Back in play

You may have noticed a paucity of post-show posts for the last couple of weeks ... it's no accident. Last time I managed to catch a show was in July - my work schedule has not been conducive to evenings out. Fortunately the drought ended last night with a brief performance from Ottawans Bear Claps and Montrealers The Luyas. Their performance was part of a multidisciplinary get-together of Ottawa poets, writers, actors, musicians and so on. I was working the first couple of days, but I did get around to shuffling off to Arts Courts in downtown Ottawa for the final night.

There was a brief reading before the Small Press Panel and the two musical performances, drawing on various authors Ottawa experiences. I believe this is Tania Levy of Gruppo Rubato.



On to the Small Press Panel, where various local publishers fielded questions from bazaar headman David Emery. Bywords managing editor Amanda Earl speaks, Kathryn Hunt of Dusty Owl listens.



The omnipresent Rob McLennan.



I've forgotten the names of the folks at the microphone, but that's Spencer Gordon and Tyler Willis of The Puritan at right.



On to the music before my memory deteriorates any further. Here's Bear Claps. One of these guys is Jumbo Love, the other is Sugarbeard, a.k.a. Derek Ledoux. It's a guy with a laptop and a guy with a guitar, both keeping it fairly quiet.



The Luyas finished things off with their pretty-to-visceral singer-songwriter stuff. The trio is fronted by Jessie Stein of SS Cardiacs and Miracle Fortress. Pietr Amato of Torngat, Belle Orchestre, etc. plays French horn and some other stuff while Stefan Schneider, also of Belle Orchestre, plays drums and some keyboards (you can make him out sitting on the floor at right in the photo, Pietr's at the edge of the frame.



They brought lights, flowers and copies of their new album Faker Death.

• Show reminder: Male Nurse performs at The Manx, as he shall be intermittently throughout August.