This past weekend Montreal electro-infused, psych-rock band Suuns (Secretly Canadian) played at Black Sheep Inn for the first time and treated us to their in-your-face sound. Their pulsating, unfettered sound was unforgettably penetrating to us in the quaint venue, and nothing was going to stop the music from making an impact on those who made it out that night. Joe wrote a great post on the night, which can be found here. Continue reading
Suuns, a dark, psych-electro journey into rock, played at the Black Sheep Inn on Sat., March 29. Photo credit: Ming Wu
Making your way to the Black Sheep Inn is always an adventure, often simply based on the music you will hear there. On Saturday, March 29, attendees were lucky enough to hear the experimental & experiental collide as Suuns & Scattered Clouds took the stage.
We’re giving away a pair of tickets to the finale of Cafe Alt’s Concert Series tomorrow night (Friday, Mar.28), featuring the wondrous Silver Dapple (MTL shoegaze), Walrus (Halifax psych/experimental), and Chairs (MTL lo-fi psych/experimental). Cafe Alt is one of those neat little venues that we’re lucky to have here in Ottawa, and the Concert Series finale will be a great night of music. Continue reading
Peach Kelli Pop (Photo: Andrew Carver)
The Montreal-based Pale Lips kicked off Saturday’s Peach Kelli Pop-headlined show at Gabba Hey! I had no set expectations for this band since they are very new and I’d never heard their songs before, but I found it easy to get swept up in their energy. It helped that I was with friends who had never seen a punk band before and seemed to be having a good time, which really added to the experience.
Rich Aucoin at the Corona Theatre, Montreal, Aug. 2, 2013. PHOTO: Pierre Bourgault
For most people in life, there tends to be a direct correlation between age and responsibilities. When we’re children, the concept of freedom manifests itself through tough decisions like whether to get “bubble gum” or “rocky road” ice cream at Baskin Robbins in the mall food court. When we’re in our adolescent and teen years, we actually have to start making decisions that will influence our lives, like whether to become friends with a weed dealer. All this to say that having only partial responsibilities in our pre-mortgage and pre-parent lives allows us to make completely irresponsible decisions with only minimal implications, such as randomly fleeing to Montreal for a night of partying with friends. Not just any party either – an Osheaga afterparty with Rich Aucoin playing a Daft Punk cover set with his band at the Corona Theatre. What more could you ask for?
So the decision was made. My Showbox comrade, Eric Scharf, and I decided to jump in a ride share to the big city and be on our way. The ride was pleasant, and being ride share virgins, it was nice to have a good conversation with other people in the car. Philosophizing and reflecting on lost love and life decisions can happen anywhere.
The beautiful Montreal skyline. I certainly did not take this photo, but someone did.
As we pulled into Montreal, I remembered the feeling I got when I first visited five years ago. A little anticipation, a lot of excitement. Since I hadn’t visited in three years, it sort of felt like I was heading there for the first time again. I’m not going to lie, I don’t know the city very well. I grew up in London, ON, about two hours from Toronto, which never afforded me much opportunity to familiarize myself with Montreal’s streets, venues, and charming cultural hotspots that one learns over time. However, it’s never too late to start.
We arrived at our destination, and my only way of knowing I was near downtown was by seeing the skyscrapers and skyline in the distance, which did not seem so far away. Luckily, I consider myself to be directionally adept, and normally find points of association and landmarks to guide my way. The first landmark was beer. Eric and I made our way to a park after our beer purchase and drank on the bleachers. Apparently the law is if you’re having a “picnic”, then you are able to drink booze (so long as the label is covered). So we brown-bagged it until Liam (of Jackpine) and Ming (Photogmusic) showed up, as our Ottawa entourage fully assembled.
We hung with some people who were playing frisbee and offered them some delicious beer from Beyond the Pale, a delicious craft brew company from Ottawa which provided us with several “growlers” for consumption. Without going into too much detail, we played some music, someone took their pants off, and we did a pretty good number on those growlers.
We proceeded to head to the Corona Theatre, and met up with some friends there. Not too many people had entered yet, so we claimed our spot front and centre right where Diamond Rings was spinning some tunes. It was cool to see him in casual dress, and he came up to say hi and give some high fives. After his set, more people started to make their way into the venue as the festival finished for the day. It wasn’t long before Rich Aucoin came out to do some last minute set up, at which point he came up and hung out with us for a bit. Again, some small talk and high fives were in order, which got us that much more excited.
Let me tell you, the pride of Halifax, NS, Rich Aucoin, is something else. He often plays tiny venues like Cafe Dekcuf here in Ottawa, but no matter what the size of the place, he makes sure that everyone is jumping and partying the entire time. He is manic – running around the stage, firing confetti bombs all over the place, jumping into the crowd and getting everyone to sing along – his performances are on another level, to the extreme. I sort of knew what to expect, but since I’d never seen Rich Aucoin before, I was pretty excited for his over the top performance. Of course, what made it more interesting was the fact that he was interpreting Daft Punk songs all night. With two drum sets facing each other on opposite sides of the stage, and the rest of his band ready to go, the music began.
Daft Punk, a group who needs no introduction, isn’t particularly easy to cover – let alone perform an entire set’s worth of music. The energy was incredible right off the bat, as there seemed to be a unique push-pull type thing going on between Rich and the crowd. He’d give us some, and we’d throw it right back at him. No wonder he can’t stand still on stage, the guy’s music and expression of movement are one in the same. Seemingly, one cannot exist without the other. Perhaps this explains why he has run partial marathons and biked between tour stops.
He played Daft Punk covers like “Human After All,” “Da Funk,” “Robot Rock,” and of course the mega-hit of the summer, “Get Lucky.” With lyrics on screen, he got the crowd to participate in singing, and in return, he participated in being part of the crowd. At one point, Rich climbed up the rafters on the right side of the stage and got up to the balcony. The intensity of the performance and the unique interpretation of Daft Punk’s music made for a really memorable experience. Rich brought out a couple of his friends, including Neil Fridd from Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt to play a few songs. Their fun, let-loose performance fit perfectly into what was becoming a frenetic night of partying.
I dare not say that there was a climax to this show, but one of the high points was the parachute. If you’ve been to a Rich Aucoin show, you know that he almost always brings along a giant parachute (like the ones we used to use at play day in elementary school), which is used as a “party tent” of sorts. As the parachute covered us, we continued to dance, sing, and sweat the night away. He ended with some of his originals such as “Brian Wilson is A.L.I.V.E.” and “It”, which got the crowd into a frenzied fever pitch.
As the night came to a close, we look back at reckless experiences like this one and recognize the importance of random experiences. The romance of Montreal’s streets, the exhilaration of a performer singing with you and hundreds of others, being with people you love and making memories, and the refreshing feeling of getting to know a new city a little better.
Montreal, you have not seen the last of us. From your friends in Ottawa.
Here are some more pics from the night care of photographer Pierre Bourgault.
Rich Aucoin performing on August 2, 2013, at the VM Corona Theatre. PHOTO: Pierre Bourgault
Rich Aucoin performing on August 2, 2013, at the VM Corona Theatre. PHOTO: Pierre Bourgault
Rich Aucoin performing on August 2, 2013, at the VM Corona Theatre. PHOTO: Pierre Bourgault
Rich Aucoin performing on August 2, 2013, at the VM Corona Theatre. PHOTO: Pierre Bourgault
Rich Aucoin performing on August 2, 2013, at the VM Corona Theatre. PHOTO: Pierre Bourgault
So we—Matìas, Liam, Ming & I—had the fantastic idea of going to an Osheaga after-party, but decided the day before. It was the long weekend so all car rentals were sold out and Ming stole our spot in a buddy’s car with Liam… now what?
I find Matìas and I a ride share, check. Matìas, 6’4’’ , myself, 6’2’’ and a very nice woman named Helene, also around six feet tall, crammed in the back of a Honda Accord to Montreal. We had some very interesting conversations on the ride, conversations that varied from relationships to music, women and family.
Being last-minute we also did not have a place to stay, but luckily I bailed out the group by having awesome friends. Catalin let us crash at his place at the very last minute, and all it cost us was a ticket to the event and a few beers! Thanks man!
Oh yeah, you are probably wondering where we were going. We were going to see Rich Aucoin doing Daft Punk with Toronto-based musician Diamond Rings opening up… now back to the story. Once we arrived we headed to a park across from the venue, Theatre Corona, to indulge in a little drink. The park was an extremely well-lit baseball diamond and had me wishing I had brought a ball and some gloves, or a football, or a Frisbee… I digress. While waiting for our partners in crime, Ming and Liam, we got a visit from a skunk. Luckily he had no interest in us and was just looking for food scraps. The team finally united, we indulged a little more and then made our way to the show.
Pepe Le Pew on the prowl
Diamond Rings was doing his thing spinning like mad and getting everyone amped up. We met up with some more friends at the show and were so ready for Rich Aucoin. Just before he started his set, he came by and hugged some of us and shook hands with us. He also posed with some of us for a picture, but unfortunately I pulled a major beer induced fail and botched the photo-op. I’m not sure I will ever be forgiven but I’ll work on it, sorry Jill.
Rich and his merry men blew the roof of the theater. His set-up consisted of two drums, a guitar, a bass, and of course his turntables. Brass instruments also made a triumphant appearance on stage, although how frequently is a little foggy. The energy was unreal, the sound was great, the remixes were perfect and the visuals were awe inspiring, love the rainbow parachute. The highlight for sure was when Rich got in the crowd to sing his heart us with us all around him.
Rich Aucoin with his people. Photo by Jill Krajewski.
The next morning we awoke and set our sights on Disco Brunch at Le Nouveau Palais. Catalin, Liam, Matìas, Ming and myself ventured down for some sweet grub and some flowing tunes. I ordered Fried Chicken and Waffles and an extra spicy breakfast Caesar, which had a freaking quail egg on the tooth pick…so delicious! The DJ was great, playing a bunch of slick tracks and to top it all off he was wearing a Refused t-shirt.
Chicken and Waffles with a Breakfast Caesar… Montreal, never change.
It was now time for Matìas and I to say goodbye to our friends and goodbye to Montreal. We got ourselves a ride share back home and high-fived over a most excellent adventure.
A new track has surfaced from Michael Feuerstack, the sentimental gentleman formerly known on the stage as Snailhouse. His first album sans-moniker is due out in May 2013, called Tambourine Death Bed (Forward Music). Feuerstack is one of Ottawa’s indie legends – now based in Montreal – he has many ties here including early work with Jeremy Gara of The Arcade Fire (also from Ottawa) and his Wooden Stars project that ended up winning a Juno for Best Alternative Album (with Julie Doiron) in 1999.
The new song “Bones in the River” is in the same open and honest vein of music Feuerstack is known for. The beautiful finger-picking of the guitar, the natural and unfettered character of his voice, they make for a great preview of what we might expect from Tambourine Death Bed. The song also appears on Beau’s new Spring 2013 Mixtape, which is chock-full of Canada’s greatest musicians.
In this second installment of our two-part interview with Polaris Prize shortlist nominee Cadence Weapon, he discusses his philosophy towards songwriting, how community has impacted and influenced his music, and some of the unique characteristics of his album Hope in Dirt City.
Along with exclusive live footage from his performance at the Arboretum Music+Arts Festival, Rollie opens up about why keeping himself free from genre confines has opened up infinite possibilities for him to continue his reign as a ‘sonic pioneer’ and also to attract new audiences to his brand of hip hop.
Anyone who has seen him perform quickly realizes that he seems to light up the stage. His performance at Arboretum was electrifying and completely in line with the spirit of the festival. Bringing enthusiasm and lyrical mazes to an already amped up audience made for a climactic set, as everyone countered the cold air of the night with beat-driven movements inspired by Cadence Weapon himself. I think that if it were possible, he would have had us all up there for an all-out stage party.
Here is Part 2 of our interview with Rollie:
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ARBORETUM is Ottawa’s newest boutique music and arts festival. Inspired by progressive arts festivals around the world, we’re a carefully curated, intimate, community-driven festival highlighting the best in local music, food and arts.
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Cadence Weapon performs at the inaugural Arboretum Music+Arts Festival 2012 in Ottawa.
These last few weeks have been very exciting. I’ve been doing this whole music writing thing since May, and that seems like a lifetime ago. The Arboretum Music+Arts Festival, which was held on September 15th at the Jail Hostel, marked a point for me when I realized that so many things were coming together in Ottawa, musically. It really hit me that there is a kickass music community here in this city, one that is humble but not afraid to break out of its shell and come together in glorious fashion (as they did at Arboretum). But enough fuzzy wuzzies.
The festival also marked the first video interview by Ottawa Showbox and Partus Films – a collaborative venture between myself and Craig Conoley that blossomed from the same passion we have for Ottawa’s music scene and a desire to find the most effective way to reach a wider audience in the city. We will be continuing the web series on a regular basis in the future – featuring artists of all kinds from Ottawa and across Canada, speaking with them candidly and honestly, or perhaps having them play an exclusive session for us. The possibilities are endless, and with the motivation shared between Craig and I, we believe that this new web series can be a platform for Ottawa’s artists to show what they are made of to the entire country.
The interview with Cadence Weapon filmed at SAW Gallery is the first step. We’re excited to be teaming up to bring these videos to you, and hope that you enjoy them as much as we enjoy making them. Well, here it is… Part 1 with Rollie Pemberton AKA Cadence Weapon.
Ottawa Showbox 