Live Events at Motel Chelsea – Until Sat. April 18th
Motel Chelsea offers you an escape to nature where locals, music-lovers, foodies, culture-seekers, and travellers intersect. Nestled in the Gatineau Hills, where the river and forest trails merge with a vibrant arts culture, the Motel Chelsea is a hub of natural and man-made beauty, and local community.
Here’s what’s on the lineup at Motel Chelsea.
Wednesday, April 22 & Thursday, April 23 • The Grapes of Wrath Acoustic Duo • 7:30 pm— April 23rd over 75% sold!
𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐊𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒆 is our premium concert series of 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐳𝐲, 𝟖𝟓-𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞!
Your chance to experience world-class performances up close and personal— the way music was meant to be heard.
Fans of Canadian music from the late 1980s/early 1990s are likely familiar with The Grapes Of Wrath, whose 60s-inspired harmonies were a staple on Canadian radio, Much Music and Musique Plus. Songs such as “Peace Of Mind”, “What Was Going Through My Head”, “You May Be Right”, Backward Town”, “I Am Here”, and “All The Things I Wasn’t” – along with relentless touring – helped the band earn a gold and 2 platinum album certifications.
Formed in 1978 when Kevin and Tom – along with Tom’s brother Chris on drums – began playing together in the Hooper’s basement when Kevin and Chris were 13 and Tom was just 10. Between 1984 and 1992, the band released an EP and 4 albums, moving from their first label, Nettwerk Productions, to an international deal with Capital/EMI.
The band disbanded in 1992, but Tom and Kevin revived the Grapes in the late 90s for the album “Field Trip” (2000) and welcomed Chris back to the fold in 2010, performing and occasionally recording ever since.
While the band still work together, Kevin and Tom have started performing as an acoustic duo, featuring reworked versions of the band’s hits, album deep cuts, and even a few new numbers to enthusiastic audiences eager to hear their old favourites and the stories behind the songs.
Tickets – 22nd: https://www.showpass.com/
Tickets – 23rd: https://www.showpass.
Thursday, April 2 • Live & Local with JJIG (Justin Theriault, James Stephens, Ian Clark & Greg Brown) • 7:30 pm — Pass-the-hat event!
Live & Local is a free, community-centered music series celebrating the artists who live and create right here at home, with select Thursday evenings hosted by a different local musician bringing their own sound, collaborators, and creative vision to the stage. Each night features a full set from the host followed by an open, collaborative jam—no two nights the same, always free, always local, always live.
Get ready to turn up the charm and the cheer — because JJIG is bringing a proper Celtic kitchen party to town!
Featuring four of the finest traditional players in the Ottawa/Gatineau region, JJIG unites the formidable talents of James Stephens (fiddle, mandolin, cittern), Justin Thériault (flute, whistle, Irish pipes), Ian Clark (guitar), and our very own Greg Brown (fiddle, concertina, banjo, bouzouki). If you’ve spent any time around the local Celtic scene, you already know these names — and you already know you’re in for something special.
Saturday, April 4 • Family fun Easter Brunch celebration • 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Join Motel Chelsea for a festive, family-friendly brunch that’s all about good food and great memories. Bring the whole family, your biggest smiles, and get ready for a sweet and joyful Easter celebration! They’ll be serving up delicious brunch specials for the grown-ups, plus fun and tasty breakfast options just for the kiddos.
But that’s not all…
• A face painting station
• A kids’ craft table
• Chocolate treasures hidden all around the restaurant for little explorers to find
• And rumour has it… the Easter Bunny might even hop by for a visit!
This event is free to attend but reservations are strongly recommended to make sure your table is ready — be sure to book in advance here: https://shorturl.at/5M6po
Sunday, April 5 • Hey Buster! Kids Show • 2:00 pm
Hey Buster is a Kindie band led by Singer-Songwriter Dads from Ottawa ( Slo’ Tom and Sherwood Lumsden) that features a larger-than-life Raccoon puppet called Buster. They perform original songs from three independently released CDs in an interactive show for children ages 3 to 8 and their parents. The songs range from Mom and Dad approved topics like community and public transportation, to what kids really care about: stinky feet, underwear and boogers
Tickets: https://www.showpass.com/
Thursday, April 9 • Minor Gold • 7:30 pm
Minor Gold – ARIA-nominated songwriters Tracy McNeil (CAN) & Dan Parsons (AUS) – embark on their North American album tour for their sophomore album Way to the Sun: a lush, harmony-drenched blend of cosmic country and folk.
Produced by Dan Horne (Mapache, Cass McCombs), Way to the Sun was hailed by UNCUT as “Trippy folk wonderment…the pair have an alluring telepathy, rarely heard since Emmylou & Gram,” crowned Best New Music for July 2025, and held in the top 50 Americana Radio charts for 9 weeks.
Recorded over seven sun-soaked days at Ultimate Hair Farm in Glendale, California, the album slowly emerged like a hazy mirage from a cosmic, suburban dream. Written across Australian highways and finished in Middle America, it’s a bold evolution – seeking light in the shadows, and letting go just enough to watch the sun rise.
After three years of international touring and festival appearances across North America, the UK, and Europe, Minor Gold are back – bringing their irresistible live show and new songs to North American audiences in 2026.
Tickets: https://www.showpass.com/
Friday, April 10 • LIVE & LOCAL with Chris MacLean • 7:30 pm
Live & Local is a free, community-centered music series celebrating the artists who live and create right here at home, hosted by a different local musician bringing their own sound, collaborators, and creative vision to the stage. This is a pass-the-hat event!
Chris MacLean is a 2015 graduate of the Community Choir Leadership Training program in Victoria, BC. Since then, she has been leading The Song Kitchen Choir—a non-auditioned, a cappella community choir—in both Wakefield, QC, and Ottawa, ON. The Song Kitchen is proudly part of the Ubuntu Choirs Network, a community dedicated to the belief that the joy of singing is a universal birthright.
To deepen her own vocal artistry, Chris studies with renowned vocalist and master teacher Rhiannon. In 2018, she completed Rhiannon’s intensive masterclass, All the Way In, focused on vocal improvisation.
Chris also facilitates Circle Singing sessions, drawing directly from techniques pioneered by Bobby McFerrin and further developed by Rhiannon, along with a faculty of world-class improvisational singers. She regularly leads these at summer workshops at the Omega Institute in New York.
Continuing to refine her singing and performance skills, Chris works ongoing with acclaimed singer-songwriter and vocal coach Amanda Mabro.
Saturday, April 11 • Allison Lupton, Shane Cook & Kyle Waymouth • 8:00 pm
Experience the magic of Allison Lupton’s “Words of Love” Tour — a captivating celebration of Canadian folk where Allison’s heartfelt songs, Shane Cook’s electrifying fiddle, and Kyle Waymouth’s dazzling step dance.
Live shows confirm the depth of talent in the trio. Concerts include a glorious mix of blazing fiddle tunes, captivating story songs and spectacular step dance united by the trio’s often humorous introductions. Allison’s original songs fit so perfectly into the treasury of Canadian folk that they could easily be mistaken for traditional numbers. She engages her audiences by teaching them to sing along on choruses, uniting everyone in song. Truly, Allison and her trio carry audiences willingly away to another time then dance them home again.
Tickets: https://www.showpass.com/
Sunday, April 12 • Grouyan Gombo • 4:30 pm
The Quebec band Grouyan Gombo delivers a sound inspired by the Cajun and Creole traditions of Louisiana, juxtaposed with their own compositions and arrangements. For several years now, this group has been at the forefront of the evolution of French-language music in America, from old ballads to country, Cajun, pop, and zydeco sounds. Grouyan Gombo’s music reflects the festive and warm atmosphere of these French-speaking traditions.
Musicians Harlan Johnson, Guillaume Jabbour, Michael Ball, Michael Jerome Browne, Carl Rufh & Christina Beaudry-Cardenas make up Grouyan Gombo.
Come and dance your afternoon away! The dance floor is waiting…
Tickets: https://www.showpass.com/
Wednesday, April 15 & Thursday, April 16 • Danny Michel • 7:30 pm — Thursday over 75% sold!
The only good thing about not shopping in record stores like we used to is that you don’t have to figure out which genre to look for to find Danny under. If that were the case, you could try searching under rock, pop, folk, world, or even classical. His own self-described musical A.D.D. has kept his music fresh for decades.
Maybe it has something to do with being born next to a candy factory, but his thoughtful lyrics and charming performances have earned him a devoted fan base, multiple Juno nominations, Polaris Prize nominations, CBC’s Heart of Gold award, and wins for the CFMA’s Producer of the Year and Oliver Schroder Pushing the Boundaries awards. His adventurous musical spirit has led him on unique journeys, from recording and touring with The Garifuna Collective (Belize) to recording an album abroad a Soviet-era icebreaker in the Arctic while on an expedition with astronaut Chris Hadfield.
Beyond music, Danny is passionate about social causes. He founded the DM Ocean Academy Fund to support a non-profit high school in Belize. His charm, creative performances, and wide-ranging interests have made him a beloved figure not only in music but also in charitable and environmental circles. This has led to unique performances, including playing at Jane Goodall’s 85th birthday, David Suzuki’s 75th, and touring with Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe.
Tickets – 15th: https://www.showpass.com/
Tickets – 16th: https://www.showpass.com/
Friday, April 17 • Lazarettes with Special Guest Ron Hawkins • 8:00 pm
Lazarettes, from Toronto, Canada, are currently playing out in support of their most recent album Sweet Misery, produced by Ron Hawkins of the Lowest of the Low. The band plays alternative roots rock filled with harmony and storytelling underpinned by earworms of the first order.
As Steve Stanley, one of Canada’s journeymen songwriters and host of Northern Wish radio, says, of Lazarettes – “artists standing up against fascism is where it’s at.”
Lazarettes began as a collective of musicians featuring members of Fembots and Sour Landslide, releasing records and performing in and around Toronto. When the call came to play a fateful show at Toronto’s legendary Horseshoe Tavern and not all members could assemble, principal songwriter Chris Tait called on guitarist Richard Peirce, songwriter/musician Bryce Thomas, bassist Chris Monster and legendary drummer Adam Warner (Ron Sexsmith, Sarah Slean, Sarah Harmer, Bahamas, Royal Wood, Jill Barber, (Whitehorse) to fill the void.
Ron Hawkins, long a friend of the group’s members, joined to helm the recording at Union Sound with engineer Chris Stringer. What happened next was three days of bottling the lightning that the band suddenly found themselves riding.
https://www.showpass.com/
Saturday, April 18 • James Gordon with Katherine Wheatley • 8:00 pm
James Gordon has had a long and diverse career worldwide, as a founding member of the groundbreaking Canadian folk trio Tamarack and with his own solo work, which features songs about the Canadian landscape and culture, current issues, humour, and the environment. When he can steal her away from her popular trio “Boreal” (Up for 3 CFMA awards this spring ), James loves to share the stage with his Guelph neighbour and friend, Katherine Wheatley. With her strong vocals and guitar playing, and their infectious on-stage chemistry, their stage show focuses on James’ material with some Wheatley originals thrown in.
These days, Katherine performs with the hilarious and moving duo “Wendell and Wheat”; co-leads Women’s Music Weekend and weekly choirs with Jane Lewis, and she’s in the trio Boreal with Angie Nussey and Tannis Slimmon. Boreal and their CD “Winterbirds” have been nominated for three Canadian Folk Music Awards.
https://www.showpass.com/
