Live music shows to see in Ottawa include Jazz Festival, Canada Day
Jessa Runciman features Bad Sports, Cosmo Doris, The Flaps, Surprise Party, Thus Owls
Bad Sports w/ Radioactivity, Steve Adamyk Band @ Gabba Hey, 10 p.m. Friday, $10
When you listen to Bad Sports, it's clear the Denton, Texas band has been nourished on classic rock and old-school punk — the likes of pioneering bands like The Ramones and Cheap Trick.
That's not to say they haven't forged their own musical path, though. Despite starting to play together in 2007, the past few years have been formative for Bad Sports and according to the band, they've finally achieved a confidence in their identity and sound.
Bad Sports are playing on Friday night with Radioactivity (featuring members of Bad Sports and The Marked Men) along with Ottawa's Steve Adamyk Band. The show is happening at Gabba Hey, the nighttime venue at the back of the City Centre.
10 p.m., $10.
Cosmo Doris w/ Street Meat, Zorch @ Pressed, 8:30 p.m. Saturday, $10
Dylan Hendrick comes from Belleville, Ont., where the music scene — with the exception of a couple of bands — is pretty meagre (I'm able to say this bluntly and affectionately because it's my hometown).
It's a welcome surprise, then, to press play on one of Dylan's creations under his pseudonym, Cosmo Doris, and be met with what feels like a lush, electronic musical celebration.
He'll be coming up for air on Saturday, though, to venture to our town for a show at Pressed. Cosmo Doris is performing alongside Ottawa's Street Meat, and Zorch from Austin, Texas.
8:30 p.m., $10.
The Flaps w/ Riishi Von Rex, DJ Wig @ Glue Pot Pub, 9 p.m. Saturday, $10
Also on Saturday night, listeners will probably be familiar with the headliners of a show at the Glue Pot Pub on Queen Street. When it comes to retro, surfy, B-movie soundtrack instrumentals, The Flaps have done a good job at cornering the market here.
Nonetheless, after more than a decade of sporadic shows, other ongoing musical projects and two The Flaps albums under their belts, the band has decided to go on an indefinite hiatus.
To thank friends and family for their support over the years, The Flaps are holding a goodbye show. It'll feature openers Riishi Von Rex and DJ Wig.
9 p.m., $10.
Surprise Party w/ Small Teeth, Swollen Eyes @ Mugshots, 8 p.m. Sunday, $8
While your Saturday might be about goodbye parties, Sunday's focus is Surprise Party. That's the name of the Winnipeg band set to perform in town that night.
Members of Surprise Party have admitted part of their goal as a group is to get people's attention, and that means their live show usually incorporates costumes, makeup, and rambunctious on-stage behaviour.
Between band practice, full-time jobs and schoolwork, the band has managed to book a cross-country tour in their multi-coloured 1994 Dodge Ram, which stops at Mugshots on Sunday. An exciting band from Montreal, Small Teeth, is also on the bill, along with Ottawa's Swollen Eyes.
8 p.m., $8.
Thus Owls @ Ottawa Jazz Festival, 8 p.m. Tuesday (Canada Day), Free
With Canada Day on Tuesday, it's the perfect opportunity to drop by the last day of the Ottawa Jazz Festival. It's double-whammy, too, because seeing any of the acts that day won't cost you a thing; the perfect way to spend the day before taking a stroll over to Parliament Hill for the fireworks.
If you're going to be downtown in the late afternoon, it's worth catching Thus Owls at the Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage at 5 p.m.
The band includes the husband and wife duo of Simon and Erika Angell, who met while Simon was playing in Patrick Watson's band. Erika, who is Swedish, was supporting Patrick Watson for some European shows, and she and Simon immediately connected over their similar musical styles.
The two have been making intricate, colourful music since then. It's sure to translate into a captivating live show.
LISTINGS:
Thursday
- The Skydiggers @ Black Sheep Inn, 8:30 p.m., $25
- Jesse Dangerously @ Raw Sugar Café, 8 p.m., PWYC
- Cadence Weapon @ Mugshots w/ Silkken Laumann (DJ set), ST/\KR, 10 p.m., $5
- All-Stars Blues Thursdays @ Irene's Pub w/ guest host Neil Barrington, 9:30 p.m., free
- Reggae Night w/ Roots Movement @ The Rainbow, 9:30 p.m., $7
- Havok @ Mavericks w/ Wretched, From the Deep, World War 4, 7 p.m., $15
- Crissi Cochrane, Three Little Birds @ Fringe Festival, Downtown Rideau Stage (Waller Park), 9 p.m., free
- Earth, Wind & Fire @ Jazzfest (Main Stage Confederation Park), 8:30 p.m., $60
- Bela Fleck & Brooklyn Rider @ Jazzfest (Dominion-Chalmers United Church), 6:30 p.m., $35
- Dirty Dozen Brass Band @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 10:30 p.m., $20
- Rudresh Mahanthappa's Gamak @ Jazzfest (NAC Studio), 7 p.m., $35
- Myriad3 @ Jazzfest (Main Stage Confederation Park), 6:30 p.m., $60
- Anat Fort @ Jazzfest (NAC Fourth Stage), 6 p.m., $25
- Susanna @ Jazzfest (NAC Fourth Stage), 8 p.m., $25
- The Gibson Haneman Project @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 12 p.m., free
Friday
- Bad Sports, Radioactivity, Steve Adamyk Band @ Gabba Hey, 10 p.m., $10
- Flying Horses @ Raw Sugar Café w/ Pony Girl, Bosveld, Tindervox (fundraiser for Flying Horses, post-break & enter), 8 p.m., PWYC
- The Skydiggers @ Black Sheep Inn, 8:30 p.m., $25
- Chrysalide @ Ritual w/ Encephalon, Ooluu, 7 p.m., $12 adv. ($15 door)
- Ninety Pounds of Ugly @ House of Targ w/ The Sick Sick Sicks, Bobby Dove (last show), 9 p.m., $5
- No King for Countrymen @ Pressed w/ City Limits, The Stringers, 7 p.m., $5
The Wicked Mercy @ Irene's Pub w/ Riishi Von Rex 9:30 p.m., $10 - The Frank James Experience @ The Rainbow, 4 p.m., free
- Brock Zeman @ The Branch w/ Tom House, 9 p.m., $10
- Highs @ Fringe Festival, Downtown Rideau Stage (Waller Park), 10 p.m., free
- Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite @ Jazzfest (Main Stage Confederation Park), 8:30 p.m., $50
- Lake Street Dive @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 10:30 p.m., $20
- Buika @ Jazzfest (Dominion-Chalmers United Church), 6:30 p.m., $35
- Newport Jazz Festival: Now 60 @ Jazzfest (NAC Studio), 7 p.m., $35
- Alexis Baro @ Jazzfest (Main Stage Confederation Park), 6:30 p.m., $50
- Flat Earth Society @ Jazzfest (NAC Fourth Stage), 5 p.m., $25
- Torben Waldorff Quartet Wah-Wah @ Jazzfest (NAC Fourth Stage), 7 p.m., $25
- Norma Winstone @ Jazzfest (NAC Fourth Stage), 9 p.m., $25
- The Peptides @ Jazzfest (Mercury Lounge), 10:30 p.m., $12
- Chocolate Hot Pockets @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 12 p.m., free
- Five Alarm Funk @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 7:30 p.m., $50
Saturday
- Zorch, Street Meat, Cosmo Doris @ Pressed, 8:30 p.m., $10
- The Flaps @ Glue Pot Pub w/ Riishi Von Rex, DJ Wig, 9 p.m., $10
- Old Haunt @ Black Squirrel Books w/ H. de Heutz, David Broscoe, 8 p.m., $8 (PWYC)
- White Lung @ House of Targ w/ Pop. 1280, Pregnancy Scares, Bonnie Doon, 9 p.m., $10
- Loon Choir @ Black Sheep Inn w/ Saxsyndrum, 8:30 p.m., $10
- Butterflies and Zebras @ Gigspace, 7:30 p.m., $10
- Astrid Young @ The Branch, 9 p.m., $15
- Patrick Sweany @ Zaphods w/ The Echo Hunters 8 p.m., $8
- Jack Marks & Lost Wages @ Irene's Pub w/ Whiskey Fields 9:30 p.m., $10
- Amity Beach @ The Rainbow w/ Stegall, Mozaic, 9:30 p.m., $10
- Al Wood & The Woodsmen @ Atomic Rooster, 4 p.m., free
- Rainbow Pony Power @ Atomic Rooster, 10 p.m., free
- Mark Weinstock @ Pressed w/ Elena Zavalishina, 4 p.m., free
- Biohazard @ Mavericks w/ Brick by Brick, Borrowed Time, Life on Trial, A Darker Day, 7 p.m., $20
- Silkken Laumann @ Fringe Festival, Downtown Rideau Stage (Waller Park), 10 p.m., free
- Hypnotic Brass Ensemble @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 10:30 p.m., $20
- Jill Barber @ Jazzfest (Dominion-Chalmers United Church), 6:30 p.m., $35
- Jeff Ballard Trio @ Jazzfest (NAC Studio) w/ Miguel Zenon, Lionel Loueke, 7 p.m., $35
- Curtis Nowosad Quartet @ Jazzfest (Brookstreet Hotel), 8 p.m., free
- Cyndi Cain @ Jazzfest (Main Stage Confederation Park), 6:30 p.m., $60
- Partisans @ Jazzfest (NAC Fourth Stage), 6 p.m., $25
- Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet @ Jazzfest (NAC Fourth Stage), 8 p.m., $25
- Gabriella Hook @ Jazzfest (Le Petit Chicago), 10 p.m., $5
- Aretha Franklin @ Jazzfest (Main Stage Confederation Park), 8:30 p.m., $60
- TRIO / DEF @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 12 p.m., free
- The Hornettes @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 2 p.m., free
- Cold Specks @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 7:30 p.m., $60
- The Brain Cloud @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 4 p.m., free
Sunday
- Surprise Party @ Mugshots w/ Small Teeth, Swollen Eyes, 8 p.m., $8
- The Claytones @ Black Sheep Inn w/ Red Moon Road, 8 p.m., $10
- The Ridgemont Revelers @ Irene's Pub, 9:30 p.m., free
- Daniel Amedee & Sarah Burke @ Pressed w/ The Fays, Brett Maclean, 8 p.m., $8
- Shannon Rose & The Thorns @ 8 Locks Flat, 4 p.m., free
- Open Blues Jam @ The Rainbow w/ host: The Maria Hawkins Band, 3 p.m., $3
- Cave Man Techno @ The Rainbow, 8:30 p.m., $5
- Wicked Grin @ Atomic Rooster, 6 p.m., free
- Bobby McFerrin @ Jazzfest (Main Stage Confederation Park), 8:30 p.m., $45
- Michael Greilsammer @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 10:30 p.m., $20
- Cecile McLorin Salvant @ Jazzfest (NAC Studio), 7 p.m., $35
- David Virelles Continuum @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 7:30 p.m., $35
- Bushman's Revenge @ Jazzfest (NAC Fourth Stage), 8 p.m., $25
- Kelly Craig Sextet @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 2 p.m., free
- Pony Girl @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 12 p.m., free
- Macha Gharibian @ Jazzfest (NAC Fourth Stage), 6 p.m., $25
- TD Jazz Youth Summit @ Jazzfest (Main Stage Confederation Park), 6:30 p.m., $45
Monday
- Tommy Alto @ The Rainbow, 8 p.m., free
- Christian McBride Trio @ Jazzfest (NAC Studio), 7 p.m., $35
- Curtis Nowosad Quartet @ Jazzfest (Main Stage Confederation Park), 6:30 p.m., $35
- Darius Jones Quartet @ Jazzfest (NAC Fourth Stage), 9 p.m., $25
- Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio @ Jazzfest (NAC Fourth Stage), 7 p.m., $25
- Sandra Nkake @ Jazzfest (NAC Fourth Stage), 5 p.m., $25
- The Mahones @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 10:30 p.m., $20
- Natalie MacMaster @ Jazzfest (Main Stage Confederation Park) w/ Donnell Leahy, 8:30 p.m., $35
- Mumbo Jumbo Voodoo Combo @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 12 p.m., free
- Whitehorse @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 7:30 p.m., $35
Tuesday (Canada Day)
- Thus Owls @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 5 p.m., free
- Current Swell @ Jazzfest (Main Stage Confederation Park), 6 p.m., free
- Laila Biali Sextet @ Jazzfest (Main Stage Confederation Park), 4 p.m., free
- Sweet Alibi @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 3 p.m., free
- Cadence @ Jazzfest (Laurier Avenue Canadian Music Stage), 1 p.m., free
- The Hornettes @ The Rainbow, 3 p.m., free