Saturday 15 January 2022

BobCat's pulling up stakes

 

It is a bittersweet duty to tell you that BobCat House Concerts is leaving Ottawa. 

After 15 years, more than 50 concerts, and a wealth of wonderful memories, we are selling our house, packing up and moving to Cobourg. 

While the time is right for us to make the move, it is a BIG disappointment that we won’t get to say goodbye with a final show here in Ottawa. 

BobCat started in February 2007 with Suzie Vinnick and Tony D lifting the roof off, and since then we’ve had wonderful performers and wonderful audiences finding each other.

In no particular order:  the legendary Penny Lang. The Good Lovelies. Jon Brooks. Chris Whiteley and Diana Braithwaite. Gregory Hoskins. Shari Ulrich. Jill Zmud. The Young Novelists. David Ross MacDonald. Corin Raymond. Babes for Breasts. Chris Page. Andrea Simms-Karp. Meredith Luce. Jeremy Fisher. Jadea Kelly. Gathering Sparks. Lindsay Ferguson. Amy Campbell. Quique Escamilla. Amanda Rheaume. Ana Miura. Rhonda Stakich. David Newland. Missy Burgess. The Undesirables. Rhonda Stakich. Kate Weekes. Wendell  Ferguson.  Terry Gillespie.  Emma-Lee. David Gogo. Coco Love Alcorn. Katherine Wheatley. Nathan Rogers.  Rick Fines. Lynn Miles. Lynne Hanson. Catriona Sturton. Jory Nash. Anique Granger. David Newland. Jonathan Byrd. Eric John. Kit Soden. Janine Stoll. Peter Elkas. Norma MacDonald. Mélanie Brulée. Shawna Caspi. Rachel Ferguson. 

Over the years, we’ve had some great times. Viruses willing, we will have new great times in our new home. 

But part of our heart will always be in our sunroom. 

Here's something from February 2009, 13 years ago: Peter Elkas, with "Only You." Only you made BobCat what it was. Only you keep music alive. 



Thanks for being there for us. Thanks for loving live music. Keep on loving it. 


Bob and Cat

Monday 23 August 2021

We are BACK! Catriona Sturton outdoor matinee Sept. 18

Boy. How long has it been? 

This is weird, isn’t it? It’s been over a year since we sent out an email. Bob & Cat saw a live show on Canada Day at the Neat, and that was the first real live music for more than 14 months. 

 We’re still here, though. Our household has been unscathed by COVID, and we hope yours have been too. And we are dipping a toe back into in the house-concert water with one of Ottawa’s treasures: Catriona Sturton. 




 Catriona Sturton is entirely herself. She’s a truly gifted harmonica virtuoso, having spent lots of time in the South soaking up lore of this bluesy instrument from the greats. She’s also a quirky songwriter who can come up with a song title like “Calling from my pants” and BRING IT. 

 Her life has taken her from membership in legendary Halifax band plumtree to a stint in a J-Pop band and to working for and with Dolly Parton. Yes, Dolly. Her live show is like a jack-in-the-box. You never know what’s going to pop up, but it is going to be as entertaining to your ears as that pop-up clown is to a baby. 

Check this sample out: 




THE DETAILS:

Who: Catriona Sturton 
Where: BobCat House Concerts back yard, 214 Northwestern Avenue 
When: Saturday, September 18 (rain date Sunday) 1:30 mingling for a 2:00 start. 
 Suggested donation: $20, ideally in advance by Paypal or e-transfer. 
What: (to bring) your own drinks and / or snacks. Probably better for us all to keep to our own food. 

Other stuff: 

Because we live in strange times, we’re going to do this show a little differently. 

To wit, we are only able to welcome those who are: 
  • Double vaccinated 
  • Medically unable to be vaccinated and willing to wear a mask throughout 
  • We are limiting numbers for this show to 25 total, and we would like to group people together. If you are coming as a foursome, we’ll group you together, etc. So please tell us how many you’ll be so we can arrange chairs and spacing. 
Best thing to do: drop an email to bob.ledrew@gmail.com with number of people attending and then send us a transfer. Hope you’re as excited as we are.

See you in September! 

Sunday 6 October 2019

Fall BobCat: Kerri Ough with Christine Bougie OCTOBER 26

BobCat’s fall offering is a familiar face in a new format.

Kerri Ough (photo: Ryan Nolan) 
Kerri Ough is a writer and musician, most known for being 1/3 of the band Good Lovelies who have spent the last 13 years touring around the world and releasing eight albums in that time.

But this time, Kerri’s coming to BobCat as a solo artist as she does a series of house concerts across Ontario in support of her debut solo album, One Day Soon. She released that record in February and toured Atlantic Canada opening for Royal Wood before resuming her duties as a Lovely. About her album One Day Soon: "Anchored by an airy, intimate take on pop-tinged folk, the album is ripe with compelling foils – sometimes somber, sometimes sweet; sometimes wistful, others whimsical."

You will hear elements of Good Lovelies in her solo songs, of course. But you’ll also hear new sounds and musical ideas that are uniquely her own.

Kerri is touring this time with guitarist Christine Bougie. Christine is a sought after side-player who you may have seen alongside Bahamas on tour or on one of the late-night talk shows, or on her own. Her style is more on the atmospheric than the virtuosic, creating musical textures and colours on electric guitar or lap steel that complement the music, rather than show off technical wizardry. 

As a solo artist and composer, Bougie has released four albums of instrumental music. In August 2019, she released Love Songs with the Queer Songbook Orchestra on 7” vinyl, which features two of her lap steel compositions, backed by a 10 piece chamber orchestra.

Kerri and Christine will make an evening of musical friendship that you will remember for a long time.

Not convinced? Here's a little taste of solOugh:
THE DETAILS:
Who: Kerri Ough with Christine Bougie
Where: BobCat House Concerts, 214 Northwestern Avenue
When: Saturday, October 26; 7:00 mingling and 8:00 music
What: (to bring) a sweet or savory snack to share at intermission; your own booze
Suggested donation: $20, ideally in advance by Paypal or e-transfer.

A reminder: BobCat has one cat in residence; if you’re allergic, a little Benadryl goes a long way

Sunday 31 March 2019

May 12: A Mother’s Day Matinee with The Lynnes.

This house concert thing is kinda fun. We had such a good time hosting Jory Nash on March 23 we’re gonna do it again, and this time with a giant treat for anyone who is, or has, a mother: The Lynnes.


Lynne Hanson and Lynn Miles are The LYNNeS, two titanic songwriting and singing talents combining forces to bring multiple instruments, tight harmonies, and gritty and truthful lyrics to any stage they play on.

And in between songs, the two play off each other. Anyone who’s seen Lynn Miles here at BobCat knows just how funny she is; Lynne Hanson is a worthy partner with her own wit and sensibility.

The New York Times says “Lynn Miles makes being forlorn feel like a state of grace.” Penguin Eggs says Lynne Hanson “seems headed for that record territory inhabited by seasoned songwriters such as Nanci Griffith, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Mary Gauthier and Lucinda Williams.”

Their first album as a team, Heartbreak Song for the Radio, led to two Canadian Folk Music Awards for English Songwriter of the Year and Ensemble of the Year.

After our Mother’s Day matinee show with The Lynnes, you’ll simply say: “Thank you for the music.”

WHAT: The Lynnes in concert at BobCat
WHERE: 214 Northwestern Avenue, Ottawa
WHEN: Sunday, May 12, Music at 2 pm; arrive any time after 1 pm.

The suggested donation for this show is $30. Reserve your seat by emailing us and (ideally) sending us money by Interac e-transfer or PayPal to: bob.ledrew@gmail.com.











Wednesday 20 February 2019

We’re back! Jory Nash March 23

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Work demands made it impossible for us to host for the last 18 months or so, but we are now able to open up the stage once again and bring you the best roots music we can find in Canada and beyond.

And to that end ... our first concert since the reboot is coming up in MARCH! Exciting.

We wanted to bring someone who we knew would do a stellar show, and who also has new music to share since we were last doing concerts. The first to come to mind: Jory Nash.

Jory has performed here before, and he’s a BobCat favorite (both in terms of the hosts and the audience.) His finely crafted songs (most recently on his album Wilderness Years), his skill as a musician and singer, and his winning personality all make an evening listening to Jory an evening well spent indeed. So join us, won’t you?

  • WHO: Jory Nash in concert at BobCat 
  • WHERE: 214 Northwestern Avenue, Ottawa WHEN: March 23, 2019; arrive after 7, music at 8 sharp 
  • WHAT (to bring): a snack to share; a donation to the Ottawa Food Bank; and some cash to purchase some merch-es. Suggested donation is $20; all the cash goes to the artist. We like it in advance, dropped off or sent electronically via PayPal or Interac transfer to bob.ledrew@gmail.com 
 We hope to see you on the 23rd and once again celebrate the joy of live music in cozy surroundings.

Monday 10 July 2017

A slight pause, whilst we adjust our accoutrements.

Hi BobCatters:

A note from us to say that sadly, we're going to be putting our shows on hiatus for the next while. New work commitments in the household are going to make doing shows on Fridays or Saturdays impossible, and so we are going to have to hit "pause" for now.

Don't forget about us, though: we'll be back as soon as we can.

Monday 13 February 2017

Mélanie Brulée and Anique Granger February 25

Anique Granger and Mélanie Brulée (photos: Jen Squires)
Hello, lovely music lovers, and welcome to 2017.

Our first concert of 2017 is going to be a wonderful one for a number of reasons. First, it marks the 10th birthday of BobCat House Concerts. We welcomed Suzie Vinnick and Tony D into our home in February 2007, and we were hooked on bringing music to eager ears. Since then, we've done dozens of shows, encouraged a few other people to begin doing house concerts of their own, and luxuriated in wonderful music and camaraderie.

Second, if you were at that show in February 2007, you may remember it was kind of a birthday gift for the Cat half of BobCat. It's her birthday month again, and if you play your cards right there might be cake this time!

But you're probably not coming for cake -- you're coming for music. And we have two announcements to make.

First, Anique Granger and Mélanie Brulée on February 25. These two performers share a depth of insight that comes through in their own songs and the songs they write together, but bring distinctly different voices to the mix. Saskatchewan-born Anique Granger is the more straightforward singer-songwriter, with a touch of the chansonnier tradition of francophone music, while Cornwall-born Mélanie Brulée is equal portions cabaret, indie-rock, and singer-songwriter, bringing a theatricality to her performance that is reinforced by solid musicianship and writing.

Join us for an evening of songs that will touch your heart or provide un vrai coup de coeur.

WHO: Mélanie Brulée and Anique Granger
WHEN: February 25, music at 8
WHERE: 214 Northwestern Avenue, Ottawa
SUGGESTIONS: Suggested donation $20 (cash or e-transfer in advance to bob.ledrew@gmail.com is appreciated); BYOB, soft drinks always available; a snacky treat is always wonderfully appreciated, as are donations to the Parkdale Food Centre

Special bonus sneak preview: March 23 we are thrilled to welcome a return engagement by one of our  -- and Canada's -- favourite groups. We don't normally do weeknight shows, but when the Good Lovelies make an offer, we can't refuse.  This will be an exclusive, private show with this Juno Award-winning trio (and February 2009 BobCatters). A full announcement will come soon. This WILL sell out, so book your seat now.