Photo: Matías Muñoz
Gabba Hey! was so full last Saturday night that I couldn’t see through to the back. The lack of visibility inspired me and the friends I was with to spend the duration of Cabaal’s opening set debating whether or not Cabaal were on yet (I was convinced the DJ was just playing a really long song). I wasn’t able to fully appreciate Cabaal as I had no idea they were performing, but I think they sounded pretty good. Continue reading
This past Thursday, January 30, marked the second performance of the bimonthly I Can’t Believe It’s Not series. If you aren’t familiar with this series, it’s probably because it’s brand new, a concept that has taken Ottawa by storm over the past few months. To recap, the first installation of the ICBIN series took place on November 25th at The Manx, as a bunch of our best local musicians played The Strokes’ seminal debut album Is This It.
The organizers describe the concept as “Ottawa’s finest (or moderately mediocre) take one album and cover it with care from top to bottom with a slew of local singers taking turns at the mic”. It was a sweaty, cramped romp as we all gathered together in what must have been the busiest night of The Manx’s existence. In my previous post about that show, I gave a pretty detailed account of the night and also got some words from co-curator Rolf Klausener about the ICBIN series. Continue reading
What better way to bring in a new year than plan a long-awaited album release AND have a big, loud, and sweaty New Year’s Eve bash at the same time? Well, the guys in the Ottawa dance-pop group Silkken Laumann thought of it, and they sure know how to throw a hell of a party. Continue reading
2013 was quite an amazing year for shows in Ottawa and for Ottawa Showbox. Check out some of our favourite live experiences from the past 12 months. They are in no particular order, but they were all awesome. With this many amazing shows over the year, 2014 has its work cut out for it, and we will be there to cover it.
Fucked Up @ Ritual Nightclub (Jan. 12)
This was by far the most mental night of the year for me, and it is still burned in my brain from last January. Damian Abraham and co. played some of their greatest songs from Polaris-winning Chemistry of Common Life and widely-loved David Comes to Life, as well as a few oldies too. I also got to meet Damian Abraham and get one of his famously great sweaty man hugs. – Matias Continue reading
After the release of three singles, two videos, and an arduous two-year wait, Ottawa’s Silkken Laumann are getting ready to put out their full-length album Not Forever Enough on New Year’s Eve (which falls on December 31 this year, if I’m not mistaken).
All you really need to know is that this is going to be the biggest, sexiest, loudest party in town. Our buds over at Babylon know how to host a mean NYE bash, and this year it will be pretty special. We were given some details of what we can expect at the event, including really tasty gourmet munchies and hors d’oeuvres, door prizes, limited edition album art for sale, and all kinds of danceable jams to carry us into the new year. Continue reading
Creative people are really interesting for a number reasons. Yes, most of them are a little crazy, but that’s beside the point. They often spearhead new ideas and challenge us to use our imagination in different ways. Ottawa certainly has no shortage of these people (both crazy and/or imaginative), and they continuously bring about new ways of experiencing art. Whether it is visual, auditory, experiential, or something else completely, the ways in which we consume art on a local level is changing, with events that are seeming to growing in breadth and frequency throughout the year. Continue reading
As I begin writing this at 3:27 AM after an incredible opening Friday night at Arboretum Arts Festival, I must struggle with exactly what it is I should be writing about at this ungodly hour. Instead of all the reviews I probably should be producing at this moment, I’m charting a different course. Earlier this year, the founder and brains behind Arboretum, Rolf Klausener, kindly invited me into his humble abode to chat about a great deal of topics. This was one of my most cherished interviews, not only because of his purely genuine and welcoming approach to the whole thing, but also because of how much I learned from listening to this man speak.
It’s something that Rolf said to me after the interview that really resonated with respect to Arboretum. He told me that he wanted it to be a ‘snapshot’ of Ottawa throughout any given year. It occurred to me that behind all the visual art, music, craft beer, and wonderful food incorporated into the festival, there’s a also community aspect that plays a foundational role. Something that was included in this year’s programming was a band of girls called Pins & Needles, presented in partnership with Ottawa Rock Camp for Girls (ORC4G) and Toronto Rock Camp for Girls. ORC4G is a volunteer-run organization that helps foster confidence and self-esteem in young women through music. As someone who knows many female musicians who kick ass on stage, I was immediately drawn to the grassroots focus of this camp. Vern Mallet, of Ottawa’s Silvergun & Spleen, describes her experience as a former volunteer:
Ottawa Rock Camp For Girls isn’t just about learning how to play an instrument, or how to sing. It’s also about building confidence, teamwork, and making new friends. When I found out about the camp, I thought to myself, “I wish I had this when I was a kid”. Not everyone can afford music lessons, and sometimes you just don’t think you could learn. I didn’t even think it was possible for me to learn an instrument, let alone the guitar! I thought it was too cool for me. That’s what this camp is all about – to show girls that they can rock, jump, and yell. It was definitely one of the most rewarding experiences, just to see the smiles on their faces after they’d learned to play a full song, after they had played their first show in front of a real crowd.
Silvergun & Spleen teaching some skills to future rockstars at ORC4G 2012
Pins and Needles playing at Arboretum Festival (SAW Courtyard) on Saturday, August 17, 2013.
To gain some more insight on the ORC4G, I spoke with one of the organizers, Tara Landry:
1. What is ORC4G, and how is it run?
Ottawa Rock Camp for Girls (ORC4G) is a non-profit 3-day musical camp for girls ages 13-17 that has been held annually in Ottawa since 2006. The idea for Rock Camp for Girls was started in 2001 in Portland Oregon by a Portland State University student, since then the concept has been replicated in cities all over the world.
Different rock camps are run differently, but the Ottawa Rock Camp is 100% volunteer based and funded through donations and fund raising. ORC4G is made up of a main committee that deals with the planning and running of the actual 3 day camp and a much smaller fundraising committee that meets plans, and holds events all year round to raise funds for the next year’s camp.
During the year the main committee meets infrequently with regular meetings starting about 3 months before the camp. Volunteers can be categorized as organizers (event planning, logistics, etc.) and Instructors (teaching during the actual camp dates). Volunteers choose how involved they want to be, and tasks are divided for the most part by volunteer interest and/or experience.
The campers are chosen on a first come first serve basis and are either charged a small fee (last year it was $3 or a canned food donation) or nothing depending on the year. The girls do not have to have any musical experience to participate and there are no qualifications aside from gender and age.
Our sponsors and supporters are the lifeblood of ORC4G everything from rehearsal space, to instruments, to food, are either donations in kind or purchased through donation money. We are a not for profit organization but no a registered charity.
2. Can you talk about the driving principles behind ORC4G, and why they are important for girls in the community?
Our driving principles are to provide girls with a fun and positive experience in a safe and friendly environment, to encourage them to support each other, value diversity, and learn to express themselves, to build confidence, raise self-esteem, and to foster a love and appreciation of music. We want girls to know that they can play any kind of music they want, as loud as they want and can be the centre of attention in a positive, empowering way. We also think it’s important for girls in this age group to have positive role models who are diverse and creative. Music is a central part of life for all of the ORC4G volunteers, and sharing that with the next generation of females is important to us. While it’s getting better, females are still rare in the rock music world and we want to see that change.
3. What exactly do girls do/learn at the camp?
There are two ways to answer that question. The basic answer is that when the girls register, they let us know the instrument they are interested in (bass, guitar, or drums) and their level of experience. On the first day they are divided into groups based on these two things and are given lessons by the female instructors. Beginner classes are taught the basics first and for some of the girls this includes things like how to hold a guitar or drum sticks, and then progresses into chords, strumming, drumming patterns etc. The girls who have more experience are in more advanced classes that better hold their interest. At the end of the first day the girls divide into bands and the lessons become more focused on the songs they will be playing at the showcase.
There are also different workshops during the day on topics like how to do a sound check, vocal warm ups, women in rock history, etc.
The other answer to this question deals with the less tangible lessons, such as how to work together as a group under a deadline, how to support each other how instead of tear each other down, and how to move outside their comfort zone, At the beginning of the camp we also let all of the girls know that racism, homophobia, or any type of bullying or non-supportive behaviour will not be tolerated and we try to give them the tools to recognize and respond to discrimination.
4. Can you describe what the collaboration with Arboretum Arts Festival is all about this year?
This year we are very pleased to be a community partner with the Arboretum Arts Festival. What this means is that we co promote each other. We’ve been given a table at the festival where we will be selling our hot sauce and buttons and we’ll be given some time on stage on Saturday during the Children’s programming to talk about ORC4G. In return we promote them through our social media channels and include them on the sponsorship page on our website. Our audiences are similar and we’re both music oriented so it’s a good fit.
5. Tell us about the Indiegogo fundraising campaign, and how it works?
Indigogo is a crowdfunding platform that was started in 2007 by people who believed that everybody should have the opportunity to raise money for projects they are passionate about. The hi-tech version which some people may be more familiar with is called Kickstarter.
Basically, people who want to raise money for a project or event can create fundraising campaigns to tell their story and get the word out. It’s free to join and if you make your fundraising goal you pay 4% of the money to Indiegogo, if you don’t reach your goal the cost is 9%. To create a campaign you build a campaign page with different perks assigned to different fundraising levels. For example our perks include things like virtual hugs for $10 a piece, t-shirts for $40, a vinyl collection for $125 etc. Supporters can choose the perk that matches the amount of the donation they want to make.
Almost all of our perks were donated to us and we have some pretty cool things, for example Meow That’s Hot, a local hot sauce company has created a special hot sauce just for us, we have a piece of art from a local artist, even a harmonica lesson from a well-known local harmonica player.
One of the great things about Indigogo is that it’s very easy to share using social media, email, etc. so we get the word out to more people and everyone can watch us try to reach our goal so it has a little bit of an excitement level . Right now our campaign (which is to raise $2000) is just a few days old and we’re at just over $300. I bet I check it about 10 times a day!
Once our campaign is over (ours is for 34 days) we pay Indiegogo (either 4% or 9% depending on if we met our goal), and we start sending out the perks to the people who chose them. It’s a pretty cool idea and I know we’ll be using it again next year!
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To contribute to the ORC4G indiegogo campaign, click here.
This year, we here at Ottawa Showbox are proud to be media partners with the best new up-and-coming boutique arts festival in Canada, Arboretum. Before we deliver full coverage of the festivities, we’re also really happy to collaborate with Jackpine, a new digital media agency chock-full incredibly talented and inspirational individuals, to bring a series of short video features. The first instalment features the co-owner of N-Product, Dominic Coballe, co-owner of Victoire Boutique, Regine Paquette, and artist Drew Mosely. If you’re wondering what that really great song is in the video, it’s called “Thailand” by Ottawa’s own Boyhood.
There will be more videos to come, and the festival is coming up very, very soon. So get ready! Watch the first video below.
Friday night March 15, Babylon was host to one of the best dance parties of the year, thanks to Silkken Laumann and the Hilotrons.
Ottawa’s Silkken Laumann (not the rower) teleport you back to the eighties and the new wave explosion. Fog machine blarring, crazy lighting and psych-house jams. They are quickly becoming one of my new favourite Ottawa bands. The band is comprised of lead signer Rolf Klausener, Adam Saikaley and Pat Johnson, all of whom some may recognize as the folk band the Acorn. These are men of many talents. Such a fun act to see, do not miss the opportunity to break out your dancing shoes and be blown away by these guys.
Headlining was the Hilotrons front man Mike Dubue joined by Adam Saikaley. Following the great performance from Silkken Laumann could have been a daunting task for many bands, but not for this Ottawa duo. Opening with a bunch of awesome sounding mixes of tracks off the new Hilotrons record, they got the crowd right into it. They quickly filled the stage back up by inviting Rolf and Pat from Silkken, as well as Paul Hogan from the Hilotrons to join them. The show then became a crazy freestyle dancey jam session. Mike informed the crowd that they were about to improvise in E minor at 120 bpm. They were so tight you could barely tell they were improvising. Once finished with their 120 bpm session they reved it up for a 140 bpm jam. To finish up the set, the stage cleared out except for Mike, who concluded with a beautiful rendition of Runaway Heart.
Once the live music wrapped up, the Visions dance party was in full effect. The 5-headed DJ super team of I8A4RE, Matt Tamblyn, Gregular, Silkken Laumann’s Adam Saikaley & Pat Johnson, had non stop beats raining down the crowd. You could feel it in your shins.
To top it all off, the show was a fundraiser for Arboretum 2013. Arboretum is a is a boutique music, arts and food festival in Ottawa. This year the festival is scheduled for the weekend of August 16 and 17. Last year’s festival saw Andrew Vincent, Cadence Weapon, Catriona Sturton, Jokers of the Scene, Ohbijou and many more hit the stage.
Photo credit: Justyna Baraniecki
Ottawa synth-pop supergroup Silkken Laumann has released their third single from their upcoming album Not Forever Enough, due out this summer. The band, which consists of Acorn frontman Rolf Klausener, local music genius Adam Saikaley, and resident beatmaster Pat Johnson, has been slowly putting out new material and playing shows here in the underground dancenight and DJ scene over the last year. The new track is a great listen, as it pulls from some of Klausener’s creative forces inspired by elecro and dance music. He and his multitalented best friends in Silkken Laumann are building anticipation to their album release, as the three tracks released thus far experiment with different sounds and techniques. Check out the video for the track, which was mixed by Jarrett Bartlett.
They’re playing Babylon Nightclub on March 15 with Hilotrons + VISIONS afterparty, which promises to be a blast. See you there!
Details:
Arboretum Arts Festival + Party Guilt present:
:: HILOTRONS (Ott / Kelp Records)
:: SILKKEN LAUMANN (Ott / NotForeverEnough)
:: VISIONS
//babylon nightclub\\
317 bank street
$8 / hilotrons + silkkenlaumann
$5 / visions dance party after midnight
w/ i8a4re, matt tamblyn, gregular, adam saikaley, pat johnson
Ottawa Showbox 