Staying in Ottawa for the Music
Series: Ottawa Stories
Every Ottawa musician gets the same question: when are you moving to Toronto? Noah Berger's answer is never — and he's built a touring career, a booking side-hustle and a small label's worth of collaborations to prove the point. Recorded after hours at one of his favourite small venues, this conversation covers the economics of being a working musician in 2026, what Ottawa's scene has that bigger cities don't, the venues we've lost, and why he keeps betting on this city.
- The Toronto question
- The economics of a working musician
- Ottawa's scene: underrated or under-supported?
- The venues we've lost
- Booking shows for emerging acts
You can build a life in music here. You just can't be lazy about it.
Noah Berger
Musician
Noah has played every small stage in Ottawa — and a few loading docks. Between tours he books shows for emerging acts and argues that the city's music scene is better than its reputation. A conversation about art, rent, and refusing to move to Toronto.