Billing itself as Ottawa's newest large-scale festival (Xpress puts its capacity at 10 000), Westfest flies (albeit under the radar) into its 3rd year with a stellar combination of FREE music, dance, art, busking, and more. But here at dial613, it's all about the music. (...And the show listings.)


DAY 1: 06.10.06
Elliott Brood - Only At Home
This track by Elliott Brood has absolutely dominated dial613's speakers for the last while. As a band, Elliott Brood are description-resistant. They are plucking banjos, howling, and "get down!"'s in the name of old-timey bluegrass. ...and I'm completely failing in my attempt to describe the description-resistant (obvious), so just listen to the mp3, check out their perfectly appropriate website, and go.

the schedule:
10:00 AM - Bigstone Drummers (various members of aboriginal tribes)
1:20 PM - The Cliks (college indie-rock)
2:30 PM - Ember Swift ("corporate-free.. jazz to funk to pop to punk")
4:00 PM - Justin Rutledge (singer-songwriter)
5:15 PM - Elliott Brood
7:00 PM - Nukariik (inuit dancers; only 15 minutes)
7:30 PM - Emm Gryner (ambient pop/rock)
9:00 PM - The Sky Diggers and The Cash Brothers


DAY 2: 06.11.06
High on Ottawa content, westfest's second day features no less than 6 local acts, including Bleeding Hearts, the trio of 14-year-old girls who could be Ottawa's answer to Smoosh.. despite the fact they probably sound nothing alike.
More notably, 3 of the biggest names in Ottawa's indie music scene will make appearances:
Jim Bryson - Somewhere Else
The Acorn - Plates & Saucers
Hilotrons - Science Fiction Music

Also, dial613's ever-piqued curiousity about spoken word and slam poetry will hopefully be satisfied, as Westfest showcases 5 word-speakers and poetry-slammers on the main stage.

the schedule:
9:30 AM - Bleeding Heart (???)
10:15 AM - The Habit ("melodic pop, folk-funk")
11:30 AM - Spoken Word showcase (w/ John Akpata, DJ Morales, Greg Frankson, and more)
1:00 PM - Joshua Morin (acoustic rock)
2:00 PM - Kellylee Evans (urban jazz)
3:00 PM - Hilotrons
4:30 PM - The Acorn
6:30 PM - Peggy White (roots)
7:30 PM - Jim Bryson


(More information on all the artists, and their websites (some of which have mp3s), here.)

So, who are you looking forward to?
Will you be heading to see any of the non-music events?
(also, feedback is welcome on this "guide". Did you like anything specific? What would you have liked to see but didn't? Tell me what you want.)