Positives about RBC Bluesfest 2023 and why I love the vibe!

 Typically, around this time of year, I talk about how non-wheelchair-accessible Bluesfest is and the horrible set-up of the wheelchair platform. I could also mention my experience with Para Transpo ​​thus far. But I’m not going to. Unless there’s an earth-shattering event, I’ll discuss the above next week. This week,

Things to do in Ottawa This Weekend – July 7-9, 2023

 Weinerpawlooza When: Saturday, July 8, 2023 Where: Carlington Park, 941 Clyde Avenue What time: 10 am – 3 pm Admission: Free Join the Canadian Dachshund Rescue, Ontario, for their annual picnic in the park. Enjoy games, a costume contest, Weiner races, vendors, and BBQ goodies while you show off your

Music is meant to bring people together, not push them apart

 ABOVE: The wheelchair-accessible platform at RBC Bluesfest left OLM contributor Ryan Lythall feeling like a second-class citizen.  (PHOTO: www.facebook.com/ottawabluesfest) On Friday night, I went to Bluesfest. I went for two reasons. Reason number one was to see Rage Against The Machine. In case you’re wondering, the show was amazing. The second reason I went

10 things to do in Ottawa this weekend – July 15-17, 2022

 Music and Beyond Festival When: Until July 17 Where: Various locations What time: Various times Admission: In-person or Livestream from home • Tickets – Music and Beyond / Musique et Autres Mondes Music and Beyond, the festival that makes classical music accessible to all, is wrapping up its second full week

Drum roll please . . . Announcing the 2020 OLA winners

 The old adage it was the best of times-it was the worst of times will never apply to 2020. It seems as if it was just the worst of times — an annus horribilis — if there ever was one. Despite the lockdown, layoffs, CERB, social distancing, handwashing, masks, and news that a

Surveying the playing field

 ABOVE: Matías Muñoz and Anthony Cardozo of Cinqhole, a live music venue in Hintonburg. The future of events and performance series: Cinqhole, The Art House Café, LIVE! on Elgin When the centres of cultural cultivation close, communities suffer. The patrons who find themselves in these brick and mortar environments have undoubtedly felt the

What to do when in Ottawa

 Ottawa is Canada’s capital city, and as in any capital city there is plenty to see and do while visiting there. No matter what time of year, you will always find something to do and see while on vacation here. But if you are looking for something special to check

Bluesfest by day: Backstreet Boys & America

 Backstreet boys in a line standing in profile (credit: Greg Kolz) While there were packed crowds other nights of Bluesfest, the final night of the festival was by far its most busy. With a bit of classic rock and some boy band magic, Bluesfest closed on a massive high. America There

Bluesfest by day: K’naan, Wu-Tang Clan, Pussy Riot and Snoop Dogg

 Wu-tang wide shot (credit: Greg Kolz) The weather delays on Saturday of Bluesfest were a frustrating setback. After only a few days where heavy rain and dense thunderstorms hit the fest hard enough for a delay call, it felt strange seeing the same announcements come up during blue skies due to

Bluesfest by day: Alexisonfire & The Offspring & The Dirty Nil

 Photo credit: Greg Kolz A non-stop punk fury gripped Bluesfest on Friday, with one of the most heavily focused lineups of the week. With lots of kicks, riffs and mosh-pits, rock fans got their money's worth and then some. Photo credit: Greg Kolz The Dirty Nil There was a clear

The nitty gritty on The Dirty Nil

 Photo credit: Steve Gullick How many artists can say they made it with their high school band? Well, The Dirty Nil is one of those rare cases, and they've managed to maintain that fiery energy while maturing as artists at the same time. With their new album Master Volume, the

Bluesfest by day: Kygo, Lennon Stella, Sue Foley and The Trews

 Lennon stella singing with Shades (credit: Sean Sisk) It was a new week going into Bluesfest's one and only Tuesday, and it was a slow ramp-up to the excitement of the night. Thanks to this crescendo of pop and bluesy rock, anyone who had settled down after the weekend was

Bluesfest by day: The Killers & The Psychedelic Furs

 Shot of Brandon Flowers looking to the crowd (credit: Rob Loud) Synths ruled the night on Sunday at Bluesfest! The cooler weather had everyone a little more relaxed and with that vintage hits let everyone just have fun. And if anyone was still hungry for more, there was a non-stop

U.S. Girls on Building Together

 While Meg Remy's creative lead on U.S. Girls would make it easy to think the project is a simple solo effort, there's too many minds behind it for her to entertain that theory. With her 2018 record In a Poem Unlimited, Remy moved beyond the realm of her usually sample-based

Nothing Can Stop Steve Poltz

 Photo credit: Red House Records The last few years has seen Steve Poltz uproot from San Diego to Nashville, survive a stroke and somehow he still put out a record. His relaxed outlook creates beautiful and smooth music on Shine On, that brings out the same calming feelings that inspired the

U.N. Jefferson Brings the Heat

 Photo credit: Nice Marmot PR Energy can be everything for a live show, and for U.N. Jefferson getting intense on stage is a necessity. With nine members pumping up the band's sound and ferocity on stage, the group is a fierce update to vintage rock. We caught up with U.N.

2018 Ottawa Life Award Winners

 The votes are in! After over 20 years writing about life in Ottawa, we think we have a pretty good idea of the best of what this city has to offer. For the better half of last year, we shared our top picks with you, from hotels, live music venues, local

FemmeVox: A new concert, mentorship and co-writing series

 FemmeVox organizing committee (Left to right): Hugh Neilson, Tonya Price, Anne-Marie Brugger, Bernard Frazer, Tara Holloway You no longer have to travel to Nashville or Austin to witness creative sparks between songwriters when they deliberately set out to work together. The Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC), CKCU-FM, and CHUO-FM proudly

Finally! Foo Fighters’ Fury Unleashed at Bluesfest!

 All photos by Andre Gagne Kathy Butler and her husband had just become two of the 30,000+ last night that filed the Flats for, damn right, it was finally happening, the freakin’ Foo Fighters! It was one of the few times RBC Bluesfest announced a sellout. The couple had read

Still Cryin’ After All These Years

 Photo credit: Sean Sisk The Town Cryers RBC Bluesfest / Thursday, July 12 6:30 pm/ Black Sheep Stage   “Who the hell are these guys?” Wait, did I say that out loud? Yup, my jaw was adequately dropped, out popped the words, and somebody had just spun dervishly in their

Timeout with Brett Eldredge

 WATCH ABOVE: Timeout with the Twins had the pleasure of chatting with Brett Eldredge on July 8th before his RBC Bluesfest debut. Watch for never-before-heard stories about Eldredge’s relationship with his brother, “the island guitar,” and how his first single “Raymond” was inspired by working through his feelings about his

RBC Bluesfest Rewind: Ten Minutes with Passenger

 Photo credit: Jarrad Seng Mike Rosenberg took two steps back to take in his 2015 CityFolk audience. He’d just been willed back on stage by thousands singing his recently released tune “Scare Away the Dark”, a trend that would continue for the next three years. It was the first performance in

Hits and Memories Straight From the Heart, Bryan Adams Looks Back with Bluesfest Crowd

 All photos by Andre Gagne Hey HOTtawa, any weather buffs out there? On July 5, back in the summer, the summer of ’69, a ten year old Bryan Adams would have been basking in a balmy 26°c as opposed to today’s shirt soakin’ ten flaming points higher 36°c. I mean,

Navigating Bluesfest

 If you’ve been a frequent attendee of RBC Bluesfest since the “Big Man” Clarence Clemons took to the stage back in 1994, you’ve grown accustomed to change. I’m not just talking line-up fluctuations, but entire festival uprooting! What started at Majors Hill Park would move to outside City Hall and

Locals Love Playin’ the Blues(fest)!

 Who’s ready for RBC Bluesfest 2018?! I’m all set to slather on the sunscreen, double fist some brewskies and see groups like the Foo Fighters and Dave Matthews Band dump some awesome sauce all over LeBreton Flats. While the fest does bring in those big ticket acts each summer, there’s