Movie news: Where to watch movies outdoors in Ottawa

A great way to be outside and experience a totally unique and fun evening is to go to an outdoor movie screening! It allows you to escape the big city and do something that feels like you are in a small town. Since the death of the drive-in theatre :( this is the next best thing and it will leave you feeling like you are part of a community of cool people that like to do cool things together. Here is what's coming up:

93.9 BOB FM Movies on the Beach

Theme: movies that should have won Oscars

Time: movies begin at dusk

Schedule:

Friday, June 25 at Westboro Beach, Avatar

Friday, July 9 at Walter Baker Park in Kanata, TBA

Friday, July 23 at Petrie Island, TBA

Friday, August 6 at Mooney's Bay, TBA

Friday, August 20 at Petrie Island, ,TBA

Note: anything happening at Westboro Beach is so much fun because they have a beach front bar that serves strawberry daiquiris drinks that you can sip on as you watch the sunset. How cool is that!

Centertown Movies Outdoor Film Festival

Theme: 2-weeks of movies to celebrate the 10th year of the festival

Time: 9pm

Where: Dundonald Park at the corner of Somerset and Lyon streets

Schedule:

Friday, August 6, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Saturday, August 7, How to Train your Dragon

Friday, August 13, Radiant City (highly recommended mockumentary about suburban life)

Saturday, August 14, Some Like it Hot (highly recommended - Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe, 1959)

Important: remember to bring your own chair or beach blanket, bug spray, and snacks.

Rating: easy (screenings are free or pay what you can)

Event news: Bluesfest...but which night??

One of the most mega festivals in North America is happening July 6-18 in Ottawa and you absolutely have to go see at least one night of it! BLUESFEST is a mash-up of all that is music - blues, rock, metal, country, alternative, intergalactic pop - and it's even added a comedy stage to the line-up this year. I know musicphiles from Toronto that actually take a week off work, buy a festival pass, and basically spend their vacation sitting in front of music stages, eating poutine, and drinking draft beer. People - can it get any better than that?

So for all of you who know you want to go to Bluesfests for at least one night, but you're not sure what to see because the line-ups are overwhelming (I'll admit, there is a lot to choose from!!), here is a list of what I recommend you see, based on the style of music you like.

Note: times and venues could change so consult the website Bluesfest for the final progam.

Heavy Metal Madness, Tues., July 6th

• Iron Maiden - this doesn't even require an explanation, 9:pm
• Faber Drive - JUNO-nominated, smooth radio-friendly rock, 9:15
• Loudlove - funky, groovy, guitar driven rock, 8:pm
• Lights - JUNO award winning, super cute, super awesome girl-pop, that will give a nice break from the metal, 8:pm (highly recommended)
• Dream Theatre - contemporary heavy metal with great vocals! 6:45 pm
  

Throw-back to old school Thriday, July 8th

• The B-52s - love shack baby, 9:15
• The Bacon Brothers - six-degrees of separation is the only thing that's keeping you from rockin' with Kevin Bacon and bro, 7:pm (highly recommended)
• Opensouls - a complete throw-back to r&b from the 60s with strong female vocal, 9:pm
• The Moody Blues - a la Nights in White Satin, 8:pm
• Great Lake Swimmers - folk, alt-country Canadian band, super-duper laid back performances, 7:30pm
• Lindsey Ferguson - beautiful, alt-rock/country local singer/songwriter, 6:pm (highly recommended)
  

Chicks that R-O-C-K, Friday, July 9

(all of these acts are highly recommended - this could be the perfect evening!)

• Joan Jett & The Black Hearts - only the coolest rock chick ever!!! 9:30pm
• Hole - you've got to see the raw Courtney Love in person, it's a once in a lifetime experience, 8:pm
• Lindsey Ferguson - beautiful, alt-rock/country local singer/songwriter, 6:pm (highly recommended)
• Phantogram - electro-pop with nice loops and sweet vocals, 7:15pm

Rock Icons meet New Blood, Sun., July 11

• Levon Helm - rock icon, Levon takes his passion from years as the drummer/singer/songerwriter for The Band and channels it into his new album of country-fied workin' man songs, 9:pm (highly recommended)
• RUSH- go see this show and stand where you can actually hear the lyrics and be amazed at just how nerdy these guys really are (I mean that in the best possible way!!), 8:pm
• Charley Winston - simply put, the guy looks cool, acts cool, and has the whole world in his hands, 7:15pm

One Man Band, Mon, July 12th on York St. Stage in the Market

• City and Colour - one of the most beautiful male vocals I've ever heard...he's such a softy behind all those tattoos and his role in screamo band Alexisonfire, 8:30pm (highly recommended - go just to see him and have a fun evening in the Market)

Dance Party! Thriday, July 15

• Crowded House (Autralia/NZ) - I guarantee you don't even realize how many of their songs that you know - you will love this live show (highly recommended) 9:30pm
• Konono #1 (Africa)- musicians from the Congo and Angola regions, style described as Bazombo trance music - definately worth experiencing, 9:30pm
• Matthew Good Band (Canada) - go to this show and be reminded of their many hits off their 13-albums, like Hello Time Bomb, Everything is Automatic... 8:15 (highly recommended)
• Woodhand - A synth and drum duo with danceable beats and a big sound - a must see if you want to shake your booty, 6:30pm

For the love of Country - Sat., July 17

• Keith Urban - an amazingly talented guitar player and super-polished country singer, who is a fantastic songwriter and Grammy award winner, which gives him serious street cred. If you don't know his songs, you need to learn them. 9:30 (highly recommended)
• Kevin Costner & Modern West - I'm not sure what to say about this...but I'm curious enough that I think I need to see it with my own eyes, 8:pm
• Tye Tribbet - High-energy gospal show that will blow your socks off! 9:pm
• Note: there's live music playing all day so go early and just bounce around from stage to stage.
  

Where: Lebreton Flats, plus the Pop Art stage on York St. in the Market

Cost: single tickets range from $40-$60 and festival passports range from $140-$255

Rating: medium (tickets can get pricey but it's worth it to see so many acts all at once, and the venue is excellent when rated on food, space, vendors, access to washrooms)

In the news: Only 5% of us engage in arts and culture

The Globe and Mail recently reported on a study that shows we're spending less time on social activities and only about 5% of us engage in arts and culture. Say what?! Since I'm a culture junkie, this is disturbing news to me. I can't tell you how many times that music, books, or art have pulled me out of a slump on those days when it just seems like the world is going down the toilet. I completely rely on artistic release to keep some semblance of balance in my life.

Seriously, arts and culture are available all over your city if you just know where to look for it. Go check out a local gallery (Gallery 101 on Bank St.), buy tickets to a theatre show (GCTC on Wellington), buy a festival pass and see some live music (Bluesfest at Lebreton Flats), check-out the local crafters at the weekend farmers market (Ottawa Farmers Market at Lansdowne), go to art in the park events (check out Kiwi Gardens near Perth).

Here's more from the article:

Visits to parks occur less often...and the window of time for attending plays and concerts is shrinking. Caught between caring for children and elderly parents, stressed by jobs that require weekend and evening work, the average person is more likely to turn to the television or the computer for entertainment than to take a walk in the woods or play pick-up hockey.

In short, the hours Canadian spend refreshing their minds and their bodies through leisure and cultural activities--and moments shared with families--are being condensed and it's affecting their well-being. Those are the findings of the report by the Canadian Index of Wellbeing called Caught in the Time Crunch: Time Use, Leisure and Culture in Canada.

Event review: Luminato's smokey, dreamy light show...for FREE

If you find yourself in Toronto this weekend, there is a ton of cool stuff going on for the Luminato festival of arts + creativty, June 11-28th. You name it - theatre, dance, art installations - they've got it. Some of the stuff is weird, as art tends to be, but that makes it all the better! Here's what I recommend you go see and it's all FREE:

• Smokey, dreamy light show: At first, I thought the art installation, Solar Breath (Northern Caryatids Light Air, would be interesting just because it was curated by Atom Egoyan who is one of Canada's most acclaimed film directors. However, once you arrive on site and read the preamble on the wall about the meaning behind the work, you realize that you are about to see something of deep significance. The works, by Michael Snow and Mani Mazinani, are a tribute to the late Luminato co-founder David Pecaut and inspired by an email sent by Pecaut to Egoyan in which he described his experience with dying:
  
  "One of the funny things about my situation is how I wake up each morning. Most mornings I wake up happy and feeling good. My first thoughts are like the thoughts I would have had before the cancer....As I gradually gain conciousness, I begin to become aware of my situation and the illness and how much things have changed....Each time is unique, rich in its own way. Never the same....It is not a depressing feeling, but I marvel each time that it feels like a modest surprise."
  
  As you enter the dark, dreamy spaces of the installation, with the above quote fresh in your mind, you'll see a looped video of a curtain flapping in the breeze, leading you to a quiet moment to contemplate the natural repetativeness in daily life. Next, you'll make your way to the back room, a dark and smokey cave, where you will think there is not much to see until you realize that you can walk through the wall of smoke to find a surprise waiting for you on the other side. This event is calm and thoughful and a welcomed solitude away from the loud traffic filled streets of downtown Toronto. Brookfield Place, 181 Bay St., until June 20th.
  


• Ship O' Fools: Based on name recognition alone, I ventured off to see this art in the park work by acclaimed visual artists Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller. If you are looking for a bizzare quirky 5-minute art experience then this is it! Think Pirates of the Caribbean meets a fantasy land of miniature people, meets clangy objects on pully systems. This is really a fun, interactive experience for the whole family that requires you to actually board the ship and take a tour through the 'S' shaped gallery constructed on the inside. Weird, fun! Trinity Bellwoods Park, corner of Strachan Ave. and Queen St. W., until June 28th.
  


• The Ascension of Beauty: I highly recommend seeing this art installation because visually it is quite beautiful and will make you wonder - how long did it actually take to knit (weave?) a 3-mile long rope! The first thing that will happen when you enter the light filled atrium is you'll notice the amazing arch in the glass ceiling reinforced with a skelecton of white metal ribs. Although this has nothing to do with the installation, the space alone is stunning. Then, as you walk further into the building and search for the actual exhibit, a rose knit dress by fashion designer Mark Fast, you'll notice a thickly woven white rope hanging from the massively high glass ceiling. As you keep walking, you realize that the rope is draped the entire length of the atrium and leads you right to the heart of the exhibit - a dedazzled, red-knit dress on an arms-stretched-wide manaquin. The rope effect is by far the best part of the exhibit! ! Brookfield Place, 181 Bay st, June 20th.

Rating: easy (free events mixed with moderately weird art installations)

Event news: Visit national parks for FREE

On July 17th, you can visit for FREE any national park, national historic site and national marine conservation area to celebrate national parks day with Parks Canada! This year celebrates the 125th birthday of Canada's first national park.

If you live in the Ottawa area and you are looking for a day trip, then here's what I suggest:

• Laurier House National Historic Site in Sandy Hill, Ottawa
• Battle of the Windmill National Historic Site, Prescott (ON)
• Invararden House National Historic Site, Cornwall (ON)
  (note: I haven't been to these sites, but I think they're worth recommending because they're close to Ottawa)
  

Or better yet, plan your vacation around July 17th and go camping someplace really cool like the Georgian Bay Islands or Point Pelee!!

Rating: Easy (for all taste & budgets)

Music review: 2010 The Year of K'naan

For those of you who haven't already been caught up in the K'naan buzz, then you need to know why K'naan is truly one of the best Canadian artists of 2010. Don't get me wrong, this guy's been around for awhile, but it's taken all this time for him to permeate pop culture and for the celestial alignment of key events to enable his star to rise. Here's what you need to know about why K'naan is so amazing:

• Unlike other hip-hop artists, K'naan has a unique perspective on life, having grown up in war-torn Somalia (PS - I'm beginning to think that all Somalian artists rock - Sade is from there too! Her new album is awesome, but I digress...)
• The dude is such an unassuming looking guy, yet his lyrics are deep, captivating and positive.
• Recommendation: go to iTunes right now and buy the following tracks: Fire in Freedom Town, Fatima, and Wavin' Flag (original version from Troubador album)
• Have you heard Waving Flag!!! There are a bizillion versions of it. I prefer the original, but they are all good. The song is featured on the NBA 2k10 (xbox, playstation), it's been translated and sung in a bunch of other languages, it was recorded by A-list Canadian artists as a way to raise funds for Haiti releif, and.....wait for it....it's the anthem for FIFA 2010!!!
• He won Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year (ya!) at the 2010 JUNO awards.
• K'naan represents freedom and hope. He was able to have his song become the FIFA anthem, while his country is controlled by the militia group called al Shabaab, who have decided to ban Somalis from watching this years World Cup because it goes against their Islamic religion. Anything is possible. Peace.

Rating: Easy

Event Review: Roller Derby

YOU HAVE TO GO SEE ROLLER DERBY LIVE! There are only a few chances a year to see this sport in all its glory and cheer on the local league and if you're seeking to tap into a unique experience: this is it! Ottawa's all-female flat track roller derby league, Rideau Valley Roller Girls, has some of the coolest and toughest chicks I've ever seen and they put on a show that is totally awesome. Here's why you need to go:

• Rollery Derby bouts only happen once in a blue moon so when you hear of one coming up you've got to go and check it out.


• Roller Derby is real and raw and the girls are fierce. You can pick out your favourite girls, based on her name (ASSASSINista, Soul Rekker, DDT) and watch the purple bruises grow on their legs as the game progresses.


• The outfits (neon rollerskates, red tights, helmets, tattoos....anything goes!) are so cool. Seriously, men and women will love them all equally.
  
• The rules aren't too difficult but you should brush up on them before you go. Essentially, the goal of the game is to get the jammer (the smallest, fastest girl) on your team to whip through the other team's defence and gain points by passing them all.
  
• Buy your ticket in advance and show up to the venue early to make sure you get good seats and/or to get into the beer section.
  
• Have fun in the stands by watching the show and thinking about what your rollery derby name would be - if only you were tough enough to race!!
  
• Recommendation: Watch the movie Whip It! (featuring Canada's own Ellen Page!) before you go and you'll learn all the rules and fall that much closer in love with the game.
  
  
  
  Related news: Juliette Lewis who had a starring role in Whip It! will be in Ottawa performing with her band at Mavericks on Rideau St. on Aug. 12. Tickets are $23.50 advance and available on ticketweb.ca.

Rating: Medium ($, push yourself out of your comfort zone and see this!)

Date: June 26th

Location: Sandy Hill Arena, 60 Mann Ave, Ottawa ON

Tickets $12 Advance / $15 at the Door
Doors open at 7pm. Game starts at 8pm
Rideau Valley Roller Girls

Exhibition review: The SPAO Motto

If you are looking for a fun Saturday afternoon to experience photos + fine desserts, then I recommend you go see the new exhibit at Exposure Gallery - Vision, Content, Craft: The SPAO Motto Exhibition - showing from June 10 - July 27th. Here's why you need to go:

• Tap into local culture: go and support the up-and-coming photographers featured in the exhibit and make sure to sign the guest book too!
  
• The School of Photographic Art: Ottawa (SPAO) is a really cool school....seriously, they focus on the 'art' of photography, not just technique.
  
• Unlike abstract art, everyone can relate to--and understand on some level--photography, so you are guaranteed to like something you see.
  
• The exhibit is curated to include photos that touch on universal themes like life and death, nature, humour, and the photogaphic eye for detail.
  
• Seeing the exhibit is a great way to spend time with family and friends, and then you can go downstairs to the Thyme & Again cafe and eat the most devine key lime cheesecake and sip on fair trade organic coffee (yum!) and talk about which photos you liked the best.
  

Location: 2nd Floor Studio of Thyme and Again, 1255 Wellington Street West, Ottawa

Rating: Easy (for all tastes & budgets)