By Kelly Leydier
Joe Reilly likes to take risks when he puts people on stage, but lack of support from the Ontario Arts Council may soon cramp his style.
Until 1997, the Acoustic Waves music series received $3,000 annually from the council, but due to cuts by the provincial government, the series no longer receives the grant.
“That kind of small money is huge in a series of eight concerts. It enables you to take chances because you don’t have to sell out every show,” says Reilly, who produces the series.
“We just have to be more careful, which you don’t want to be. You don’t want to just have the headliners through the whole series.”
But after 17 seasons — two without the grant — organizers may decide that big names who guarantee ticket sales are the only way to keep the series financially afloat.
Ron Sexsmith, a frequent visitor to the Ottawa music scene, playing both Barrymore’s Music Hall and the Tulip Festival last year, opened the second half of this Acoustic Waves season in January with one soldout evening show, and a nearly full matinee.
Just two years ago, he was an opening act.
Sexsmith, who has released two albums on a major American label, sees many advantages to an acoustic series, the least of which are being able to count on an audience and an increase in popularity.
“I found more and more when I play, people are showing up,” says Sexsmith. “It’s nice not to have that added stress and wonder who’s going to show up.
“Generally, it’s easier to sell something to an audience when it’s packaged.”
Ideally in this type of series, concert-goers come to trust the producer’s choices and are more apt to take risks themselves, paying to see new acts mixed in with the better-known ones.
Introducing lesser-known acts to the Acoustic Waves audience has always been part of the gig, especially for Reilly.
“I really like his program,” says Meg Lunney, who opened for Sexsmith. “Joe does take risks. He’s booking acts people don’t know about yet.”
With the release of her first CD, The Margaret Anns, Lunney’s becoming better known in Ottawa. But she says it’s gigs like Acoustic Waves that allow her to play to larger audiences.
Reilly says he’s confident the series will be fine, and future Ron Sexsmiths will find their way onto the stage.
Options for the future will be considered in March when organizers will look back over the past two years to determine how they’ve fared.
Ticket prices may be on the agenda. Single concert tickets remain frozen at $17 per show.
Reilly says if anything gets increased it will be the cost of the series package, which presently works out to about $13 a show.
The next concert in the series is Feb. 14 with Cate Friesen, Katherine Wheatley and Susan Crowe.
Additional concerts to the series include James Keelaghan on Jan. 31, Dario Domingues Feb. 21, and Garnet Rogers March 14 and 15. Except for Keelaghan who also plays a 2 p.m. matinee, all shows start at 8 p.m. at the Great Canadian Theatre Company, 910 Gladstone Ave. Tickets can be ordered at 236-5196.