Where to Find Live Music in Ottawa’s Original Downtown This August  

Even though we’ve entered the latter half of the summer, Rideau Street is still bumping with plenty of live music acts for you to enjoy. From the esteemed music halls of the National Arts Centre to the small, intimate stage in Avant-Garde Bar, you’re certain to find someone playing your song throughout the month of August. If you’re looking to get your groove on while the weather is still hot and sunny, read on to see a sample of what’s happening, where you can find it and why you should attend! 

A Former Friend 

Suppose you would like to make a stop at Avant-Garde Bar but you’re looking for a different style of music. In that case, be sure to circle back to Avant-Garde the following week to catch a performance by Kentucky-based musicians A Former Friend! Having put out their most recent release “This TV Will Not Be Revolutionized” in 2021, the band makes use of an eclectic assortment of instruments, such as flutes and organs, and draws inspiration from the songwriting traditions of the southern American states from where they originated. 

Plan yourself and your friends an American South-inspired evening for August! Grab some dinner at Lone Star Texas Grill at the intersection of George and Dalhousie and enjoy a succulent sirloin steak, delicious Tex-Mex tacos or any of the fantastic items on their menu. After that, it’s only a three-minute walk to Avant-Garde to watch A Former Friend perform live with a cold Corona and some nachos if you’re still feeling peckish. 

📅 August 9 

⏰ 7:00 p.m. 

📍Avant-Garde Bar 

🎟️ More Info 

Josyara 

Josyara is quickly becoming one of the most enticing new acts to come out of Brazil and grace stages the world over. Her music largely draws inspiration from the sound of the sertão region as well as some of Brazil’s most esteemed musical talent, such as Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. However, she also makes use of electronic beats and other contemporary influences to create a sound and style that is truly her own.  

Watch Josyara deliver her performance at the NAC’s Azrieli Studio, an intimate black box space that allows for an unparalleled viewing and listening experience. Feel like grabbing dinner beforehand? Reserve a table for you and your plus-one at 1 Elgin and experience quintessentially Canadian culinary excellence from Executive Chef Kenton Leier and Resident Chef Carmen Ingham before enjoying the evening’s entertainment! 

📅 August 9 

⏰ 8:00 p.m. 

📍Azrieli Studio, National Arts Centre 

🎟️ Tickets 

CHILIØ + The Downcast w/ Not My Enemy, Hannah Vig 

This one’s for all you millennials out there that grew up on pop-punk bands! For anyone who spent their formative years listening to the likes of Blink-182, Good Charlotte, Avril Lavigne and other similar bands, you can’t afford to miss this performance by CHILIØ, The Downcast, Not My Enemy and Hannah Vig at Avant-Garde Bar! 

The former three all share a common appreciation of all things pop-punk, with fast-paced, guitar driven songs featuring catchy hooks that you’ll be humming even as you walk out the door. That said, the bands have taken it upon themselves to forge a distinctive sound for themselves; CHILIØ, for example, draws inspiration from the “outlaw spirit” of their home in Calgary as well as the cultural backgrounds of their band members to create a sound they’ve termed “punkadelic.” Also, Hannah Vig will be performing an assortment of original tunes inspired by pop artists like Taylor Swift, Maude Latour and Ella Jane. 

This is the perfect show to complement your nostalgia while taking a trip down memory lane in Ottawa’s Original Downtown. Head over to Hot Topic in the Rideau Centre for old time’s sake and gear up before the concert with a band shirt, some hi-top sneakers and maybe even a studded belt. And for anyone who’s feeling particularly adventurous, you can book yourself an appointment in advance at Future Skin Tattoo! 

📅 August 11 

⏰ 7:00 p.m. 

📍Avant-Garde Bar 

🎟️ Tickets 

Al Qahwa 

Al Qahwa’s music is perhaps best defined as an exercise in bringing together some of the most geographically and culturally disparate cultures in the world and fusing them together under the foundation of jazz music. Featuring sounds and dance from North Africa, Greece, Iran, the Middle East and Ireland, Al Qahwa are able to foster a musical experience that is evocative of the performers’ differing cultural backgrounds yet fuses them together is such a way as to make the music their own. 

If you missed the Okavango African Orchestra’s performance earlier in the month, be sure to catch this one! As part of the NAC’s Wood Terrace Series, this FREE event is yet another opportunity to take in the sights of Ottawa’s Original Downtown from a breathtaking vantage point that only the NAC can offer. It’s the perfect complement to an amazing dinner at JOEY Rideau, which is only a 10 minute walk away. 

📅 August 15-16 

⏰ 7:30 p.m. 

📍Wood Terrace, National Arts Centre 

🎟️ Tickets 

GOATS – Tribute to Ghost 

It’s almost a certainty that any given fan of heavy metal will be familiar with the work of Ghost, one of the fastest-rising and most acclaimed acts in the genre to emerge within the past decade or so. Known for their intricate costumes, set designs and pyrotechnic displays that complement their music, the band delighted audiences with a sound that runs the gamut from old-school heavy metal to more modern pop-influenced tunes. 

Hailing from Québec, GOATS is a tribute act that aims to deliver a faithful recreation of all aspects of a Ghost performance, including the music, stage displays and everything in between. GOATS have been paying homage to Ghost since 2021 and have been relentless in the pursuit to become the most acclaimed Ghost tribute act in their home province ever since.  Grab yourself a delicious jerk chicken meal at Nu Caribbean before heading over to the show right next door!  

📅 August 19 

⏰ 8:00 p.m. 

📍Mavericks 

🎟️ Tickets 

Aviva Chernick 

Throughout a career in music that spans decades, Aviva Chernick has left audiences across the globe awe-struck with her vocal talents. Her work has earned her a great deal of recognition and accolades, including a recent invitation to perform as a guest of the Canadian Ambassador to the UAE in Dubai. Her signature vocal style is boundary-breaking and untethered by genre as Aviva prefers to take her influence from varying cultures and languages such as Hebrew, Ladino, and English. 

Aviva Chernick’s FREE performance marks the last concert in the NAC’s Wood Terrace Series and your last chance to catch a show at this incredible venue during the month of August! Why not enjoy a picnic in Confederation Park that evening before walking only five minutes to the NAC? Or check out some of the other beautiful green spaces in the area. 

📅 August 22-23 

⏰ 7:30 p.m. 

📍Wood Terrace, National Arts Centre 

🎟️ Tickets