Music concerts in Ottawa/Gatineau

[Tesladom]

That's a big concert! Not my fancy but great for Ottawa to attract The Boss

[rocketphish]

Foo Fighters, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Mumfords and more coming to Bluesfest this summer
For Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters, the July 12 date is part of their first full tour since last year’s death of drummer Taylor Hawkins.

Lynn Saxberg, Ottawa Citizen
Published Feb 22, 2023 • Last updated 9 hours ago • 3 minute read

The Foo Fighters, Mumford and Sons, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss and the post-Radiohead project, The Smile, are among the blockbuster headliners coming to RBC Bluesfest this summer as part of the first festival program in three years to start with a clean slate.

“The unusual thing about this year is that the last time we had to put together a lineup was 2019,” said Mark Monahan, artistic and executive director of Ottawa’s biggest summer music festival, referring to the 2020 lineup that was booked in 2019, delayed by the pandemic and finally executed in 2022.

“This is the first full year that we’re back in the situation that we don’t have any acts to carry over. We can look at this as a blank page.”

For Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters, the July 12 date is part of their first full tour since last year’s death of drummer Taylor Hawkins, and sure to be hotly anticipated. Their last visit to Bluesfest in 2018 was sold out in advance, with the band delivering an epic performance that attracted one of the biggest crowds in the festival’s almost-three-decade history.

“There are certain bands we would do any time,” Monahan said, “and Foos are one of them. You don’t get the opportunity very often. There are all kinds of people who wanted a Foos date this year and didn’t get it.”

Another act that Bluesfest would welcome any time is rock legend Plant, who gave a stellar performance with his own band at CityFolk in 2019. This time, on July 8, he’s touring with bluegrass singer Krauss to promote Raising The Roof, the second album they recorded together.

From across the pond, Mumford and Sons will make their Bluesfest debut on July 13, while The Smile, formed by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, take the main stage on closing night, July 16.

Alt-rockers Death Cab For Cutie headline the festival on July 9 for the first time, although they were booked to perform back in 2011. That was the year the stage collapsed in a freak gust of wind while Cheap Trick was playing; Death Cab had been scheduled to go on after Cheap Trick.

This year, the festival starts July 6 with a previously announced performance by Shania Twain. July 7 sees Weezer on the main stage, topping off a bill that also includes rockers Billy Talent and PUP.

The final weekend finds Montreal model-turned-electro pop-jazz artist Charlotte Cardin on the main stage on July 14, followed by a throwback hip-hop bash on July 15, with Pitbull headlining and support from Ludacris.

Bluesfest runs July 6-16 in its usual home on the grounds of the Canadian War Museum at LeBreton Flats Park. Sharp-eyed fans will notice there are just eight days of programming on the schedule. July 10 and 11 are dark.

Monahan said the main reason for the trim is to keep costs under control at a time when everything is more expensive, from artists’ fees to supplies. He expects the 2023 budget for the festival to hit $20 million for the first time.

“Our budget has increased on the artist side, and the reality is that costs are going up,” Monahan said. “We just felt that if we were going to manage the increase, maybe it’s better to do eight days instead of nine or 10.”

It’s also a way to keep a lid on the pre-sale price of a full festival pass, he added, noting it will cost about the same — $250 — as previous years. Tickets and passes go on sale at 10 a.m. Feb. 23 at bf23.frontgatetickets.com/

For more on the program, go to www.ottawabluesfest.ca

https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainm...st-this-summer

[Tesladom]

Meh....

[phil235]

Foo Fighters and Mumford and Sons are pretty huge gets. Like basically as big as you could go.

[stolenottawa]

Pretty impressive lineup.

[postingaboutottawa]

This is the best one in years for me on the sole basis that they have The Smile as a headliner. Seeing Thom and Jonny live doing an hour plus of jazzy art rock freakouts is very un ottawa bluesfest in the last few years after there was a real effort to mix in some cutting edge acts earlier in the 10s

[McKellarDweller]

Smashing Pumpkins are playing in at the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata on September 3. Too bad it's not at Lansdowne or at Bluesfest, but still it's awesome news.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by McKellarDweller

Smashing Pumpkins are playing in at the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata on September 3. Too bad it's not at Lansdowne or at Bluesfest, but still it's awesome news.

Damnnnnn...I think I just figured out my post-chemo treat to myself!

[J.OT13]

Didn't realize Smashing Pumpkins were still around. I feel old right now.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Didn't realize Smashing Pumpkins were still around. I feel old right now.

I guess Billy Corgan and Eddie Vedder are the only surviving megaband frontmen from that era of music at this point.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Harley613

I guess Billy Corgan and Eddie Vedder are the only surviving megaband frontmen from that era of music at this point.

Crazy considering it's not THAT long ago.

[rocketphish]

CityFolk lineup announced: Iggy Pop, Hozier, Fortunate Ones and more will play the five-day festival
Iggy Pop, in all his bare-chested, ear-splitting glory, will kick off the outdoor music festival on Sept. 13, his first show in the city in years.

Lynn Saxberg, Ottawa Citizen
Published May 16, 2023 • Last updated 4 hours ago • 4 minute read

A five-day edition of CityFolk returns to Lansdowne Park in September, with a secondary stage, a ticket-layaway plan and a rare appearance by the Godfather of Punk.
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That’s right, Iggy Pop, in all his bare-chested, ear-splitting glory, will kick off the outdoor music festival on Sept. 13, his first show in the city in years.

Executive director Mark Monahan calls the booking a “big deal,” noting that Pop has never before performed at an Ottawa festival. The closest he got was a 2017 gig at Rockfest, the now-defunct rock festival that took place in Montebello, Que.

“He’s this iconic figure who doesn’t really tour on a regular basis so you have to get a one-off date,” Monahan said. “He’s not someone you’ll probably ever see here again. I picture him with Lou Reed and David Bowie; they’re part of an era we’re losing connections to.”

The 76-year-old Pop, who this year released his 19th album, Every Loser, leads a batch of headliners to CityFolk that also includes Canadian chart-toppers Arkells, English rockers Bush, Icelandic blues-rockers Kaleo and Irish superstar Hozier, who was announced last month.

Also coming to the festival are U.S. jamband heroes Gov’t Mule, Kingston-formed rockers Headstones, American singer-songwriter David Kushner, Swedish singer-songwriter The Tallest Man on Earth and upstate New York pop-rockers X Ambassadors.

Monahan said the growing number of festivals taking place in September was beneficial for CityFolk this year as festival programmers were able to collaborate on bookings in order to bring costs down. On the same weekend as CityFolk, Iggy Pop has a second Canadian date at Rifflandia festival in Victoria, B.C., while Gov’t Mule appears at New Brunswick’s Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival.

“So many festivals are during the summer and you don’t always get the same attention when you’re trying to book a fall festival at the same time,” Monahan said. “It’s tricky but what’s encouraging is there are more and more festivals in the fall that we can reach out to to see who’s booking what.”
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This year’s edition of CityFolk takes place at Lansdowne Park Sept. 13-17, with the main stage returning to the Great Lawn and a new secondary stage to be set up on the plaza near the Aberdeen Pavilion. The new stage will be housed in the same huge tent used by Bluesfest for one of its secondary stages.

The tent will accommodate performances by secondary headliners and local artists, Monahan said, replacing Marvest, the free mini-festival of local talent that used to be part of CityFolk.

In keeping with CityFolk’s pre-2015 roots as the Ottawa Folk Festival, there’s also a contingent of Canadian singer-songwriters booked to perform, including Claire Coupland, Fortunate Ones, Allison Russell, Andrea Ramolo, Kristine St-Pierre, Mikhail Laxton, Julian Taylor and more. Visit cityfolkfestival.com for the full lineup.
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Full-festival passes are $169 during a one-day pre-sale that runs from 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, May 17. Starting at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 18, the regular price will be $189. VIP passes are $289 and $299. Taxes and fees are extra.

Go to frontgatetickets.com to make your purchase.

New this year is a layaway option that requires $20 at the time of purchase, but lets you pay for the rest of the pass in four monthly installments.

Layaway plans have been available with Bluesfest tickets for the last two or three years, said Monahan, who is executive director of both Bluesfest and CityFolk. The feature is available through the ticketing site, Front Gate Tickets.

“It’s like anything you buy online now,” Monahan said, “you can make payments. It’s a trend we’ve seen, and more and more festivals are doing it. There is an audience out there that will commit to buying the ticket without paying everything up front.”
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With Bluesfest tickets already on sale and going fast, Monahan is expecting a good year for the Ottawa festival industry. Advance tickets to Bluesfest’s opening night, July 6 with Shania Twain, are sold out, and other nights are selling well.

“If Bluesfest is an indicator, we’re going to have a very strong year,” Monahan said. “We’re hearing that a lot of festivals are having the best year they’ve had since the pandemic. People are a lot more comfortable with going out.”

What is the full lineup of CityFolk 2023?

• Sept. 13: Iggy Pop; Busty & The Bass; NOBRO
• Sept. 14: Arkells; Gov’t Mule; The Tallest Man On Earth; Ruby Waters; Claire Coupland; Redfox
• Sept. 15: Bush; Headstones; Sven Gali; Fortunate Ones; Villages; Geneviève Racette
• Sept. 16: Kaleo; David Kushner; Allison Russell; Andrea Ramolo; Kristine St-Pierre; Mikhail Laxton
• Sept. 17: Hozier; X Ambassadors; Julian Taylor; Grievous Angel: The Legend of Gram Parsons

https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainm...nd-stage-added

[Acajack]

One of the hopes for the Centre Slush Puppie is that it will become a venue for mid-sized concerts.

The first one is coming up in June: Flo Rida.

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle...ineau-flo-rida

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Acajack

One of the hopes for the Centre Slush Puppie is that it will become a venue for mid-sized concerts.

The first one is coming up in June: Flo Rida.

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle...ineau-flo-rida

FloRida was huge 10 years ago. Not sure what he's been up to since. Surprised he would play at such a small venue.

This to me is one of the disadvantages of Lansdowne 2.0; Slush and Civic 2.0 will be virtually the same size, and therefore will be competing for business.

[Uhuniau]

What we really need, and don't have, is a good club venue.

[OTSkyline]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

What we really need, and don't have, is a good club venue.

Agreed. I'm surprised Ottawa has very little nightclubs. Not even in the Byward Market! And I don't count traditional restaurants and Irish pubs that move a few tables around after 9pm to make room for dancing.

The ones I can think of are City at Night or Byward56, but both are very small.

There used to be decent larger events, maybe once a month or so, at places like Barrymore's... but we all know how that's going.

[7empest]

The Bronson Centre is better with the new ownership and upgrades but it could still use some more.

Mavericks could be good if they'd have more than tribute and cover bands.

Still need something bigger though. Montréal has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to venues.

[rocketphish]

Expanded Festival of Small Halls is to feature Kim Mitchell and other Canadian music stars in October
This year's event will include 39 shows, up from 29 in 2022

Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jun 06, 2023 • Last updated 5 days ago • 2 minute read

An enlarged Ontario Festival of Small Halls will present almost 40 concerts this fall — not only in Ottawa Valley town halls, churches and community centres that have hosted its shows since 2014, but also in venues as far west as Peterborough.

Running over three weekends in October, the festival will feature Kim Mitchell performing Oct. 12 at the Showplace Performance Centre in Peterborough and multiple performances by each of Corb Lund, Kellylee Evans, the Devin Cuddy Band, Jenn Grant, the Irish Descendants, Terra Lightfoot, Ben Caplan, the Arrogant Worms, Old Man Luedecke and more.

There will be 39 concerts in all, up by 10 from 29 last year.

Tickets are to be available after 10 a.m. Tuesday at festivalofsmallhalls.frontgatetickets.com. For details about acts and venues, go to ontariosmallhalls.com.

Meanwhile, on multiple weekends between Aug. 10 to Sept. 9, the festival, an offshoot of the RBC Ottawa Bluesfest, is again staging its Chef’s Table series in partnership with the National Arts Centre.

The series, which originated during the first summer of the COVID-19 pandemic, features NAC executive chef Kenton Leier teaming up with guest chefs to serve three-course dinners on the terrace of the NAC’s 1 Elgin Restaurant looking onto the Rideau Canal. After this year’s dinners, acts including the Angelique Francis Quartet (Aug. 10-12); the Jeff Rogers Trio (Aug. 17-19); Dave Kalil, Tyler Kealey and Todd Huckabone (Aug. 31 to Sept. 2); and the Retrogrades (Sept. 7-9) will perform.

The guest chefs will be David Vinoya of the Hilton Garden Inn Ottawa Downtown (Aug. 10-12), B.C. chef Carmen Ingham (Aug. 17-19), Joe Thottungal of Coconut Lagoon and Thali (Aug. 31 to Sept. 2) and Indigenous chef Siobhan Detkavich (Sept. 7-9). Details on menus and reservations can be found at ontariosmallhalls.com.

phum@postmedia.com

https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainm...ars-in-october

[huntclub]

http://yowstage.com

New 2,500 capacity concert/entertainment venue is going to be opening at Ey Centre in November 2023. Glad to see all these new venues, Ottawa needs more concerts.

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by huntclub

http://yowstage.com

New 2,500 capacity concert/entertainment venue is going to be opening at Ey Centre in November 2023. Glad to see all these new venues, Ottawa needs more concerts.

Cool. And right on the O-Train line. Not much pre- or post-show restaurant or bar scene there though.

Thanks for the update, and welcome to the forum!