Globetrotting with Florian Hoefner

 Before heading over to Europe by way of NYC, pianist Florian Hoefner brought some "Luminosity" to the basement of a former Lowertown church. Along with Seamus Blake on sax, Peter Kronreif on drums and Sam Anning on bass, Hoefner played selections from his new album, Luminosity, to a buzzing crowd at the Saint Brigid's Centre for the Arts. Hoefner spoke

January 15th to 17th

 Here at Ottawa Life we are always looking out for great things to do on a weekend! Check out some of the events that are happening right here in our city this weekend. TD Place Stadium, Ottawa 67’s vs. Niagara IceDogs - Jan.15th (7:00pm) This Friday, come support your local OHL

Mike’s 2015 Photo Roundup

 Allie X, RBC Ottawa Bluesfest, July 2015 - © MikesMedia.com. Ottawa music photographer Michael Wing from MIKE'S MEDIA saw everyone from Ed Sheeran to Rob Zombie onstage this year. His 2015 slideshow will make you feel like you're standing right on the stage, no earplugs required. [wzslider height="800" transition="'flash'" info="true"]

Fiddle Feast for your Ears

 Natalie MacMaster needs no introduction. Over a recording career now spanning 25 years, this Order of Canada recipient has released 11 albums that have notched sales of over 200,000 copies. She has won two JUNO and eleven East Coast Music Awards and been nominated for a Grammy. Starting tonight, she

Ho! Ho! Head to the Theatre!

 A scene from Anne and Gilbert, The Musical. Photo courtesy of the NAC.  Christmas is always a great time to grab the kids and head to the theatre for a family outing.  There are two shows on in Ottawa right now that fit the bill perfectly. Anne and Gilbert, The Musical

Lloyd Frost Provides Social Commentary with a Groove

 Photo courtesy of Ben Dionne © Blue Plazuela Music. Lloyd Frost has many tales to tell. Frost is a Montreal-born singer/songwriter and musician who lives and plays his songs in Ottawa. Lloyd has recently released The Sun Is Rising and Other True Stories, an 11 track album. People have told Frost that it

Sam Roberts is Coming to the TD Place

 The group behind ‘Brother Down’ is teaming up with the union who supports public servants like our health inspectors and librarians this November to put on an enormous, free concert at the TD Place. To be more specific, November 14 the Sam Roberts Band will take over the TD Place

Dear Rouge, From Ottawa

 Falling leaves are not the only noteworthy shade of red in the city this week. Vancouver-based electronic rock band Dear Rouge will be showing its colours downtown with a performance at Mavericks on October 29. Dear Rouge is led by husband and wife duo Drew and Danielle McTaggart. The name

One Giant Step for the Tourist Company

 L to R: Swindells, Parry, Levey and Quezada. All photos by Brian Chan photography.  Vancouver’s own The Tourist Company formed in 2013 after camp friends Taylor Swindells (singer/songwriter/multi instrumentalist), Jillian Levey (vocalist) and Brenon Parry (drummer) began playing folk music together. After recording the trio’s first album, Brother Wake Up,

Giant Paper Heads: Who Wore it Better? Arcade Fire or WOTE?

 Yesterday, Burlington ON band Walk Off the Earth released a new video celebrating trans youth and the importance of accepting ourselves and others. The video, ‘Alright,’ features a young girl named Ellie who is forced to wear boy’s clothes and just wants to be herself. The video also features Walk

Levi Hart Kicks Off ‘My Kind of Night’

 ‘THAT is My Kind of Night!’ are the words roaring from radios across Canada, since Levi Hart released his new country hit on September 25. Recorded in June in Nashville, Tennessee, Hart’s new hit ‘My Kind of Night’ has made great headway, quickly landing airplay on international radio broadcasting networks, and has been

Get Starstruck with Kodaline

 Vincent May (drums), Jason Boland (bass guitar), Steve Garrigan (lead vocalist), Mark Prendergrast (lead guitar). Photo courtesy of Ben Johnson. Kodaline has made a splash in the indie rock scene. Hailing from Dublin, Ireland, the group has performed together since 2005 (as 21 Demands). In 2011, Jason Boland joined and Kodaline was

Blue Rodeo Slams Harper In New Protest Song

 It’s been merely a month, but yet another anti-conservative diddy has gone viral. Following the controversial suspension of federal government scientist Tony Turner, Superstar country-rock group Blue Rodeo are the newest band of Canadians protesting the Conservative party with their new hit, “Stealin’ All My Dreams.” In a recent trend,

Navigating Mirror Mountain with Christopher Rohde

 Photo provided by Christopher Rohde. Christopher Rohde is the Festival Director of the Mirror Mountain Film Festival. The fest is bringing independent, underground and alternative cinema to Ottawa from December 4th to the 6th. Rohde is an award-winning filmmaker and Carleton University alumni. OLM chatted with Rohde to talk about the

CityFolk Impressions

 ABOVE: Ewan Currie from The Sheepdogs plays at CityFolk. (Photo by Michael Wing)  This year’s CityFolk festival swept into the new venue at Lansdowne Park on the perfect weekend. It was warm and sunny most days, with as little rain as anyone could have hoped for. The festival line up

Folk in the City: Celebrating Canadian Talent

 Sounds of CityFolk are echoing throughout Ottawa, with the much anticipated music festival kicking off next week. This year's line-up the most brag-worthy to date, and OLM has put together a quick list of Canadian performers you won’t want to miss! Motel Raphaël Clara Legault, Emily Skahan and Maya Malkin

James Leclaire: The Sing-a-Long Sounds of Storytelling and Sorrow

 Album cover by Brett Clarke. James Leclaire’s fourth album, These Weights, combines the soulful storytelling of folk and country music with the anthemic energy of punk, to create a sound he calls ‘dirt country.’ “There is a country twang to it but it’s got an edginess that is a little

The 411 on Ottawa’s Zine Scene

 Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Look back over the last 10 years, and you’ll spot a resurgence of the old Do-It-Yourself ethos. From self-published zines to craftivism, a new generation is being encouraged to challenge society through handmade items. Zines (pronounced ‘zeens’), in particular, have found new homes both online

The new Industria at Lansdowne strikes a brilliant balance

 Stepping into Industria Italian Brasserie for the new Lansdowne restaurant’s grand opening Wednesday night, I probably should have gone up to one of the hosts and asked about seating. Instead I spent a good few seconds staring at the building’s impressively looming ceiling, made up of painted-black pipes. The pipe-covered

Ariana Grande Lights Up the CT Centre

 The Ariana Grande show started with a bang, or more precisely, a “Bang Bang.” The hit song by Jessie J, nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards 2015, was the opener for Grande’s Honeymoon Tour in Ottawa, on August 7th. Screaming young girls, accompanied by

The Journey of ‘Five Crooked Lines’

 Finger Eleven has made a bold return to the Canadian music scene with the release of their sixth studio album, Five Crooked Lines. For the new record’s launch, the band has lined up a full summer tour across North America which includes a stop in Ottawa on August 13. Five Crooked

An Urban Getaway to Montréal’s 16th Edition of MUTEK

 Farewell to the departed polar vortex. Outside, the drone of air conditioners is interrupted by fast afternoon thundershowers. The height of summer. Adventures await. Plans are pushed into action in hopes of creating everlasting memories. As summer approaches, the great outdoors are still too cold, however there is an omnipresent

An Old Guitar and an Ottawa Bar

 Union Duke’s soaring vocal harmonies and throbbing beats have enlivened hearts and dance floors across the nation. The quintet is sure to have Ottawa concertgoers heel-stomping and hip-swaying with their performance at the Black Sheep Inn on July 31. Balancing a mixture of soulful indie rock, bluegrass and country, the

Understanding Communication

 By Professor Stephen A. Stuart Photo Credit: Ryan McGuire Philip Glass, arguably the most influential composer of the late 20th century, started his career with a question, “Where does music come from?” He spent the next six decades of his life trying to answer that question and, over the years

Politics, Perogies and Celebrating Ukrainian Heritage

 Photo courtesy of Lemon Bucket Orkestra. This weekend, the first ever Capital Ukrainian Festival is bringing a handful of amazing bands and about 16,800 perogies to Ottawa. Aside from celebrating Ukrainian arts and heritage, the events will shine a light on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the country’s long struggle