Get ready to “Dance the night away”

  The Mavericks are in Ottawa on Saturday, October 26!  They are well known masters of country-Latino rock and roll and they’re bringing their beat to the Centrepointe Theatre at 7:30 p.m. this weekend.  The Mavericks rode high in the country and rock charts during the 1990s with hits such as

Dialling Into the Divine Frequency of Santana

 Photos by Dan Nawrocki Dance with the unknown  Take a leap of faith Go out on a limb Stick your neck out Face your fears Reinvent yourself -Carlos Santana- Picture yourself in a boat on a river with tangerine… No, wait, somebody already took that trip. Envision yourself pulled by

Casper Skulls Make Songs From Skeletons

 Casper Skulls certainly don't shy away from the dark tones their name may suggest, but the debut album from this Toronto rock outfit shows a much deeper understanding of music. After a strong EP release, the band's debut Mercy Works shows a band not just ready to make a start

Arkells Turn It Up To 11:11

 Photos by Kamara Morozuk Few bands are as consistent as the Arkells. The Hamilton boys delivered their latest in a long line of Ottawa sets at TD Place on a Monday night of all nights. Bringing along England's Frank Turner for the ride, worthy of a headlining set in his

Fiery Folk: Union Duke Lights Up the Blacksheep Inn

 Matt Warry-Smith, a member of the Toronto band, Union Duke, has a tattoo on his leg of the words “Keep Music Evil” that’s visible below the cut off point of his Bermuda shorts. The audacity of the phrase, coined by Anton Newcombe, epitomizes the band’s fresh and furious take on

A Familiar Bell Ringing

 Photo courtesy of stevebell.com. Steve Bell, the long-time Canadian musical sensation, is bringing his voice and his guitar to Arlington Woods Free Methodist Church on June 12. The singer-songwriter has long been considered a voice of hope and faith for his listeners worldwide, his Christian lyrics and pleasant melodies providing

Rex, Pugs and Rock & Roll

 Photos supplied by Rock and Rescue Local musician Andrea Valois has two passions, music and dogs, and when you put them together the result is a rock concert that is truly bad to the bone.  Modeled after a similar event in Los Angeles, Rock and Rescue Ottawa was put together

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

Vacation like a VIP

 Bret Michaels, international rock star and front man for the popular band Poison has teamed up with the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, Mexico to bring you the ultimate in rock n’ roll luxury travel. Located on the Caribbean Sea, the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya is a music lover’s

Bluesfest Beats

 Photo by Steve G The countdown to RBC Ottawa Bluesfest is on. As the weeks leading up to the festival go by, OLM will continue to highlight must-see performances by some of the acts that you may have not yet discovered—so Ottawa music lovers listen up! An exciting variety of

Everything He Plays, Turns to Gold

 Photo Credit: Scarlet O'Neill For more than eight years, Toronto-based singer-songwriter Ben Kunder has been writing and producing music every Canadian can relate to. His long awaited debut solo album, Golden, will be released May 26, followed by a number of shows throughout Ontario and Quebec. One of the tour’s

Destination Denver

 The state of Colorado is an obvious destination for skiing and sports enthusiasts, but you might not know that the foot of the Rockies is an equally impressive haven for arts and culture. Don’t hit the highway out of town the next time you fly in. Instead, take a trip

Fast Forward to the Weekend with Boogat’s Newest Album

 Photo credit: Guillaume Simoneau It’s everything you need on a Friday night after a long week: catchy, danceable and totally infectious music! Montreal MC Boogat’s newest album release, Neo-Reconquista, is enough reason to celebrate on its own. He’s been recognized for constantly evolving his music. Boogat’s unique mixed Latin-urban-electro-pop sound will instantly

The Musical Storm of Ash & Bloom

 The powerhouse folk duo Ash and Bloom, is bringing a musical storm to Ottawa. Echoing thunderous harmonies and striking bolts of brilliant songwriting, these two are a must-see act this spring. Hamilton-based Matt McKenna and James Bloemendal have been playing music together for almost a decade, originally meeting in the

Travel With the Tourist Company

 The Tourist Company is living up to their name this spring. Cities across Canada are welcoming the Vancouver experimental folk band throughout February and March as they tour the country. Be sure to catch the Tourist Company when they stop at the Raw Sugar Café in Ottawa on March 12.

A Song to Play, A Story to Tell

 Music has always been a part of Steve Bell’s life. His mother was a singer, songwriter and piano player and his father also fostered the family’s passion and love for music. “I have almost no memories of not being involved in music,” Bell says. “It’s always been a part of the

Claudia Salguero–100 per cent Artist in Everything she Does

 Claudia Salguero is a photographer and graphic designer. She also paints, sculpts, creates digital images and sings Latin jazz professionally. Salguero moved to Ottawa from Bogotá, Colombia, in 2001. She found opportunity in Ottawa so she never left. “I’ve been able to make my way because I do many things. I

Levi Hart: Ottawa’s Country Star

 The Canadian country music scene is a hub for undiscovered talent. Case in point brings us to this week’s musical feature, Levi Hart. Native to Ottawa, Hart is a gem that has yet to be fully appreciated. Which is strange considering he has opened the stage for Kid Rock and

Wanderlust: Fun for the Whole Family

 Photo courtesy of Ali Kaukas  At Wanderlust, the world-renowned yoga retreat coming to Mont-Tremblant, everyone is welcome--even the kiddos! Skip the sitter and bring the kids along to the festival. There are plenty of kid-friendly activities going on throughout Wanderlust, so you can feel secure knowing your kids are safe, happy

Wanderlust: Keeping It Green

 Photo Courtesy of Ali Kaukas An important part of Wanderlust’s mission is to practice environmental stewardship. Being a good steward of the earth goes hand-in-hand with the mindful, grounding practice of yoga. That is why Wanderlust festivals are committed to numerous sustainability initiatives, including waste reduction, recycling, composting, the utilization

Pilar’s Picks: Glenn Morrison

 Multitalented, and that is putting it lightly! I am talking about the superstar Glenn Morrison. He is a Toronto native DJ, producer and performer. Morrison has worked with world-class acts, such as Tiesto and Deadmau5. I’m almost positive you all are familiar with his smash single played overtime on all

Making Music Magic: James Leclaire

 Today marks the opening day of RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest! OLM is ready to groove—and so is James Leclaire! Leclaire and The Cable 22’s hit the Barney Danson Theatre tonight at 6 p.m. to bring you some of Ottawa’s best musical talent. Compared to the likes of Steve Earle, Leclaire

Diary of a Jazz Fest Goer

 When I lived with my parents, Saturday afternoons meant it was jazz time. Actually, any time was really jazz time, but Saturday afternoons especially. Latin Jazz would heat up my living room as Café Latino host Laura Fernandez shared her favourites. Whether my family was busy or not, we would

Singing Her Soul Out: Kristine St. Pierre’s Infectious Sound

 From her light, delicate finger picking to the stomp of her feet, you can hear Kristine St. Pierre’s soul baring itself to the audience with every melody. Beneath her lyrics of heartache and self-discovery is an artist who has continued to develop her unique sound to become a celebrated local

Slovenian Embassy Celebrates Milestone Anniversary

 The Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Ottawa hosted a concert last Thursday to commemorate Slovenia's 10th anniversary as a member of the European Union. The concert was held at Frieman Hall at the University of Ottawa and featured soprano Irena Preda and pianist Nejc Lavrenčič, who performed to honour