Ottawa Tonite.com : Section Title

Local Musicians and the Meaning of Community

I knew from the moment I walked in the doors of the Elmdale Tavern on Friday night that it wasn’t going to be your typical evening.

Though it was only 8:30pm, the joint was already happening – most of the little round tables were full, everyone pouring giant quarts of beer into teeny little glasses, or drinking pints of Beau’s. I noticed right away that there were a lot more instruments laying around than usual, and that was to be expected – tonight was going to be a bit different.

The headline act was John Allaire and the Campistas, so it wasn’t any wonder the house was packed. These guys put on a great show of rockin-country and blues that will, in the words of their fearless lead singer “make your eardrums bleed!” (in a good way, of course!). His opening act, however, was a bit unusual. In fact, on this rainy November night, John had decided to have FOUR opening acts! Here’s how it all came about….

Earlier this year, gal about town and Ottawa Tonite founder Cheryl Gain decided to start a small songwriter’s circle. Her vision was to create a space where local songwriters could meet up once a month or so and explore their music. She put the call out on Facebook and immediately got a huge amount of interest. The first meeting was held at Umi Cafe in Chinatown. About 5 people came that night, and what was remarkable to me was the diversity of the musicians. Jazz, country, blues, and folk were broadly represented within the group.

I was pleased and surprised by one of the fellas who showed up. John Allaire has been a staple of the Ottawa music scene since I can remember. His old band, the Town Cryers, were regulars on the music show I used to produce, “Soundtrack”. I was curious as to why an award-winning, pro musician who is a veteran of the Ottawa scene would be interested in our little group, but John was there for the same reasons the rest of us were – to share and learn with a community of like-minded musicians.

The Songwriter’s Roundabout has been meeting on a monthly basis since the Spring, and every time I attend I am amazed at the talent and energy of our little community. Some of the amazing folks who get together include Shannon Eddy-Smith, Kristine St. Pierre, and Christophe Elie. I have personally been so inspired by these folks – to the point where I’ve written 3 new songs of my own in the past few months. We’ve become a tight knit bunch in the past little while.

It goes without saying The Roundabouters (as we are affectionately known) were thrilled when John asked us to open for him for his Elmdale show. There were four acts on the roster – Roundabout regulars Christophe and Kristine played some of their amazing tunes, and Shannon and myself joined forces for a few songs – I sang harmonies. We were also joined by rising star Kenny Voita, who dazzled the crowd.

I’ve been involved in the Ottawa music scene for the better part of 20 years, through my former TV show and also as an occasional performer. What I love about this community is how everyone sticks together and helps each other. Many people I know play in several groups – my pal Jeff Tanguay was actually running back and forth from his gig with 40 Watt Monkey to play with John and the Campistas at the Elmdale. The scene is vibrant because of guys like Jeff and John – veterans who are always raising up new talent and making us all feel special. These guys totally get what community is all about – and we can all stand to learn a lot from them.

I managed to capture a couple of songs from the evening – so for your viewing and listening pleasure, here’s Ken Voita and his song “Lay Your Money Down”, and John Allaire and the Campistas singing “Angels”.

Photo credit: billaday on Flickr

continue...