Blake Pouliot has the title of punk legend Patti Smith's memoir Just Kids tattooed on his chest. He's a huge fan of Smith and he loves the book too. He has other tattoos and none of them are on obvious display. They are personal reminders of
When Stefan Mendl began his distinguished career as a pianist he did make a foray as a soloist. But "I never had a strong feeling for it when I was on stage. There are some who love to be with others on stage and there are
The announcement of the annual RBC Bluesfest seems to get earlier and earlier every year. The 26 year old event has just unveiled its summer lineup with acts such as Alanis Morrissette (whose 1995 album Jagged Little Pill is celebrating 25 years with a tour and
There is a powerful scene that opens the documentary The Silence of Others. An elderly woman named Maria Martin is preparing to visit the grave of her mother. She grabs her walker and heads off down the road in her village in rural Spain. Accompanied by
Official war artists have been following Canadian forces for more than a century, and that’s a long time to create expectations on what that art will be. As a result, even slight variations stand out to varying degrees. The latest exhibition at the Canadian War Museum
Love was decidedly in the air at this week’s Casual Friday concert at NACO. Valentine’s Day meant lots of cute couples and families on dates, lots of audience members decked out in glam red and pink and lots of women carrying roses from their sweethearts,
When Ottawa's Lynne Hanson was thinking about recording her latest album of roots music called Just Words, she wanted to find a producer who would work with her without working on her. She had had that kind of experience before and she didn't want that again.
Ten years ago, Vancouver was hosting a very success Winter Olympics, the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, Kesha topped the Billboard 100 with Tik Tok and the Arab Spring began in Tunisia. In Ottawa Jim Watson was elected mayor and the Thirteen Strings Chamber
Dana Gingras likes those liminal spaces She finds inspiration for the dance works she creates in between things. It is a learned experience for the Canadian choreographer whose young life lacked roots because her parents were always moving across great distances. This sense of displacement and being
Twenty-five years ago, Wouter Van Looy was a violinist involved in theatrical productions in his native Belgium when he had a eureka moment. The result is a festival called Big Bang. "At that time I was a musician working in the theatre. I was going to a
