MEGAPHONO Festival preview and details
Next week marks the inaugural Megaphono festival, taking place on Feb. 3-5. What is Megaphono, you may ask?
Megaphono is an is “an Ottawa-based music organization focused on building opportunities for Ottawa-area artists and music companies“. The organizers are seeking to accomplish this by putting on a range of events and panels during the week, and showcase what Ottawa’s music scene has to offer. Ottawa has such a strong music community and plenty of healthy sub-communities within its borders. The showcases feature over 40 artists from Ottawa and beyond, taking place at venues around the city will highlight some of the best musical talent in Ottawa, and gives attendees a unique opportunity to check out a broad spectrum of incredible artists.
In the past, Megaphono’s main focus was acting as a synch license company, pitching music for film, television, new media and advertising. The organization still continues to do this, but now has the festival as a main focus as well. The expansion of Megaphono into a festival that includes showcase concerts and music industry panels is a major step towards enhancing the visibility of Ottawa’s music scene on a national and international scale.
While Ottawa remains a relatively insular music community, steps are being taken to bridge other music industry centres with that community (e.g. Arboretum Festival, inclusion of local acts at Bluesfest/Cityfolk). A bonus is being able to see a concert on Wednesday, Feb. 4th, in the Diefenbunker, which could possibly be one of the coolest shows ever. We are also very happy to be co-presenting two shows throughout the festival at the House of Targ on Tuesday and Dominion Tavern on Thursday.
Be sure to come out and participate at Megaphono, there will be plenty of interesting panel discussions taking place during the day if you are able to skip work for a few hours.Festivities kick off at noon on Tuesday, Feb. 3rd, with the official tape cutting ceremony with Mayor Watson at Ottawa City Hall. Megaphono and local songwriter Andrew Vincent teamed up to conduct a groundbreaking and unprecedented in-depth profile of Ottawa’s music community, including responses from over 800 individuals and data collected from FACTOR and SOCAN. We will likely be hearing some of the findings of this research at the kick-off ceremony.
Below we have laid out the festival schedule day-by-day, which can help you figure out what events to attend. You can also find a Bandcamp playlist of MEGAPHONO Vol. 7 containing many of this year’s participating bands and musicians. Oh, did I mention there is a concert in the Diefenbunker?
All illustrations by the wonderful Chanelle Foisy
MEGAPHONO IS COMING // FEB 3-5 FEV 2015 // OTTAWA from MEGAPHONO on Vimeo.
Tuesday, Feb. 3
MEGAPHONO LAUNCH LUNCH @ OTTAWA CITY HALL
12:00–1:30 PM
Panelists: Andrew Vincent (author of Connecting Ottawa Music) / Kwende Kefentse (City of Ottawa) / Shain Shapiro (Sound Diplomacy)
Moderator: Alan Neal (CBC)
After the official festival launch (a 2″-tape cutting ceremony no less!), independent consultant Andrew Vincent and Kwende Kefentse (City of Ottawa) will present findings from the recently-completed Ontario Music Fund-supported paper Connecting Ottawa Music.
This profile of Ottawa’s music industries compiles responses from over 800 local musicians and 50 music businesses. It also identifies recommendations for ways to move forward as an industry and help to build Ottawa as a musical hub.
Location: City Hall – Council Chambers (110 Laurier Avenue W.)
PANEL: WEARING ALL THE HATS
2:00–3:30 PM
Panelists: Lynn Miles / Mike Dubue (HILOTRONS) / Jim Bryson / Matt Ouimet
Local artist entrepreneurs discuss the ins and outs of grinding out a career as a musician. From studio engineering to composition to production to live sound, this group wears a lot of hats. These panelists will talk about how they balance all of their different musical roles and make it work.
Location: Galerie SAW Gallery (67 Nicholas St.)
PANEL: PLACING YOUR MUSIC IN TV
3:30–5:00 PM
AH, the mysterious world of music supervision. How does music get chosen for TV shows? And what can artists do to best position themselves to get their music heard by these decision makers? Come and hear from the people who choose music for shows likeDegrassi and The Blacklist and get some tips on how to get your CD to the top of the pile.
Panelists: Malia Hall (Mothlight) / Mikaila Simmons (Instinct Entertainment) / Liana Tassone (Third Side Music)
LAST EX + EVENING HYMNS + SCATTERED CLOUDS
7:00–10:00 PM
ARBORETUM FESTIVAL + E-TRON RECORDS co-present
Doors: 7:00 pm
Location: St. Alban’s Church (454 King Edward Ave.)
Tickets: $12 adv / $15 door. Online tickets available now (link below). Paper tickets on sale Friday January 16 at Vertigo Records (193 Rideau) and Compact Music Inc. locations (206 Bank & 785 Bank).
FET.NAT + THE YIPS + AKOUFEN
10:00–2:00 AM
OTTAWA SHOWBOX + E-TRON RECORDS co-present
10:30 pm – AKOUFÈN
Doors: 10:00 pm
Location: House of TARG (1077 Bank St.)
Tickets: $8 adv / $10 door. Online tickets available now (link below). Paper tickets on sale Friday January 16 at Vertigo Records (193 Rideau) and Compact Music Inc. locations (206 Bank & 785 Bank).
Wednesday, Feb. 4
PANEL: A TRIBE CALLED RED
10:30–12:00 PM
Panelists: Guillaume Decouflet (Valeoprod/Craft Services) / Deejay NDN (A Tribe Called Red) / Adam Countryman (Agency Group)
A look at the tremendous rise of Ottawa’s greatest musical export since Alanis. This Juno-award winning DJ collective and their core team discuss their successes and how they built a musical mammoth out of Ottawa.
Location: Galerie SAW Gallery (67 Nicholas St.)
NETWORKING: SPEED MEETINGS I
12:30–1:30 PM
All FULL PASS and WEDNESDAY DAY PASS holders will have the option of signing up for an exclusive opportunity to meet one-on-one with our out-of-town invited guests in a round of 7-minute speed meetings (held on both Wednesday and Thursday). Come make some new friends with local artists and industry professionals from Canada and the US!
Location: Novotel Ottawa Hotel (33 Nicholas St.)
PANEL: JUST THE SIZE OF MONTREAL
2:00–3:30 PM
Panelists: Dan Seligman (Pop Montreal) / Andre Guerette (Guerette Agency) / Michaël Bardier (Heavy Trip)
Too big or too small? For a lot of Ottawa-based artists, Montreal’s live music market has always been a tough nut to crack. Hear from some of that city’s key music players on the particular challenges of building an audience in Montreal, the differences between its Franco and Anglo scenes, and tips on what you can do to improve your chances of success in everyone’s favourite weekend party destination.
Location: Galerie SAW Gallery (67 Nicholas St.)
THE HINTONBURG HANG WITH HER HARBOUR + JIM BRYSON + FUTURE STATES + WINCHESTER WARM + SILVER CREEK + JACK PINE & THE FIRE
4:00–6:30 PM
A Pay-What-You-Can afternoon of sounds in two of Hintonburg’s favourite music-friendly spaces!
5:45 pm – Her Harbour (Elmdale)
5:30 pm – Jim Bryson (Record Centre)
5:00 pm – Winchester Warm (Elmdale)
4:45 pm – Future States (Record Centre)
4:15 pm – Jack Pine & the Fire (Elmdale)
4:00 pm – Silver Creek (Record Centre)
Doors: 4:00 pm
Locations: The Record Centre (1097 Wellington St. W.) and Elmdale Oyster House (1084 Wellington St. W.)
Tickets: Pay What You Can (priority will be given to full pass and day pass / bracelet holders)
DIEFENBUNKER DOOM TRIP WITH STEVE ADAMYK BAND + U.S. GIRLS + BOYHOOD + HEAT + NIGHTSHADES + CABAAL AND THEATERNIA + V.J. DAISY
6:30–10:00 PM
OTTAWA EXPLOSION presents
9:00 pm – Steve Adamyk Band (Bank Vault)
8:15 pm – U.S. Girls (Bank Vault)
7:30 pm – Nightshades (Bank Vault)
7:15 pm – Theaternia and Cabaal (Cafeteria)
Doors: 6:30 pm
Location: Diefenbunker Cold War Museum (3911 Carp Rd)
Tickets: $20 adv with bus service* / $10 adv without bus / $15 door. Online tickets available now (link below). Paper tickets on sale Friday January 16 at Vertigo Records (193 Rideau) and Compact Music Inc. locations (206 Bank & 785 Bank).
* Includes return bus service (pickup/drop-off points at Nicholas/Daly and Hintonburg Hang)
MACKENZIE RHYTHM SECTION + PONY GIRL + YAO + SORU
9:00–2:00 AM
12:15 am – Mackenzie Rhythm Section
Doors: 9:00 pm
Location: Avant-Garde Bar (135 Besserer)
Tickets: $8 adv / $10 door. Online tickets available now (link below). Paper tickets on sale Friday, January 16 at Vertigo Records (193 Rideau) and Compact Music Inc. locations (206 Bank & 785 Bank).
HILOTRONS + SOCALLED + BUCK N’ NICE + TRAINING SEASON
9:30 PM – 2:00 AM
CHUO presents…
Doors: 9:30 pm
Location: Ritual Night Club (137 Besserer Street)
Tickets: $12 adv / $15 door. Online tickets available now (link below). Paper tickets on sale Friday January 16 at Vertigo Records (193 Rideau) and Compact Music Inc. locations (206 Bank & 785 Bank).
Thursday, Feb. 5
PANEL: IF WE ONLY HAD AN AGENT
10:30–12:00 PM
NETWORKING: SPEED MEETINGS II
12:30–1:30 PM
All FULL PASS and THURSDAY DAY PASS holders will have the option of signing up for an exclusive opportunity to meet one-on-one with our out-of-town invited guests in a round of 7-minute speed meetings (held on both Wednesday and Thursday). Come make some new friends with local artists and industry professionals from Canada and the US!
Location: Novotel Ottawa Hotel (33 Nicholas St.)
PANEL: THE SPIRIT OF RADIO
2:00–3:30 PM
Panelists: Tom Power (CBC) / Erin Flynn (CHUO-FM) / Dave Aardvark (CKCU)
Tips from key local and national campus/community and public radio personalities and producers on how to get their attention and to get your music played. Do CD mailouts still make sense, or has everyone gone digital? How does the musical selection process work at campus and community radio and the CBC? Get your radio questions answered here.
Location: Galerie SAW Gallery (67 Nicholas St.)
SLIGHTLY LEFT OF CENTRETOWN WITH JEREMY FISHER + AMANDA RHEAUME + JILL ZMUD + CATRIONA STURTON + MEHDI CAYENNE CLUB + KRISTINE ST-PIERRE
4:00–6:30 PM
A Pay-What-You-Can afternoon in two of West Centretown’s hippest spots with some of Ottawa’s best singer-songwriters!
5:45 pm – Jeremy Fisher (Pressed)
5:30 pm – Catriona Sturton (Raw Sugar)
5:00 pm – Amanda Rheaume (Pressed)
4:45 pm – Jill Zmud (Raw Sugar)
4:15 pm – Mehdi Cayenne Club (Pressed)
4:00 pm – Kristine St-Pierre (Raw Sugar)
Doors: 4:00 pm
Locations: Raw Sugar (692 Somerset St. W.) and Pressed (750 Gladstone St.)
Tickets: Pay-What-You-Can (priority will be given to pass and bracelet holders)
CROSSS + PETRA GLYNT + MICHAEL RAULT + KINGS QUEST
10:00–2:00 AM
SMALL TALK + OTTAWA SHOWBOX + CKCU co-present
Doors: 10:00 pm
Location: Dominion Tavern (33 York St.)
Tickets: $8 adv / $10 door. Online tickets available now (link below). Paper tickets on sale Friday January 16 at Vertigo Records (193 Rideau) and Compact Music Inc. locations (206 Bank & 785 Bank).
MEGAPHONO MELTDOWN WITH FLIGHT DISTANCE + ZATTAR + FLO + KINGSCOLLEGE + THE PEPTIDES
9:00–2:00 PM
Our official closing party!
Doors: 9:00 pm
Location: Mercury Lounge (56 Byward Market Square)
Tickets: $12 adv / $15 door. Online tickets available now (link below). Paper tickets on sale Friday January 16 at Vertigo Records (193 Rideau) and Compact Music Inc. locations (206 Bank & 785 Bank).