Music events: Men rule at The Black Sheep Inn this Oct & Nov

Time to go see some great male performers at the The Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield (QC) in the next couple of months. Be sure to buy your tickets now because these guys will sell out fast in such a small and intimate venue. I suggest you go really early to grab a great seat (or any seat for that matter) and order some food and drink and make a whole night of it.

Here are my picks for the top male performers coming to The Black Sheep Inn in the next couple of months:

• Danny Michel CD release party, Oct. 23 (sold out) & 24 ($20)
• John Mann (former Spirit of the West frontman), Oct.28 ($15-20)
• Tom Wilson, Nov. 3 ($15-22)
• Matt Barber, Nov. 13 ($12-15)

Location: The Black Sheep Inn, Wakefield, Quebec (30 minutes drive from Ottawa)

Cost: $12-$22

Rating: medium (you have to commit to driving out to Wakefield but it is worth it!)

Film event: Ottawa International Animation Festival

The Ottawa International Animation Festival is a great chance to see some fun, innovative and crazy animation from all over the world...and it all happens Oct. 20-24th right here in Ottawa! The festival is a great spot for those of you with short attention spans because there are all kinds of shorts to choose from. The other great thing is that the festival is really well organized so it all take place in theatres in or near The Market, making it easy breezy to go out for drinks and appetizers afterwards. Plus, check out this Downtown Rideau website for a 2 for 1 dinner coupon to go with your screening.

About the OIAF: From October 20th to 24th, the nation's capital will once again become the center of the animation universe. The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) is the largest event of its kind in North America, a major film event attracting attendees from around the world. Film buffs, art lovers and cartoon fans won't want to miss this year's great line up of screenings taking place at ByTowne Cinema, National Gallery of Canada, Canadian Museum of Civilization, Empire Theatres Rideau Centre and Arts Court Theatre.

Check out all the screenings on the website and plan to have a fun weekend downtown!

Venues: ByTowne Cinema, National Gallery of Canada, Museum of Civilization, Emiire Theatres, Rideau Centre, Arts Court Theatre

Cost: $7-$9

Rating: easy

Art news: West End Studio Tour

For all you art lovers out there, here's your chance to experience some local fine art and craft and to get an early start on your Christmas shopping. Ottawa's West End Studio tour will take place over two weekends on September 18-19 and 25-26 (10am-5pm). Plan to spend a couple of hours driving, or better yet walking and biking, from studio to studio with a few coffee and snack breaks in between. There are over 20 artists participating in the tour this year, plus there's all kinds of other great shopping around in this Westboro/Hintenburg community.

Location: Westboro/Hintenburg (see sideways map on website)

Rating: medium ($$ and time)