Ottawa comic Angelo Tsarouchas gets big buzz on festival circuit
Tony Lofaro, The Ottawa Citizen
Angelo Tsarouchas and Joey Elias appear at Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest in Just For Laughs’ Canadian Show July 15 to 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the Barney Danson Theatre
OTTAWA — Ottawa comedian Angelo Tsarouchas says he’s not going Hollywood despite the fact his latest movie is getting big buzz on the film festival circuit.
Tsarouchas is getting good notices in Fred & Vinnie playing an agoraphobic and overweight vegetarian who finally leaves his apartment to visit his friend, played by Fred Stoller.
The small, independent film will have its Canadian premiere July 29 at the Just for Laughs Film Festival in Montreal. It has already picked up awards at the Beverly Hills Film, Television and New Media Festival and the Alexandria Film Festival in Alexandria, Virginia, and it also played at the Slamdance Film Festival in Utah. Noted film director Paul Mazursky (Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Scenes from a Mall) has called it “a funny, heartfelt gem of a movie,” and there are plans for a wider theatrical release, possibly this fall.
Read more on the Ottawa Citizen website: Ottawa comic Angelo Tsarouchas gets big buzz on festival circuit
Putting the blues in the festival
Chris Cobb, Ottawa Citizen
Photo courtesy Jean Levac, The Ottawa Citizen
It felt like a true blues festival.
The near-capacity crowd crammed in front of the Subway stage soaked up the brilliance of Buddy Guy and his band with something close to reverence.
Guy introduced himself with two searing guitar solos as if to say, “Here I am folks and this is just a taste of what’s to come.”
Full story: Putting the blues in the festival
Review: Rogues exceptional, Robbins acceptable
Chris Cobb, The Ottawa Citizen
REVIEW
Tim Robbins and the Rogues Gallery Band, Girls With Guitars
Ottawa Bluesfest, Hard Rock stage Thursday, July 14
OTTAWA — Since he began touring with his Rogues Gallery Band last fall, Tim Robbins has taken a lot of stick from critics.
Most have had nothing but good to say about the band but Tim? Well, at 50 some he’s having a midlife crisis or using his movie wealth to dabble in a vanity project — taking months to do what takes others a lifetime of dedication.
It’s a fact that while a few well-established singers have done well in movies, there is plenty of evidence that it doesn’t work both ways.
Kevins Bacon and Costner, both Ottawa Bluesfest alumni, were a yawn and Billy Bob Thornton was a pale pretender. And there are others, similarly forgettable.
The Academy Award winner has some musical credentials, notably from his parents and did okay performing music in the movie Bob Roberts, the 1992 he wrote and directed.
Read more on the Ottawa Citizen website: Review: Rogues exceptional, Robbins acceptable
Amos bringing new sound to Bluesfest
Jessica Cunha, YourOttawaRegion.ca
Kanata’s Amos The Transparent is set to rock Bluesfest this Saturday, July 16.
Playing on the National Bank stage, the timeslot of Amos’ performance has been moved to 6:30 p.m., from the scheduled 3:30 p.m. As of July 12, Bluesfest organizers had not updated the website with the new time for the band.
The band’s manager confirmed the time change, said Amos guitarist Dan Hay.
“We’re on at 6:30 now.”
Veterans of the major Ottawa music festival the band is excited about adding extra instruments to their set, even with the time change.
Read more on the Your Ottawa Region website: Amos bringing new sound to Bluesfest
Review: Huey, Frampton has boomers grooving
Lynn Saxberg, The Ottawa Citizen
Huey Lewis and the News, Peter Frampton
Main stage, Sunday, July 10, 2011
Between Peter Frampton and Huey Lewis, the main field at Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest was a happy place on Sunday, packed with thousands of people of all ages grooving along to music they’ve known for most of their lives.
Both Frampton and Lewis are veteran artists who haven’t been to Ottawa in a couple of decades, and both delivered crowd-pleasing shows that left the vast audience wanting more.
But if one had to choose, Lewis was probably the favourite, simply because he has more hits that you can sing along to. Dressed casually, in jeans, a dress shirt and shades, the charismatic American cranked up the good times with the spirited party-starter, Heart of Rock ’n’ Roll, from their breakthrough 1984 album, Sports.
In case you haven’t been following the career of the News since then, they released a new album, Soulsville, late last year that pays tribute to the American soul music that first inspired them. From it, Lewis led the band through a knock-out version of Respect Yourself.
Read more on the Ottawa Citizen website: Review: Huey, Frampton has boomers grooving
Bluesfest Gallery – Day 6
Lebreton Flats was just as lively as ever during the weekend at Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest. The lineup included The Tragically Hip, Erykah Badu, Justin Nozuka, Shawn McDonald and some other fun acts.
Here are some pictures from Day 6 of Bluesfest by photographer Ming. To see more of his photos visit: http://photogmusic.com/
Review: On the Side Stages of Bluesfest
Something for everyone
Patrick Langston, The Ottawa Citizen
On the Side Stages
Bluesfest, Sunday, July 10, 2011
Who’s the best companion when you’re going to Bluesfest?
“Someone who’s adaptable,” said audience member Craig Conoley after Diamond Rings’ performance Sunday afternoon on the National Bank stage. His reason: “There’s so many different kinds of music here.”
Diamond Rings (Toronto artist John O) proved Conoley’s point.
Resplendent in mascara and lipstick, a pink tank top, and tight white pants, the solo artist plays everything from guitar rock to spacey stuff. It’s fun and infectiously danceable. In fact, dancing is what he did in an ungainly sort of way after setting his synthesizer on loop. How much of his performance is irony remains up for grabs.
Conoley’s choice of companion for the show, by the way, was solid.
Said his girlfriend Emmy Hillman, “I like all kinds of music.”
Sitting on the grass with a group of friends during Yukon Blonde’s performance at the same stage, Lorena Ruci said her vote went to “Someone who doesn’t get drunk in the first hour.”
Read more on the Ottawa Citizen website: Review: On the Side Stages of Bluesfest
Bluesfest Gallery – Day 3
Lebreton Flats was going strong as the music poured from the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest. The lineup included Ornaments, Girl Talk, Big Jeezus Truck, Infected Mushroom, The Steve Miller Band and some other lively acts.
Here are some pictures from Day 3 of the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest by photographer Ming. To see more of his photos visit: http://photogmusic.com/
Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest festival hums a wireless tune
Howard Solomon, Network World
Fans attending a music festival in the national capital this month won’t be singing the blues as they use their wireless devices during concerts. Rather, Cisco Systems Inc. hopes, they’ll be singing praises over the wireless network the company has set up.
The lead sponsor of the annual 12 day Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest, which began Tuesday, has for the first time set up a Wi-Fi network blanketing the one-square kilometre festival grounds so the expected 250,000 attendees can set up concert schedules, find bios of their favourite artists, tweet friends and upload photos to social network sites.
The networking equipment manufacture has also set up a separate wired network linking seven of the company’s large flat panel monitors set up around the park where the festival is being held where festival updates can be flashed along side live concert feeds.
It’s partly a display of the company’s prowess in a city where Cisco has a research lab, good publicity for the outdoor wireless and digital media products its sells, and it helps generate vibe for the festival.
Full story is available on the itWorldCanada website: Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest hums a wireless tune
Bluesfest Gallery – Day 2
The weather held up for another great evening of star-studded acts at the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest at Lebreton Flats. The lineup included The Roots, Ben Harper, Skrillex, Jose Conde and other greats.
Here are some pictures from Day 2 of the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest by photographer Ming. To see more of his photos visit: http://photogmusic.com/
