When thinking outside the box just isn't enough
The genuine enthusiasm and energy with which Alessandro Mercurio, the director of Concordia’s upcoming production of Tonight We Play “A Soggetto”, speaks about the show is palpable. It’s obvious that much care and effort has gone into creating a magical world where theatre, in its entirety, can be explored, expanded and celebrated. Tonight We Play “A […]
This post was originally published a couple of years ago, but it’s all too relevant today. Hope the tips help… It’s hot. I love it. But I could do without my sauna of an apartment. Maybe this is what my rent increase is paying for, a built-in summer sauna. I can just hear my delusive […]
DeAnne Smith brings her unique brand of comedy to Just for Laughs and Zoofest! We sat down for an interview with her and got the goods. Within three minutes of meeting DeAnne Smith, it was clear that she’s easy to like. I met up with the comedian at ComedyWorks, an old club whose dim lighting masks the sweat and blood from years and years of great comedy…
Six years ago, he landed his first comedy gig at a corporate office Christmas party. No mic, no stage, and no one at the party expecting this comedic interruption, Dan Bingham wooed the stodgy crowd with enthusiastic zeal and jokes about Batman. Since then he’s been on the midnight train to success, moving at full momentum with no plans of slowing down. His award-winning one man show Adopt This! is back by popular demand for a special three night run this weekend at Theatre Ste-Catherine. Adopt This! did incredibly well…
Last Friday I was transported back to 8th century BC when some of Montreal’s burlesque beauties took the stage as Ancient Rome’s most desirable (and devious) personas. Cirquantique, Montreal’s newest burlesque and circus company, presented its premiere show ARENA at the gorgeous Bain Mathieu. Combining both burlesque and circus acts in the spirit of Ancient […]
Howl! brings together diverse artists whose experimental, soul moving and contemplative music is the unifying force that completes the evening. Thursday night will be no exception, with Canadian born, New York-based Julia Kent who uses multitracked cello, found sounds, and electronics to create her powerful solo compositions; Jen Reimer, a Montreal-based sound artist and…
Howl! Arts Collective presents an evening of contemporary jazz at La Sala Rosa this Thursday September 15th, as part of the Howl! Concert Series. Howl! III will showcase celebrated New York-based solo musicians Matthew Shipp on piano and Matana Roberts on saxophone, with Montreal sound poet and author Kaie Kellough; “three unforgettable artists representing the beautiful arc of jazz culture, live artistic meditations framed by both the liberation roots and contemporary artistic exploration in jazz.” According to its Howlarts.net, “the Howl! Arts Collective is a Montreal-based…
Last week, Hollis and the Widows, Drama Culture and Oliver The Great filled Casa Del Popolo’s tiny side room with a dense haze of rich, reverberating sound, thicker than the fog on an east coast morning. They didn’t have to try very hard for the audience’s attention, proving far more impressive than their myspaces depicted. For a Wednesday night offering two fairly unknown local bands and a third band from Toronto, a decent spattering of people made the room feel cozy. Dim the lights, add a caramel spotlight and the gleam of beer glasses in the honey-hued glow, and the scene should conjure fond memories of past evenings in similar spaces…
Freedom or Death, comprised of Sway Clarke and Steve Fernandez, is a Toronto-based indie duo that’s well worth a listen. Unlike so many musicians who often fall into a territory of contrived sound and image in order to gain success, Fernandez and Sway aren’t concerned with making music to appease the masses. “We want to have the freedom to make the music and the artistic choices that we want. If we can’t have that freedom, we’d rather not put anything out, which is the death of…
Is there a better way to spend your Wednesday night than at Casa Del Popolo drinking in the tunes of three diverse bands and also perhaps some fine frosty beer? I think not! You’ve had Monday and Tuesday to recuperate from any weekend damage you may have incurred, and are likely suffering from a bout of cabin fever after lying low for two days. Trust me, I know how these things go. The only way to remedy that stale boredom is to get your up-for-anything asses over to Casa Del Popolo tonight…
Sasha Manoli has done it again. She’s created a hilarious concept and brought it to life with Friday night’s Crayon Party! show. I last saw Sasha at Le Belmont where another one of her creative gems, the Liar Liar Show, was being held. This time around, the crowd was snugly huddled around small round tables in the cozy interior of Theatre St-Catherine; a more intimate space where you can get to know your table-neighbours by stealing glances over your shoulder at their magnificent crayon drawings and realizing…
Remember how many hours you spent as a kid colouring with crayons, and how much fun you had?? Sixteen rainbow shades, all standing tall and still with slightly blunted points, silently waiting for grubby little fingers to grind them down to a one inch stub. It was always the best colors that met this fate, like jungle green, hot magenta and dandelion. Crayons! Such fun! One waxy whiff of a brand new box and I revert to five years old. If at this moment you’re contemplating rushing out the door to the nearest DeSerres to buy yourself a box of crayons, then good, do it! But finish…
Last Friday, I fell down the rabbit hole. Standing up, I brushed myself off and looked around. “Holy shit, holy shit, this is awesome!” Pure glee. In front of me, two giant stages had been erected and a crowd of hundreds grooved in unison to Broken Social Scene. I had fallen into the psychedelic landscape of Osheaga. Let it be known that this was my first time at Osheaga, this being my first year living in Montreal. For purely monetary reasons, I wasn’t planning on going (you may recall last week’s article “Keeping cool on a (penniless) budget”…) but then the Champion of Fun [i.e. Shit Shows], Chris Zacchia, called me and informed me I was coming with him. Um, yeah, no problem…
This city has a boot-stompin’, bango-twangin’ bluegrass scene, and at its core are some extremely talented musicians. “Bluegrass?” you may question, with a blank look or slight disdain. Your wavering knowledge of this sprightly music is understandable, but no longer acceptable. Not when you can hear bluegrass filtering out of a different venue almost any night of the week! I first discovered bluegrass as a kid, when my dad would blast the Osborne Brother’s version of Rocky Top on Saturday mornings while making breakfast, but it wasn’t until I moved to Montreal…
Yep, you know it Montreal’s got an art gallery around every corner with a bar on either side. It’s got an abundance of artistic talent and plenty of galleries to showcase it. But what about art spaces? Places where ideas are incited and projects are created? In the heart of Montreal’s artistic mecca, Ctrllab is pleased to fulfill this need. Located on St. Laurent at Prince Arthur, Ctrllab (“control lab”) is a multi-purpose art space that, unlike a gallery, fosters artistic growth and advocates community involvement…
The sun is shining, popsicles are melting, and the whole city is crammed onto terraces drinking! Oh yes, summer is unmistakably here and my little tam-tam heart is beating a carefree calypso rhythm. It’s a time of backyard barbeques, sun burns and short-shorts, outdoor concerts, and pitchers of sangria; it’s a time of yard sales…
