An explosion of brass-laced, funk-drenched soulfulness is forecast at the Rainbow Bistro on Friday when The Commotions drop in to help the ByWard Market-area club celebrate its 34th anniversary as a live-music venue. The 12-piece outfit is fronted by two of Ottawa's finest singers, Rebecca Noelle and Jeff Rogers, and anchored by musical director/saxman Brian Asselin. They're sharing the spotlight with Montreal's Willis Pride. Advance tickets are $15, available at ticketweb.ca. The music starts around 9 p.m.
Toronto-based indie-rockers Fast Romantics are taking a break from the studio to hurtle around Ontario, including a pair of shows in the Ottawa area this week. Tonight they're at Burnstown's Neat Cafe (tickets $35 at neatmusicandcoffee.ca; dinner reservations also available). On Friday, they land at Algonquin College's Observatory Bar for a triple bill with Thunder Bay's Honest Heart Collective and former Balconies frontwoman Jacquie Neville, the indomitable singer-songwriter who's now pursuing a solo career. Tickets are $15 advance, plus surcharges, available at ticketfly.com. Doors open at 8 p.m.
The Carleton University Choir performs off-campus on Saturday night when it brings a program of music by Mozart and Leonard Bernstein to Glebe-St. James United Church (650 Lyon St.). Under the direction of Laurie Hamilton, the large choir will tackle Mozart's Vesperae Solennes de Confessore K339 a choral suite from Bernstein's West Side Story, and a movement from Karl Jenkins The Armed Man – A Mass for Peace. The music starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $20 ($10 for students and seniors) and are available at the door or online at payments.carleton.ca/music/legend-and-legacy/.
Quebec City electric bassist Carl Mayotte makes his first foray into Ontario to perform Friday night when he brings his punchy fusion quintet to Record Runner Rehearsal Studios (159 Colonnade Rd. S., Unit 6). Expect groovy and hard-hitting music from the twenty-something Mayotte and his group, which has its roots in the music program at the University of Laval. The music starts at 8 p.m. at the Nepean music space's intimate performance room, and tickets are $25 at the door or online at recordrunner.ca.
If your holiday tradition includes The Nutcracker, take note. The Alberta Ballet's production of the beloved Tchaikovsky vehicle is on stage at the National Arts Centre until Sunday. The tale of Clara and her enchanted toys features a cast of dozens, including professional dancers and local children, with choreography by Edmund Stripe, who is careful to preserve iconic character dances such as the Waltz of the Flowers and Sugar Plum Fairy. The company sets the piece in early 20th century Russia, staging it to reflect the opulence of the era, while the NAC Orchestra performs the timeless soundtrack. Curtain time is 7 p.m. nightly, with a 1:30 p.m. matinee on Saturday and Sunday. Limited tickets remain. To check on availability, go to nac-cna.ca or ticketmaster.ca.
Take a trip to Brazil at the Rainbow Bistro on Dec. 5. The Ottawa Brazilian Music society presents Brazillustration, a five-piece band that specializes in the sun-kissed melodies and intoxicating rhythms of bossa nova, samba, xote and more. The lineup includes violinist Tamiris Souza, percussionists Regina Teixeira and Manuel Navarro, keyboardist Alexei Michailowsky and guitarist Leonard Constant. Tickets are $10, available online at ticketweb.ca, and at the door. Showtime is 8 p.m.