I am so ridiculously excited to see this film today. I’ve been a huge fan of Baz Lurhmann’s work since I first popped the Romeo and Juliet VHS into the VCR hoping that I would avoid re-reading the Shakespearean play. I was shocked at the use of visual aesthetics and commitment to contemporary music usage.
Same goes for Moulin Rouge, I can oddly recall exactly the place I was when I first stumbled upon it. I think it I was in an extreme punk-rock phase and recall not wanting to like the film. Nope. I loved it. The mix of Elton John songs with U2 ballads and Queen inspired me so. Nicole Kidman’s red dress in the giant elephant was what girls talked about as their dream prom dress. (OK, THIS girl.)
I’ve got high hopes for Gatsby and not just because I can remember whispering Leo’s best Titantic lines to friends in Jr. highschool and that my well-thumbed version sits on my office desk to my right (after 7 years of post-secondary liberal arts school, one would expect it to be so!).
It’s Rock Lottery season again so that means all of my extra time and energy is going straight into making it awesome. Press releases, artist liasons, producing the web commercial, working with sponsors. I’m only one gal and luckily I’ve got a team who are helping me not go crazy, but it’s hard to not try to do everything for myself. My DIY ethic runs deep.
My Saturday afternoon- shooting the web commercial. Launches May 7!
This is what my Saturday looked like. Yes, I doing makeup on a David Bowie impersonating actor was part of it. As was ripping the fishnet tights of our hot rocker chick while she was in them- all in a day’s work! Rock Lottery is just over two weeks away and I’m prepping for the first press conference I’ve ever been on the other side of the podium. Every day there are small victories, Tuesday’s were: we have a gorgeous poster done, CBC’s Amada Putz will be hosting.
In my work-work this week was a battle between Hollywood agents and time differences and bad wifi.
Actual texts from this week’s work.
This is an actual conversation I had with one of my BFFs’ on Tuesday night. I’ll leave it up to you to determine which one got completed…
It’s important to be able to escape from your own invented “Busy-ness.” I was in a grumpy mood on Tuesday and forced myself to get out for a bike ride. I felt so much better!
Biking oasis!
Another important lesson learned: Don’t listen to Jian Ghomeshi interview Trent Reznor before trying to write your own music-related interview article. I get envious that music interviewers like him not only get so much time to pick the artists brains (which is why I first started some 10 years ago by chasing down Alexisonfire). Trent Reznor told one my absolute music journalist heroes Neil Strauss that “Making music is the most difficult things on earth.” That stuck with me.
Exclaim Canada darling Rob Moire and I 9 years after first booking his band.
So did what my old friend Rob Moir tell me last night. “Even if they don’t buy a CD they have to come away with something from you.” He’s making that extra effort to connect and I know he’ll succeed. I booked his old band Dead Letter Department a full 9 years ago and it was really cool catching up with him over dinner before his show. I’ve been talking about this with a few people lately and it’s becoming more apparent that those involved in the music scene/industry as musicians/photographers/writers/whatever are now making it a living at it, and that’s so cool. I like to remind my mother that the hardcore punk music that she hated overhearing from my bedroom now pays the bills. I met Rob when his band played a show I booked in Shawville, Quebec. He’s about to head off on a 65-date tour that will land him in Germany to Australia until October.
Ottawa Rock Lottery is one month away (less one day!) I put it all together last year in about 5 weeks so I feel like 2013 I’ve got on lockdown… and it’s going to be amazing since I have such incredible people involved and volunteering to help.
Here are some of their beautiful faces!
Rock Lotto meeting #3 this week
Amazing filmmakers and friends devising our web commercial
Meeting with documentary filmmaker – multi-year doc in the works!
Since the beginning of the year I’ve had at least one BIG event I’ve organized or been heavily involved with. Now is the time for the annual arts event I run, the Ottawa Rock Lottery. Holding meetings with talented individuals since January has become the norm to reach the shared vision or goal, be it arts, culture or fundraising.
I finally updated my “events” page. Last month I helped raise over $5,000 for an Ottawa filmmaker who was robbed of all of his equipment. I booked the bands, support staff, general event management and was responsible for creating and maintaining a Facebook page.
Luca Back in Business Campaign
In February I helped organize, conceptualize, promote, judge and curate music for the Ottawa International Film Festival 72 Hour Challenge.
Event write-up here.
In January I held a mini-rock lotto fundraiser at Raw Sugar.
Ian Keteku performing at Raw Sugar before Zoo Legacy at our January fundraiser
Now ORL 5.0. I’ve actually been working on since mid-January but now am up to my ears in everything related to it. I’ve learned to ask for help and since then have been blessed with people offering their skills, talents, services and wise advice to make it become more than just some random Spring show.
My good friend Luca was robbed of all of his film equipment early February. Along with some of his other close friends we’ve organized a big night of fun a.k.a. Revenge Party tomorrow night at Mercury with performances from The Peptides, DJ J-Fun, Hard Science, a polaroid photobooth and special screenings of his award-winning films. Please RSVP here.
I found this 7″ “Ottawan” record on the street 2 years ago and just the cover is AMAZING. I’m giving it away tomorrow night as part of the Revenge Party prize pack.
I caught this last week and my heart melted a bit. This short is such an homage to the style of Disney films I grew up watching. The instrumental music is phenomenal and the romantic efforts of the main character just adorable. Please enjoy!
I took a mini-vacation and went to Toronto last weekend to hang out with some old friends (and new!). More often than not I have to pack my passport whenever I leave Ottawa so a five-hour trip up the highway to Toronto was a nice change. I caught Juno-nominated artist for best new electronic band Trust at Lee’s Palace and danced up a storm. Dined at the Drake Hotel, hit up the TIFF Lighthouse to see the Oscar-nominated shorts (live and animated) and check out their X-Men exhibit, hung out with an old friend from Dublin, and then hit the town to dance even more.
Here is Shooter McNally receiving his award from festival organizer Nina Bains for “Change,” which used music from Shannon Rose and the Thorns, Little Stella and Fevers.
Last Thursday night about 80 supporters of the Ottawa International Film Festival and participants of their 72 Hour Challenge filled the Lieutenent’s Pump on Elgin Street to watch a special screening of the top 10 short films completed in said hours. There was drama to romantic comedies from 3-15 minutes in length all featuring music curated by yours truly. It was great chatting with the different filmmakers and behind-the-scenes-folks who were not anticipating me sitting down with them and talking all things film. (I am and always will be the biggest film geek.) So many wonderful and inspiring people, but moreover watching the reactions of the bands whose music was included and how they were used was amazing.
I love providing that spark to fuel the creativity of the Ottawa arts community. Making money is no matter, the beautiful and thoughtful works speak for itself. This was the winning short by Shooter McNally.
As a partner of the event (as Ottawa Rock Lottery) I also judged all of the films and made copious notes as I watched the 28 films. We had a set judging criteria that remains confidential.
I went to the private launch at Shopify for the new Hilotrons album yesterday night. The sponsors provided a great spread of food and beer (thanks Kichesippi!). There was even a self-serve cotton-candy machine. Seeing how Shopify has transformed the old Capital Music Hall into such a beautiful space is incredible. There are gorgeous contemporary murals in the main room with a second level housing their offices and apparently a pinball machine. About 100 friends and family filled the venue for an intimate performance.
Mike Dubue performed a solo set on keyboard and took requests from the audience that sat at nearby tables or stood by the bar for his 30 minute set mixing old songs like with new. A film reel of Mike’s past videos and silent films he’s provided scores for was screened.
Despite the band being around for the bulk of my time in Ottawa, I never saw the Hilotrons in full band form and I never shall. It seems a crime because I’ve had Happyomatic on white vinyl in my collection since it was released in 2008. The band announced their breakup last Fall, but that’s not going to stop me from picking up the new album on Kelp Records. I love this track alone from it.
It was awesome to see so many musicians and arts community supporters in the venue. Running into Fevers is always a pleasure- excited to hear that recording their album is going well (they have an amazing producer!). Same goes for chatting with the organizer of the Arboretum Festival. It’s just great catching up with so many inspiring individuals who are contributing towards making Ottawa a vibrant arts community.
Now to drop the needle on this album… You can pick At Least There’s Commotion, up for yourself on February 5 across Canada.
Does this not remind you of the HBO Girls Season 2 episode, “Get it?”
(P.s. While I was waiting for a friend to arrive, I got complimented by Canadian opera star Measha Brueggergosman on my spiked NYC rainboots and purse- she had wicked style too!)
That’s actually a line from a Sarah Slean song; I wrote about her for next week’s column and that woman is seriously accomplished and inspiring (published author, singer/songwriter). I know I’m blessed for the opportunity to share my interests to a wider audience.
For this news segment I definitely wrote out my talking points last night and studied them before I got into a cab at 6:45 a.m. Watch me talking about ORL’s involvement below!
I got this gig from just offering to help a friend. Just be strong and inspire yourself!
