Ottawa Gets A Capital Idea!

BY Stacey SleightholmPublished May 15, 2007

For their first attempt at the music fest game, the ambitious organisers of Ottawa’s upcoming Capital Idea! Festival have done pretty well for themselves. The Walkmen, Destroyer, Sunset Rubdown, Xiu Xiu, Frog Eyes, Rock Plaza Central, and The Fiery Furnaces are just a few of the heavy-hitting bands they’ve wrangled together for the 10-day Ottawa event.

From June 21 to 30, festival-goers can take in performances from the over 30 scheduled acts in a select group of downtown Ottawa venues like the Bronson Centre Theatre, Babylon Nightclub Barrymore's Music Hall and Zaphod Beeblebrox.

The fest is the brainchild of music writer/promoter Calum Marsh (Mocking Music), who felt that indie music was being underrepresented in our nation’s capital.

"The 'indie' niche, if you want to call it that, doesn't have a recognisable face representing it in Ottawa,” Marsh said. "I guess that's the role I wanted to take on. This is Ottawa's answer to Pop Montreal or NXNE. I'd like to dispel the myth that Ottawa isn't a hot spot for live music. We can be if we want it to be. This festival, I think, might suggest that."

Capital Idea! will also give a boost to young local filmmakers and artists, with public screenings of films made by students at Carleton University, as well as talk of showcasing works by local artists in and around the venues.

Here’s the lineup so far:

The Walkmen
The Fiery Furnaces
Destroyer
Xiu Xiu
Sunset Rubdown
Frog Eyes
Girl Talk
The Russian Futurists
Damo Suzuki
The Wrens
Born Ruffians
Hot Springs
The Chinese Stars
Montag
Miracle Fortress
Parts and Labor
Chris Garneau
Crystal Castles
Relief Maps
My Dad Vs Yours
As the Poets Affirm
Acres
Poorfolk
City of a Hundred Spires
Fucked Corpse

For information on venues, tickets and wristbands, visit myspace.com/capitalideafestival.

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