So you’ve survived the crippling heat of this week’s soaring temperatures, and finally have enough energy again to actually move around without breaking into a sweat. What to do? If you discovered that your entire wardrobe was best suited for winter, head to the 3rd annual Love the Clothes, Hate the Cancer clothing swap. Or, if your kids are eager to get out on the town (or if you need to release your inner 5-year-old), the International Children’s Festival down at LeBreton Flats should suit. For those of you who... | Continue reading article

It’s almost the weekend – again! And this one’s got an extra day tacked onto the end – so much more time to have so much more fun. Given that it’s Victoria Day on Monday, you might want to head down to the building officially called the Victoria Memorial Museum Building to celebrate. Otherwise known as, to those of you who aren’t local history buffs, the Canadian Museum of Nature. The renovations are complete and opening day is Saturday – and what a day that will be. You think free... | Continue reading article

For your listening pleasure, we present this sound clip by Carleton University student/blogger freetonik. The audio track features a techno song he made that incorporates sounds from the O-Train. I don’t know about you, but I think that “sounds from the O-Train” seems more like it should be the title of a soft rock album… To check out more of freetonik’s music and other projects, check out his website here.

Okay, before I get to part one (i.e. May and June) of the summer music preview, permit me a quick indulgence: SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!! Ahem. So, where were we? About to discuss the next two months of live music in the nation’s capital – two months that, just coincidentally, happen to include a FREE concert by the most iconic Canadian indie rock band of the past 25 years? Yeah, I think that was where we were. Allons-y!

There’s one thing I definitely love about Ottawa in the spring: it’s just! so! green! Even if gardens aren’t your thing, it’s hard not to appreciate the bright spring colours. It just so happens that my ancestral home, in the continued tradition, has sent over the usual batch of bulbs, leading to a plethora of tulip celebrations. If you want something more exotic, check out this unusual plant sale. Patios are also opening up around town – the question at Apt613 headquarters is whether last year’s chichi favourites will stay... | Continue reading article

Halifax’s Tanya Davis is in town this week. She’s playing a show on Friday, May 7 at the Black Sheep Inn with Paper Beat Scissors and Tall Trees. The other big reason she’s in the nation’s capital: recording album number three at Little Bullhorn Studios. Over a cup of coffee, I chatted with Tanya about beats, friends and loving Ottawa. So, third album. How exciting is that? Very exciting! I’m recording for a 2-week period at Little Bullhorn Studios in Little Italy. It’s a lovely studio, Dave Draves has done... | Continue reading article

There’s nothing like music so rockin’ it bludgeons your opponents to death… or at least gets them eliminated from a contest. The organizers of Canada Day in Barrhaven are organizing a Battle of the Bands that culminates on Canada Day. Finalists will get the chance to perform on the main stage of the Barrhaven Canada Day festivities taking place at Clarke Fields. Once the musical corps have been disposed of, the winners will take home 12 hours of recording time with an engineer at Hummingbird Music School (worth $500), Traditional... | Continue reading article

I am feeling terribly guilty about not having posted about this sooner, but better late than never! Evan Thornton, good friend of Apartment613 and editor of Spacing Ottawa, is hosting this season’s final Salon Evening at Cube tonight. Tickets are $20 and the doors open at 7:30. This is an opportunity to see the talents of Jonathan Koensgen, John Carroll and Kel Parsons. I have yet to visit the new cube location, but I’ve heard good things. If the rain is keeping you inside, sit back with your laptop and... | Continue reading article

You’ve got your days filled with scavenging for treasures – but how to fill your evenings this weekend? Well, Hawksley is coming to the Bronson Centre if you’re interested. (And you should be!) And the next installment of the Blackbox Concert Series is on Sunday, featuring guitar virtuoso Don Ross. Giant Hand will be taking the stage at Cafe Dekcuf, along with some good friends. If you want your music to have a distinct Spring theme, there’s Springfest on Saturday, just one show in a series of promising acts that... | Continue reading article

The Woodrunners have been honing their skills for the last few years on stages all over Ottawa and beyond. These “five guys who like playing music together” are releasing their debut EP today, Friday, April 9th at the Elmdale House Tavern (1084 Wellington St.) with a little help from The Withering Pines’ Eric Vieweg. Doors at 9:30. If you can’t make it down, check out the EP on their site at www.woodrunners.com. I got the chance to chat with the band about their proudest moment, taxidermied squirrel and rebel fur-trader.... | Continue reading article