Patrick Watson, Marie-Mai and Tim Hicks in concert live in Gatineau this summer

Patrick Watson and Marie-Mai

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17 June 2020 23h56

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Patrick Watson, Marie-Mai and Tim Hicks in concert live in Gatineau this summer

Patrick Watson, Husband-May, Tim Hicks and the Sam Roberts Band will be this summer’s concerts at the Place des Festivals, on the site Zibi, in the city centre of Gatineau. These four headliners will share the stage with several other canadian artists.

These artists will be performing in the Old-Hull directly, as part of a series called “Concerts at the wheel”, because of the formula adopted, reproducing the concept of the ciné-parc. The spectators can watch the performances from a vehicle – this, in order to comply with the measures of distancing physical force.

This is Marie-Mai, who will launch the celebrations, the 31st of July. At the top of the poster, the Quebec share, however, the scene with several English-speaking artists of the highest caliber (that precede): Terra Lightfoot, Julian Taylor, Kellylee Evans, and Donovan Woods.

The next day, Saturday, 1st August, it will be the turn of the Sam Roberts Band come and play on the banks of the river Kitchissippi (Ottawa river). These Drive-In concerts will continue to the end of the next week, in the company of Patrick Watson (7) and Tim Hicks (8).

The four heads of posters will be preceded by a bevy of musicians who will take turns on stage as early as 19 h. Among them are several names associated with the Ottawa-Gatineau region, as Kellylee Evans, Kira Isabella, Andrea Rheaume and, on the side of the francophones, the rapper LeFLOFRANCO or even the folk duo Genevieve and Alain.

The initiative is the result of a collaboration between the national Arts Centre and the organization of the RBC Bluesfest, which have unveiled their programming in a joint statement sent in the night from Wednesday to Thursday.

These Concerts behind the wheel is part of the series #CanadaEnPrestation, that the NAC was established through a partnership with Facebook Canada, which aims to facilitate the “gradual recovery” of the industry of the performing arts, in the wake of the pandemic, this “period of disruption and cancellations” shows.

In the framework of this partnership with Facebook, the concerts will be broadcast live and continuously. Canadians will be able to attend from the comfort of their home.

Respect of the aboriginal culture

The Concerts at the wheel will occur on the site Zibi, a territory of the algonquin Nation anishinaabe, the organizers state that “the culture, the artists and the indigenous rituals have their place, as evidenced by.for example, the presence of Amanda Rheaume within this programming.

“A space that will honor the culture and the talents aboriginal people of the algonquin Nation, but also artists black of the Ottawa-Gatineau region”, emphasizes the producer’s general popular Music and variety performances at the NAC, Heather Gibson, who also wears the hat of programmer main #CanadaEnPrestation.

“This will be a showcase for native talent and emerging economies, presented in a significant location,” says Marjolaine Hudon, the regional president of RBC Royal Bank to the north and east of Ontario. The banking institution, sponsor traditional Bluesfest, remains associated with these Concerts and driving.

A mini-Bluesfest ?

“In recent years, the team at the RBC Bluesfest has had the pleasure of working with the NAC in the framework of several projects; I can say without hesitation that the “”Concerts on the steering wheel is one of the most innovative and exciting that we have created up to now,” said for his part the director general of the Bluesfest, Mark Monahan, who has been forced to cancel the edition 2020 of the festival.

He said he is “convinced” that this series of concerts presented a few minutes walk of the Plains Breton will be a posteriori considered as “must-sees of the summer in Ottawa this year”.

A cine-city park will be must be installed at the Place des Festivals, on a temporary basis. Its giant screens, will host films from the beginning of July.

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THE COMPLETE PROGRAM

Friday, July 31: Marie-Mai

+ Donovan Woods institutions and The Opposition ; Neon Dreams ; Terra Lightfoot ; Julian Taylor ; Kellylee Evans.

Saturday, August 1st : Sam Roberts Band

+ Shad ; Haviah Mighty ; LeFLOFRANCO ; Nambi ; Bboyizm

Friday, August 7 : Patrick Watson

+ Basia Bulat ; Zaki Ibrahim ; Asuquomo ; Silla and Rise ; Geneviève and Alain

Saturday, August 8 : Tim Hicks

+ Kira Isabella ; Chris Labelle ; Crystal Shawanda ; Lyle Odjick & The Northern Steam ; Andrea Rheaume

The concerts start at 19h.

Tickets will go on sale on Tuesday, 23 June at 10 a.m. (EDT).

For any information and programming details (which are likely to add artists, suggests the NAC), one can consult the website dedicated to the partnership between the NAC and the Bluesfest.

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#CanadaEnPrestation

Launched on the 19th of march last, #CanadaEnPrestation allowed the company to pay wages to 700 artists and canadian authors affected by the closure of the theatres during the pandemic. During the period from 19 march to 31 may, the services and events broadcast in the framework of this initiative, “garnering over 4.75 million views,” says the NAC, which prides itself on at the same time helped to “boost the morale of the Canadians to the four corners of the country”.

Le Soleil