Miscellaneous
In the first week of Ottawa's annual Bluesfest, Andrew Carver watches performances from acts including the Black Keys, Grand Funk Railroad, Sharon Van Etten, the Joy Formidable and Wu-Tang Clan...
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and in its second week the Waterboys, the Specials, Rush, Alice in Chains, Los Lobos and BB King
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Andrew Carver is impressed by five day festival the Ottawa Explosion which, spread across ten venues, saw performances from over a hundred rock, punk and garage acts
Chains of Love
Andrew Carver at Pressed in Ottawa watches 60's girl group-influenced act Chains of Love, with everything to prove, hold up their weight against the other two acts on a three band bill, explosive garage/new wave bands the Ketamines and Zebrasieres
Kylesa
Andrew Carver is impressed by Georgia-based band Kylesa's unique blend of psychedelia and metal at a show at Mavericks in Ottawa
Deniz Tek
Andrew Carver watches former Radio Birdman guitarist Deniz Tek with his curent grorup the Bad Men play a fantastic set of both his classic and new material at the Dominion Theatre in Ottawa
Woe
Andrew Carver watches Philadelphia-based black metal band Woe tear through a physically punishing set at at Mavericks in Ottawa
Titus Andronicus
Andrew Carver watches an exhilarating, if chaotic performance from New Jersey punks Titus Andronicus at a gig at Mavericks in Ottawa
Purity Ring
Andrew Carver watches Edmonton-based electronic duo Purity Ring play a low-key, but crowd-pleasing gig at Ritual in Ottawa
Yamantaka // Sonic Titan
Andrew Carver finds Toronto group Yamantaka // Sonic Titan's fusion of dreampop, psychedelica, krautrock, doom metal and Japanese theatre gripping and compelling at a show at the Zaphod Beeblebox in Ottawa
Fucked Up
Andrew Carver watches hardcore band play an inflammatory set in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Ritual in Ottawa
Blood
Andrew Carver watches 80’s punk The Blood play a storming set at sandwich shop-turned venue Pressed at their first ever gig in Ottawa
Witch Mountain
Andrew Carver enjoys a night of heavy metal headlined by Portland, Oregon-band Witch Mountain at mini festival Halloween is Doomed! at the Cafe Dekcuf in Ottawa
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At this year's Ottawa Bluesfest Andrew Carver watches in is first week sets amongst many others from Alice Cooper, the Melvins, Fishbone, Billy Bragg, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and Orgone...
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...and in the second week performances from Lauryn Hill, Pack AD, the Cowboy Junkies, the Hold Steady, Bettye Layette and Balconies
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Andrew Carver enjoys five day featival the Ottawa Eplosion which, spread across everal venues, saw performances from an extensive range of rock, pop and garage acts
Iron Man
Andrew Carver attends one-night-only metal-metal festival All That is Heavy II, which includes sets from the popular Blood Ceremony and Baltimore-based band Iron Man
Lee Fields
Soul man Lee Fields asks Ritual in Ottawa if it's ready to party. Andrew Carver slips on his dancing shoes and gets ready
White Lung
Andrew Carver finds Vancouver punks White Lung to be on breakneck, furious form at a show at Babylon in Ottawa
Jozef Van Wissem
Andrew Carver watches Dutch lutenist and minimalist composer Jozef Van Wissem play an entrancing set at an unfortunately poorly attended gig at the Mercury Lounge in Ottawa
Jeff the Brotherhood
Andrew Carver watches Nashville garage rock duo Jeff The Brotherhood play a memorable set at Babylon in Ottawa
Red Fang
Andrew Carver enjoys an increasingly feverish set of high-energy heavy rock from Portland, Oregon-based band, Red Fang, at Mavericks in Ottawa
Tiny Too
Canadian band Sloan are very popular in their own country but remain little heard outside it. Andrew Carver watches them play a thunderous set as part of their twentieth anniversary tour at Mavericks in Ottawa
Wagons
Despoite a blackout moments before they were due on, Andrew Carver watches Melbourne country outfit Wagons play a capable set enlivened by some exceptional stage banter at Zaphod Beeblebrox in Ottawa
Royal Baths
In a chaotic show Andrew Carver sees San Francisco garage-psych rock act Royal Baths eventually win over the audience with their feedback-laden pop at a gig at Zaphod Beeblebrox in Ottawa
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In the first week of the Ottawa Bluesfest, Andrew Carver watches sets the likes of the Flaming Lips, the Steve Miller Band, Wanda Jackson, Erykan Badu, M Ward and Leon Russell.
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...wgile in the second week, which ended on a note of turbulence with the collapse of the stage during a thunderstorm, he takes in performances from among others Dana Fuchs, the Dirtbombs, My Morning Jacket, Alyssa Reid, Mother Mother and Jane's Addiction
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Andrew Carver enjoys the Ottawa Explosion, a DIY three day punk festival which took place in a variety of Ottawa's homes, record stores, nightclubs, practice spaces and even a laundrette
Barracudas
Andrew Carver at Babylon in Ottawa watches Jemery Gluck, the frontman with powerpop act the Baracudas, play a chaotic, but enjoyable gig in his former hometown
Borbetomagus & Hijokaidan
Despite bassist Mike Pascal feeling unwell, Andrew Carver finds Kentucky-based hardcore band Colisem going straight for the attack at a show at the Cafe DecKuf in Ottawa
Davila 666
Andrew Carver enjoys a triple bill of garage rock from Davila 666, the Bare Wires and the White Wires at Babylon in Ottawa
Ken Mode
Andrew Carver at the Cafe DeKcuf in Ottawa enjoys a set of spiky hardcore/metal from fiery Winnipeg-based band, KEN Mode
Young Galaxy
Vancouver-by-way-of-Montreal group Young Galaxy have moved away from the psychedelic pop roots and developed a more dance-oriented, electronic sound. Andrew Carver watches them put on a convincing performance and play a sharp set at Mavericks in Ottawa
Julie Doiron
Andrew Carver watches former Eric's Trip singer and now solo artist Julie Dorion, although claiming to be suffering from stagefright, play an increasingly confident and enthusiastically received set of noisy rock at Mavericks on Ottawa
Biters
At the Babylon in Ottawa, Andrew Carver watches local band the Biters play a storming set of power pop
Blood Ceremony
At an evening to celebrate the 35th birthday of a local radio station at the Rainbow in Ottawa, Andrew Carver enjoys a night of alternative rock, headlined by hard rock act, Blood of Command
Ty Segall
Andrew Carver at the Babylon in Ottawa sees highly touted Californian Ty Segall play an enthuiastic set of loud, but lo-fi pop
Paul Collins Beat
Former Nerves guitarist Paul Collins is one of the elder statesman of the power pop genre. Andrew Carver at Babylon in Ottawa watches him play an explosive set
Miscellaneous
During the first week of the annual Ottawa Cisco Systems Bluesfest Andrew Carver watches sets from among others Iron Maiden, Steel Pulse, Good2Go,Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Carolyn Wonderland and the Flaming Lips
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...while in its second week he also sees performances from John Hiatt, Rush, Arcade Fire, the Gories, Blonde Redhead and Jimmy Cliff
Ted Leo
Andrew Carver enjoys a set of intelligent indie/punk rock from the hard-touring Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at a gig at Zaphod Beeblebrox's in Ottawa
Action
Canadian punk rock band the Action recently reformed after an absence of nearly thirty years. Andrew Carver watches them play a chaotic set at their home town venue of the Dominion Theatre in Ottawa
Jello Biafra
Andrew Carver finds that former Dead Kennedys front man and iconic punk star Jello Biafra has lost none of his political anger or edge in an impressively explosive set at Mavericks in Ottawa
Lullabye Arkestra
At the Cafe Dekcuf in Ottawa, Andrew Carver sees bass-and-drums duo Lullabye Arkestra kick up a heady and floor-shaking, but immensely pleasing and enjoyable racket
Sepultura
On their first visit to Canada, Andrew Carver watches Sunderland hardcore punks Leatherface play a feisty set to a small, but excitable audience at Babylon in Ottawa
Dinosaur Jr
Andrew Carver watches reformed grunge rockers Dinosaur Jr plays an excellent, if deafening show at the Capital Music Hall in Ottawa
Sure Shots
At Mavericks in Ottawa, Andrew Carver enjoys hard touring Montreal act Priestess' unpretentious and old-fashioned form of heavy metal
Zoroaster
At blues venue the Rainbow in Ottawa, Andrew Carver watches underground metal heavyweights, Zoroaster, Gates of Slumber and Serpentcult, play effective and often powerful sets to their small, but dedicated and loyal following
Miscellaneous
In the first week of the annual Ottawa Cisco Systems Bluesfest, Andrew Carver watches sets from acts including the Black Keys, Metric, Iron and Wine, Okkervil River, Lightning Malcolm and Cedric Burnside and the Church
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...and in its second week the Drive By Truckers, Toots and the Maytals, M83, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Dead Weather and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
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Andrew Carver watches durable New York powerpop act the Figgs play a crowd-pleasing and punchy set at Zaphod Beeblebrox in Ottawa
Murder by Death
Murder by Death's music is a mixture of gothic Americana, punk, rockabilly and Tex-Mex sounds and is unrelentingly bleak. Andrew Carver finds them Bloomington, Indiana group to be surprisingly humorous and even sentimental at a gig at Mavericks in Ottawa
Peter Bjorn and John
Andrew Carver is impressed by Swedish indiepop trio Peter, Bjorn and John's boundless energy and enthusiasm in a confident set at the Capital Music Hall in Ottawa
No Means No
Pioneering Vancouver-based Jazz punks NoMeansNo have toured constantly since forming in 1979. Andrew Carver finds them on fiery form at a National Arts Centre of Canada-sponsored gig at Babylon in Ottawa
Nobunny
At the Babylon in Ottawa, Andrew Carver watches rabbit-masked San Francisco lo-fi garage popper Nobunny and Chicgao-based glam rockers the Smith Westerns put on a night of crazed entertainment
Magic Christian
Magic Christian are a garage rock/power pop supergroup which includes in its line-up the Flamin’ Groovies Cyril Jordan, Blondie's Clem Burke and the Plimsouls’ Eddie Munoz. Anthony Strutt watches them play a short, but fiery set of original tunes and covers at the Ottawa Babylon