Another blaze of glory

The Flaming Lips put on an amazing show at last year's Bluesfest, and I wasn't going to miss a moment this time around, though I was a little bummed to hear they wouldn't be doing their Dark Side of The Moon show, but perhaps excess daylight ruled that out.

Wayne Coyne has a little pre-show chat with the crowd.



Shouty Kliph Scurlock action!



Bassist Michael Ivins, standing up even!



I think it may be time for Stephen Drozd to buy a new doubleneck.



Wayne makes his entrance.



 Hello crowd!



Streamers away!



Confetti action!




As usual, they recorded a bunch of dancers ...



Wayne sings!



Flaming action!



Balloon wrangling action!



As last year, Crocodile's Derek Brown was on hand to help the band rock out.



Smoking action!



Inflatable action!



Wayne en-streamered.



The whole lot!



Wayne gets down on guitar.



Stephen sings!



"I think Stephen is checking his e-mail."



Rhythm section action!



The end!



The band is touring here and there in the U.S., before taking a jaunt Down Under.

• Show reminder: Cross Stitched Eyes and Nummies play the Montgomery Legion on Kent St.

Run away

My plan for this weekend was to spend it as sedately as possible, which gibed nicely with an invite from Sacha Gabriel to see her band My Tiny Circus, perform at the Mercury Lounge at an unusually early hour.

Megan Jerome opened the show with some solo accordion stuff. She had already started when I showed up at a couple of minutes past 8 p.m.


Megan Jerome at The Mercury Lounge, September 10, 2011

She happens to be wife of Mash Potato Mashers mainman Mike Essoudry, who she saluted in song.


Megan Jerome at The Mercury Lounge, September 10, 2011

My Tiny Circus call themselves loungecore, which I can certainly see. The slightly orchestral soound makes me think of Scott Walker and The Divine Comedy, if only because they're the two performers working in a similar vein I listen to most. Here's Sacha and flautist Rachel.


My Tiny Circus at The Mercury Lounge, September 10, 2011

And some bossa style percussion.


My Tiny Circus at The Mercury Lounge, September 10, 2011

You can just make out the shadowy form of pianist Stephen at right.


My Tiny Circus at The Mercury Lounge, September 10, 2011

A little different from my usual show-going habits, but very fine.

• Show reminder: Take Down Frosty is at The Rainbow; it's shaping up to be a poetic day at the Elmdale, starting with some afternoon slam poetry and a night show featuring more of the same courtesy of BF Brown, Ras Tabula and Freedom plus rockers Prett Melberts & The Best Friend Patrol, The Ginger Fox Band, Justin and Jordan Gow and Yanis Khamsi.

Bluesfest: Elage Mbaye

Forever in search of new musical experiences I popped over to the National Bank stage to see some of Elage Mbaye. Mbaye comes originally from Senegal, is descended from griots and has been playing the drums from age 8. He's lived in Canada for about 25 years (currently residing in the NCR) and has played all over the nation.

Saxophone action!



The man himself!



Drumming action!



Guitar action!



Elage sings!



This is Clarence Smith, if I'm not mistaken.



Assorted rocking about!



The end!



Or at least, the end for me since I dashed off to get a good spot for The Flaming Lips ...

• Show reminder: My Tiny Circus and Megan Jerome perform at the Mercury Lounge; APlotAgainstMe, Pretty Little Death Machine and FutureSnake rock Zaphod Beeblebrox; WÂUPOOS, Andy Boay, Holy Cobras and Caymans bring fuzz and fury to the Rochester Pub; there's Day 2 of Glebe Streets; The Fiftymen play the second of two shows at Irene's; Littlefoot Longfoot release their new CD with Shanker and Romps for an opener at The Clocktower; The Hammerheads play The Rainbow; Dead Peasants Revolt, Shot Nerves and Spilt Guts play 443 Kent. The Good Luck Assembly is at Mavericks; Go Long perform at the Avant-Garde.

Powers of attraction

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes were one of Bluesfest's pleasant surprises. I hadn't heard of them before, but a big crowd of showgoers apparently had. The band has members aplenty, and for some reason made me think of Anathallo.

The band doesn't have an Edward Sharpe: Alex Ebert, his conceiver, leads the troupe.



Crowd action!



Believe it or not, this photo is still missing a band member or two.



I believe this is Aaron Embry off to the right on piano ...



Even more members.



Nore Kirkpatrick rocks the accordion.



Alex goes for a crowd-swim.



Xylophonic action!



The end!



Quite entertaining. Also, it was quite bright out, thus the horribly washed out photos.

• Show reminder: Famed grungesters Mudhoney and The Bigmuffs rock Mavericks; Claudia, AM Radio and The Blood Red Truth play Zaphod's; Rimbombante get down at Raw Sugar; Mumbo Jumbo Voodoo Combo and The Mudboys perform at The Rainbow; The Fiftymen play the first of a two-night stand at Irene's; The Elmdale hosts The Polymorphines, Rockalily Burlesque and Chang-A-Lang. If you're in the mood for some open-air entertainment, there's also Glebe Streets to check out, with shows by Amos The Transparent, among others..

Lights out!

If a band comes all the way from Australia, I figure I owe it to them to head to the club and check them out. In the case of Wagons, it was definitely worth the trip, since they played a great set of roots rock interspersed with some of the best stage banter I've heard in a while, plus an unexpected hip-hop tune. As an extra bonus, Old Crowns played a very fine opening set.

It's been a while since Stephen St. Pierre and company have graced Ottawa with their presence. The last time I saw themselves myself was at Mavericks in January 2010.


Old Crowns at Zaphod Beeblebrox, September 7, 2011

Sam Seguin strums!


Old Crowns at Zaphod Beeblebrox, September 7, 2011

What's an Australian country-rock band doing touring Canada? Well this lot have been picked up by Six Shooter Records - whose roster they blend in quite well with - and are consequently touring North America. Henry Wagons is a very jovial frontman whose amusing commentary between songs was also first rate. The play some country rock, a boogie song and a cover of Elvis Presley's Never Been To Spain. The show was also spiced up a bit by the club being suddenly plunged into darkness just before they hit the stag. It soon emerged that the stretch of York St. Zaphod's is on was also in darkness. Fortunately things started up again ...


Wagons at Zaphod Beeblebrox, September 7, 2011

Singalong action!


Wagons at Zaphod Beeblebrox, September 7, 2011

I could have toddled off home, but as it happens there was also a rock show going on at The Rainbow. The opener was The Armortones, but they had apparently been and gone by the time I left Zaphod's. As I approached the Rainbow I could the raucous noise of The Allrights from a block away.


The Allrights at The Rainbow, September 7, 2011

Faceoff action!


The Allrights at The Rainbow, September 7, 2011

This was also the second outing by And What Army?, who played a feedback heavy psychedelic pummel, plus a cover of The Doughboys' Fix Me. The trio features Johnny Nash of The Long Timers and Fucking Machines on bass.


And What Army? at The Rainbow, September 7, 2011

Guitarist Ryan Hillier and drummer Kevin Earle round out the trio.


And What Army? at The Rainbow, September 7, 2011

They'll also be playing the Glebe Streets festival Sept. 10.

• Show reminder: Brian Simms, The Fays and The Dishslayers perform for the Out of Ottawa CD release show at The Elmdale Tavern; Not Even Death, Be The Saviour, The Gillingham Fire Demonstration, D.F.O.S., Eyes Of New and Torn Apart By Wolves make some noise at Mavericks; Guilty About Girls and Remember The Fire play Zaphod's.

Bluesfest: Ras Lee

Previous years at Bluesfest have been wonderful for reggae music. This year local product, was largely left to shoulder the burden, in the shape of local reggae man Ras Lee. I did try to track down some names online, but no luck ...

Some percussive types.



Vocal action!



Mr. Lee, himself.



Guitar action!



Singalong action!



And that's about it, since I took off to check out  Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeroes on the main stage. Lee sometimes takes part in Roots Movement's Thursday nights at The Rainbow. He'll also be performing at the Ukrainian Orthodox Hall at 1000 Byron Ave. on Sept. 24.

• Show reminder: Wagons and Old Crowns perform at Zaphod's; And What Army?, The Allrights and Armortones roll in The Rainbow; Fall In Archaea, Beheading Of A King, A Sight For Sewn Eyes, Longshot, The Channel 4 News Team and Kill For Change play Mavericks;