Faith

It's a tribute to both The Rainbow's legendary sound system and Uncertain Soul's soulful music that a two-piece band could sound so rich and full in the cozy upstairs blues club.

The Rainbow is notorious for its open-mindedness, giving fair consideration to music of almost any genre, and last Wednesday's show by the aforementioned local duo and Toronto-based Ska band Random Order testified to that.

Both bands had that infectious, high-energy thing going and by midnight the dance floor was steeped in it.

"Wednesday night is actually not normally a busy night," said bartender Dave Wham, cracking a Heineken as a healthy crowd bustles behind him. "So we're trying different things."

And this "thing" seems to be working.

Both of Uncertain Soul's performances at the Murray St. bar drew a strong crowd, mainly a left-wing, mostly female one, but certainly not exclusively.

Mikki, formerly of Sonic Aria, holds court front and centre with her brooding, political vocals and her bass; behind her, Faith Iman charms a shoulder-dropping beat out of each drum, bass and cymbal like a snake from a basket.

It seems their mutual friends knew long before they did that something magical would come of their union, so they pushed and pushed until one day they were jamming together and friends could finally say, "told ya so."

It wasn't long before the basement jam sessions bore fruit and Uncertain Soul was ready to make their debut on Rainbow's stage, armed with an arsenal of original bluesy/funk songs that seem to defy genre.

"It's blues with a lot of funk," said Faith. "No wait -- funk with a lot of blues."

"I'd say some rock and funk too," jumped in Mikki, and they banter back and forth to define their style.

But no matter the label they get stuck with, one thing is certain: This is only the beginning of a beautiful relationship that is bound to keep making waves in the New Year.

Catch their next show, a fundraiser for the Sexual Assault Centre, on Feb. 17 at the SAW Gallery.

And a quick notice to everyone who is keeping tabs on the upcoming "Mozart Remixed" show at Capital Music Hall: The date has been pushed back from Jan. 27 to make way for the much-anticipated Atomic Reunion scheduled for that night.

The new date should be announced this week.

jessica_clubscene@hotmail.com
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I got an email last week that blatantly questioned the relevance of writing about the club scene here, and while it was grammatically offensive in the extreme, it also inspired me to stretch my edges a little in terms of what Ottawa's nightlife can offer.

While some may dismiss the late-night community that is thriving in the city, we know better -- we know that the thousands who frequent the bars, clubs and pubs across this city have heart and seek to express it through alternative forums.

Last Friday at Club Saw in the Arts Court, about 200 women (and a handful of brave men) came to support the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Ottawa through a ballsy and brassy burlesque show featuring several drag kings, chick bands and female-positive (and incredibly sexually charged) shows, or, as they were called in the old days, "bits."

Too intense for a Friday?

Not for these women, whose medium conveyed the message through amazing performances that laughed in the face of social stigma while reclaiming women-positive sexual expression to empower and inspire.

Now, before you ask, allow me to answer: Why would the Sexual Assault Support Centre choose such a forum as a fundraiser? Because women taking their clothes off to sexy Sade and Prince songs is not just for the sleazy or porn-crazed.

In fact, burlesque's historical origins dates back to the Greeks, but wasn't seen in North America until sometime between the first and second World Wars, as a form of entertainment for both men and women.

Taking cues from their vaudeville predecessors, burlesque performers have long strived to maintain their respected art form as the passionate expression that it is.

At Club Saw, I was privy to this world of unapologetic sexuality in which everyday women all come together to shed pre-conceived notions and to express their sexuality in a way that is solely their own.

In fishnet stockings and garters, woman after woman did her thing on stage, and the audience sat entranced from start to finish through one of the most innovative and gutsy performances that I've ever had the pleasure of witnessing.

Uncertain Soul finished the night with their two-woman soul-funk-rock-blues sound (catch them this Sunday at Club Soda) and everyone went home recharged.

And hey, it was all for a good cause.

jessica_clubscene@hotmail.com inspire. - OTTAWA SUN