GOING OUT BEST BETS
CKCU announcer Michael “Tic” Houston has been sprucing up the Odditorium, the vintage barn on his property east of Ottawa, in preparation for his annual Barnstorm bash Saturday. The 19th-annual edition of the event features alt-country hero Slo’ Tom and The Handsome Devils in the headlining slot, along with The Reverb Syndicate, Bushpilots, Evil Farm Children, Area Resident and KJ Thomas. The fun includes bonfires, food, free camping, a DJ chill zone and more. Gates open at noon; the music starts at 5 p.m. Tickets are $40 at the gate. It’s at 15328 Concession 3-4 Rd., near Finch.
THEATRE
This week marks your last chance to see the wonderfully funny Odyssey Theatre open-air production, Lysistrata and the Temple of Gaia. Written by Canadian playwright David S. Craig, it’s an update of the 2,500-yearold Greek classic that finds the women going on a sex strike to save the planet from environmental collapse. The acting is terrific, the punchy script crackles with immediacy, and you’ll be laughing out loud at the notion of making Greece great again. It takes place in Strathcona Park at 8 p.m. nightly until Aug. 26. Tickets are available at eventbrite.ca. Go to odysseytheatre.ca for more information.
ROCK
The Nostalgia Music Festival is a three-day celebration of the music of the past that starts Friday at LeBreton Flats Park. Nineteen tribute bands will recreate your favourite tunes, from ABBA and the Bee Gees to Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones. Dance- and disco-inspired acts are in the spotlight on Friday, while classic rock takes the stage on Saturday and Sunday, with a grand finale saluting Tom Petty. Tickets range from $50 per day to $85 for a weekend pass, available at nostalgiafestival.ca. The music starts at 6 p.m. Friday, and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
FOOD
The Outaouais will be putting some of its best food on display on Aug. 26, at the Outaouais Gourmet Festival, to be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Hendrick Farm in Chelsea. Admission is free for the rain-orshine event, which will include more than 30 farmers and food purveyors selling their wares, hourly culinary workshops, musical entertainment, family activities including a mini-farm and a playground with inflatable structures, and more. Information: fetegourmande.ca
Kochin Kitchen (271 Dalhousie St.) will be donating its sales this weekend to assist with disaster relief in Kerala, the Indian state ravaged this month by flooding. The ByWard Market restaurant is one of several in Ottawa that specializes in the distinctive and vibrant cuisine of Kerala, which houses 35 million on India’s southwest coast. This weekend, the restaurant’s lunchtime buffet will include almost 30 vegetarian dishes to mark the Hindu harvest festival Onam. Call 613-562-4461 to reserve.
WORLD MUSIC
African and Afropop music will be on the program Saturday afternoon in the Fairbairn House Heritage Centre in Wakefield at the annual Great Granny Concert, a fundraising event in support of African grandmothers raising their AIDS -orphaned grandchildren. Performing will be Sifa, an a cappella choir, and the Tine Rufaro Marimba Band. The event begins at 12:30 p.m. with barbecue fare on offer and the sales of used scarves and jewelry to raise money. The music at the centre’s outdoor stage begins at 1:30 p.m. Admission is $15 (children 12 and under are free) at the gate. More info: wakefieldgrannies.ca.
JAZZ
Kenji Omae, the potent Ottawa-raised saxophonist who last fall relocated to Nova Scotia after 15 or so years of living in South Korea, makes a rare hometown appearance on Friday and Saturday night at the Brookstreet Hotel’s Options Jazz Lounge. Omae will be playing in the group of Ottawa pianist Peter Hum (who writes for this newspaper), which is preparing to record a slate of new original compositions. The music starts at 8 p.m. each night and there is no cover charge.