Ohhh, O-town, I do love how you bring the music year after year after year. Clubs and pubs, Sparks Street strummers and festival packed summers, churches filled with classical strings and a Jazz fest that swings, pumping electronica mixes, even something to fill your nostalgic fixes, mix in a little Metal at the Monkey and this city has something for evvvvvvvvery music junky!
With RBC Bluesfest already dropping headliner names, KISS stopping into the Canadian Tire Centre to bid a pyro-filled goodbye and Woodstock bring some peace and love to Lansdowne, 2019 is already shaping up to be another awesome year for music lovers.
But first, on this day to remember the year that was, here’s my list of concert favs for 2018!
The Space Mime Continuum House of Targ / May 12 From original review (Soundcheck Entertainment / May 20): At the end of the Canadian Air Guitar Championships there could be only one. While the top prize of the last two years was claimed by wonder women, 2018 would finally be the time of the Mime. Going all Gene Simmons on our asses, The Space Mime Continuum blood spat his way to victory with all of us judges agreeing that he had the right combo of originality, charisma, technique, artistic impression and air’ness that any cupcake makin’, Mohawk shavin’, Iron Maiden back patch wearin’ granny would be proud of. Somewhere, up in that great gig in the sky, Marcel Marceau sheds a tear of joy, unslings his invisible axe and pumps out the power chords that could lead a fellow brother of silence up the stairway to air guitar heaven.
The Town Cryers RBC Bluesfest / July 12 Look who’s making this list for the second year in a row! Oh yeah, John Allaire and the Cryers are still that damn good, proved by a barnstormer of a reunion show at this year’s Bluesfest.
If they had any kinks back at their 2018 gig at Irene’s they sure sandblasted them out with guitars, drums and the kinda’ banter you’d expect from these longtime buds. This was their biggest crowd in many a year and they laid it all out raw and rugged!
Calypso Rose National Arts Centre / January 21 “Stand up!” shouted 77 year old legend of Calypso at an NAC audience that she felt needed to be gyrating a hell of a lot more. The icon from Trinidad showed them how it was done as she never stopped moving to the joyful sounds of calypso. Hell, was so full of spunk she had to have somebody racing across the stage in case she walked clear off it. My buddy Keith went to this show with 9,000 steps on his Fitbit. He left with 21,000. That oughta’ tell ya’ the kind of party this was!
Angela Hewitt Chamberfest / August 6 I don’t know how many times I’ve remarked that the sound inside Dominion-Chalmers Church is the best in the city. Gotta’ be something about that dome. Whatever the reason for these remarkable acoustics, they still require remarkable musicians to ping notes off them. To best illustrate my point, I can think of no finer example than Angela Hewitt's remarkable performance of Bach’s famed “Goldberg Variations”. The virtuoso was in rare form this evening with an audience in awe of every touch of those piano keys.
Pop Evil / Royal Tusk / Quiet Crimes The Brass Monkey / November 20 From original review (Soundcheck Entertainment / November 26): Everything was quaking as though this place was situated directly under a rocket launch! I glanced up at the staff who puttered about as though this was business as usual. I guess it was because, when you set up shop next to the Monkey, most nights you’re living inside the thunder and tonight that rumble roar was being provided by Michigan’s Pop Evil. Whether you wanted it or not, Tim Horton’s was stirring some alt-metal into allllll their cups! “Guess there’s a party going on next door, huh?” asked one of the late nighters. I just nodded. A party was not how I’d describe it. It was more like a joint full of rabid rockers ready to burn it down for Pop Evil’s fist Ottawa show ever.
If you know anything about your typical Brass Monkey audience it’s that they are loyal not just to the bands but to the venue, something the place repays with a constant barrage of weekly batches of awesome sauce. On this night the faithful snaked around the building despite winter firmly taking up residence in the Capital. A chill and few snowflakes weren’t going to stop ‘em. Rock and roll, baby!
Moon Hooch TD Ottawa Jazz Festival / June 22 For those who have ventured inside after the main stage concerts, or to those who have just walked by to witness a vibrating, almost levitating tent, you know that the Jazz Fest OLG Late Night Series can reach a fever pitch high enough to blast the mercury out of the thermometers! The reason for that kinda’ ghost pepper heat is that they book bands like Moon Hooch to play it. Their summer show brought the sizzle. Seriously, I think I still have grill marks after being singed with their unique merging of funk, jazz and dance music. If that wasn’t enough spice to the gumbo, this band busts out a giant traffic cone to stuff into a sax for killer solos. Yeah, the official word on why the tent had to move across from City Hall this is because of nearing residential complaints. Those at this show know better. It took up shack in some new digs because these guys in Moon Hooch blew the joint to pieces!
Shawn Mendes RBC Bluesfest / July 7 From original review (Earth To Andre / July 8): I gotta’ admit, I wasn’t tuned into the Mendes zone until last night. Maybe it’s because I’m not a 14-year old girl with ample vocal chords or maybe it’s because I need to listen to more pop-rock. The screams I am still hearing reverberating deep inside my ear canal tell me all I need to know: Sean Mendes is a superstar!
If any of you have seen that clip of the Beatle’s walking out at Shae Stadium back in 1966, you got a pretty good idea of the kinda’ fan reaction a simple silhouette of the singing sensation gets. I mean, he coulda’ been up there in a pink duck costume sporting one of those fluffy Dr. Suess hats and a tutu belting out “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” and they’d still be screeching.
Elton John Canadian Tire Centre / September 28 From original review (Earth To Andre / October 1): For a man who has taken to dressing up Donald Duck, Ronald McDonald, a glitzed out baseball player and, err, possibly a peacock, Ottawa’s show saw a more elegant turn of fashion. John left his boisterous wardrobe in the trunk and slipped into some suits. Flashy suits! And, of course, we did get some ruby red glasses. While some musician’s voices have left their better years behind them, John belted his songs out like there was no tomorrow…maybe because there soon will be when it comes to these balls to the wall stage show. He gave the crowd his all leaving no stone unturned when it came to Elton-eras . Well, unless you’re only a fan of the Lion King Soundtrack, that is. Regardless, there was lots of love to feel that night.
Johnny Cash Birthday Bash: Golden Anniversary Edition Rainbow Bistro / February 23 This year’s annual tribute to The Man in Black featured a cavalcade of musical Women in Black as the show shifted things up for an female-lead celebration of Johnny and June. They got married in a fever hotter than a pepper sprout 50 years ago and the Rainbow was packed to give the famed country couple a Golden Anniversary kinda’ party they deserved. Hits like “Folsom Prison Blues”, “Ring of Fire” and “Jackson” were sauced perfectly with the boom chicka boom by Ottawa’s talented women with a line-up featuring Danielle Allard, KJ Thomas, Sarah McClurg, Kristine St. Pierre, Eniid Goodman, Sherri Harding and more.
Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy National Arts Centre / December 16 From original review (Soundcheck Entertainment / December 17): The recent renos of the National Arts Centre’s Southam Hall may not have included a pantry, dining table and oven but they weren’t needed for Natalie MacMaster, Donnell Leahy and their all singin’, all fiddlin’, all dancin’ offspring to turn the place into the biggest kitchen party this side of Cape Breton! Insert an elated sigh and goofy grin on this reviewer’s kisser because A Celtic Family Christmas was back in town last night.
You know, I’ve seen Canada’s answer to the von Trapps enough times that I could probably rosin up a bow, slap on some taps and join the entire MacMaster/Leahy clan on stage! Ok, maybe not, but I certainly was one of the many in the crowd toe tappin’ and hand clappin’ for a magical yuletide stew of music, dance, stories and a whole lot of charm.
Foo Fighters RBC Bluesfest / July 10 From original review (Ottawa Life Magazine / July 11): “Fucking rock and roll!!!” band frontman Dave Grohl shouted having just drenched himself in water, hair whipping back a flurry of drops leaving him drenched and holding his guitar in the perfect rocker pose. It. Was. ON! The Foos unleashed a barn burner, cranking it up right out of the gate with classic cuts “All My Life”, “Learn to Fly” and “The Pretender” before careening into the new stuff with “The Sky Is A Neighbourhood”. If you think you knew these tunes, think again as most of the songs got beefed up with longer solos with the band, like the crowd, not wanting to let up. Grohl sprinted from one side of the stage to the other, shredding… screaming… soaked in sweat, slicing through one pure, uncut extended rock jam after another.
The Commotions Babylon Night Club / Apr 20 From original review (Ottawa Life Magazine / April 23): They have got to still be cleaning the sweat off the dance floor inside the Babylon Nightclub after the The Commotions put the awe in awesome with a groove making, Bank Street shaking, sweet, sensational and soulicious show Friday night.
There was sizzle! There was swing! If there was a spot left to sway, jump or jive upon after a crowd stretching ‘round the block hustled on through the doors you bet yours, mine and your Uncle Funkasaurus Rex’s bottom dollar that it was being occupied by a whole lotta’ jiggle and the perfect mix of wiggle. Seriously, they were dancing on the couches!
If you’d never seen them play before and were suddenly overcome with the urge the spasm wildly at their infectiously danceable tunes, you know now that The Commotions bring the motion! Best reinforce the stages in this town, folks, because this 12-piece band are ready to bring the house down where every day is a throwback Thursday filled with the classic sounds of Motown, soul and the jazziest of jazz. It’s all iced down with a layer of phenomenal funk so you better be hungry.
David Byrne CityFolk / September 13 As somebody who has now seen concerts that number into the triple digits, pulling something new out to wow me has become increasing more challenging. David Byrne’s CityFolk show showed me I probably haven’t come close to seeing it all! Wow, awe, bewilderment, astonishing, the adjectives could fill a scroll stretching from Lansdowne to Kanata when it comes to this show. With a minimalist silver backdrop and a stage devoid of any wires or clutter, Byrne walked on stage holding up a brain as though relaying that it was time to expand our minds. Over the next 90-minutes, alongside a mammoth band of musicians, he paraded the perfect pairing of motion and song with a set that, should I only get one word to describe it, was brilliant. The Talking Heads stuff may have got the strongest reaction from the crowd but, when silence descended once again upon The Great Lawn at Lansdowne, the entire performance was what we spoke of. This was a Master and his medium in top form with a unique offering sure to be talked about for many years to come.
The Pursuit of Happiness Westfest / June 9 From original review (Soundcheck Entertainment / June 10): It’s been awhile since Moe Berg and bandmates Dave Gilby, Kris Abbott, Brad Barker and Renee Suchy have played Ottawa, the last time being a set over at Barrymore’s for the music hall’s 1-year anniversary back in 1996. The entire band was nuclear hot. Gilby pounded the skins for that drum-blast beat on “Waling in the Woods”, Suchy shook that tambourine like a whole stack of Polaroid pictures and Barker’s bass wrapped it up and slapped a 100% Pure Awesome Sauce label on it.
If you were one of the few that brought some lawn chairs out to this show I hope you also brought a couple of extra feet of elevation to rest it on. Many had waited years for this and if TPOH was only back for a one-night stand then we were going to one-night stand all night!
30 years on and tunes from (Love Junk) still tear up the place like a pack of crazed chocolate-fed toddlers in a sandbox.