by Lynn Saxberg
Hard-hitting noisemongers Metz, veteran Can-rockers Sloan, breakout New York rapper Junglepussy and California art-rap sensation Mykki Blanco are among the acts coming to the grounds of Ottawa City Hall this summer as part of the ambitious fifth-anniversary edition of the Arboretum Festival, to be held Aug. 17-20.
City hall’s Marion Dewar Plaza is the new location for the indie festival’s main stage, their fourth home in five years. Arboretum’s managing director Stefanie Power, who has been working with the festival since creative director Rolf Klausener founded it in 2012, hopes it will become their permanent site.
“It’s interesting for us to change spaces and change the way people think about these public spaces,” Power said, “but it’s also a business and logistical challenge for us to change sites every year. We’re hoping that we can make City Hall a bit more of a home for us.”
Last year’s festivities took place on Albert Island amid controversy over the site’s status as a sacred meeting place in First Nations culture. That site was not available this year, Power said. The two previous years’ events were held at Arts Court, which is now under redevelopment. The inaugural fest took place at the Ottawa Jail hostel.
The new City Hall site is not only central and spacious, but also has a place in Ottawa music history. “A lot of people have good memories of going to Bluesfest there and discovering music,” noted Power, recalling the years that Bluesfest descended on the city hall grounds. With a projected attendance of 3,500 or so, this year’s Arboretum is a fraction the size of Bluesfest, but organizers are looking forward to having the space to expand the beer garden and offer bicycle parking.
Tuesday’s preliminary lineup announcement also includes the new electronic solo project by Arcade Fire drummer Jeremy Gara, Toronto’s electro art-punks Doomsquad, SXSW buzz act Dilly Dally, the fast-rising Halifax-based punk duo Partner, powwow artists Kina Miniwag, psych rockers Hooded Fang, indie-rock troubadour Shotgun Jimmie, Afro-Columbian innovator Lido Pimienta and the underground Toronto collective Above Top Secret.
“I think it’s ambitious and we have some really great Cancon favourites like Sloan but we also have some new and challenging artists. We’re trying to maintain that excitement and integrity,” said Power. “I’m excited that we provide a platform for some artists who don’t normally come here, like Mykki Blanco. He opened for Bjork a few years ago, but I don’t think they really route him through Ottawa so that’s exciting for us.”
An East Coast native, a personal favourite for her is the Halifax-born band Sloan, who will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of their landmark album One Chord to Another. She’s also looking forward to Junglepussy, whose Pop Montreal performance was one of Power’s concert highlights of 2015. “She’s phenomenal, a young rapper, 24 years old, who talks a lot about healthy living. The way she presents herself is inspiring and wonderful,” said Power, who also used to book acts at the now-defunct Raw Sugar Cafe.
Several independent Canadian labels will also showcase their artists at Arboretum’s day parties and club shows. Hard Drawn Dracula, Buzz Records, 88 Days of Fortune, You’ve Changed Records are confirmed, with more to be announced.
To find out the rest of the lineup, you have to wait until May when organizers plan to announce more acts, cultural talks, industry events, details on the festival village and a restaurant-driven charity component to raise money for the Ottawa Food Bank.
--taken from: Ottawa Citizen
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