Top 4 picks for shows to see in Ottawa this weekend, next week
David Myles Christmas Concert @ NAC Studio, Friday night, 8 p.m., $33
Part of David Myles' talent is his ability to take a cue from influential performers of past generations while maintaining a musical style and personality that are entirely his own. From country, to jazz, to folk, Myles' new Christmas album, It's Christmas, is evidence of this, with a convincing rendition of Buck Owens' "Blue Christmas Lights" alongside spunky originals like "Santa Never Brings Me a Banjo." Inspiration for the album came from Myles' yearly Singing for Supper tour of shopping malls in his home province of New Brunswick to raise money for food banks. Proceeds from the sales of It's Christmas are now going to the same cause. David Myles is in Ottawa on Thursday and Friday for back-to-back performances at the NAC Studio.
Season's Beatings #1 @ House of TARG, Saturday night, ft. Remi Royale, Slo' Tom & The Handsome Devils, Bad Uncle, Lucky Ron, $5 before 10 p.m., $8 after 10 p.m.
A holiday tradition gets underway on Friday with night No. 1 of Season's Beatings, Ottawa's self-proclaimed "most dysfunctional Christmas celebration" — although it's been functional enough to carry on for more than 15 years. The two-day series kicks off at House of TARG with a no-earplugs-necessary lineup of crowd pleasers: Remi Royale, Slo' Tom & The Handsome Devils, Bad Uncle and Lucky Ron. Then, Saturday night sees the volume turned up with Manpower, Mother's Children, Blackbread and Metal Patrol, not to mention stand-up comedy by The Unknown Wrestler.
Jim Bryson Annual Holiday Concert @ Black Sheep Inn, Saturday night, w/ Caitlin Harnett, 8:30 p.m., $20
Saturday marks the return of another long-running tradition: Jim Bryson's holiday show at the Black Sheep Inn, which has been a December ritual since around the time he debuted as a solo musician. His status as local festivity aficionado was cemented in 2012, though, with the release of Instant Holiday Album, recorded over the span of a day at Little Bullhorn Studios with help from a long list of local musicians. An Australian singer-songwriter will be joining Bryson on the bill this weekend; Caitlin Harnett comes from Sydney but recorded her gorgeous debut album, The River Runs North, here in Ottawa. The first of their back-to-back shows at the Black Sheep happens at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, followed by Sunday's matinee show at 4 p.m. Both cost $20.
Amos the Transparent Holiday Concert @ Zaphod's, Tuesday night, w/ Brock Zeman, 8 p.m., $10
For all the lucky people who don't have to work on Christmas Eve, Zaphod's is hosting a holiday concert the night before with Amos the Transparent and Brock Zeman. If you're a fan of annual best-of lists, you've probably seen Amos the Transparent's latest album, This Cold Escape, making appearances. It's a sort of rock opera concerning a musician named Amos who's drawn to a life of performances and travel on one hand, and to family life and stability on the other. The album is not-so-secretly based on evolutions in the life of the band's songwriter and lead singer, Jon Chandler, who recently became a dad. This Cold Escape was released in the fall but Amos the Transparent has just received the first shipment of the album on vinyl, so if you've got a record collector to shop for this holiday, you might want to make a stop at the merch table during Tuesday's show. Zaphod's will also be open on Christmas night as of 10 p.m. for those looking for festive company.
LISTINGS
Thursday, Dec. 18
- David Myles Christmas Concert @ NAC Studio, 8 p.m., $33
- All-Stars Blues Thursdays @ Irene's w/ Elyssa Mahoney, 9 p.m., free
- Justin Orok & Rob Wannell Trio @ Avant-Garde, 8 p.m., $5/PWYC
- Those Gulls @ House of TARG w/ King's Quest, Forevermore, Saint Clare, 9 p.m., $7
- Linda Marie @ The Rainbow, 4 p.m., free
- Reggae Night w/ Roots Movement @ The Rainbow, 9:30 p.m., $7
- Michael Londra's Celtic Yuletide @ Centrepointe Theatre, 8 p.m., $59
- The Jimmy Tri-Tone Band, Made Noon, Ali McCormick & Blackstrap Molasses @ Mugshots, 8 p.m., $6
Friday, Dec. 19
- Season's Beatings #1 @ House of TARG ft. Remi Royale, Slo' Tom & The Handsome Devils, Bad Uncle, Lucky Ron, $5 before 10 p.m., $8 after 10 p.m.
- David Myles Christmas Concert @ NAC Studio, 8 p.m., $33
- Christo Graham @ The Branch, 9 p.m., $8
- Raw Edition @ Mercury Lounge, 9 p.m., $20
- The Wicked Mercy @ Black Sheep Inn w/ Suns of Stone, Cold Capital, 8:30 p.m., $10
- Amos the Transparent (acoustic) @ The Record Centre, 9 p.m., free
- The Dead Bees, Jonny Debt, Lara Cole, The Flats @ Zaphod's, 8 p.m., $5
- Rommel Ribeiro & Vincent Bishop @ West End Well, 8 p.m., free
- Frank James Band @ The Rainbow, 4 p.m., free
- Hornswater @ The Rainbow, 9:30 p.m., $10
- Average Times, Nightshades, Sailor Jupiter @ Pressed, 8 p.m., $5
- Steamers @ Mugshots w/ Jonathan Becker, Chris Snow, 8 p.m., $7
- A Matt Dusk Christmas w/ the NAC Orchestra @ NAC Southam Hall w/ The Ottawa Choral Society, Florence K, 7 p.m., $29
- Megan Jerome, Mike Essoudry, Fred Guignon @ Raw Sugar, 8 p.m., $5
- 5th Annual Christmas Gospel Celebration @ NAC Fourth Stage, 7:30 p.m., $35
- Chris Page, Coastal Pigs @ Kaffe 1870, 8 p.m., $8
- Hip-Hop 4 Hunger @ Ritual, Food Bank benefit, ft. Eric "En-V" Tasse, Justin "Diamond" Williams, O.M.H., Moun Fou, Eddie Quotez, Kush Boyz, King, Poetic Elements, 10 p.m., PWYC
Saturday, Dec. 20
- Jim Bryson Annual Holiday Concert @ Black Sheep Inn w/ Caitlin Harnett, 8:30 p.m., $20
- Season's Beatings #2 @ House of TARG ft. Manpower, Mother's Children, Blackbread, Metal Patrol, The Unknown Wrestler, $5 before 10 p.m., $8 after 10 p.m.
- A Rock 'n' Roll Xmas @ Zaphod's Food Bank benefit, ft. We Were Sharks, Eagleson, Old Rules, 8 p.m., $5 (free w/ 2 non-perishable food items)
- The Jesse Greene Band @ Irene's, 9:30 p.m., $10
- Bonhomme Sept Heures @ Le Petit Chicago w/ Anne-Marie Charron, Natasha Liard, 9 p.m., $10
- Red House Poets @ The Rainbow, 4 p.m., free
- Michael Charles @ The Rainbow, 9 p.m., $15
- The FunKtion @ The Brass Monkey, 9:30 p.m., free
- We Wish You a Metal Christmas @ Mavericks, ft. Greylights, Of Reverie, The Thirteenth Floor, From the Deep, Dethrow Six, Below 6, Walls of Troy, 6:30 p.m., $10
- Tall Trees @ Avant-Garde w/ Greg Ball, Toast of the Town, Food Bank benefit, 9 p.m., $6
- Lucky Ron @ The Lafayette, 4 p.m., free
- Cara Q @ D'Arcy McGee's, 9 p.m., free
- 5th Annual Christmas Gospel Celebration @ NAC Fourth Stage, 7:30 p.m., $35
- Lynn Miles @ NAC Studio, 8 p.m., SOLD OUT
- Mud Boys @ Atomic Rooster, 4 p.m., free
- Suits 'n' Toques, The Tenenbaums, Randy Shenanigans, Broken Foot @ Cafe Dekcuf, 7:30 p.m., $10
- The Arrogant Worms @ Neat, 7:30 p.m., SOLD OUT
- Christmas Slipper Concert @ Woodroffe United Church, ft. Voices in Harmony, 7 p.m., $10
- Lunch at Allen's @ Centrepointe Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $47.50
Sunday, Dec. 21
- Jim Bryson Annual Holiday Concert @ Black Sheep Inn w/ Caitlin Harnett, 4 p.m., $20
- The Sun Crescent BBQ Stompers @ Irene's, 9 p.m., free
- IMOO #112: A Very Ayler Christmas @ Raw Sugar, 7 p.m., PWYC
- Christmas Carol Singalong @ The Branch, Salvation Army fundraiser & food drive, 2 p.m.- 8 p.m., PWYC
- Rod Williams Band @ Atomic Rooster, 6 p.m., free
- Al Wood @ Atomic Rooster, 10 p.m., free
- Open Blues Jam @ The Rainbow w/ Wicked Grin, 4 p.m., $3
- Tribe Royal @ The Rainbow, w/ Fuzzy & The Boys, Alex Sullivan, 8:30 p.m., $5
- Christmas with Music and Beyond @ Dominion-Chalmers, ft. Shannon Mercer & Julie Nesrallah, Chamber Players of Canada, Ottawa Regional Youth Choir, Canterbury High School Chamber Choir & more, 3:30 p.m., $20-$150
- Adam Saikaley @ The Manx, 9:30 p.m., free
- Traditional Caroling @ D'Arcy McGee's w/ Maura Volante, 2 p.m.-5 p.m., free
Monday, Dec. 22
- Rolf Klausener @ The Manx, 9:30 p.m., free
- Tribe Royal, Archy & Mehitabel, Fuzzy & The Boys, Iyanu @ Zaphod's, 8 p.m., free
- Bluegrass Monday @ Pressed, 8 p.m., $7
Tuesday, Dec. 23
- Amos the Transparent Holiday Concert @ Zaphod's w/ Brock Zeman, 8 p.m., $10
- Antique Skate Shop Christmas Party @ House of TARG ft. XXXMAS, 9 p.m., $5
- The Walk Outs @ The Rainbow, 8 p.m., $5
Wednesday, Dec. 24
- Wicked Grin @ Atomic Rooster, 8 p.m., free
