Kicking things off, we’ve got Chinatown Remixed all day Saturday. From jellyfish in cafe windows to a main stage o’ fun, you’ll want to be wandering Somerset Street from dawn til dusk. Don’t fret too much if you can’t make it – the exhibits will continue on for the next month.

Tonight, Shannon Rose and the Thorns are out at the Black Sheep, with Whitebrow stopping by to play some tunes from their new album. Saturday night, it’s the Ottawa Rock Lottery – your chance to see Ottawa’s best musicians get shaken up and stirred together, resulting in creative new songs and possibly the next big music group. Also that night, the Glorious Moonrockets are having an album release party, with Dagger Eyes and Brabazon joining the fun. Sunday? Groove to the spins of DJ Sweetcheeks down at the Hintonburg Public House, which is also the evening that Siach HaSadeh will be playing traditional Chassidic melodies down at Umi Cafe. Want to be part of a giant jam session? Head to Parc Moussette in Gatineau from 4-6pm on Sunday. A new concert series also kicks off on Sunday, with Nationless Nights: Edition Zero happening at the Rainbow Bistro.

Vaudeville and burlesque come together courtesy the Mansfield Brothers, who are presenting A Vaudelesque Revue tonight at Maxwell’s.

And if you’re a lady and love to code, there’s a mobile development workshop happening at Shopify this weekend – and don’t worry if you have no coding experience at all. They’ll teach you everything you need to know about the interweb!

The Tulip Festival wraps up this weekend, with Lucky Ron and the Dusty Drifters playing Friday night and Ukrainia! on stage Saturday evening. There’s also fireworks, folk dances and of course, flowers. The Croatian Folklore Festival, in its 39th year, is also happening down at the NAC on Sunday.

And finally: get out and dance it up in celebration of spring with the Timekode DJs Friday night.

What else are you up to this weekend, Ottawa?

Or maybe you’re more the adventurous sort. Maybe you want to see what happens when numerous Ottawa bands swap members, create team of local supergroups, and put on a show.

Well, that last fantasy will become a reality this weekend when the Ottawa Rock Lottery presents its eclectic take on music expression. This Saturday the 18th, Mavericks will play host to the Lottery’s fifth annual showcase. And what a showcase it promises to be. This year’s lineup sports local musicians from such bands as Fevers, Loon Choir, Goodluck Assembly and Kalle Mattson, whom you may remember from this video. There are also some murmurings about a yet-to-be-announced Juno winner. With so much local talent to choose from, it almost sounds like every ticket is a winner – and that’s not something you can say for most lotteries.

Okay, so this isn’t a lottery in the traditional sense. I’ll admit that when I first heard about the Rock Lottery, probably sometime around its inception in 2008, I thought it was some kind of gambling organization that simply used rock and roll music to further entice lottery ticket buyers. How wrong I was!

Alright, so there is a small bit of traditional lottery stuff going on here: there is a draw for door prizes in which guests can win prizes like clothing or tattoos (yep, you can win tattoos). But the real “lottery” part of the rock lottery actually happens one day earlier. 24 hours before the show, all of the participants gather to see their fate decided. Details of this sacred ceremony are shrouded in secrecy, but Apt613 has learned that bands are created by the sanctified ritual of drawing names out of a hat. And once the bands are formed, they have the length of one day to organize, get to know each other, and create a 30 minute set out of thin air to play the following evening.

Take it from someone who has “been in bands” – that’s no easy task. Typically, a thirty minute set is the culmination of around six months of trial and error, a labour of love and a showcase for the band’s unique talents. The thought of condensing it down to a day of prep time makes me feel empathy, anxiety and, most of all, excitement. The Rock Lottery is a chance to see and participate in the creation of a brand new musical identity, as messy or as wonderful as that is.

It’s also a moment in time, a unique type of event that will likely never be recreated. The bands that are formed for the Lottery generally part ways after the show, presumably making recordings of that concert all the more valuable. However, there are exceptions, and several bands and record labels have sprung up around the Rock Lottery over the years, owing their creation to organizer Samantha Everts’ efforts and determination.

So, if you see something you like at the Rock Lottery this Saturday, cheer for it. Maybe it’ll stick around.

Music Writers

Most local bloggers probably don’t consider themselves to be journalists or writers in the strict sense of the word.  However, given that many music-related blogs contain interviews, previews of upcoming shows, reviews of new releases, insightful analysis and interesting bits of information, it is fair to say that many area bloggers are producing work that is comparable to traditional music journalism.

As a case in point, Ottawa Showbox, which we have mentioned before on Tour de blogosphere, is a great blog for music news. (I reviewed OS on my local blog recently).  Couch Assassin is another fantastic site where you can find, among other things, previews of upcoming shows and musician profiles.  For punk rock lovers, Ottawa Explosion (alternative tumble site here) is worth checking out, while those interested in reading about classical music can link to The Heckeler.  Music Inkorporated, meanwhile, is another blog that you can read to get news and music-related analysis.

Concert and Event Listings

Besides Apartment613, numerous local sites contain information about musical events in our region. If you are a fan of traditional Irish music, then the Irish Music Ottawa – blog is the place to go. Classical music fans can read Music and Beyond, while devotees of folk music should check out Spirit of Rasputin’s.  For blues fans, Ottawa Blues This Week is an indispensable source of information, with its extensive list of shows and events.

Birdman Sound is another good site where you can find upcoming shows, along with posts that contain musical playlists.  Hardcore and punk fans can read Ottawa Hardcore, while patrons of Raw Sugar Cafe can follow the hip cafe’s tumblr site to see upcoming shows. My Ottawa Show Listings was quite active last year, although it seems to be currently dormant.  That said, this site is worth bookmarking in the event that it starts up again.

Blogging Musicians, DJs and Radio Show Hosts

Ottawa Live Music bills itself as the only interactive live music show in the city, while Harmony & Groove, who mix pop, funk R&B and soul, also have a blog.  Ditto for local jazz vocalist and songwriter Renée Yoxon, who has a tumblr account, and piano player, singer and songwriter Tyler Kealey.

Local hip-hop innovators A Tribe Called Red have a blog, although it hasn’t been updated since this past January.   Similarly, Brad Turcotte, who performs under the name Brad Sucks, has a web site / blog, though it appears to have been last updated in mid-March.  The Souljazz Orchestra also has a site where they post news about their musical careers which is updated on a periodic basis.

Other blogs that you may be interested in checking out are the CKCU show Debaser, the site for DJ CPI, the blog of JayBizz LeFresh, and the one for DJ Hobo & Sweet Cheeks, who uses a SoundCloud account to post musical mixes.

Miscellaneous

Finally, Pearl Pirie, whose impressive blogging we have already profiled,  started earlier this year the music-related site earworm curation.

Know of any other local music blogs?  Please let us know in the comments section below.  In the meantime, if you want to know more about local bloggers, please go to The Ottawa Blogging Library, a blog that I created to accompany the Tour de blogosphere columns.

“It looked like the zombie apocalypse had come,” recalls Mike Libbos, as he describes the band’s experience recording the EP Demonstrations in New York City. The band had completed about 75 per cent of the five-song album  and were starting their third week of recording in a Brooklyn studio when Sandy hit.

“We didn’t know if the studio would be there, let alone the album,” recalls Libbos, who co-founded the band with his brother Bruce. “That’s when you saw New York unravel for a few days because of the gas shortages.”

Fortunately, both the studio and recordings survived, and the band went back to the recording studio a couple of days after the storm devastated the city.  Things were so chaotic, however, that they had to stay for a few days in the house of their producer Gus Van Go, who has also worked with such groups as the The Stills and Hollerado.

“It was one of these things that we had a deadline to meet,” says Libbos, when asked how the were able to focus during such a difficult time.

Demonstrations went on sale earlier this week. The album release party will take place this Saturday, May 11, at Mavericks at 221 Rideau Street.  Tickets are available online for $12 and doors open at 8 pm.  Also on the bill are The Murder Plans and MATT Dorgan PROJECT.

The new album, says Libbos, is completely different from their début effort Glowscape.  While the group aimed for a pop appeal the first time out, their second release is quite emotional, with some songs being very personal.

“This is completely different from our first album,” says Libbos.

Band members have said that they the new release is darker and more emotionally connected than Glowscape.  As well, while the songs were written before Hurricane Sandy hit, the impact of the storm had an influence on the recording.

“(Bruce) felt like it really affected his mood,” says Libbos, adding that the emotional tone of the vocals, which were recorded right after the storm hit, reflect the difficult period that the band was living at the moment.

As for the show on Saturday, Libbos promises that it will be special.  ”This is going to be our biggest headline show in Ottawa,” he says.  ”We are going to have some visual treats for the show.”

A nice tune and cute video by Ottawa’s Little Stella, a Folk/Rock/Pop/Electronic group with hints of country. What started as a high school act in Manotick (what’s in the water over there, some kind of nuclear waste that turns all their kids into musicians?) The song is from their 2012 self-titled EP.

Before the show, as the audience waited in line to find their seats, I couldn’t help but notice I was one of the few to represent my own age demographic. While the time slot for the particular set I attended was obviously selected for the retired community and young parents, the Chamber Players of Canada are actively making steps towards including more of a diverse audience. Along with offering affordable family passes, the Chamber Players presented a “Rush Hour” performance the night before for those on their way home from work or class. The group has also tapped into various technological mediums, including a mailing list that can keep concert goers up to date on upcoming performances.

As for the morning concert at St. Andrew’s, the quartet’s performance reflected diversity in time and geography. The combined age of the four cellos played by the performers amounts to nearly 1,000 years, making the instruments rare and portable museums. However, these instruments and their musicians were attuned to both an older and current aesthetics.  The set started with a well known Vivaldi concerto but moved towards the contemporary through the dissonance and varied time signatures of Belgian composer Jongen. With a nod to the informal, the set finished with a well known jazz number by Duke Ellington. Perhaps one of the strongest pieces, however, showcased 19-year-old Montreal native Stéphane Tétreault. His skill at playing an authentic 1707 ex-Paganini Stradivarius seemed at a level far above his years.

Speaking with Tétreault after the recital, he reiterated the value of classical music within contemporary society. He spoke directly of the importance of accessibility and including younger audiences in order to maintain the genre’s relevance. The best way to do this, he says, is through online mediums. “You go to where the young people are, and they’re all online. A lot of people may think they don’t like classical music, or it’s not for them, but chances are we all know a classical tune [that we can associate with].”  Tétreault mentioned another way to include varied audiences is through classical arrangements of contemporary tunes; this perhaps explains the quartet’s choice to play a jazz tune. “Even if it’s only a two-minute piece, it’s a good way to attract more people [to classical music.]” says Tétreault.  His words ring true, but there also remains the simple reality in witnessing a live concert: watching this talented cello quartet perform was a special and magnetic show.

In order to stay up to date with Chamber Players of Canada’s concert schedule, check out their website. To view Tétreault’s online media, follow the link to his Youtube channel.

Apartment613: What’s coming up in 2013 that you’re excited about?

Steve Adamyk:  We’ve got a west-coast tour coming up in May, for starters, that we’re really excited about.  Other than that, we’ve got slots in town playing Ottawa Explosion in June, as well as Bluesfest in July.  Beyond that, we’re playing a few dates with a band called Night Birds in August, and then there’s even the possibility of touring Japan in December, which we’re still entertaining.  Our new album just dropped in February, so we’re still supporting that, but we’ll start tracking for a new album somewhere near the end of the year as well.

Apartment613: I saw Night Birds on The Chris Gethard Show a while back and thought they were great. Are you playing Ottawa with them?

SA: We sure are! It’ll be sometime in late August. Chris Gethard actually asked us to play his show in NYC at some point as well, but we’ve yet to be able to make it down.

Apartment613: You should!  TCGS is the best.  Next question: How would you compare your new record to your others? Do you think your band has changed or evolved since you last made a record?

SA: The band has evolved a lot in the last couple of years, but we’ve also been able to solidify our sound.  We wanted to dig even deeper into making the perfect blend of punk with melody and aggressiveness.  Our last album was a little more varied than our first, so it made sense to have our third LP be something a little more concise.  Essentially, we wanted to really do a good job of what we do, before moving on to other sounds in the future (which may or may not happen).

Apartment613: How have you thought about changing your sound in the future?

SA: Not necessarily changing; we’re always going to be a punk band that has pop sensibilities.  But with that said, I think it might be difficult to release, for example, eight albums or something that all sound similar.  We’ll definitely do something to switch it up, without steering too far away from what we’ve been doing all along.

Apartment613: When did you first become interested in punk rock, if you can remember?

SA: As cliché as it is, Green Day’s Dookie was the first punk record I ever listened to, from front to back.  That said, I didn’t really get into punk fully until the next year (1994), when I heard bands like Bad Religion, Nofx, Eric’s Trip, etc.  My mind was forever warped from there on in.

Apartment613: When was the first time you played a show in a punk band?

SA: If memory serves me right, it was at the Walter Baker sports complex in Nepean in 1997.  There may have been a coffee house performance or two at Glebe high school shortly before that, though. My first “bar” show with a band was at Bumpers (which is now The Works on Bank Street) in the fall of 1998.

As a part of the launch of Northern Scene, a handful of galleries in Ottawa and Gatineau will be hosting events, exhibition openings and performances by some of the best talent coming from the North. Billed as “the largest gathering of artists from Yukon, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Nunavik and Nunatsiavut”, the festival will showcase more than 250 artists over ten days.

SWARM starts with a gallery crawl at 6pm — to get around the city you can walk, bike or take a ride on the free shuttle bus. For a full listing of galleries and exhibitions, see below.

At 9pm, the National Arts Centre is throwing a party with Hip hop artist Aaron “Godson” Hernandez, DJ Madeskimo and throat boxer Nelson Tagoona. The foyer of the NAC will also feature Boundless, complete with a runway showcasing fashion from Northern designers.

The SWARM party continues throughout the night at Club SAW – don’t miss a special performance by Joseph Tisiga and Lauren Passmore at 11:30pm.

Gallery Listing

AXENÉO7
Not Real, Only In The Mind
Work by artist-in-residence sculptor (and Mayor of Ivujivik, QC) Mattiusi Iyaituk.

Carleton University Art Gallery
Dorset Seen and Dorset Gold
The first 100 visitors to stop in will get CUAG swag bags!

City Hall Art Gallery
The Soniferous Æther of The Land Beyond The Land Beyond
Film by Charles Stankievech – recorded at CFS Alert, the northernmost human settlement on Earth. Presented in collaboration with SAW Video Media Art Centre.

Cube Gallery
edge of the ‘knife
A contemporary group show featuring Yellowknife artists Rae Braden, Landon Peters, Jennifer Walden,  Terry Pamplin, Helene Girard, Angus Beaulieu and Margaret Nazon.

DAÏMÕN
Afriques: Art Video curated by Pierre Beaudoin. 

Galerie SAW Gallery 
Northern Exposures
Curated by Candice Hopkins. Featuring work by Steve Anderson, Janet Ripley Armstrong, Goota Ashoona, Joe Ashoona, Bob Kussy, Aidan Cartwright, Marcus Jackson, Jimmy Kamimmalik, Quvavau Manumie, Ohotaw Mikkigak, Leo Mukjunik, Willie Mukjunik, Danny Osborne, Itee Pootoogook, Monique Robert, Nicotye Samayualie, Doug Smarch, Joseph Tisiga, Jutai Toonoo, Papiara Tukiki and Mary Tutsweetok.

Gallery 101
Aurora Boreawesomer
Curated by Lynn Canney, in partnership with The Open Sky Creative Society. Opening ceremony at 7pm with Dehcho Elder Gerald Antoine.

National Arts Centre
Artists’ Marketplace - Panorama Room
Boundless: Fashion from Canada’s North - Main Lobby (foyer)
Whalebone, Beads, Fur, Feathers, Fibre and Soapstone - Mezzanine
From the collection of the Canada Council Art Bank
Relish Gourmet Food Truck
Chef Paul Bergeron will lure you in with smoked Arctic char tacos and braised elk poutine.

National Gallery of Canada
New Voices from the New North
Curated by Heather Campbell. Featuring work by Davidialuk Alasua Amittu, Luke Anguhadluq, Tony Anguhalluq, Kenojuak Ashevak, Karoo Ashevak, Kiugak Ashoona, Shuvinai Ashoona, Igloolik Isuma Productions, Elisapee Ishulutaq, Mattiusi Iyaituk, Helen Kalvak, Qavavau Manumie, Michael Massie, William Noah, Jessie Oonark, Jacoposie Oopakak, Kananginak Pootoogook, Itee Pootoogook, Pudlo Pudlat, David Ruben Piqtoukun, Nick Sikkuark and Ningeokuluk Teevee.

Ottawa Art Gallery
Larger Than Life
Work by Sonja Ahlers, Rosemary Scanlon, Joseph Tisiga, Veronica Verkley.
Whitehorse artist Sonja Ahlers will be hosting a drop-in workshop where party-goers can make their own art inspired by her installation of found objects.
ᑕᑯᓱᕐᓀᑐᖅ (Ta•ku•shur•nai•tuk) n. 1. Things Never Seen Before 2. Aisa Qumaaluk Sivuaraapik and Others
On display in the Firestone Gallery, with work from Bobby Najummialu Novalinga, Levi Alaasuaq Pirti (Smith), Mattiusi Manukuluk Qilurqi, Mattiusi Ilimasaut Amarualik, Aisa Qumaaluk Sivuaraapik and Aliva Tuktu Tulugak. Curated by Catherine Sinclair.

For more information on events, performances, workshops and happenings occurring throughout the Northern Scene festival (April 25-May 4), check the NAC website.

Sonja Ahlers, Untitled (detail) 2013. Toe shoes, fur, glass, ephemera, porcelain leg by Shary Boyle. Courtesy of the artist.