GOING OUT BEST BETS, FEB. 14 TO 20
FAMILY
This weekend, the National Arts Centre will be at its most child-friendly and interactive as it stages its inaugural Big Bang Festival, in keeping with a series of similarly branded European events that have delighted young audiences since 2010. Free performances will take place in the NAC’s public spaces, while ticketed midday concerts on Saturday and Sunday will be linchpins of the festival. The NAC Orchestra will perform Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in Southam Hall, accompanied by a shadow puppeteer. In the Azraeli studio, two performances daily by Belgium’s Zonzo Compagnie will focus on jazz great Miles Davis’s music. Fiddler Gordie MacKeeman will perform daily in the Fourth Stage and Ottawa percussionist Jesse Stewart will be part of three performances each day backstage. Ticket packages and information: nac-cna.ca.
FILM
The 10th annual Wakefield Doc Fest continues this weekend with screening of Yellow is Forbidden, a portrait of Chinese fashion designer Guo Pei, and Becoming Who I Was, a South Korean film about a young Tibetan monk’s special journey. The films, both released last year, will be shown at Centre Wakefield La Pêche, 38, chemin de la vallée de Wakefield. Tickets are $15, and weekend passes are available for $25. More information and tickets: wakefielddocfest.ca.
JAZZ
German-born, Saint John’s-based pianist Florian Hoefner continues to forge new ties in his adopted country. He’s formed a new trio with Toronto’s Andrew Downing on bass and Nick Fraser on drums, and the group plays three concerts in Ontario next week. The kickoff show is Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 8:30 p.m. at the National Arts Centre’s Fourth Stage, where Hoefner appeared in a dazzling performance last spring with his co-op quintet Subtone. Tickets: $30 at nac-cna. ca or the NAC box office.
FUNK
Toronto keyboardist Joel Visentin has unambiguously named his group JV’s Boogaloo Squad to highlight its mission to groove with the best of them. With Visentin’s hard-driving organ front and centre, the group pulls off renditions of soulful Stax and Motown hits and original tunes. In support of its new album, Going To Market, the trio of Visentin, Adam Beer-Colacino on guitar and Jeff Halischuk on drums, is playing a five-city tour, which includes a stop at Avant-Garde Bar (135 Besserer St.) on Sunday at 8 p.m. Cover: $7.
SWING
On Saturday night, the Canadian War Museum is turning the clock back to the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s with its annual SwingFest. Ottawa’s Peter Liu and the Pollcats will provide the music while dance teachers and performers from Side Street Swing and across Ottawa will take to the wood dance floor. The event, which runs from 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., will include food and beverages, a photo booth and a vintage style corner. It will also be diverse and inclusive, welcoming people of all backgrounds and abilities. Admission is $20 ($15 for students, seniors, veterans and museum members), which includes dance lessons. Advance tickets: warmuseum.ca/event/swingfest.
HIP HOP
Montreal-based Yassin Alsalman, also known as Narcy, is a multimedia artist who’s considered a pioneer of Arab hip hop. He also works as a professor at Concordia University, has collaborated with A Tribe Called Red and had his music featured in films (including Furious 7). He’s in Ottawa on Friday at Queen St. Fare, 170 Queen St. Tickets are $13, available in advance at eventbrite.ca.
ROCK
Chart-topping Hamilton rockers Arkells bring their Rally Cry arena tour to the Canadian Tire Centre on Friday, with an opening set by Lord Huron. Tickets are $54.20, which includes surcharges, available at Ticketmaster.ca, www.canadiantirecentre.com, by phone at 1-877-788-3267, and in person at the Canadian Tire Centre box office and Sens stores. The music starts at 7:30 p.m.
THEATRE
The bald, blue members of the popular performance art troupe Blue Man Group return to Ottawa next week with a touring show that combines art, music, comedy, technology and other forms of non-verbal communication. They’re in town Feb. 20-23 for four shows at the TD Place arena. Tickets range from $45 to $95, plus surcharges, available at tdplace.ca. Showtime is 8 each night.
BOOKS
Visionary musician/author Tanya Tagaq participates in a one-on-one discussion about her haunting book, Split Tooth, at Southminster United Church, 15 Aylmer Ave., at 6:30 p.m. Friday, as part of the inaugural edition of the Come See & Hear the World festival. Tickets are $33, which includes a copy of the book for the first 300 people, available at writersfestival.org.
COUNTRY
Canadian country star Paul Brandt leads a pack of Canuck country artists to Ottawa as part of The Journey 2019 tour. The Calgary-born singer-songwriter will be joined Friday by High Valley, Jess Moskaluke and the Hunter Brothers in a concert that starts at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $38.50 - $99.50, plus surcharges, available at tdplace.ca.