NEWS - Performance Printing

NEWSConnected to your community‘Dueling guitars’ at Gaia Java’s music eveningJohn Curryjohn.curry@metroland.comEMC news - “Dueling Banjos,” a1955 song made famous in the 1972film “Deliverance,” showed howmusicians could feed off each other,with two together adding a unique dimensionto a song. Well, last Friday’smusic evening at the Gaia Java CoffeeCompany shop in Stittsville wasat times like “dueling guitars,” asfriends and fellow musicians GeoffDignam and Lucas Haneman highlightedtheir individual vocals withperiods of guitar jamming. Theywere not dueling, however, but rathercomplimenting each other with theirguitar playing.And so it was not surprising thatthe pair began their performance atGaia Java with Neil Young’s “Cowgirlin the Sand,” a song written byNeil Young himself and featuringlengthy guitar jams, meant to showcasehis guitar talents. And so whileGeoff Dignam did the vocals on thissong, both Geoff and Lucas addedtheir guitar stylings to the piece. NeilYoung would probably have beenproud of this rendition of his song.When the pair did Marvin Gaye’s1971 hit “What’s Going On,” Lucasdid the vocals which were interspersedwith periods of guitar playingby them both – not a duel but aduet, as it were.And so it went through the performance.There was “When I’mSixty-Four,” the iconic Beatles tunefrom the group’s 1967 album “Sgt.Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”;Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,”the signature song for this Americansinger who is not only in theRock and Roll Hall of Fame but alsomade Rolling Stone magazine’s listof the 100 greatest musical artists ofall time; and more, all featuring notonly vocals but also appropriate guitarwork.Geoff Dignam, who grew up inStittsville, and Lucas Haneman metwhen attending Concordia Universityin Montreal and both are nowpursuing musical careers, living inMontreal.Geoff currently has a regular gigas a musician there but he reallywants to do more song writing andright now finds it difficult to do both.JOHN CURRY/METROLANDGeoff Dignam, left, and Lucas Haneman, right, are with their guitars attheir performance at the Friday music evening at the Gaia Java CoffeeCompany shop in Stittsville last Friday, May 24.He has a CD entitled “Songs of theJean Talon Market” in the workswhich should be coming out soon.You just know that Lucas Hanemanis something of a guitar fanwhen he tells you that he currentlyowns 14 guitars. He admits that thisis too many but he still has them.Currently Lucas is involved withmusic full time, partly as a musicteacher and partly as a performer.He has two CD’s already out. Now26 years old, he has been playing theguitar since the age of six.At the Gaia Java music eveninglast Friday, he had an array of footpedals at his disposal, all for producingdifferent sounds with his guitarplaying. And while his seven or eightpedals arrayed at the base of his microphonestand may seem like a lot,he says that there could be up to 50such pedals used by a performer.Geoff Dignam has performedpreviously at the Gaia Java shop inStittsville but this was the first timethat Geoff and Lucas performed togetherat the shop.These Friday music evenings atthe Gaia Java Coffee Company shopat the Stittsville Shopping Centre(where Shoppers Drug Mart is located)on Stittsville Main Street arefree for all who wish to attend. Theybegin at 7 p.m. each Friday, with adifferent performer or performerseach week.JOHN CURRY/METROLANDGuitarist and vocalist LucasHaneman adjusts some of thefoot pedals which he had at hisperformance at the Friday musicevening at the Gaia Java CoffeeCompany shop in Stittsvillelast Friday, May 24, when heperformed with Geoff Dignam.Thank you!To all our participants, sponsors and supporters who helpedmake the 2013 Spring cleanup a success, thank you foryour continued support! Your efforts keep Ottawa clean,green, graffiti and litter-free.Watch for our Fall Cleaning the Capital early birdregistration starting on August 15!Sponsors:Emerald Ash Borerpublic information sessionRiver Ward City Councillor Maria McRae, Chair of the City’sEnvironment Committee, invites residents to attend a publicinformation session on the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB).Since 2008, this invasive insect has spread across Ottawa. Thepresence of EAB poses a serious threat to Ash trees locatedon both public and private properties.Residents are invited to attend this session to learn moreabout the impacts on their community, what the City is doingto address this situation and what residents can do to helpmitigate the impact that this pest is having on our Ash trees.Date: June 4, 2013Time: 4:30 to 9 p.m.Staff presentation at 7 p.m.,followed by a Q & A session.Location: Jim Durrell Recreation Complex, Ellwood Hall1265 Walkley RoadBus info:Take OC Transpo Route 8 Gatineau, or Route 1 Greenboro,from Billings Bridge Transit Station to arrive at Bank andWalkley.2013028024_17@ottawacity0530.R00121233290530.R00121232456 Stittsville News EMC - Thursday, May 30, 2013