Ottawa’s top ‘wow’ moments of 2017
It was a busy year for entertainment in Ottawa thanks in large part to the festivities surrounding the 150th anniversary of Confederation. While it seemed there were fewer arena concerts than usual, many of the special events left an impression. Here are
1. Michael J. Fox and Joan Jett June 29, National Arts Centre
B.C.-born actor Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, was in town to receive a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, the nation’s highest honour in the arts. But at the gala celebrating the laureates, he stunned everyone by joining Joan Jett on stage, electric guitar in hand, and laced into Light of Day, the Bruce Springsteen-penned theme song for the 1987 movie they both starred in. Inspiring.
2. Tom Petty July 16, RBC Bluesfest
Accompanied by his stellar band the Heartbreakers, rock legend Tom Petty returned to Ottawa, finally, 36 years after his first appearance here and closed out Bluesfest with a string of classic tunes that had everyone singing along. Sadly, it turned out to be his last Ottawa show; Petty died of a heart attack in October.
3. Shania Twain Nov. 26, Lansdowne Park
Canada’s queen of crossover country, Shania Twain, demonstrated her ability to entertain with an eye-popping halftime show at the 105th Grey Cup game. Flaunting a red-hot bodysuit accessorized with red fur, she made her way to the stage via dog sled and belted out three songs as fireworks lit up the snowstorm. It was a tantalizing sample of next year’s tour, which brings her back to town on June 25, although probably not on a dog sled.
4. U2 July 1, Parliament Hill
Two members of U2 — singer Bono and guitarist the Edge — joined the Canada Day festivities on Parliament Hill, donating their time as a 150th-birthday present to the country. Despite the rain, the Irish humanitarians/rockers sang a spare, acoustic version of One that emphasized a message of togetherness: “We’re one, but we’re not the same. We’ve got to carry each other, carry each other.”
5. La Machine July 27-30, downtown Ottawa
In an ingenious demonstration of street theatre, two giant mechanical monsters battled for supremacy in the core of the city. The battle between Kumo and Long Ma was stretched out over four days, with an estimated 750,000 people caught up in a fantasy that involved robotics, engineering, choreography and a lush, diverse score to bring it all to life. Remarkably, the music was performed live by 11 orchestra musicians who somehow managed a near-flawless performance from a moving perch high above the street.
6. A Tribe Called Red April 2, Canadian Tire Centre
The Ottawa-based DJ crew provided the musical backbone for a powerful opening to this year’s Juno Awards, held in Ottawa on unsurrendered Algonquin Anishnabe territory, as Buffy Sainte-Marie reminded us that night. Joined by the Black Bear Singers, a troupe of Indigenous dancers and the otherworldly throat-singing of Tanya Tagaq, it was a dazzling display of First Nations culture and a reminder that it’s been around a lot longer than 150 years.
7. P!nk July 9, RBC Bluesfest
In what was just her third show in four years after a break from touring, P!nk left a rain-soaked crowd awestruck with a powerhouse performance of her hits, along with a little Janis Joplin and Led Zeppelin, as well as a surprise appearance by Dallas Green. To top it off, she took an acrobatic spin on a high wire above the crowd, singing the whole time. “Superhero stuff,” as my colleague Aedan Helmer declared.
8. Mavis Staples June 26, Ottawa Jazz Festival
At 77, the legendary Mavis Staples charmed the jazzfest audience packed into the NAC theatre with an inspired performance that not only celebrated her gospel roots, but also summoned the spirit of the civil rights movement. Amplified by a selection of rock nuggets from Talking Heads to The Band, it was a feel-good show like no other.
9. Half Moon Run May 31, Kaffe 1870
You never know who’s going to show up at the Wednesday night open mike at Kaffe 1870, the other live music watering hole in Wakefield, Que. One night in May, it was the internationally renowned Montreal-based band Half Moon Run, who took a break from recording to dust off their chops in the tiny pub, which was packed to the gills as word got out on the impromptu gig. Seven months later, there’s no sign of the album, although a poignant new song, Christmas Alone, was released by Skye Wells, a side project formed by HMR members Devon Portielje and Conner Molander.
10. Guns N’ Roses Aug. 21, Lansdowne Park
The world’s most dangerous band competed for attention with a once-in-a-lifetime solar eclipse that happened the same day. I’d say the band almost won with a potent combination of ear-splitting volume and eyeball-shredding fireworks, plus an entirely suitable cover of Black Hole Sun. So what if Axl Rose’s vocals were a little off — the band was on time, Slash was amazing and it was great to be back at Lansdowne after the renovation. Here’s hoping for more stadium shows in the nation’s capital.