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 […]

For those who have not yet visited Bar Robo, they have taken over the space that used to be Raw Sugar in Ottawa’s Chinatown. The space has been renovated significantly, now transformed into an intimate yet contemporary cafe and club for live music. On this particular Wednesday night, the venue hosted the aptly billed Synth Night, as both bands featuring […]

The second day of Rockfest had a beautiful start as the day began sunny and warm, giving everyone a chance to dry out. I ventured over to the smaller Tony Sly stages for the first time to see Pup who drew a large and enthusiastic crowd to their relatively early show. People chose well as this band never disappoints! Eagles of […]

About a month ago, the grounds that were to host Rockfest were underwater and concerned grew as to whether the festival would be able to proceed. Thankfully, the 2017 edition and its amazing lineup proceeded with few glitches. Rock fans put any fear of the weather behind them and came for the music. The muddy grounds were avoided by some […]

At the end of June for the past eleven years, the small community of Montebello, Quebec hosts 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. Many festivals chase popular artists of any genre in order to attract concert goers, but Montebello […]

Despite recommending The Balconies at Canadian Music Week, sadly I was unable to make their performance due to logistics. It took me just over a month, but on the weekend I was able to correct that oversight. The Balconies were formed in Ottawa before relocating to Toronto, so they retain a very faithful following in the area. According to frontwoman […]

The rumours had been swirling for some time, but on May 3rd the official announcement we were all dreading was finally made – Zaphod Beeblebrox was going to be closing its doors as of May 14th. Zaphod’s is a club any music lover in Ottawa in the last 26 years is well aware of as they have played host to […]

  Saturday night in Ottawa during JUNOFest meant there were eighteen shows to choose from, though unfortunately mostly running concurrently. It was a tough choice, but with two JUNO nominees, an intriguing new band I really wanted to see, and a local favourite all on the same bill, I chose the show at Zaphod Beeblebrox. The show opened with local artist […]

The Strumbellas have been enjoying a lot of success lately, and all well deserved. In 2016, they made appearances at some of North America’s premier festivals. I saw them at both Osheaga and the Newport Folk Festival. Each time I’ve seen them live, they seem to perform with more confidence, and based on the strength of their latest album, Hope, they […]