchestra: Sure to be an unforgettable evening! Lanois played the Ottawa Jazz Festival last summer (in the pouring rain) and gave a solid performance. His resume of musical accomplishments is impressive! Worth checking out. On her end, Basia Bulat is making waves in the national music scene as well and has played many shows in the National Capital Region lately. She's quickly becoming a favourite of many.
Cold Specks: For those of you who've never heard of Cold Specks, listen up! This musician should be on your radar! This Toronto based singer/songwriter released her second album last year. Her style of music is hard to describe but her vocals are out of this world. After one song, you'll be hooked. Take my word for it - Do not miss this show!
Shad: Although he's recently been propelled in the spotlight because of his new gig as host of popular CBC Radio One program Q, Shad's refreshing style of hip hop has been making waves in the Canadian music scene for a while now. Two years ago, the Kenya-born, Toronto-based rapper performed at the Ottawa Folkfest and delivered a great performance. Going there with absolutely no expectations, I was blown away and I've been a fan ever since. And although I'm not a fan of the Bronson Centre as a music venue, this should be a great show.
Excited to check out Ontario Scene? Couch Assassin is giving away two pairs of tickets for Shad on May 2nd. Check out our Facebook page for more details!
For a complete schedule of events, check out the Ontario Scene website.
Photo: April Verch. Credit: Parker J. Pfister
Sunday, 29 March 2015
Local Talent Will Shine at Bluesfest
Originally published on Couch Assassin.
Last Monday evening, part of the lineup of the 2015 Ottawa Bluesfest was leaked. Soon after, a press release circulated, making it official. Music fans in Ottawa rejoiced at the announcement. Most of us thought we would have to wait until April to find out what acts would be playing this summer.
Reactions on the lineups have been mixed. Some people are really excited and have bought their festival passes as soon as they came online Wednesday. Some aren't really impressed with the lineup and are hoping there will be bigger, more impressive acts added to the lineup in April (although the latest addition of Kanye West to the bill is definitely bringing a lot of hype around the festival).
Regardless, true fans of Ottawa music are definitely pleased with the inclusion of great local acts. This year's lineup includes the Yips, Hilotrons, FET.NAT, Thrifty Kids, Blakdenim, Bosveld, Tara Holloway, Kaleigh Watts, Gold and Marrow, the Haig, New Swears, Monkey Junk, Flight Distance, Bella Cat, Grime Kings and Winchester Warm.
Last year's lineup also had a strong local presence. However, most of the local bands last year played the Barney Danson theatre, which is located inside the Canadian War Museum. There is no word yet on whether this trend will remain in 2015 or if local acts will be playing on one of the outdoor stages. In my humble opinion, playing one of the bigger stages would be the best option. This would allow more people to see these great local acts, seeing as not many people go inside the museum at one given time (and if they do, they might not even know about the theatre). Don't get me wrong, the Barney Danson theatre is great. The sound is good, and it's nice to sit down for a bit after you've been on your feet all day. However, it's more likely to people will be walking around from stage to stage, and they might stumble upon one of these great bands and make a nice discovery.
What are your thoughts on this year's lineup? Who are you most excited to see at Bluesfest? Tweet at me @juliecdoiron!
Reactions on the lineups have been mixed. Some people are really excited and have bought their festival passes as soon as they came online Wednesday. Some aren't really impressed with the lineup and are hoping there will be bigger, more impressive acts added to the lineup in April (although the latest addition of Kanye West to the bill is definitely bringing a lot of hype around the festival).
Regardless, true fans of Ottawa music are definitely pleased with the inclusion of great local acts. This year's lineup includes the Yips, Hilotrons, FET.NAT, Thrifty Kids, Blakdenim, Bosveld, Tara Holloway, Kaleigh Watts, Gold and Marrow, the Haig, New Swears, Monkey Junk, Flight Distance, Bella Cat, Grime Kings and Winchester Warm.
Last year's lineup also had a strong local presence. However, most of the local bands last year played the Barney Danson theatre, which is located inside the Canadian War Museum. There is no word yet on whether this trend will remain in 2015 or if local acts will be playing on one of the outdoor stages. In my humble opinion, playing one of the bigger stages would be the best option. This would allow more people to see these great local acts, seeing as not many people go inside the museum at one given time (and if they do, they might not even know about the theatre). Don't get me wrong, the Barney Danson theatre is great. The sound is good, and it's nice to sit down for a bit after you've been on your feet all day. However, it's more likely to people will be walking around from stage to stage, and they might stumble upon one of these great bands and make a nice discovery.
What are your thoughts on this year's lineup? Who are you most excited to see at Bluesfest? Tweet at me @juliecdoiron!
Friday, 12 September 2014
Our Guide to Fall in Ottawa
Originally published on Couch Assassin.
Well, it’s that dreaded time of year: the end of Summer! Sorry to burst your bubble but this was bound to happen, folks. Instead of whining about the end of the season, go out and celebrate the cooler temperature with all Ottawa has to offer! Here at Couch Assassin, we welcome Fall with open arms because we know it’s gonna be awesome!
(More) Festivals!
Although summer in Ottawa is jam-packed with festivals, it doesn’t mean the fun stops there. There are lots of events taking place in the Fall. Don’t miss the Ottawa Folk Festival at Hog’s Back Park. Then there’s the Ottawa Turkish Festival, the Ottawa International Animation Festival, taking place at various locations in our city. This year, you can attend the very first Ottawa Burlesque Festivalfrom Sept 19-21.
Love food and drinks? Then you’re in luck! On Sparks Street, enjoy some delicious ribs during RIBtoberfest from Sept 25-28. At the beginning of October, there’s Beau’s Oktoberfest. Head out to Vankleek Hill to check out awesome bands, like Joel Plaskett Emergency, Tokyo Police Club, Radio Radio, Groenland, just to name a few.
Still hungry/thirsty? That’s good because the Casino du Lac-Leamy will be hosting Rendez-vous des Saveurs de l'Outaouais on Oct 15-19. Then there’s the Ottawa Wine and Food Festival at the Ottawa Convention Centre on Nov 6-9. Tons of opportunities to keep your bellies happy!
Clubs, Clubs, Clubs
You want to go out, meet new people and get real sweaty? Ottawa’s got lots of danceclubs that will surely meet your criteria. Head into the Byward Market, and check out establishments like Mansion, Tequila Jacks, Flybar or the always classy Liquor Store. For more queer friendly establishments, check out Swizzles and the Lookout.
Dancing's not your thing? Alright. If you love live music, there are tons of great spots in this city to catch awesome shows. Here's our list!
You like games? Well, Ottawa's got game(s)! House of Targ is a great venue jam-packed with pinball machines, perogies and awesome live music. For board game afficionados, there's Monopolatte and the Loft.
We Love Parties!
For those who love parties, check out Harvest Noir. This modern day harvest ball celebrates local farms and food. The event starts with a pop-up picnic at a secret location, where people will all be decked out in black attire. The fiesta continues well into the night with the after-party Dance Noir, where people can dance the night away (on two different dancefloors!!) Same deal: the location is secret until the very last minute. The event will feature a DJ and an orchestra. And there's a fashion show, where audience members can participate and win prizes! Definitely worth checking out.
Get Your Learn On!
Ottawa is home to lots of museums and art galleries so why not take advantage?! Most of our national museums are here, including the Canadian Museum of Nature, National Gallery of Canada and Canadian War Museum, just to name a few (told you there was lots!)
Ottawa is also home to smaller but really awesome museums and galleries. Check out the Ottawa Art Gallery, Fall Down Gallery, La Petite Mort, the Bytown Museum, the Diefenbunker. They always have great exhibitions on display and they sometimes host really cool events. Check them out!
Run Run Run!
In case you didn’t already know, Ottawa is a city of runners! At any given time, you will see tons of people running, especially along the Rideau Canal and our wonderful NCC trails. Not only is running a good way to stay in shape, it’s a great way to explore our city and meet new people.
Coming up this month, the Terry Fox Run on Sept 14 and the Army Run on Sept 21. Keep checking with the Running Room for any other upcoming runs in the area. Running's not your thing? Then go out and show your support to the people pounding the pavement.
Go Outside!
Ottawa in the Fall is absolutely beautiful! Anyone who tells you otherwise is just plain wrong. So go outside and take it all in. Take a walk along the Rideau Canal, or through the Byward Market, or better yet, venture out to Gatineau Park.
If you have access to a vehicle, why not drive up to the lovely town of Wakefield to take in the lovely sights and catch a show at the legendary Black Sheep Inn. Or head over to Mugshots to catch an open mic night or check out Double Barrel with DJ Magnificient.
So get off the couch, grab your jean jacket and your shoes and head out there, Ottawa. Go exploring and have a great time! As always, don’t forget to keep checking Couch Assassin to check out what’s happening in our lovely city.
Photo credit: Mike Gifford
Well, it’s that dreaded time of year: the end of Summer! Sorry to burst your bubble but this was bound to happen, folks. Instead of whining about the end of the season, go out and celebrate the cooler temperature with all Ottawa has to offer! Here at Couch Assassin, we welcome Fall with open arms because we know it’s gonna be awesome!
(More) Festivals!
Although summer in Ottawa is jam-packed with festivals, it doesn’t mean the fun stops there. There are lots of events taking place in the Fall. Don’t miss the Ottawa Folk Festival at Hog’s Back Park. Then there’s the Ottawa Turkish Festival, the Ottawa International Animation Festival, taking place at various locations in our city. This year, you can attend the very first Ottawa Burlesque Festivalfrom Sept 19-21.
Love food and drinks? Then you’re in luck! On Sparks Street, enjoy some delicious ribs during RIBtoberfest from Sept 25-28. At the beginning of October, there’s Beau’s Oktoberfest. Head out to Vankleek Hill to check out awesome bands, like Joel Plaskett Emergency, Tokyo Police Club, Radio Radio, Groenland, just to name a few.
Still hungry/thirsty? That’s good because the Casino du Lac-Leamy will be hosting Rendez-vous des Saveurs de l'Outaouais on Oct 15-19. Then there’s the Ottawa Wine and Food Festival at the Ottawa Convention Centre on Nov 6-9. Tons of opportunities to keep your bellies happy!
Clubs, Clubs, Clubs
You want to go out, meet new people and get real sweaty? Ottawa’s got lots of danceclubs that will surely meet your criteria. Head into the Byward Market, and check out establishments like Mansion, Tequila Jacks, Flybar or the always classy Liquor Store. For more queer friendly establishments, check out Swizzles and the Lookout.
Dancing's not your thing? Alright. If you love live music, there are tons of great spots in this city to catch awesome shows. Here's our list!
You like games? Well, Ottawa's got game(s)! House of Targ is a great venue jam-packed with pinball machines, perogies and awesome live music. For board game afficionados, there's Monopolatte and the Loft.
We Love Parties!
For those who love parties, check out Harvest Noir. This modern day harvest ball celebrates local farms and food. The event starts with a pop-up picnic at a secret location, where people will all be decked out in black attire. The fiesta continues well into the night with the after-party Dance Noir, where people can dance the night away (on two different dancefloors!!) Same deal: the location is secret until the very last minute. The event will feature a DJ and an orchestra. And there's a fashion show, where audience members can participate and win prizes! Definitely worth checking out.
Get Your Learn On!
Ottawa is home to lots of museums and art galleries so why not take advantage?! Most of our national museums are here, including the Canadian Museum of Nature, National Gallery of Canada and Canadian War Museum, just to name a few (told you there was lots!)
Ottawa is also home to smaller but really awesome museums and galleries. Check out the Ottawa Art Gallery, Fall Down Gallery, La Petite Mort, the Bytown Museum, the Diefenbunker. They always have great exhibitions on display and they sometimes host really cool events. Check them out!
Run Run Run!
In case you didn’t already know, Ottawa is a city of runners! At any given time, you will see tons of people running, especially along the Rideau Canal and our wonderful NCC trails. Not only is running a good way to stay in shape, it’s a great way to explore our city and meet new people.
Coming up this month, the Terry Fox Run on Sept 14 and the Army Run on Sept 21. Keep checking with the Running Room for any other upcoming runs in the area. Running's not your thing? Then go out and show your support to the people pounding the pavement.
Go Outside!
Ottawa in the Fall is absolutely beautiful! Anyone who tells you otherwise is just plain wrong. So go outside and take it all in. Take a walk along the Rideau Canal, or through the Byward Market, or better yet, venture out to Gatineau Park.
If you have access to a vehicle, why not drive up to the lovely town of Wakefield to take in the lovely sights and catch a show at the legendary Black Sheep Inn. Or head over to Mugshots to catch an open mic night or check out Double Barrel with DJ Magnificient.
So get off the couch, grab your jean jacket and your shoes and head out there, Ottawa. Go exploring and have a great time! As always, don’t forget to keep checking Couch Assassin to check out what’s happening in our lovely city.
Photo credit: Mike Gifford
Monday, 1 September 2014
Getting Intimate With Local Songwriters
Originally published on Couch Assassin.
If you check out live shows in Ottawa regularly, chances are you've encountered Jamie Kronick. You've either seen him play with many local bands or you've seen him at a show, supporting his friends and fellow musicians. And of course, you just can't forget that hair! But maybe you didn't know that Kronick is a photographer. His exhibition The Songwriter is currently on display at the Ottawa Art Gallery Annex (located in Ottawa City Hall) until October 12.
Kronick plays drums with various local bands, including GoodLuck Assembly, Scattered Clouds, Her Harbour, Keek, Laurent Bourque and André Bluteau, just to name a few. Born and raised in Ottawa, he picked up a camera for the first time about 6 years ago. He has been working professionally as a full-time commercial photographer for 3 years. Kronick explained that the interest came from his upbringing in the band/music world, where he worked closely with photographers. "I was always the one working on the artwork for the album for all my bands. One day, I jumped in and said I feel like doing this." Kronick recently did work for his friends in Amos the Transparent for their most recent album. He also does a lot of promotional photos for various local bands.
The Songwriter is comprised of 28 portraits, 20 of which are currently on display at the OAG Annex. The series features both emerging and established, including a few Juno award winners and nominees Ian Tamblin, Amanda Rheaume, Kathleen Edwards, Jim Bryson. From the 28 subjects in the series, Gabrielle Giguère (Her Harbour) is the only musician that Kronick has played with.
The series has been in the works for a few years. Kronick was a student at School of Photographic Art of Ottawa (SPAO), graduating in 2011. This project started as his graduating series, where students show a body of work when they graduate from the school. Two of the images are from 2010 and the bulk of the projects are images taken in 2011. After graduating, Kronick let the project sit until just recently. The Ottawa Art Gallery approached him to show the work earlier this year. "I was reluctant because I had already been sitting on the images for about 3 years and I wasn't super excited about showing older work, I had so much newer work that I'm more excited about. So I counter-offered them with, if I could do new work for the same series and do an amalgamation of the old and the new, that's something I would be interested in."
In choosing subjects for his project, Kronick tried to show a cross-section of the music scene, musicians from different genres, different ages, trying to represent both genders equally. The one criteria that he strictly followed was the idea of a traditional songwriter. "I really wanted the traditional songwriter so somebody who sits down alone and writes something [...] I wanted the intimate solitude of songwriting."
When asked about the idea that inspired the exhibition, Kronick shared that he's been asked that question so many times recently, and it's only in answering the question that he ended up discovering the series' true inspiration. "I play in so many bands and I work with so many songwriters, in the projects I'm in, I'm typically very involved in the songwriting process [...] But what I realized is that I'm never really there for the inception of the song, I'm never there when the song is formally created, when the person creates something out of nothing. Photography was my way to see what that looks like. I never knew what that looked like, I was never involved in that process so this is my sneaky way to see what it looked like, and to see what it looked like from my peers and from people I looked up to musically."
We can all agree that songwriting is a personal process, albeit different for each individual. But why is that? "These people are committing to words, to lyrics, which I can't imagine ever doing. I'm not much of a wordsmith [...] You can dress it up however you want, and that's where I come in as a musician in the process. You can put any kind of beat or sound to any kind of song but at the end of the day, when you strip away everything, you're left with melody and lyrics."
There were lots of surprises for Kronick when creating the series, especially when he discovering how open and willing people were when asked to participate in the project. "At least two thirds of the subjects in this series, I didn't know personally before this. I knew who they were by reputation or by their music, and I would reach out via email, Facebook or Twitter and say "Hey, this is what I'm doing, here are a few example of photos, would you be willing?" I only had one no." For the most part, these images were taken in the subjects' residence (living room, bedroom, home studio, etc). Kronick was surprised on how wiling people were to give themselves to him and allow him into such a personal space. "They're letting me into their lives, so that was certainly a surprise."
As a musician and someone really involved in Ottawa's music scene, Kronick has nothing but positive things to say about our city. "I think [the scene] is awesome. It's thriving! I feel like as I'm getting to the age where I'm meeting more people all the time and the lines are blurring between genres and people are co-existing from one genre to the next [...] I speak to people a bit older than me who've been in the scene longer than me, and they see now as a time where things are really happening where as I feel I've sort of just grown into it because I'm now at the age where things are happening. It seems to be better than ever, that seems to be the general opinion. That's something that this series touches on as well, the diversity of the music scene, be it in age, in genre [...] There's a whole bunch of insanely talented people in the city."
So what's next for Kronick? Well, you'll have to stay tuned! According to him, he has a lot of stuff on the go and lots of seeds that have yet to develop. Safe to say, Kronick will keep thriving and shedding light on the best our city has to offer. "I think I've done a good job representing Ottawa and the diversity we have," shared Kronick. I think we can all agree with that!
Check out The Songwriter until October 12. The vernissage will be taking place Thursday, September 4th from 5:30pm to 8:00pm.
THE SONGWRITER
August 30 - October 12, 2014
9 am - 8pm
OAG Annex (City Hall)
110 Laurier Avenue West
 |
| Photo: Jamie Kronick |
If you check out live shows in Ottawa regularly, chances are you've encountered Jamie Kronick. You've either seen him play with many local bands or you've seen him at a show, supporting his friends and fellow musicians. And of course, you just can't forget that hair! But maybe you didn't know that Kronick is a photographer. His exhibition The Songwriter is currently on display at the Ottawa Art Gallery Annex (located in Ottawa City Hall) until October 12.
Kronick plays drums with various local bands, including GoodLuck Assembly, Scattered Clouds, Her Harbour, Keek, Laurent Bourque and André Bluteau, just to name a few. Born and raised in Ottawa, he picked up a camera for the first time about 6 years ago. He has been working professionally as a full-time commercial photographer for 3 years. Kronick explained that the interest came from his upbringing in the band/music world, where he worked closely with photographers. "I was always the one working on the artwork for the album for all my bands. One day, I jumped in and said I feel like doing this." Kronick recently did work for his friends in Amos the Transparent for their most recent album. He also does a lot of promotional photos for various local bands.
The Songwriter is comprised of 28 portraits, 20 of which are currently on display at the OAG Annex. The series features both emerging and established, including a few Juno award winners and nominees Ian Tamblin, Amanda Rheaume, Kathleen Edwards, Jim Bryson. From the 28 subjects in the series, Gabrielle Giguère (Her Harbour) is the only musician that Kronick has played with.
The series has been in the works for a few years. Kronick was a student at School of Photographic Art of Ottawa (SPAO), graduating in 2011. This project started as his graduating series, where students show a body of work when they graduate from the school. Two of the images are from 2010 and the bulk of the projects are images taken in 2011. After graduating, Kronick let the project sit until just recently. The Ottawa Art Gallery approached him to show the work earlier this year. "I was reluctant because I had already been sitting on the images for about 3 years and I wasn't super excited about showing older work, I had so much newer work that I'm more excited about. So I counter-offered them with, if I could do new work for the same series and do an amalgamation of the old and the new, that's something I would be interested in."
In choosing subjects for his project, Kronick tried to show a cross-section of the music scene, musicians from different genres, different ages, trying to represent both genders equally. The one criteria that he strictly followed was the idea of a traditional songwriter. "I really wanted the traditional songwriter so somebody who sits down alone and writes something [...] I wanted the intimate solitude of songwriting."
When asked about the idea that inspired the exhibition, Kronick shared that he's been asked that question so many times recently, and it's only in answering the question that he ended up discovering the series' true inspiration. "I play in so many bands and I work with so many songwriters, in the projects I'm in, I'm typically very involved in the songwriting process [...] But what I realized is that I'm never really there for the inception of the song, I'm never there when the song is formally created, when the person creates something out of nothing. Photography was my way to see what that looks like. I never knew what that looked like, I was never involved in that process so this is my sneaky way to see what it looked like, and to see what it looked like from my peers and from people I looked up to musically."
We can all agree that songwriting is a personal process, albeit different for each individual. But why is that? "These people are committing to words, to lyrics, which I can't imagine ever doing. I'm not much of a wordsmith [...] You can dress it up however you want, and that's where I come in as a musician in the process. You can put any kind of beat or sound to any kind of song but at the end of the day, when you strip away everything, you're left with melody and lyrics."
There were lots of surprises for Kronick when creating the series, especially when he discovering how open and willing people were when asked to participate in the project. "At least two thirds of the subjects in this series, I didn't know personally before this. I knew who they were by reputation or by their music, and I would reach out via email, Facebook or Twitter and say "Hey, this is what I'm doing, here are a few example of photos, would you be willing?" I only had one no." For the most part, these images were taken in the subjects' residence (living room, bedroom, home studio, etc). Kronick was surprised on how wiling people were to give themselves to him and allow him into such a personal space. "They're letting me into their lives, so that was certainly a surprise."
As a musician and someone really involved in Ottawa's music scene, Kronick has nothing but positive things to say about our city. "I think [the scene] is awesome. It's thriving! I feel like as I'm getting to the age where I'm meeting more people all the time and the lines are blurring between genres and people are co-existing from one genre to the next [...] I speak to people a bit older than me who've been in the scene longer than me, and they see now as a time where things are really happening where as I feel I've sort of just grown into it because I'm now at the age where things are happening. It seems to be better than ever, that seems to be the general opinion. That's something that this series touches on as well, the diversity of the music scene, be it in age, in genre [...] There's a whole bunch of insanely talented people in the city."
So what's next for Kronick? Well, you'll have to stay tuned! According to him, he has a lot of stuff on the go and lots of seeds that have yet to develop. Safe to say, Kronick will keep thriving and shedding light on the best our city has to offer. "I think I've done a good job representing Ottawa and the diversity we have," shared Kronick. I think we can all agree with that!
Check out The Songwriter until October 12. The vernissage will be taking place Thursday, September 4th from 5:30pm to 8:00pm.
THE SONGWRITER
August 30 - October 12, 2014
9 am - 8pm
OAG Annex (City Hall)
110 Laurier Avenue West
Friday, 11 July 2014
There's Something About Groenland
Originally published on Couch Assassin.
Refreshing. Energetic. Contagious. There are many words that can be used to describe the music of Groenland. Montreal’s indie pop darlings are currently on tour this summer, playing various festivals in Québec. Luckily for us, the band will also be making a stop at this year’s Bluesfest, playing the River Stage on Sunday afternoon. Earlier this week, I spoke to Jean Viver Lévesque, a multi-talented musician (keyboard, electros & percussions) and one of the two founding members of the band to get the inside story on Groenland.
Make no mistake; Groenland is more than just indie pop. Their music also features many orchestral elements with a touch of electro. The band is comprised of six members and they play many different instruments. Their debut album “The Chase”, released last year, was very well received and the band doesn’t plan on stopping there.
So what’s the story behind the group? Eight years ago, Lévesque and Sabrina Halde met while studying musique at Collège Saint-Laurent and they bonded. Their paths crossed again while studying at Université de Montréal. The two of them decided to then join forces and start a band. At first, they wanted to make electronic music, just the two of them. Lévesque explained that they eventually got bored and also that making that type of music was not their strength. By adding more members to the group, it changed the sound that the band originally had in mind but it turned out quite well, according to Lévesque.
So why Groenland? What does Groenland represent to the group? “We liked the idea of a very visual name,” shared Lévesque. This visual element is well represented on the album cover and the disc jacket. “We don’t know this place […] So you can imagine what you want about this place.” But Groenland wasn’t the original idea for the band’s name. The group started out with the name La Pieuvre, which is now the title of a track off “The Chase”. However, Lévesque explained that the name did not last for very long because the band wasn’t very confident about it.
As you can probably imagine, writing songs with a group of six musicians could very well be a challenge. However, Lévesque shared that good communication makes it easy. “After three years, the members are more involved in the process. Sabrina and I will write the songs, and after we come to the band, and we discuss all the different parts. It’s easy.” Although creating the music is a group effort, Halde is the one who does most of the songwriting.
Although the band only formed three years ago, and “The Chase” was released only a year ago, Groenland has received lots of praise and nominations for their album, including Album of the Year - Anglophone and Album Design at L'Autre Gala de l'ADISQ, an award show that celebrates excellence in music industry in Quebec.
For many of you, this will be your first time seeing Groenland perform live. So what can you expect from their live show? I asked Lévesque. “People who know the album will find us a lot more energetic. It’s a fun show […] we like talking to people.” The band recently played their biggest show ever, as part of the FestiVoix de Trois-Rivières. “Playing outdoor shows is new for us but we’re really enjoying it […] It suits us really well. We like the feel of it, it’s outside, there are more people. The crowd is more laid-back.”
So does the band prefer the outdoor festival shows to the intimate performances in small venues? “We just realized that we prefer outdoor shows with big crowds but we didn’t know before because we had never done it.” I think we can all agree that playing a bigger show outdoor is different than playing in a club. “There’s an intimacy that’s really nice with the small crowd of an indoor show but the outdoor shows are more festive,” he added. Lévesque also likes that there is more room on the stage, although the crowd is sometimes farther physically.
Last year, the group was invited to travel to France to attend the Festival Off-Courts in Trouville. They spent two weeks in the country, playing two shows and working on music for a short film. According to Lévesque, that was definitely a highlight for the group. Another memorable moment was the band’s first show after their album was released, which took place at the Divan Orange in Montreal. The show was packed, and there were tons of people waiting outside to get into the venue. The band was quite surprised. “Some of our friends were waiting outside and couldn’t even get in,” added Lévesque.
Groenland was in Ottawa earlier this year, playing to a packed house at Zaphods. During that show, they played an amazing cover of Retrograde by James Blake. They completely transformed the song into one of their own, and the crowd loved it. “We like playing covers but our manager doesn’t like it as much [laughs].” They decided to play some covers when they were asked to do a longer set. The song [Retrograde] had only been released three months prior so they felt a bit weird doing a cover of a song so fresh. However, the band was pleased with the result. “Sabrina sings it quite differently [than the original]. I like the feel of the song the way we play it.”
The future is bright for Groenland! The band is currently working on new material. A new album is in the works but according to Lévesque, they don’t rush through the process because the band members are perfectionists. They would like to travel to Europe but it’s more challenging. “Touring in Quebec is easy for us right now because it’s in our neighbourhood. Maybe [touring internationally] will have to wait until the new album is released. But traveling with the band has been a dream for us since the very beginning.”
It's hard to deny there’s something about Groenland. Something magical and youthful. One’s thing for sure: Groenland will definitely get stuck in your head! So make your way to Bluesfest Sunday afternoon and dance to your heart's content by the river.
Groenland
Sunday, July 13, 2014 @ 3pm
River Stage @ RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest
Cost: Varies
Refreshing. Energetic. Contagious. There are many words that can be used to describe the music of Groenland. Montreal’s indie pop darlings are currently on tour this summer, playing various festivals in Québec. Luckily for us, the band will also be making a stop at this year’s Bluesfest, playing the River Stage on Sunday afternoon. Earlier this week, I spoke to Jean Viver Lévesque, a multi-talented musician (keyboard, electros & percussions) and one of the two founding members of the band to get the inside story on Groenland.
Make no mistake; Groenland is more than just indie pop. Their music also features many orchestral elements with a touch of electro. The band is comprised of six members and they play many different instruments. Their debut album “The Chase”, released last year, was very well received and the band doesn’t plan on stopping there.
So what’s the story behind the group? Eight years ago, Lévesque and Sabrina Halde met while studying musique at Collège Saint-Laurent and they bonded. Their paths crossed again while studying at Université de Montréal. The two of them decided to then join forces and start a band. At first, they wanted to make electronic music, just the two of them. Lévesque explained that they eventually got bored and also that making that type of music was not their strength. By adding more members to the group, it changed the sound that the band originally had in mind but it turned out quite well, according to Lévesque.
So why Groenland? What does Groenland represent to the group? “We liked the idea of a very visual name,” shared Lévesque. This visual element is well represented on the album cover and the disc jacket. “We don’t know this place […] So you can imagine what you want about this place.” But Groenland wasn’t the original idea for the band’s name. The group started out with the name La Pieuvre, which is now the title of a track off “The Chase”. However, Lévesque explained that the name did not last for very long because the band wasn’t very confident about it.
As you can probably imagine, writing songs with a group of six musicians could very well be a challenge. However, Lévesque shared that good communication makes it easy. “After three years, the members are more involved in the process. Sabrina and I will write the songs, and after we come to the band, and we discuss all the different parts. It’s easy.” Although creating the music is a group effort, Halde is the one who does most of the songwriting.
Although the band only formed three years ago, and “The Chase” was released only a year ago, Groenland has received lots of praise and nominations for their album, including Album of the Year - Anglophone and Album Design at L'Autre Gala de l'ADISQ, an award show that celebrates excellence in music industry in Quebec.
For many of you, this will be your first time seeing Groenland perform live. So what can you expect from their live show? I asked Lévesque. “People who know the album will find us a lot more energetic. It’s a fun show […] we like talking to people.” The band recently played their biggest show ever, as part of the FestiVoix de Trois-Rivières. “Playing outdoor shows is new for us but we’re really enjoying it […] It suits us really well. We like the feel of it, it’s outside, there are more people. The crowd is more laid-back.”
So does the band prefer the outdoor festival shows to the intimate performances in small venues? “We just realized that we prefer outdoor shows with big crowds but we didn’t know before because we had never done it.” I think we can all agree that playing a bigger show outdoor is different than playing in a club. “There’s an intimacy that’s really nice with the small crowd of an indoor show but the outdoor shows are more festive,” he added. Lévesque also likes that there is more room on the stage, although the crowd is sometimes farther physically.
Last year, the group was invited to travel to France to attend the Festival Off-Courts in Trouville. They spent two weeks in the country, playing two shows and working on music for a short film. According to Lévesque, that was definitely a highlight for the group. Another memorable moment was the band’s first show after their album was released, which took place at the Divan Orange in Montreal. The show was packed, and there were tons of people waiting outside to get into the venue. The band was quite surprised. “Some of our friends were waiting outside and couldn’t even get in,” added Lévesque.
Groenland was in Ottawa earlier this year, playing to a packed house at Zaphods. During that show, they played an amazing cover of Retrograde by James Blake. They completely transformed the song into one of their own, and the crowd loved it. “We like playing covers but our manager doesn’t like it as much [laughs].” They decided to play some covers when they were asked to do a longer set. The song [Retrograde] had only been released three months prior so they felt a bit weird doing a cover of a song so fresh. However, the band was pleased with the result. “Sabrina sings it quite differently [than the original]. I like the feel of the song the way we play it.”
The future is bright for Groenland! The band is currently working on new material. A new album is in the works but according to Lévesque, they don’t rush through the process because the band members are perfectionists. They would like to travel to Europe but it’s more challenging. “Touring in Quebec is easy for us right now because it’s in our neighbourhood. Maybe [touring internationally] will have to wait until the new album is released. But traveling with the band has been a dream for us since the very beginning.”
It's hard to deny there’s something about Groenland. Something magical and youthful. One’s thing for sure: Groenland will definitely get stuck in your head! So make your way to Bluesfest Sunday afternoon and dance to your heart's content by the river.
Groenland
Sunday, July 13, 2014 @ 3pm
River Stage @ RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest
Cost: Varies
Thursday, 26 June 2014
Don't Spoil the Surprise!
Originally published on Couch Assassin.
Summer has arrived, and Ottawa, I hope you're ready to party! Mugshots is a great spot to check out shows in the summer months, because you get to spend time outdoors and see awesome live acts rock out. This Sunday night is no exception! Surprise Party will be taking over Mugshots and it's going to be a blast.
Surprise Party is a 4 piece band from Winnipeg who describe their sound as rock goth metal pop. That should appeal to lots of people in Ottawa with various musical tastes! The guys of Surprise Party have been playing together for almost two years, and they have just embarked on their second Eastern Canadian tour. I recently spoke to Mischa Decter, lead guitarist and singer of Surprise Party about their tour and what it's like being a band from Winnipeg.
The band name is pretty catchy. Surprise Party. According to Decter, the name represents many things, including "pain, ultimate suffering and the eternal quest for oxygen when you're fucking impaled on a stake in the middle of a field with 40 000 other people". If you've heard of Vladimir the Impaler, this should be self explanatory.
You can check out the band's full-length album online. Featuring songs like "Jealousy", "I Hate Girls" and "Second Hand Girlfriend", it's safe to say that Heart of Love has something for everyone! The inspiration behind the album comes from many elements, including "anger, sexual frustration, persecution, intergalactic sodomy and other things". Stuff we can all relate to!
Surprise Party is definitely a band to catch live. According to Decter, people should expect "a fuzzed out super saturated explosion of highly comradic doom". Based on that alone, you know you can't miss this show! The band's tour includes stops in Sudbury, Kingston, London, Windsor, Guelph, two shows in Montreal and two shows in Toronto.
There are lots of perks to touring. Some of the perks that Decter enjoys are "free beer, free food, playing music, driving to shows, hanging out, meeting people and intergalactic sodomy". Every band has at least one live show that stand out for them. When asked about his most memorable live performance, Decter shared: "We just played in Saskatoon at MosoFest at the same time as Timber Timbre was playing across the street, so the only people that watched us were our friends from Winnipeg, and the venue flooded with people immediately after they finished [...] That was memorable." And was there puking involved? You bet! "I puked later that night because I ate 3 taquitos from 7-11."
We don't often hear of bands coming out of Winnipeg, not to say that there aren't any. "The worst part about being a band from Winnipeg is the lack of good bands to play with and the lack of people who enjoy live music," explained Decter. "Most kids there are club rats."
And the best thing about being a band from Winnipeg? "Sharing the homeland of the great Tal Bachman, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings. It's a shame that Tom Cochrane wasn't born in Winnipeg, but coming from the same province as him is quite breathtaking."
Surprise Party will be joined by Ottawa's Swollen Eyes and Montreal's Small Teeth at Mugshots Sunday night. The show is presented by DEBASER. You can tune in to DEBASER every Tuesdays from 2-3 pm on CKCU93.1 FM.
Sunday night, don't stay home! Enjoy this gorgeous (yet sometimes disgusting) weather and go check out this show! There's sure to be fun shenanigans, great tunes and some weird shit painted on people's face. And don't worry about puking; you'll be outdoors anyways!
Surprise Party // Swollen Eyes // Small Teeth
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Mugshots (Ottawa Jail Hostel) @ 8PM
$8
Summer has arrived, and Ottawa, I hope you're ready to party! Mugshots is a great spot to check out shows in the summer months, because you get to spend time outdoors and see awesome live acts rock out. This Sunday night is no exception! Surprise Party will be taking over Mugshots and it's going to be a blast.
Surprise Party is a 4 piece band from Winnipeg who describe their sound as rock goth metal pop. That should appeal to lots of people in Ottawa with various musical tastes! The guys of Surprise Party have been playing together for almost two years, and they have just embarked on their second Eastern Canadian tour. I recently spoke to Mischa Decter, lead guitarist and singer of Surprise Party about their tour and what it's like being a band from Winnipeg.
The band name is pretty catchy. Surprise Party. According to Decter, the name represents many things, including "pain, ultimate suffering and the eternal quest for oxygen when you're fucking impaled on a stake in the middle of a field with 40 000 other people". If you've heard of Vladimir the Impaler, this should be self explanatory.
You can check out the band's full-length album online. Featuring songs like "Jealousy", "I Hate Girls" and "Second Hand Girlfriend", it's safe to say that Heart of Love has something for everyone! The inspiration behind the album comes from many elements, including "anger, sexual frustration, persecution, intergalactic sodomy and other things". Stuff we can all relate to!
Surprise Party is definitely a band to catch live. According to Decter, people should expect "a fuzzed out super saturated explosion of highly comradic doom". Based on that alone, you know you can't miss this show! The band's tour includes stops in Sudbury, Kingston, London, Windsor, Guelph, two shows in Montreal and two shows in Toronto.
There are lots of perks to touring. Some of the perks that Decter enjoys are "free beer, free food, playing music, driving to shows, hanging out, meeting people and intergalactic sodomy". Every band has at least one live show that stand out for them. When asked about his most memorable live performance, Decter shared: "We just played in Saskatoon at MosoFest at the same time as Timber Timbre was playing across the street, so the only people that watched us were our friends from Winnipeg, and the venue flooded with people immediately after they finished [...] That was memorable." And was there puking involved? You bet! "I puked later that night because I ate 3 taquitos from 7-11."
We don't often hear of bands coming out of Winnipeg, not to say that there aren't any. "The worst part about being a band from Winnipeg is the lack of good bands to play with and the lack of people who enjoy live music," explained Decter. "Most kids there are club rats."
And the best thing about being a band from Winnipeg? "Sharing the homeland of the great Tal Bachman, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings. It's a shame that Tom Cochrane wasn't born in Winnipeg, but coming from the same province as him is quite breathtaking."
Surprise Party will be joined by Ottawa's Swollen Eyes and Montreal's Small Teeth at Mugshots Sunday night. The show is presented by DEBASER. You can tune in to DEBASER every Tuesdays from 2-3 pm on CKCU93.1 FM.
Sunday night, don't stay home! Enjoy this gorgeous (yet sometimes disgusting) weather and go check out this show! There's sure to be fun shenanigans, great tunes and some weird shit painted on people's face. And don't worry about puking; you'll be outdoors anyways!
Surprise Party // Swollen Eyes // Small Teeth
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Mugshots (Ottawa Jail Hostel) @ 8PM
$8
Monday, 10 March 2014
We Are Wolves @ Le Petit Chicago
I rarely cross the bridge from Ottawa to Gatineau but Saturday night, I made an exception. To celebrate my best girlfriend Elly's birthday, I headed over to Le Petit Chicago to check out Montreal indie rock group group We Are Wolves.
I had already seen this group open for SUUNS at Zaphod's last October and they left quite an impression on me. Even my dad loved them! (Yes, I brought my dad to Zaphod's). The group is really fun to witness live. These guys are outrageous and insanely energetic!
Such an amazing show! And overall, a really fun night. I highly recommend you check out We Are Wolves, especially if they are playing a live show in your area. You will not be disappointed!
I had already seen this group open for SUUNS at Zaphod's last October and they left quite an impression on me. Even my dad loved them! (Yes, I brought my dad to Zaphod's). The group is really fun to witness live. These guys are outrageous and insanely energetic!
Such an amazing show! And overall, a really fun night. I highly recommend you check out We Are Wolves, especially if they are playing a live show in your area. You will not be disappointed!
Tuesday, 4 March 2014
Mehdi Cayenne Club @ Mercury Lounge
Thursday night, my friends and I headed to Mercury Lounge to check out Mehdi Cayenne Club. I had seen the group play at Bluesfest a few years back, and I also had the chance to see frontman Mehdi Hamdad play a solo show at Pressed last Fall.
Hamdad is quite the entertainer. I always enjoy seeing him perform live because he is truly an artist. He is very expressive and you can tell that he genuinely love to perform. Here are a few images:
Overall, a really fun evening! You can check out Mehdi Cayenne Club's latest release "Na Na Boo Boo" here.
Hamdad is quite the entertainer. I always enjoy seeing him perform live because he is truly an artist. He is very expressive and you can tell that he genuinely love to perform. Here are a few images:
Overall, a really fun evening! You can check out Mehdi Cayenne Club's latest release "Na Na Boo Boo" here.
Sunday, 2 March 2014
Photos: Craig Cardiff, Carolina Hum and co.
Tuesday night, I went to a free show at uOttawa, featuring Craig Cardiff along with Carolina Hum, Shawna Caspi and Giscar. I had heard of Cardiff for many years, and heard really great things about him as a musician. I was excited to finally see him live!
The evening started with a songwriting workshop, followed by a songwriters' circle. The Hugette Labelle Hall (in the Tabaret building) was absolutely stunning and the acoustics were great.
Here are a few pictures:
The show was great. All the performances were great, yet very different. The thing that stood out the most for me was when Cardiff passed around his "Book of Truth". During his shows, he passes around a notebook and asked audience members to contribute to it by sharing their truths. He'll ask questions that audience members can answer in the book. I really like that idea. And I was really happy to contribute my truth.
The evening started with a songwriting workshop, followed by a songwriters' circle. The Hugette Labelle Hall (in the Tabaret building) was absolutely stunning and the acoustics were great.
Here are a few pictures:
The show was great. All the performances were great, yet very different. The thing that stood out the most for me was when Cardiff passed around his "Book of Truth". During his shows, he passes around a notebook and asked audience members to contribute to it by sharing their truths. He'll ask questions that audience members can answer in the book. I really like that idea. And I was really happy to contribute my truth.
Monday, 17 February 2014
Julie Takes Over the Airwaves
Last week, I had the opportunity to do something I had never done before, something that really scared me, but something I had always wanted to do: I was on a radio show.
My friend and fellow Couch Assassin Andrew is the current host of Indie City Madness at CKCU, Carleton's community radio station and he was asked to replace a fellow radio host Tonya Price for her bi-weekly show Friends with Benefits. He asked me to join him, and I jumped at the opportunity.
I was really excited about this opportunity because it's something I always wanted to try. I worked really hard on the programming of the show, and I think it paid off. I played all Canadian content, and played lots of great artists and bands, including:
SaxSynDrum
Groenland
Sound of Lions
Leif Vollebekk
Amanda Cottreau
Josef Mieto
Ben Caplan
The Yips
I've gotten really good feedback, so I am very pleased. You can check out my attempt at co-hosting a radio show right here.
My friend and fellow Couch Assassin Andrew is the current host of Indie City Madness at CKCU, Carleton's community radio station and he was asked to replace a fellow radio host Tonya Price for her bi-weekly show Friends with Benefits. He asked me to join him, and I jumped at the opportunity.
I was really excited about this opportunity because it's something I always wanted to try. I worked really hard on the programming of the show, and I think it paid off. I played all Canadian content, and played lots of great artists and bands, including:
SaxSynDrum
Groenland
Sound of Lions
Leif Vollebekk
Amanda Cottreau
Josef Mieto
Ben Caplan
The Yips
I've gotten really good feedback, so I am very pleased. You can check out my attempt at co-hosting a radio show right here.
Saturday, 15 February 2014
Photos: Death Angel @ Mavericks
Thursday night, I headed over to Mavericks to check out Death Angel. The band was joined by TYR and Signs of Chaos, a local metal band.
What an amazing show!
My partner wrote a piece on the show for Couch Assassin. Check it out here.
What an amazing show!
My partner wrote a piece on the show for Couch Assassin. Check it out here.
Saturday, 11 January 2014
Review: Josef Mieto and Amanda Cottreau
Friday night, I ventured into the mysterious place called Hull to check out the Tiny House Mansion Concert series. I really enjoy live performances in unconventional space, so I was really drawn to the concept of a live show in someone's living room. Josef Mieto, a local folk singer/songwriter, was celebrating the release of his second album with a very intimate performance.
The lovely Amanda Cottreau performed first. I had a chance to speak with Amanda before and after the show. She is an absolute delight! Her voice is absolutely divine... I had heard of her many times before, but never had the chance to see her perform. She definitely won me over!
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Then Josef Mieto performed his new album in its entirety. He was joined by some friends during his performance. Mieto has such a nice, calming presence. He has a really great sound, and his voice really warms you up on the inside. Off the new album, my favourite track has to be "Baby Blue". The small crowd gathered in the living room showed Mieto lots of love and they couldn't get enough of Mieto. People kept insisting that he keep playing, so he played a few songs from his first album "Bad Eyes" (with some help of a friend). A great performance from great musician. I'm happy that I got a chance to see him perform.
It was a very fun evening. Check out Josef's new album "Down Low" here. Enjoy!
The lovely Amanda Cottreau performed first. I had a chance to speak with Amanda before and after the show. She is an absolute delight! Her voice is absolutely divine... I had heard of her many times before, but never had the chance to see her perform. She definitely won me over!
Then Josef Mieto performed his new album in its entirety. He was joined by some friends during his performance. Mieto has such a nice, calming presence. He has a really great sound, and his voice really warms you up on the inside. Off the new album, my favourite track has to be "Baby Blue". The small crowd gathered in the living room showed Mieto lots of love and they couldn't get enough of Mieto. People kept insisting that he keep playing, so he played a few songs from his first album "Bad Eyes" (with some help of a friend). A great performance from great musician. I'm happy that I got a chance to see him perform.
It was a very fun evening. Check out Josef's new album "Down Low" here. Enjoy!
Sunday, 5 January 2014
Photos: Winchester Warm & Farewell Davidson @ Blacksheep Inn
Last night, I finally went to the Blacksheep Inn. Yes, I hate to admit that I've been living in Ottawa for over 11 years and I had never been to the Blacksheep. Located in Wakefield, Quebec, a mere 40 minutes from Ottawa, the Blacksheep is a renowned concert venue in our area. Musicians love playing at this venue, and the patrons love it too!
First up, Sick Sick Sicks. To be honest, I didn't really enjoy the band. They mostly played cover songs, with 2-3 original songs that just didn't win me over. Interesting stage presence but something was missing.
Then Farewell Davidson took the stage. These guys look young... really young. But they are so cool and collected on stage... Like they've been doing this for years! I found them really professional, and they sounded great! I was really impressed... You haven't heard the last of these guys!
Finally, the headliners of the evening: Winchester Warm. I first discovered the group at Ravenswing this past summer and I really enjoyed their set. They are a bunch of really nice and funny guys. You can check out their debut album here. Their second album should be released in the next few months. Next time they play, check 'em out!
Overall, a great introduction to the Blacksheep Inn.
First up, Sick Sick Sicks. To be honest, I didn't really enjoy the band. They mostly played cover songs, with 2-3 original songs that just didn't win me over. Interesting stage presence but something was missing.
Then Farewell Davidson took the stage. These guys look young... really young. But they are so cool and collected on stage... Like they've been doing this for years! I found them really professional, and they sounded great! I was really impressed... You haven't heard the last of these guys!
Finally, the headliners of the evening: Winchester Warm. I first discovered the group at Ravenswing this past summer and I really enjoyed their set. They are a bunch of really nice and funny guys. You can check out their debut album here. Their second album should be released in the next few months. Next time they play, check 'em out!
Overall, a great introduction to the Blacksheep Inn.
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| Winchester Warm at the Blacksheep Inn |
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