The Ottawa Valley’s best live music venues

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“There’s nothing better than listening to live music; the sound, the interaction with the entertainers, the audience, the atmosphere: all contribute to [an] all-around awesome experience.”

So says avid live music fan Mark Killoran—and I couldn’t agree more. There’s nothing like hearing a musician play, and as far as I’m concerned, the smaller and more intimate the venue, the better.

Now, full disclosure: Mark and his wife Carol are good friends of my husband Eric and me. And that’s another aspect to live music venues. It’s terrific to get some friends together, head into the Ottawa Valley and take in a show. Often, quite a remarkable connection happens between musicians and audience.

So, where do I recommend going to listen—and I mean really listen—to singer-songwriters in the Ottawa Valley? Here are my top picks.

Batstone’s Northern Ramble
Renfrew, Ontario

The Killorans introduced us to Batstone’s Northern Ramble (BNR), a 130-year-old church in Renfrew that Dean Batstone has transformed into an award-winning music venue. A musician himself for about 40 years, he says, “With 11 full-length albums to date, I’ve received multiple songwriting awards, both U.S. and international, and have had the good fortune to have accumulated a long list of artists whom I’ve either co-written with or [who] have covered my songs.”

Read: He knows lots of musicians to invite to this special, intimate venue.

The church can hold 85 people seated on the original church pews—and, yes, Batstone has provided several comfortable cushions. Plus, there’s even a rocking chair.

His goal has been to attract the best North American original artists to his stage. He can check that off his list.

Mark and Carol first took Eric and me to BNR this past spring to see Canadian musician Harry Manx, a master of slide guitar, banjo, home-built “cigar-box guitar,” harmonica and likely a whole bunch of other instruments. The four of us were blown away by Manx’s performance on his 19-string, Mohan veena Indian guitar. He wowed us with riffs of classical Hindustani ragas, which he evocatively weaves through his lyrics. The former church provided Manx with a practically acoustically perfect setting, where the music soared into my soul.

The second time we visited BNR, we heard Brock Zeman and Rod Picott, two Americana/folk/blues musicians. They played individual sets as well as several tunes together—what a bonus!

Zemon’s intriguing lyrics often juxtapose seemingly incongruous imagery. As for Picott, the Boston Globe noted he is a “ringmaster at turning misery into art.” That’s an understatement. I’d not heard of Picott previously, but his gritty voice rasped through the former church’s chancel and nave. Lyrics to his song “Take Home Pay” clearly conveyed his take on being down and out:

“I’m on my way down to the pawnshop
A couple hundred is all I need
If I have to I’ll hit the blood bank
I’m bone dry but I can always bleed.”

At live music venues such as BNR, guests are often rewarded with a unique glimpse into the musicians’ talent and personality. These are fabulous opportunities to support musicians by truly listening to their words and music.

At BNR, Batstone says, “The music comes first.

“Many full-time musicians play most of their shows as ‘second fiddle’ to the conversations, pool table, dart board or the sportscast…or all of the above! My idea was to create a room where ‘song is king.’ This idea evolved from performing in a number of rooms, especially in the U.S. in the last 15 years, where the focus truly was on the artists. In other words, at Batstone’s Northern Ramble, I wanted to create a ‘listening room.’

“One show in a room like this could outshine the feeling I got from 10 shows in a typical bar setting, for example, so I knew at least the musicians would appreciate it. I’ve since found that the audience who loves these creative artists also appreciates being able to hear the music they have paid to see.

“Truly? It’s a win-win in the simplest sense.”

Indeed, Batstone’s Northern Ramble is now “on the circuit” for musicians such as Valdy and Tom Wilson. And, this Friday, September 28, you can catch Gentlemen of the Woods, a wonderful Ottawa band. Says drummer Mario Carlucci, “We’ve got some great new tunes I can’t wait for people to hear.”

Most BNR shows fall on Friday or Saturday evenings, but Batstone is flexible with scheduling. “If a known or potentially strong-drawing artist is passing through on a Tuesday or Wednesday on their way to, say, Ottawa’s National Arts Centre, however, I’m happy accommodate them, if they’d like to stop by Renfrew and give the good folks of the Valley a treat as well!”

Shows generally start at 8pm and are finished by 10:30pm, with doors opening at 7pm or 7:30pm. Seating is first come, first seated, but arriving early to ensure a good seat is really only an issue for near sell-out shows.

“We do offer cool refreshments under a donation system and have been known to provide free snacks on intermissions, but there’s something to be said for not having wait staff muddling their way through a crowded room during an intimate or rocking performance,” Batstone explains. “The focus is always the music.”

The Black Sheep Inn
(Auberge Le Mouton Noir)
Wakefield, Quebec

Lynne Hanson is an award-winning local singer-songwriter, and again, full disclosure: I’m a fan. Why, as a musician, does she enjoy the Black Sheep Inn, where she’s played about a dozen times?

She explains, “It’s funny, because when you first walk into the Black Sheep Inn and the curtains are open and the sunshine is coming through that wall of windows, it looks like any other live music venue. But when the room gets dark and every table has a candle sitting on it and the stage lights come up, it really does become a magical place.

“There’s an exchange that happens between the musicians on stage and the audience in the room that only occurs in a venue run by someone who absolutely loves the music and [has] embedded that passion into every molecule of the room. Paul Symes has really created a special place where musicians can pour their creative energy out into the air and know that that energy is going to be received and returned by a room full of appreciative, listening music lovers. I think it’s that vibe that keeps me coming back to play at the Black Sheep.”

And it keeps fans of live music returning again and again, too. “The Black Sheep, is, of course, an iconic music venue, not only in the Ottawa area,” says Mark Killoran. “Up-and-coming artists have cut their teeth there, such as Kathleen Edwards. Not being too large, it’s an intimate venue where one can get close up and personal with a band. Good sound technicians and sound quality complete the package. Staff are always friendly and down to earth.”

Hanson will be playing the Black Sheep this coming Saturday, September 29, with Lynn Miles. This duo of Ottawa-area musicians, known as The LYNNeS, are up for five Canadian Country Music Awards this year. Their wry humour, combined with energetic playing and soaring voices, create unforgettable sets.

Tips from Killoran? “Shows typically start at 8:30 or so and if you want to get a seat close to the stage, it’s best to arrive half to one hour ahead of time. We normally arrive early and order supper before the show gets underway. Food is of a pub nature and there is something to suit everyone. A number of craft beers [are] on tap, as well as regular brands.”

Hooley in the Hall
Saint Paul’s Anglican Church
Shawville, Quebec

What’s a “hooley”? Wiktionary explains it’s “a party; an evening of traditional music and dance.” Whatever the definition, singer-songwriter Robert Wills is a regular attendee of Hooley in the Hall in Shawville (every Friday night, 7:30pm to 9:30pm). According to the Pontiac-area country/folk rock artist, when the event started at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, there might have been “four musicians, and 10 [in] an audience. Now it’s sometimes 29 musicians, and 75 to 100 in the audience.”

In other words, it’s rather like a ceilidh, where musicians show up, play whatever instruments they bring—fiddles, guitars, spoons, you name it—and perform whatever they like for an appreciative audience. It’s a happening, a drop-in, and I look forward to enjoying this “old-time Ottawa Valley” tradition soon.

“Some of our musicians and listeners have cottages in Luskville, Norway Bay, or Thorne, or are in town visiting relatives, and drop in for an evening,” says Wills. He adds a compelling point.

“As an amateur sociologist, I like the way the hooley reflects the diversity of our community. There are some young ones, some old ones, and several in between. No matter what style of music you play, the audience listens and claps or sings along, sometimes to songs they haven’t heard before. The hall has decent acoustics, and a simple but effective sound system, so we musicians can just relax and play. It’s always as good as you thought it was.”

It’s all quite informal. “There is no admission fee, but donation jars and a weekly draw, wherein most winners return the money to the hall for maintenance and improvement,” Wills says. “The musical format is different also, in that there are no scheduled performers. Whoever shows up between 7 and 9:30 gets a chance to play/sing as the microphone goes around the circle. The idea was inspired by the longstanding Wednesday night fiddle meet and the Thursday night song circle at the Regal Beagle in Sheenboro.”

The hooley happens most weeks, save for special religious times, such as Easter and Christmas. It’s also cancelled during the Shawville Fair in September. Want to make sure it’s on? Telephone the church at (819) 647-3819.

Other live music venues in Eastern Ontario and West Quebec

I’ve not been to all these venues personally, but I’ve been told they’re well worth checking out.

The Merrickville United Arts Centre
Merrickville, Ontario
MUAC, housed in a beautiful heritage church, is also used for live theatre and art exhibitions. In October, it will host Merrickville’s Jazz Fest (October 11 to 14) and the Keith Glass Band (October 20).

The Cove Inn
Westport, Ontario

The Moon Café
Mattawa, Ontario

Neat Coffee Shop
Burnstown, Ontario

The Regal Beagle
Chapeau, Quebec

Are there more fabulous Eastern Ontario and West Quebec live music venues I’ve not mentioned? Let me know your favourites by posting a comment!

Katharine Fletcher is a freelance writer, author and visual artist. Discover her books at katharinefletcher.com. She also invites you to like her Facebook page, where you can view her art.

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