Local painter’s exhibition debuts IT’S EASY TO call our society addicted to communication. We live in a wired age, only a text, tweet, or ping away from someone, but regardless of how connected we may be artificially, Ottawa-based painter Peter Shmelzer believes we are more isolated than ever. His new exhibition High Value in Hard Times, which is …
Arts
Social networks are changing our politics IN JUST A few short years, social media has exploded. Websites such as Facebook.com and Twitter.com get more users every day, and their popularity continues to grow around the world. Although most of us might not use social media for much more than posting pictures and creeping exes, it has arguably become a …
Local band unites politics and music WHAT STARTED OUT as just another tour for Hollerado turned into a chance to get Canadians more involved in politics and their community. While thinking of ideas for their upcoming tour, Manotick natives Dean Baxter, Jake Boyd, Nixon Boyd, and Menno Versteeg got to talking about Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and his proposed budget …
A new competitive singing show comes to Canada THIS SEPTEMBER, A whole new kind of singing challenge made its debut on Canadian airwaves. Taking inspiration from popular TV talent competitions like Canadian Idol and America’s Got Talent, CBC’s Cover Me Canada adds a new spin to the singing scene—unoriginality. Each week contestants cover the most famous, chart-topping Canadian songs, battling it …
MSN TRAVEL RECENTLY dubbed Ottawa as the eighth worst dressed city in the world. Ottawa my have beat out Vancouver, a city reprimanded for their outfits based solely on the lululemon franchise, but that did not stop a debate over whether or not Ottawa is fashionable. Shortly after describing our nation’s capital as a “city …
How students can preserve their native language on campus THERE ARE MANY students on campus whose first language isn’t French or English. This news may not be groundbreaking considering multiculturalism is a defining feature of life in Canada. “We are blessed to have multiculturalism in Canada because all institutions encourage culture,” says Abdallah Obeid, U of O professor of Arabic studies. Although …
Capital Slam off to a solid start this season HER WORDS CAME fast and abruptly. She didn’t stumble or stutter through the performance and kept the audience wide eyed and at attention. The subject matter: Ironing. Laundry may seem like an unlikely topic for a riveting poem, but slam poet Megan Ward made it work this past Saturday night at the Mercury Lounge. …
DATA ROMANCE AFTER A TWO year partnership, Vancouver’s Amy Kirkpatrick and Ajay Bhattacharyya, also known as the electro-pop duo Data Romance, are finally coming to town. Known for their heavy electronic beats and slow, melodic, whispery lyrics, Data Romance does the unthinkable by mashing up Kirkpatrick’s soft folk vocals with an edgier dance club beat, …
The GCTC presents Amelia: The Girl Who Wants to Fly THE PRINCE EDWARD County Theatre Company’s production of Amelia: The Girl Who Wants to Fly soars above and beyond a standard retelling of the life and times of Amelia Earhart. Amelia, performed at the Great Canadian Theatre Company, is a two act jazz musical written and composed by Canadian playwright John Gray, who …
Contagion 3.5/5 The best way to describe director Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion is to imagine 28 Days Later without the zombies. Much like in the Danny Boyle film, a highly contagious virus is unleashed onto the public and no one on earth is safe from its deadly effects. Except, in this case, the virus does not …
Local artist set to host internationally celebrated event IN THE SUMMER of 1990, Scott McCloud, an American graphic artist, suggested an interesting solution for his friend and fellow artist Steve Bissette’s creative block: Create a 24-page comic in 24 hours, working at a rate of one page an hour. Bissette took McCloud up on the idea, and 24-Hour Comics Day was …
Paint mixes more than just colour PAINT IS A band that, despite the brevity of their name, is not readily defined in a single word. Sonically, the indie-rock quintet features elements of the mid-1990s Brit-pop movement, but trades the shoegaze phase for energetic live performances and challenges the “sound wall” that originated from the period. “We’re not your typical rock …
Where to find free entertainment on campus YOUR YEARS SPENT as an undergraduate student are supposed to be filled with fun and exciting new experiences. Between parties, concerts, and nights on the town, university should be the time of your life. But with rising costs of tuition fees, school supplies, food, and rent, taking advantage …
Jay-Z and Kanye West Watch the Throne Roc-A-Fella Records 3.5/5 THIRTY YEARS AFTER Freddy Mercury and David Bowie’s iconic duet “Under Pressure”, Jay-Z and Kanye West decided to uphold the tradition of collaborating musicians by releasing Watch the Throne. Jay-Z, one of the most commercially successful rappers in North America, together with Kanye West, known …
LETTING GO OF summer is a bittersweet process—but that doesn’t have to the case for your wardrobe. As we adjust to new routines, classes, and life on campus, the chillier climate impacts our fashion choices while our summer staples lay forgotten in the back of our closets. However, incorporating your summer style into your fall …
Law of attraction expert Marlene Keys to give seminar in Ottawa “GOOD THINGS COME to those who wait.” How often is this phrase loosely thrown around? We all know that such an expression preaches the importance of patience. It’s similar to the idiom “all in good time.” But what if there was a way of …
Local theatre company shuts down for 2011–12 season THIRD WALL THEATRE Company will cancel its shows for the 2011–12 season due to financial issues associated with grant reductions from the Ontario Arts Council and the City of Ottawa. Scheduled to perform Three Sisters, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and Checklist for an Armed Robber, the …
Vancouver’s Said the Whale talks challenges, triumphs, and winning America IN THE FOUR short years since Said the Whale was formed, the band has toured across the continent, earned national acclaim at home, released a handful of albums, and was featured in a full-length documentary on CBC. For the Vancouver-based indie-rock quintet, success did not …
Local clothing store turns 15 PEOPLE GENERALLY COME to Ottawa for the novelty of visiting Canada’s capital. Tourists take in its beautiful landscape, historical monuments, and its academic and bureaucratic atmosphere, but rarely its fashion. As the humble neighbour of major cities like Toronto and Montreal, Ottawa’s fashion scene is mercilessly outshone by the gleaming …
OIAF comes to town FOR THOSE WHO didn’t know, the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) is the largest animation festival in North America, and it’s growing every year. There were over 2,000 entries in the 2011 competition, but only 151 made the cut. Taking place from Sept. 21–25, the festival includes a final selection of …
Annual speculative fiction conference hits Ottawa for a big weekend CAN-CON IS BACK! From Sept. 9–11, the Society for Canadian Content in Speculative Arts and Fiction will be holding their annual science fiction and fantasy conference at the Travelodge Hotel Ottawa and Conference Centre. From comics to cosplay, fiction panels to folk singing, this year’s …
Dave Russell THE MUSIC OF Sarnia-born folk artist Dave Russell is nothing but a big helping of classic Canadiana—only better. Abandoning the archetypal lyricism and overly simplistic strumming of a tired genre, Russell takes hints from folk-pop, roots, country, and rock ‘n roll to breathe new life into his obviously Ontario-inspired work. Russell’s lyrics are unparalleled …
AS THE LEAVES begin to fall and August becomes a mere memory, students begrudgingly surrender to a new school year. For most of us autumn means a new semester and slowly settling into everyday routines, but for big-shot TV conglomerates, it signals the start of fall programming. Conveniently, our favourite television shows start just when …
Captain America: The First Avenger Hollywood seems to be suffering from a superhero complex. Its latest obsession with comic-books-turned-action-movies have been flooding the box office and director Joe Johnson is no exception. Marvel comics has been resurrected, yet again, in the form of Captain America: The First Avenger. The film stars Chris Evans as Steve …
How to get involved in the arts on campus WHETHER YOU PLAY an instrument, or love to sing, act, or dance, if you would like to continue doing so on campus you’ve come to the right school. With musical ensembles and tango classes, the University of Ottawa boasts a variety of options for the artistically inclined. Theatre If you’re a true theatre guru, …
