Live Music Returns to the Capital

A handful of lucky live music starved fans were treated to a special show featuring Amanda Rheaume and hosted by the National Arts Centre.

The NAC’s Fourth Stage was all decked out to receive a handful of very grateful folks last night. As we all know, the live music scene in the city, the province, the country, and the world is suffering immensely at the moment thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NAC put in place very tight controls to ensure that fans, staff, and entertainers were safe. Attendees were briefed before the show on protocols, including where to park, how to enter the building and when to arrive. Ottawa Public Health guidelines were strictly adhered to, including the need to remain physically distanced from each other while waiting in line and once inside. I for one, felt extremely safe and able to relax throughout the evening. The plexiglass barriers in front of audience members as well as directly in front of the entertainers were something new for photographers to wrestle with, but it was evident that the NAC is taking the health of its guests very seriously.

It was fitting that one of the first performers to return to the NAC stage was Ottawa-raised singer-songwriter Amanda Rheaume. She performed a number of tunes over the 1 hour show including the title track of her fifth album The Skin I’m In. The song presents a compellingly portrait of an artist fully comfortable in her own skin, personally and musically. Produced by Colin Cripps (Blue Rodeo, Junkhouse) at The Tragically Hip’s famed Bathouse Studio, the album sports a full-blooded band sound, thanks to the contributions of an A-list musical supporting cast. One of Rheaume’s great gifts as a songwriter is her ability to take the personal and make it universal, drawing upon her own experience to deliver messages with a wide resonance. She digs deep on The Skin I’m In, reflecting upon her Metis heritage, as on the profoundly moving title track and “Return To The Water,” and addressing issues of identity and mental health.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I teared up hearing the first bars being played. Anyone reading this post knows that live music has a way of digging deep inside your soul and making you feel alive. I had almost forgotten how much I missed that strong emotional pull. Amanda and her band seemed so genuinely happy to be performing in front of an audience again that the happiness was infectious and the crowd gladly clapped and sang along until it was time to part ways.

The NAC is hosting a small number of events such as these over the coming weeks, including performances by Good Lovelies on December 13th and Kellylee Evans on December 17th. Tickets are still available. The show will also be livestreamed on Facebook Live if you aren’t able to score a ticket or are not comfortable venturing out just yet.

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