François is one of the co-founders of Apt613. Over the years, he's worn many hats for the organization. He currently sits on the Apartment613 Community Initiatives board and still bangs out the occasional article. He's most drawn to people and organizations that contribute to making this city better.
Marysol Foucault’s cuisine is one of the reasons why committed Ottawans cross the river to Gatineau every weekend for brunch. The food she creates is spectacular and the ambiance she has created at both Chez Edgar and Odile is chic and homey. Sadly for us, but good for Marysol, she announced on Monday that she will […]
Think you are up to date about local happenings? Test your knowledge with our local news quiz, five questions designed to test whether you’ve been paying attention. How to score: 5 out of 5: News stud! I hear The Citizen is hiring… 4 out of 5: Cheater! You work at City Hall. 3 out of […]
Think you are up to date about local happenings? Test your knowledge with our local news quiz, five questions designed to test whether you’ve been paying attention. How to score: 5 out of 5: News stud! I hear The Citizen is hiring… 4 out of 5: Cheater! You work at City Hall. 3 out of […]
House of PainT (HoP) is celebrating ten years in 2013 and they’re getting things started with a bang at a big unveiling party this Friday at Ritual. Alongside the reveal on the programming, music and art components for the fest itself, DJ Ruby Jane, BlakDenim and Chicago’s Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are taking the stage to make […]
I first discovered Shred Kelly at last year’s Bluesfest. In fact, I had listed them as my Bluesfest 2012 discovery. Their sound – high energy with banjo at the forefront – as well as the older woman waving the Newfoundland Tricolour had me believing they were from out east. So I was surprised to learn they were […]
Those that live on the Gatineau side of the river and like to dance party probably already know about Mehdi Cayenne Club. There’s a party groove to their sound but there’s also sentiment in their prose. This is how they describe themselves, in French, on their site: Punky Funk POW-WOW. Pour rêver, danser et réfléchir. MCC, c’est […]
We’ve featured Roberta Bondar a few times on Apt613. Last March, contributor Lily Peper wrote: “The group shows that you can play weird, noisy music without being dour or self-important. Their shows are energetic and fun, and show an appreciation for theatricality.” The band has been touring more and more – played last year’s Arboretum […]
Miss Polygamy is not a Ms at all but a quintet of long hair, bearded guys that love dirty rock. These guys are ready to rock your socks off on Sunday. How would you describe your sound? Contemporary with a throwback sound. Influences from Yukon Blonde, Muddy Waters, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Otis Redding, Grizzly […]
This is two years in a row at Bluesfest for Loon Choir. The boys and girls from Loon Choir have certainly not been sitting on their laurels. For all their hard work, the band has received a lot of support from CBC Radio 3. It was in the running for CBC Music’s Searchlight contest for Canada’s Best […]
Trevor Alguire may be better known in Nashville than Ottawa. After all, Music Nashville News touted him as having “depth and breadth found in few artists on the current music scene” Alguire, born in the Ottawa Valley (is it me or are there just a huge number of amazing musicians in the Valley?) is playing his […]
I first noticed Claudia Gutierrez’ mural at Man Phat when walking down Somerset. It was a beautiful floral design that replaced the drab store exterior. Social media guy that I am, I posted a photo of it on Instagram. The reaction was immediate. People loved it. Unfortunately for Claudia, the piece was tagged just days […]
Tuesday is a quiet day at Bluesfest, but there’s a special event taking place at Casino Lac-Leamy as part of the Bluesfest activities at the Marina Bar of the casino. Versatile artist Joshua Earth is playing the Marina Bar. This talented musician has been at it for over two decades now and has a sound […]
Despite its name, Iconoclast is at its heart a classic hard rock band, complete with wailing guitars and pounding rhythms. Although the group has been around the Ottawa music scene since 2004, it was only last year that they released their first full length album, Are We Dying. In fact, 2012 was a great year for the […]
If you know Uncle Bob at FabGear 64, you know that there’s the occasional ruckus at the shop as it’s often used as a practice spot for the Fenton Brothers. Out of all the bands we’re featuring for this year’s Bluesfest, this is without a doubt the band’s that’s been playing the longest. It may […]
Brothers Bruce and Mike Libbos are the leaders of The Goodluck Assembly. Apt613 spoke with them in late March, on the heals of their CD release. In the interview, Bruce mentions how Demonstrations is – in his opinion – the first release of theirs where he as a vocalist or songwriter didn’t really wear his influences on […]
