Written by Live music and cold beer right in Heron Park
Have you caught a show at Heron Park’s lively new music venue yet? In the short time that it has been operating, Overflow Brewing Company on Kaladar has already established itself as a premier music venue in Ottawa, drawing in cover artists and original bands.
The shows at Overflow first caught my eye when I saw an ad for an 80s hair metal cover band called Hair Force One at the beginning of summer. The tickets were reasonably priced and since it was so close, my husband and I decided to give it a go. The band blew us away with their costumes, theatrics, and incredible musical skills. It was like watching any famous hair metal band perform in a small, intimate venue. Since then I had been closely following the event announcements on Overflow’s Facebook page for another show.
In October I saw that Rumours, a Fleetwood Mac cover band, was scheduled to play the Friday night before Thanksgiving. I quickly grabbed tickets before they sold out – that’s 350 tickets! We walked the ten minutes to the unassuming brewery, which was abuzz with excitement. Arriving around 20 minutes before the show, the place was already packed and only standing room remained. For the next 2.5 hours I swayed along to the music and belted out the lyrics between sips of locally produced craft cider. The whole experience was fantastic to say the least!
There’s a few things you should know about Overflow before you catch a show there. If you’re like me and don’t actually enjoy beer, don’t worry: they serve wine, cider (Flying Canoe, which is also produced in Ottawa), mixed drinks, and pop too. Seating is limited so depending on the show you may want to arrive when the doors open to grab yourself a chair. Overflow has a food truck attached to the brewery that closes at 8:00 pm, so get there early if you want dinner with your drinks. Afterwards there is no food available, except for artisan popcorn which you can purchase.
If you’d like to catch live music in your own neighbourhood, check out Overflow’s website for event listings which include comedy shows, family friendly events, fundraisers, and much more.
Author: Sara Dunbrook
Sara has lived in Heron Park on and off since 2009, when she moved into the neighbourhood in her second year at Carleton University. She has lived in four different homes in Heron Park. Sara works in the tourism industry and enjoys playing sports in her free time.
Heron Park 