Spotlight Ottawa

Last Wednesday was the first in a series of 3 nights of concerts at the LiVE Lounge Main Stage, as part of LiVE 88.5‘s Big Money Shot contest. Each night, music fans would get to check out 5 bands, and cheer on their favourites. Each band was hoping to make it into the top 6 and move on to the next stage of the contest.

First up that evening was Geoffrey the Giant. This was the first time I had seen him perform. In addition to having a great voice, he is also a very talented song writer. Check out some of his music if you get the chance. His sound is described as piano-based alternative pop-rock.

Next up was Loon Choir. This was my first time seeing them as well. I really enjoyed their set. It was full of danceable beats, great melodies and lots of energy. Guitarist and lead vocalist Derek Atkinson was a ball of energy. He wouldn’t have stood still all night if it wasn’t for having to stand by his mic stand to sing.

Third to take the stage was Nothing. They opened their set with a strong tune and kept it rolling from there. They added a few additional musicians for this performance, which definitely added to the fullness of their sound. While they weren’t fortunate enough to move on, they do have plans to head down to Nashville to do some more work with Lukas Rossi. They had to the opportunity to meet him during their song writing workshop.

Liam Lloyd always really gets into his music on stage. I have seen him twice now, and he doesn’t disappoint. He also had a boisterous group of fans that were very vocal. Liam is another strong songwriter, who switches between keys and guitar while performing. Congratulations are in order as Liam was the only performer from night 1 to move on to the final 6.

Last up were The Murder Plans. They played an energetic set. This was the first time I had seen them live. Check them out if you get the chance. You can also view additional photos of their set courtesy of Ming Wu.