Category: Arts

By Tom McLean

Ottawa’s struggling pop/rock music scene may be getting a boost with the Nailgunner Music Collective, a group of local bands and performers who have banded together to lower costs and increase their media exposure.

The group was founded last November by Glen Smith, a 30-year-old Food and Leisure photographer who’s been a dedicated fan of the local music scene for 18 years and Larry Russell, 25, a bass player for the rock band Pleather. The collective includes local bands Atticus, Nero, Forget Finnigan and Pleather as well as individual performers Ashley Newall, Jay Willis and Jane Radmore. read more

By Bethany Harpur

Local bands are breathing a sigh of relief following an announcement that Barrymore’s Music Hall will remain open.

“I’m happy with the outcome,” said Chris Volk, singer and guitarist for the band Nectar. “Hopefully it will be a little better (for Barrymore’s). It has the potential of becoming a premium spot.” read more

By Danielle Gauthier

Imagine the life of a child in a country where even playground swings swaying in the breeze represent contamination.

It’s the horror faced daily by Belarussian children living under the shroud of Chernobyl, the site of the worst peacetime nuclear disaster in history. read more

By Daniel Kitts

“It’s the most harrowing thing in the world trying to concentrate for 55 minutes,” Michael Healey says.

Healey is talking about total, constant concentration — uninterrupted even for a second. It’s the type of concentration needed to perform a one-person play. read more