Oshawa Music Week underway at venues across the city
Published April 4, 2023 at 11:53 am
Oshawa’s week-long celebration of music is underway with a whole series of events for music lovers, aspiring and established musicians and for those who just love a rockin’ good time.
Presented by students of the Music Business program at Durham College, Oshawa Music Week – which runs until April 8, is now in its 23rd year as organizers strive to “develop, support, and unite the music community” and reflect the diverse voices of Oshawa’s cultural landscape.
The event, the first on-person music week since the pandemic, kicked off Saturday with a Classical Pop-Off at the Pit at Durham College featuring soulful singer-songwriter Maya Agnes and OMA-winning performer George Gjurin. Monday was the World Music Festival – also at the Pit – with performances from different cultures and in different languages.
On tap Tuesday is Our Lips are Synched at Fionn McCools on Ritson Road, an annual singing and dancing competition organized by the students in the music business program with the audience determining the winner. Tickets are $10 for the event, which will be from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Oshawa Music Week and its predecessor Reel Music Festival have hosted hundreds of talented emerging musicians over the years, as well as prominent guest speakers and up-and-coming music business managers. Previous performers include Haviah Mighty, Rural Alberta Advantage, Cale Crowe, The Professors of Funk, Kelsi Mayne, Rooks McCoy, Robyn Ottolini, Excuses Excuses, Ill Scarlet, Michou, Amorak, Constellations, Brighter Brightest, Eleven Past One, and many others from a variety of genres.
Notable past guest speakers include David Baksh from Sum 41, legendary radio broadcaster David Marsden, music host and educator Alan Cross, music correspondent Eric Alper, Greig Nori (Treble Charger, Manager of Sum41), James Linderman (Berklee School of Music), Ian Stranger (Black Box Music – Classified, Crash Parallel, Teenage Kicks), Jessica Lemmon (event coordination and production management), and Tyler ‘T-Minus’ Williams, a producer for Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, Ciara, Drake, and Justin Bieber.
Videos
Wednesday’s agenda is highlighted by Genre Swap: Legends where musicians “switch it up” at an event at the Oshawa Shrine Club on Simcoe St. N. Tickets are just $5.
Thursday is a busy day at Oshawa Music Week with EDM Recharge, a chill afternoon at Durham College’s student lounge with coffee, DJs and dancing; followed by the always popular Songs Revealed at the Shrine Club from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Songs Revealed has songwriters competing in front of a panel of industry professionals as judges. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door.
Friday’s itinerary begins with Coffee by the Fire, a free unplugged event at the Cork & Bean downtown starting at 4 p.m., featuring Cameron Tania and Black Suit Devil.
The Friday evening main events are Metal Showcase and Hip-Hop Showcase, with both shows $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Metal Showcase is at the General Pub downtown from 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., with metal bands including Beguiler, Kohlit, Maitreya and Please Stand By.
The OMA Hip-Hop Showcase (also 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.) is at the Diesel Room (second floor of the Atria) and features 420 Klick, Smallz. J-Riich and Topman Meeko.
Oshawa Music Week wraps up Saturday with a Drag Brunch at the Biltmore Theatre ($15) with brunch, mimosas and local drag talent Batzy and Orlandra Bloom; followed by the Nü Music Summit at the CFCE Building at Durham College, with top music professionals, including managers, studio owners and artists, discussing the state of the music business.
The final event is If We Were a Movie dance party at the Biltmore, a $20 event featuring the music from the television shows of your youth, from the Jonas Brothers to Jesse McCartney.
You can bop to the top from nine p.m. until midnight.
