by Tony Wolfarth
This month, we’re focussing on some of the many free performances you can watch from home.
NAC Presents
The National Arts Centre (NAC) is now providing a way for Canadian full-time musicians to perform online. The concerts run for one hour and come directly from the performer’s studio or residence. Last month’s highlights included William Prince, Sarah Harmer and Alan Doyle. This month, on-line viewers can see Laila Biali, Catherine Major, Madison Violet, Patricia Cano, Leeroy Stagger, and many more – as well as a theatrical performance by Pierre Brault. The musicians jam for live audiences and invite fans to contribute to their fund-raising initiatives. No sound boards, no techs, no mixers. Some of the artists take requests to play their favourites – songs they don’t usually perform.
The bad news? There is no easy way to time shift the events: i.e. plan your lockdown around these live events.
A full list of the online events is at nac-cna.ca/en/calendar/. Most are on Facebook (#CanadaPerforms tag), with a few on YouTube or Instagram.
CKCU FM Online
Folkies in Ottawa know and love listening to Chris White’s program Canadian Spaces – every Saturday from 10 am to 12 noon EST. When CKCU had to shutter its doors temporarily due to the pandemic, Chris took the program online from his residence. Fans of Canadian Spaces can listen to the CKCU Facebook stream. The livestream has been so successful, Chris is taking it online Sundays at 7 pm.
Chris was the artistic director of the Ottawa Folk Festival, and is a friend of many musicians from coast to coast to coast.
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More Streaming Music
Musicians are, above all, creative. Streaming of pop-up concerts can be found on other platforms – including on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. You can find usually them by searching via the musician’s personal social media accounts.
Joel Plaskett Online
Joel Plaskett is a Nova Scotia singer and songwriter. He partnered with the Globe & Mail to take his music online ahead of the release of his latest 4-album set “44”. Fans can check out his video stream at: www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/video-watch-a-replay-of-joel-plasketts-full-concert-with-the-globe/
National Film Board
Many of the NFB’s best films can be viewed on their site (www.nfb.ca) for free. Recommended: Aftermath: The Remnants of War (2001), Ladies and Gentlemen: Mr. Leonard Cohen (1965), about his early days as a writer and poet in Montreal, and Cree Hunters of Mistassini (1974), about a lost way of life, with three Cree families living off the land in James Bay, directed by Boyce Richardson, a celebrated NFB auteur who was made a member of the Order of Canada in 2002.
The International Documentary Film Amsterdam (IDFA) Online
IDFA (www.idfa.nl/en/) is an Amsterdam-based documentary film festival considered one of the biggest and best in the world. IDFA has made 200 of its collection, ideally suited for binge watching, available.
Most of the Canadian collection are short documentaries.
A Night at the Garden
In 1939, when the US declared its neutrality towards German military actions, the American Nazi Party held a rally with 20,000 participants at Madison Square Garden. Eighty years on, a short documentary film was made about the event. A Night at the Garden was nominated for an Academy Award and can be seen online at anightatthegarden.com . The running time is seven minutes.
In case you missed it
Concerned you have missed special events during the lockdown? Many have been extended or postponed, including:
- The 4th Annual Irish Film Festival of Ottawa–postponed until Sept. 18-20
- CATS at the NAC–postponed until July 28
- Hamilton at the NAC–postponed until Nov. 24
Tony Wohlfarth is an Ottawa-based freelance film and entertainment writer. He is self–isolating at home while indulging in an abundance of online entertainment resources.