Sarah MacDougall’s Northern Inspiration

 Photo credit: Jen Squires One clandestine flight hit Sarah MacDougall so deeply that she felt she needed to make music to reflect this feeling. For her new album All The Hours I Have Left To Tell You Anything, MacDougall wrote music with a wide-swath of writers and honed it all in

Chelsea Handler joins Civilized in conversation about cannabis

 October 17th, better known as the day pot will become legal in Canada, is less than a month away. While provinces and territories are busy deciding on various rules and regulations regarding cannabis consumption and distribution, many of us are left with a lot of lingering questions. What if all

Timeout with the Twins talk family, new music and Tessa and Scott with Jim Cuddy

 Photo credits: Warner Music and Daniel Vazzoler / Video by Amanda and Brittany van Frankfoort On Feb. 26, 2018 fans of Blue Rodeo front-man Jim Cuddy were invited to share in new melodic stories of love and loss – delivered in the familiarly plainspoken storytelling style characteristic of Cuddy – on his fourth

Love Finds a Way for Ron Weiss

 Some people spend a life looking for true love. Ottawa musician Ron Weiss put a life on hold for it. Before there was the heart stopping, time freezing, world changing moment named Debbie, Weiss was on a fairly straight trajectory to becoming the singer-songwriter he'd always wanted to become even

The Ice Queen’s Blues – Q&A with Sue Foley

 Photos curtosey of SueFoley.com / Feature image by Scott Doubt  Old man winter may have put a lock on her heart but Sue Foley’s new album Ice Queen is a sizzling sampling of blues with tundra melting guitar licks and the Juno winners signature sultry thermostat raising vocals. The heat

Looking Back, Gazing Ahead — It’s all Beautiful to Alan Doyle

 “They came to see you. So you be you and nobody else,” Gord Downie once told Alan Doyle. They are words he’s never forgotten. Words that remain as the one time member of Great Big Sea, Canada’s biggest party band, continues his career as a solo musician. Once, in what

Les Misérables redux is still “Master of the House”!

 Ottawa fans of the popular musical phenomenon Les Misérables no longer have to wait “One Day More” to return to the streets of 19th century Paris.  Just in time for a “Heart Full of Love” Valentine’s Date with your sweetie, all the romance, action, drama and songs even George Costanza

Trails’ Productive Year

 While Trails' Allie O'Manique never consciously decided to pursue music professionally, you wouldn't know it by listening to her music. The Ottawa native's lo-fi sound embraces the haziness of the fidelity to create dreamy and rustic recordings that feel deeply intimate. After years of making music on her own, things

Canailles Keep Doing Backflips

 No matter how many members they currently have, Montreal's Canailles have always had a frantic energy to their music. The band's ability to mix folk, punk and Cajun influences into one of the best live shows in Canada has made them a hit nationally and around the world. Their latest

Warrior Heart – Q&A with Cody Coyote

 Feature image by James Park Photography “Mamawi” is an Ojibwe word that means “all together”. It’s also the name of the new album by Indigenous artist Cody Coyote, a release he hopes inspires love, understanding and some reconciliation for Canada’s Indigenous issues. There’s a reason why CBC called him a

Calypso Rose Gives the NAC a Night to Remember

 Photos by Andre Gagne Calypso Rose overlooked the National Arts Centre floor plan for Southam Hall, where she would be performing. She looked at the auditorium seating and asked the staff: "But where will they dance?" Before they could answer, she answered her own question.  "Don’t worry. I’ll have them

Perfect 10 for 887 at the NAC

 Photos by by Erick Labbé It is always an absolute joy to see a play written by Robert Lepage but to have the chance to see him live in person working his magic on stage is almost a religious experience. To even try to write about him and his genius

Loving Mr. Shi and His Lover at the NAC

 Photos by Erik Kuong and Etang Chen It never ceases to amaze me what an incredible place a stage can be.  It is where you can be deeply moved by a story, by the talent of actors, by the beauty of music, where you can admire clothing, the set designs

Ottawa’s Top Concerts of 2017

 Photos by Renée Boucher Doiron, Kamara Morozuk, Sean Sisk, Dan Nawrocki and Andre Gagne As a live music junkie, 2017 in Ottawa was a near endless buffet slathered in awesome sauce! Along with the usual crop of fests and club shows, the city brought in even more concerts to celebrate the country's

Kenny G. Dazzles the NAC

 Photos by Marc Bourget Urban Dictionary defines the term ‘G’ as a ‘Gangster’. I use the term slightly differently. I look at is as someone in control of a situation. ‘She can walk into any room and just own it, she’s such a G!’ ‘He predicted who would win the NCAA Tournament

Kenny G. Comes to the NAC

 Photo courtesy of the National Arts Centre There are many things I could tell you about myself that might surprise you or you may find ‘uncool’. For instance, I know a lot about The Young and The Restless (I have been checking in on the happenings of Genoa City for years);

Fake Nudes, Real Laughs with BNL at the NAC

 Feature image by Thom Fountain  “This! This is Catelli Dinner. The song says Kraft! Does this town not have that?” chuckled Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson before ripping off the top of a packet of powdered cheese and downing it in a single gulp. This happened April 13th, 1993 in Cornwall,

Barenaked Ladies Set to Bring the Party to Ottawa

 By Patrick Lemieux  “Just stay where you are, we will bring the party to you! And it will be a high quality party because we do not screw around!” That’s the message Ed Robertson wants to send to fans and concert-goers with the song “Bringing It Home,” the lead-off song from

Iskwé Fights Within and Throughout

 Photo by Lisa MacIntosh Singer-songwriter Iskwé is using her music as not only a means to express herself, but bring attention to her community. Mixing tones of her Cree and Irish roots with more modern tones, she's been able not only start a conversation around the issues facing the indigenous community

Phantastic!

 Photos by Matthew Murphey and Alastair Muir Like a marvelous antique chandelier fitted with new electric light, The Phantom of the Opera benefits well from a technology facelift. Though upgraded, the new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s theatrical masterstroke doesn’t desert the foundations of the haunting beauty of the original. On the

The Metaphysics of Sarah Slean

 Sarah Slean bought the farm. For most, that’s probably something you are trying to avoid but for the musician it was a life-changer, one that came at a much needed point as she emerged from an exhaustive tour, the smoke and ash of a crumbled marriage and into an atmosphere

Perfect 10 at the NAC! Sir John A.: Acts of a Gentrified Ojibway Rebellion

 The NAC has pulled off a theatrical perfect 10 in Drew Hayden Taylor’s Sir John A:  Acts of a Gentrified Ojibway Rebellion.  It is a thought-provoking play about various issues such as First Nations relations,  the struggles of youth, reconciling with history, justice and finding your place in the world. 

Last weekend to catch Onegin at the NAC

 Looking for something to do this weekend?  Head to the NAC for the final weekend of its season opener Onegin, a modern musical based on the Russian Pushkin novel in verse. (You may recall Ralph Fiennes and Liv Tyler starred in a movie version about 18 years ago (was it

Bruyère and Broadway Set to Get You Moving and Shaking For Health Care.

 Photos curtosey of Broadway Across Canada Stop in the name of music! Broadway is coming to Ottawa byway of the Motor City with enough hits to have you dancing in the seats. The Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Marvin Gaye were all citizens of Hitsville U.S.A. and

The Wonderful Rufus Wainwright

 Ottawa Life’s Festival City Series is back! We'll provide a unique look at some of your favourite events. We’ll go beyond the music with artist interviews, volunteer profiles, concert reviews and spotlights on the tastes, sights and sounds of the festival season.  Your city! Your festivals and events! Like a good sunscreen,