Each year, Beau’s Oktoberfest marks the end of the outdoor festival season for the Ottawa-based members of The Revue. The first eve of their 10th year anniversary was scheduled to begin the same night that several tornadoes touched down in Ottawa and the surrounds. Though not all areas were as fortunate, the festival was spared any devastation, but ultimately […]

 Yesterday, we shared Part 1 of the photo essay of the 25th anniversary of Ottawa’s music festival CityFolk, while today we cover the last two days of the annual event. As with all larger festivals, it’s a logistical challenge to take in every set fully but here are some quick highlights of what we did see.   Day 4 – Saturday, September […]

Like last year, Ottawa’s CityFolk was blessed with wonderful weather. With five unbelievably warm nights, it was perfect to relax outside with a cold beverage and take in some great music. Festivals of the scale of CityFolk run multiple stages. As artists are simultaneously featured on the dual stages, conflicts are inevitable. Since we couldn’t attend every set, here are some quick highlights […]

 I first discovered Wild Planes at a late-night show during Canadian Music Week in 2017 at The Painted Lady. It was crowded, it was late, but no one left early as the band entertained into the wee hours. When I saw they were playing Ottawa, I made sure to go out and see them. The band played Café Dekcuf […]

 All good things eventually come to an end and, as such, this review covers the final weekend of RBC Bluesfest 2018. Day 8 – Friday, July 13th Country music is often a divisive genre. People seem to either love it or hate it, yet Sturgill Simpson is somehow different. To quote one patron overheard at Bluesfest, “I don’t like country […]

As in previous years, Monday following the first weekend was a “dark” day at Bluesfest with no shows on the schedule. This allows the festival to tweak the grounds as needed while pass holders get a day of rest. Below we share Days 5 through 7. Take a look back of the first four days over here. Day 5 – […]

 Ottawa’s RBC Bluesfest can be a logistical challenge to see everyone on your list. With the number of performers featured on the multiple stages at one time, schedule conflicts are inevitable. Since we couldn’t attend every gig, here are some quick highlights of memorable sets from the first four days of the fest. Day 1 – Thursday, July 5th It’s finally […]

 The weather for the final day of Rockfest was perfect, possibly even a little too hot in the afternoon. Concert-goers enjoyed the cooling spray of the fire hose at the day’s most oppressive moments to keep from overheating. The bands on offer for Saturday covered many metal and punk sub-genres as well as a double dose of alternative rock […]

The 2018 edition of Montebello Rockfest again hosted an eclectic mix of rock music ranging from comedy rock to thrash metal, somehow taking all these disparate sub-genres and turning it into one gigantic party. The Thursday night crowd had to deal with inclement weather, but when I was able to attend on Friday the weather had turned pleasant. My day started […]

Once again, Montebello, Quebec will be hosting one of Canada’s largest rock festivals. A town with a population barely over a thousand somehow manages to host a crowd that is estimated at around 200,000. Rockfest has a well-earned reputation for bringing in many of the world leading Metal and Punk bands, often scoring artists that aren’t even playing other festivals. In […]

Get With You | Single by The Damn Truth In the summer of 2017, a last minute schedule change at the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival introduced me to The Damn Truth. The band, taking over the River Stage, had a comfortable swagger, as they gave the crowd a solid taste of rock ‘n roll music and attitude and won […]

After playing several shows during SXSW, The Foreign Resort headed north for an 11-date tour in Canada, starting in Quebec City and driving across to Vancouver. On March 21st, the Danish post-punk/darkwave trio brought the show to the House of Targ, giving people a great excuse to bundle up and go out on a Wednesday night. The band was one of […]

If you’ve been following live music in Ottawa for the past ten years, it would have been difficult to not have run into The Balconies and impossible to have forgotten them. They were regulars in several of the local festivals as well as frequent performers in clubs, both as headliners and as an opening act for some international bands. They […]

 Big Wreck exploded onto Canadian radio stations in 1997, instantly proving themselves to be a new force with their debut LP, In Loving Memory Of… The album enjoyed success on both sides of the border, though in Canada the band was especially embraced. The record spawned four singles, several of which are still staples on Canadian rock stations. With […]

Another year and another opportunity to photograph some amazing bands. Whether it was a world famous artist or a rising indie band, it was my privilege to capture some of the essence of the live performance. I was able to cover multiple festivals: Canadian Music Week, Dragonboat, Montebello RockFest, Ottawa Bluesfest, Newport Folk Festival, Osheaga, CityFolk, and Beau’s Oktoberfest as well […]

John Jacob Magistery first came to our attention in 2016 when they impressed us during a late-night set at The Rainbow. Their engaging lyrics and bursts of spontaneous energy on stage made them an obvious recommendation as a band to catch later that year at CityFolk Festival. The Montreal natives recently completed an EP, Harmoney, prompting a return visit to […]

Alert the Medic formed in Nova Scotia in 2006 and wasted no time in releasing their self-titled debut album later that same year. Soon after refining their lineup and sound, the band gained recognition with multiple nominations at the 2008 East Coast Music Awards. Their follow-up album in 2009,called We, the Weapon,  spawned four radio-played singles. Last month, they released their […]

Usually, Autumn would feature the leaves changing color and a brisk evening breeze, but this past weekend brought record-breaking temperatures for the annual installation of Beau’s Oktoberfest. A rich celebration of craft beer and Bavarian traditions at the Vankleek Hill Fairgrounds, the 9th installment was held September 22nd and 23rd. Beau’s Oktoberfest is a really festive event. Besides the copious offerings […]

Yesterday, we shared Part 1 of CityFolk , while today we cover the last two days of the Festival. Unfortunately, not every show was attended, but here are some quick highlights of what we did see.   Day 4 – Saturday, September 16th Saturday provided us with an incredibly full day of music to take in, and Mother Nature again provided us […]

Last year Ottawa’s CityFolk had some unfortunate luck with very rainy weather. However, this year Mother Nature was in a much sunnier mood and gifted the festival with five unbelievably warm nights, perfect to relax outside with a cold beverage and take in some great music. Festivals like CityFolk can be a logistical challenge to navigate with all the talented artists on the lineup. […]