Arts Headlines / November 12, 2004

Rainbow Bistro celebrates anniversary with a blues bash   It is summer in the mid-1980s and the Rainbow Bistro is packed during one of its first big acts. Blues musician Albert Collins is playing and the patrons are going nuts.   Bronson Centre alive with The Dead   James Joyce is not usually a name synonymous with joy and sentimental feelings.   Men’s choir offers gay Christmas tidings   Imagine expressing pride in your sexuality while crooning “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” in front of a large audience. This Christmas, gay men around Ottawa will get to belt out a variety of tunes and affirm their identities at the same time.   Arts Beat: We shouldn’t expect the arts to be just downtown   Ahhh, suburban life. It has long represented the end of coolness and creativity for many in the arts community. The cookie-cutter houses and white picket fences typical of many North American suburbs, just don’t scream dynamic artistic expression. And that is one reason why major arts events still tend to be held in the hip downtown areas we expect them to be.