Music

Music previews, reviews, interviews and opinion from Montreal on local and out of town acts, festivals and more

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I’d like to start by acknowledging the elephant in the room: writing a preview for a live music festival feels a little strange considering we’ve all been avoiding large public gatherings in enclosed spaces for the last year and a half. It’s probably going to feel even more weird being back at a live rock show.

I get that some people might be hesitant about resuming these types of events so if you are planning on making it out please do your best to keep yourself and everyone around you as safe as possible. Current government guidelines will be in full effect at all Pop Montreal shows, no exceptions, no whining about it.

Usually POP is torture for anyone with option paralysis but this time around the paired down all-Canadian schedule will make picking what to see much easier. I strongly suggest you get your tickets in advance though as seating is limited.

Myself and fellow intrepid reporter Jerry Gabriel will be checking out shows throughout the fest so look for more content throughout the week on FTB’s main site and all our Social media channels.

If you’re not sure what to see here’s my list of artists to check out: it’s completely biased, totally random and only meant to be a jumping off point for ideas.

Literally Anything!

My first pick for what to see this year is “Literally Anything!”. No, that’s not the name of the newest Indie sensation (although that would be a pretty cool band name).

It’s been a while buddy, just go out and see something will ya? The pandemic has been tough on artists, especially the smaller ones, showing your support for any of them would be much appreciated. Just pick a show and go!

The Besnard Lakes

It’s hard to believe but the Montreal based psych rockers have been around for almost 20 years! Their latest album The Besnard Lakes Are the Last of the Great Thunderstorm Warnings was released in January of this year and I’m betting you haven’t heard any of the tracks live.

Catch them this Wednesday or you’ll have to wait till 2022, tour dates are a little sparse right now.

El Coyote

Missing the Folk Fest for a second year in a row folking sucked so I went looking for a show that could fill the void. What I found was alt country/folk band El Coyote at Théâtre Rialto on Friday Sept 24th with Sin & Swoon, Katie Moore, Li’l Andy and The Firemen.

That’ll do quite nicely, love the vocal harmonies ladies!

Bad Skin

Proving there’s a complete lack of coherence to this list up next we have punk rockers Bad Skin who are playing at Clubhouse Rialto on Wednesday September 22nd at 6 pm. I just love the idea of a punk rock show that starts at 6pm so you can stick it to the man and also get to bed at a reasonable hour!

Tickets are only 5 bucks so you could also combine this one with another show later in the evening and it wouldn’t break the bank.

POP Montreal 2021 runs September 22-26 at various venues. For complete schedule and tickets, please visit POPMontreal.com

Featured Image: The Besnard Lakes via POPMontreal.com

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It’s mid-September and POP Montreal is almost upon us. Next week, much of our coverage will be of that festival, so now let’s look at a few events taking place in the days before:

Candyass Returns to Café Cléopatra

Back in the before times (aka the years leading up to and including 2019), you could count on the Candyass Cabaret to rock, sometimes shock and always entertain the second floor performance space of Café Cléopatra on the third Friday of any particular month.

Now, after a long but unavoidable break (save for the odd virtual show), they’re back. Well, it’s not the full cabaret, instead it’s called the Candyass Cocktail, and it’s tonight, the third Friday of this particular month.

According to the Facebook Event Page: “It still may be the pandemic but the performers miss the audience so come and enjoy a little soiree of performances and seeing the artists”. Those artists include MC Jimmy Phule, Classy Clare, Diane Labelle Baladi, Salty Margarita, Martin le strecheur and more!

Candyass Cocktail is Friday, September 17th at 8:30pm at Café Cléopatra, 1230 Boul St-Laurent, 2nd Floor. Tickets are Suggested Donation $10

Tony Rust and the Mudhorses Album Launch

Montreal-based Tony Rust and the Mudhorses is a relatively new rock project from Rouen-Noranda-born Anthony Monderie Larouche (aka Tony Rust). They have been touring around Quebec and will be launching their debut album not once, but twice (due to COVID capacity restrictions) this coming Saturday in Montreal.

Their sound is largely influenced by the rock of the 60s and 70s. Give them a listen before heading out:

Tony Rust and the Mudhorses launch their debut album at L’Esco, 4461 Saint-Denis, Saturday, September 18 at 7pm and 9pm. Tickets available through Le Point de Vente

Haiti Betrayed and Invasion

This Saturday, the long-running Cinema Politica series of documentary film screenings presents two films: Haiti Betrayed (presented in the original French version with English subtitles) and Invasion. The first chronicles Canadian and US imperial intervention in Haiti both before the 2010 earthquake and following it. The second tells the story of the Unist’ot’en Camp standing up to the Canadian Government and corporations.

Haiti Traihi and Invasion screen at La perle retrouvée, 7655, 20e avenue, 6pm, FREE with a fundraiser on site for earthquake victims

If you know of an event that you feel should be covered, please contact arts@forgetthebox.net or music@forgetthebox.net

No promises but we’ll do our best

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It’s POP Montréal‘s 20th Anniversary this year! The recent (well, the two decades-long) Montreal fall music tradition will be back to celebrate with a hybrid event running September 22nd through the 26th.

This year’s lineup, which understandably boasts a hefty local and Canadian contingent, will feature headliners Cakes da Killa, Backxwash and SUUNS as well as festival veterans The Dears and The Besnard Lakes. Favourites Art POP and Film POP will also return this year.

There will be virtual shows and in-person performances. For in-person concerts, you’ll need to get your tickets online first and have a health pass to get into the venue. All current public health protocols will be observed.

“Yes it’s still a pandemic so we have to remain safe and careful but we can celebrate and be thankful that we can still go to shows and see amazing live music,” Creative Director Daniel Seligman said in a press release, adding: “What a gift!”

We’ll have some of our picks for the festival in the weeks to come, but you can already get your tickets.

POP Montreal’s 20th Anniversary runs Septemer 22-26 2021 at various venues and online. For schedule and tickets, please visit POPMontreal.com

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Now that the hybrid Just for Laughs is over, festival season continues. This week, we’ve got two Montreal summer mainstays back in different forms and a Rouyn-Noranda-based festival running a mini-fest in our city for the first time.

Let’s get started:

Osheaga Through the Ages

While it’s sadly true that Osheaga won’t be returning to Parc Jean-Drapeau with its 15th full event until summer 2022, the people behind one of Canada’s most popular music festivals have found a way nonetheless to be a part of Montreal’s 2021 festival season. Three ways, that is.

Osheaga Through the Ages will run in the Quartier des Spectacles during the month of August. The first part of this, Music on Paper, starts this Friday at l’Astral and runs until August 21st.

It’s an art and photo exhibit featuring the “most jawdropping and eye-popping photos from years past featuring images courtesy of acclaimed photographers like Susan Moss, Patrick Beaudry, Tim Snow, and others.” The exhibit will also showcase silkscreen posters created for the festival over its previous 14 incarnations.

The second part is a series of concerts at MTELUS and l’Astral featuring local acts that have performed at Osheaga in the past. The third part is a fashion show in collaboration with the Fashion and Design Festival on August 21st featuring over 50 artists, dancers, musicians and models

Music on Paper runs August 6-21 at l’Astral, 305 Ste-Catherine Ouest. For details on this event and the emerging schedules of the other Osheaga Through the Ages events, please visit Osheaga.com

FME de l’Avent Mini-Fest on the Banks of the Lachine Canal

The FME Festival (or the Festival de Musique Émergente en Abitibi-Témiscamingue) has been welcoming up-and-coming and top-name Canadian talent as well as audiences to its idyllic Rouyn-Noranda setting for close to two decades. This year, for its 19th Edition (September 2-5), capacity at the site will be limited and some might forego the nine hour drive from Montreal to avoid travelling far when the pandemic situation isn’t completely resolved.

With that in mind, organizers are bringing a mini-version of the fest to Montreal this weekend. Called FME de l’Avent, it runs this Friday, Saturday and Sunday on the banks of the Lachine Canal (Parc Riverain de Lachine, specifically) and features local talent performing in the genres of folk, rock, hip hop, funk and electro. Featured performers include Gab Paquet, Paul Jacobs, Mort Rose and more.

FME de l’Avent runs August 6, 7 and 8 at Parc Riverain de Lachine. Admission is FREE but limited to 500 people. For the complete lineup and tickets, please visit fmeat.org

Under Pressure is Back Online

The Under Pressure International Graffiti Festival is back for its 26th Edition. Last week, it held a street exhibit and dance party, but the official battles and DJ sets are this Saturday and Sunday. The big difference this year of course being that they will be streamed online.

The DJ lineup for Saturday from noon to 8pm is Killa Jewel, Manzo, Noyl, Eazy El Dee, Overflow and Ashl$n. There will also be an after-party from 8 to late, guided walks of the site and more DJs and MCs added for both days.

Under Pressure 26 runs on Twitch August 7 and 8. For schedule updates please visit their Facebook page

Featured Image: Beach House performing at Osheaga by Pierre Bourgault from the Music on Paper exhibit

If you know of an event that you feel should be covered, please contact arts@forgetthebox.net or music@forgetthebox.net

No promises but we’ll do our best

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Summer is heating up both literally and figuratively in Montreal and we’ve got some outdoors and in-person events this week. Let’s get started:

ShazamFest is Back This Weekend

ShazamFest is truly one of Quebec’s most unique festivals. It’s eco-friendly, happens in the Easten Townships and offers a mix of music, circus, burlesque, dance, wrestling and more.

Last year’s event was also unique in that it was scaled back (as were so many of our cultural events). This year, they’re offering a “nearly-normal, safe-but-just-as-quirky 15.5th edition” done in collaboration with the Estrie Public Health Department.

The talent roster is full of acts from across Quebec.

Politically-charged rap artist Sarahmée, Montreal’s neo-disco glam squad Barry Paquin Roberg and pioneering rocker Frank Custeau all headline, DJ Tony Montreal (accompanied by the legendary Alain Vinet of Cirque du Soleil fame) joins the lineup for the first time this year and the Canadian Redneck Beard, Moustache & Mullet Contest and Clowns Without Borders are back by popular demand.

ShazamFest XV.V runs July 9–11 at 2722 Way’s Mills, Barnston West, QC J0B 1C0. Tickets, info and full lineup at ShazamFest.com

Piknic Électronik is Back at Parc Jean-Drapeau

While large events like Osheaga won’t return this year, Parc Jean-Drapeau will see quite a bit of music and dancing this summer. Piknic Électronik returned last Saturday and will run on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the summer.

Last year, the event was only online and called Piknic at Home, this year’s event is in-person, though will follow Public Health guidelines, meaning audiences are limited and see performances on multiple stages. Each day, they will also be admitted in two groups: one can enjoy shows in the afternoon sun from noon-5pm and the other can Piknic in the evening from 6-10pm.

Tickets are sold in pairs, with each given a designated spot. Masks are required elsewhere on the site.

It’s also chock-full of local, Canadian and Quebec talent. This weekend features Paolo Rocco, Syla, Laced and more.

For tickets and the (still developing) Piknic Électronik schedule, please visit PikNicElectronik.com

The Liquor Store Play Cabaret Lion D’Or…For Real This Time

It was only a few months ago that Montreal-based seven-piece The Liquor Store were playing a virtual show at Cabaret Lion d’Or (virtual for the audience, that is, the band was actually there). Now, with Quebec Public Health restrictions loosened, they will be playing the venue again, this time with an in-person audience.

The band also recently released a music video for the song MOPHO, the first single from their upcoming second album Colossus. Give it a look and listen below before catching this band live:

Indie Montréal presents The Liquor Store @ Cabaret Lion d’Or, 1676 rue Ontario Est, Saturday, July 10, 8-10pm (doors 7:30pm). Tickets available through ThePointOfSale.com

If you know of an event that you feel should be covered, please contact arts@forgetthebox.net or music@forgetthebox.net

No promises but we’ll do our best

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June is traditionally the beginning of Festival Season here in Montreal. Of course, with things not back to normal yet, it looks like this June will be…the beginning of Festival Season here in Montreal. Wait, what? Yes, there will be festivals this year. Maybe not exactly like before, but in person. This week it’s the Fringe, plus we’ve got a new single and music video from local band Titelaine and POP Montreal is doing a rooftop concert.

Let’s get started:

Montreal Fringe Returns with a Scaled Back In-Person Roster of Shows

The Montreal Fringe was one of the first festivals that had to shut its doors to in-person performance in 2020, so many were hoping it would be one of the first festivals back this year, and it is! 2021 will be the festival’s 30th Anniversary and a hybrid version of the event running the whole month of June, with in-person performances running from June 10-20.

This real-world component will feature 154 performances by 30 companies spread out over five venues. Yes, that is not the usual amount of shows Fringe-goers may be accustomed to, but it is bolstered by a large online component.

It’s also predominantly local. With the border to the south still closed and inter-provincial travel limited, there is a required but also welcome focus on local talent this year.

While there won’t be a FringePark (aka the Beer Tent) this year, the festival will be offering guided outdoor experiences including an hour-long tour of the night sky in Jeanne-Mance Park hosted by Trevor from Plateau Astro. 10 patrons max.

And while we usually take press releases that say things like “Tickets are going fast!” with a grain of salt, in this case, we believe it. This is a popular event with limited capacity and people are just itching to do something outside. Some shows have already sold out, so you’d wise to act quickly.

The 2021 Montreal Fringe Festival runs June 1-30, with in-person shows running from June 10-20. Tickets and schedule available at MontrealFringe.ca

Montreal’s Titelaine Release Photo souvenir Single and Video

We last saw Titelaine when they were performing at Le Ministère as part of Indie Montreal’s Sunday virtual concert series Les dimanches couvre-fun. Tomorrow, the Montreal-based electro-pop duo will release their latest single and video for the song Photo souvenir.

The song “deals with the tug of war between enjoying the present moment and nostalgia for past ones”. The video was filmed on the shores of Rivière des Prairies by Anne-Sophie Coiteux and intercut with footage from the duo’s cellphones.

We’ll update this post tomorrow (Friday) with the video, but, for now, enjoy another one of their tunes:

Photo souvenir will be released on Titelaine’s YouTube and SoundCloud on Friday, June 11

POP Montreal’s SOLD OUT Rooftop Concert with TIKA and Hanorah

So, just why are we plugging a show that has already sold out? Because only the in-person version has a full house, or rather full rooftop, the rooftop of the Rialto to be specific.

That’s where TIKA and Hanorah will perform this Saturday evening as part of the Kinaxis InConcert Series. There will be social distancing protocols in effect at this event, but since all the in-person tickets have been sold, it would be kinda pointless to go through them here.

Instead, anyone who didn’t already buy tickets can experience the show virtually (maybe even on your own rooftop if the WIFI is good enough and you have a rooftop you can go to). It will be streamed live on Facebook.

POP Montreal presents TIKA and Hanorah live in concert Saturday, June 12, at 7:30pm on Facebook Live. Visit the FB Event Page for details

If you know of an event that you feel should be covered, please contact arts@forgetthebox.net or music@forgetthebox.net

No promises but we’ll do our best

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It’s starting to really feel like summer, as it usually does in the mid to late spring, so people will be going out more in the days and evenings and, due to the continuing curfew, staying home at night. With that in mind, we’ve got an in-person artistic residency, a new album and stuff from local artists you can order online.

Let’s get started:

PC the Infamous Releases the Visionary Wonderland Album

Montreal-based rapper, producer, singer, songwriter (and also actor) PC the Infamous has done quite a bit since hitting the local music scene seven years ago. He has produced and performed eight albums and now his ninth, Visionary Wonderland, was just released, following two singles and two music videos.

PC the Infamous performs in both English and French and his style incorporates everything from classic rap to trap to indie rock, techno pop, synth wave and emo rap. Here is the latest video that premiered along with the release of the album:

Visionary Wonderland by PC the Infamous is available on multiple platforms

The MAI’s Et si on réimaginait le monde II Continues

The MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels) has always had a strong commitment to sharing and facilitating access to its resources and it’s in the middle of doing just that. Et si on réimaginait le monde II is a paid residency series focused on artists with visible or invisible disabilities, deaf, hard of hearing, neurodiverse, living with a mental illness, or with different abilities or physiques which began April 26 and runs until June 4.

Two of the four shows, Le magasin ferme and Fragments have already concluded, but you can still catch Troubleshoot by Mathieu and Simon Renaud and then Cartographie : Les eaux intimes, a dance show guided by Georges-Nicolas Tremblay with Marie-Hélène Bellavance, Ariane Boulet, Anthony Dolbec, Simon Renaud and Alexandra Templier from Corpuscule Danse.

Troubleshoot runs May 17-21. Cartographie : Les eaux intimes runs May 24-28 and May 31 – June 4 at MAI, 3680 rue Jeanne-Mance. Info available on the MAI website

Puces POP is Back Online for Spring

While things are still looking up for a full-on (or as full-on as possible) in-person POP Montreal this September, Puces POP, the quarterly local market, will once again be an online affair this spring. The changing rules on venue capacity made an in-person market difficult, so they decided to try and repeat the success they had in the winter with a virtual version.

The catalogue launched today. It features arts and prints, clothing, jewelry, treats and more, all from local artists and companies, just like the regular Puces POP.

The Puces POP Spring 2021 Catalogue is now available at PucesPOP.com

Featured Image from Le magasin ferme, courtesy of MAI

If you know of an event that you feel should be covered, please contact arts@forgetthebox.net or music@forgetthebox.net

No promises but we’ll do our best

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The weather is most definitely getting nicer and while we won’t have Osheaga this summer, we do have plenty of local arts and music to keep you busy. This week we have two new music video releases and a Mother’s Day burlesque show (tonight).

Let’s get started:

Po Lazarus Launch Despair, Too EP and Video

Shortly before the pandemic hit, Montreal rockers Po Lazarus recorded twelve new songs with veteran Canadian producer Mark Vreeken at The Tragically Hip’s Bathouse Studio in Bath, Ontario. On April 30th, they released a three song EP from this session called Despair, Too and today they released the music video for the title track.

When in-person shows resume, we’ll surely get to see Po Lazarus’ live show once again, but for now, we can enjoy them in recorded form. Here’s the video:

Po Lazarus’ Despair, Too EP is available on Spotify

Hot Mamas Burlesque Mother’s Day Fundraiser is Tonight

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, and in anticipation, Salty Margarita Burlesque has put together a virtual show streaming tonight called Hot Mamas Burlesque. It’s an event designed to show all the women in your life “how special they are, but in a unique way”.

The event features local burlesque stars Lou Lou La duchesse de Rière and Foxy Lexxi as well as a slew of other local performers and burlesque talent from out of town and is hosted by Jimmy Phule. It is also a by-donation fundraiser for the Native Women’s shelter of Montreal.

Here’s a trailer:

Hot Mamas Burlesque takes place online Friday, May 7 at 8:30pm. Tickets are by donation and available through viewstub.com A fundraiser for the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal

FRASE Set To Release Fanny Pack Music Video on Wednesday

You might know Montreal-based singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist FRASE from performances at Jazz festivals such as Kaslo Jazz and FIJM, or maybe from EDM raves like Bass Coast and Shambala. This coming Wednesday, though, we’re getting his latest music video Fanny Pack (featuring Lexodus).

This will be followed on June 17th with the release of his EP We’ve got time. For now, though, please enjoy a previous video:

Fanny Pack (featuring Lexodus) will be release on FRASE’s YouTube Channel Wednesday, May 12th

If you know of an event that you feel should be covered, please contact arts@forgetthebox.net or music@forgetthebox.net

No promises but we’ll do our best

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Osheaga and Île Soniq, two huge music festivals run by Evenko that have become summer staples, won’t happen in 2021 as planned. Instead, the 15th anniversary of Osheaga will take place July 29th-31st, 2022 and Île Soniq will happen August 5th and 6th, both at Parc Jean-Drapeau.

This is “due to an ever-evolving COVID-19 situation and our commitment to the safety and health of festival attendees,” according to organizers in social media posts announcing the postponement.

With hopes that the COVID-19 situation would improve and everything would be back to normal or at least semi-normal by late July, Evenko scheduled these events and even announced the Osheaga headliners late last year. Unfortunately, there is still much uncertainty over where we will be pandemic-wise by then, and festivals like this can’t be planned on short notice.

Osheaga founder and Evenko Senior Vice-President Nick Farkas explained in the same Facebook and Instagram posts sent out this morning:

“We’ve been working since last summer to try to deliver the full festival experience to fans. We are keenly aware of how important live music is to our fans and our city, and how much everyone misses it. We want to be back there in the midst of it too, but the truth is it takes several months to line up the various elements to create a festival, and with the current uncertainty, we don’t have that luxury. We remain hopeful that the situation will improve enough.”

– Nick Farkas

Evenko’s other summer events, such as Heavy Montreal, hadn’t already been scheduled for 2021. Those who purchased tickets for the 2020 or 2021 events can have those tickets honoured at the 2022 events or get a full refund.

Featured image from Osheaga 2018 by Joe McLean

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This week, we may not have the nice temperatures we enjoyed last weekend, but we do have a virtual transdisciplinary exhibition, a live virtual concert and a movie about the making of the 2009 POP Montreal music festival.

Let’s get started:

Van Grimde Corps Secrets’ Virtual Exhibition Embodiment 2

Dance company Van Grimde Corps Secrets has been all about collaborating with other artists from different milieus since the early 2000s. Their latest project, a virtual exhibition called Embodiment 2, is no different.

In 2015, the group founded by Isabelle Van Grimde began sharing its research into the EVE 2050 triptych with other artists to foster collaboration and discussion. The result was the EVE 2050 web series.

Now, they have combined that series with Brad Necyk and Gary James Joynes’ film The Birth of the World to create this virtual exhibition.

Embodiment 2 is available as a virtual exhibition from April 8-May 8 on the Van Grimde Corps Secrets website

Sean Kosa Plays Ctrllab’s Esc Series

Ctrllab is an art gallery and performance space, though during the pandemic, the venue on St-Laurent has been functioning mainly as a media production company. This Saturday, they welcome back one of their favourite in-person guests for a virtual performance.

Electro Minimal Tech artist Sean Kosa has been part of the music scene since he was 14 in Toronto. Over the years, he moved to Montreal, then to Asia and now back home to our city where he has performed in various venues all across town.

Here’s some of Kosa’s music:

Ctrllab Esc Series 008 with Sean Kosa streams Saturday, April 17 at 7pm on Twitch, Facebook Live (on the Ctrllab page), Mixcloud and YouTube 360. This is a FREE performance

The POP Movie Now Streaming

In 2009, Andi Slate had just completed a feature film and decided to go back to basics. The filmmaker shot over 55 hours worth of footage of her POP Montreal colleagues putting on the festival as well as shows during said fest.

11 years and at least two projects later, Slate returned to that footage and put together The POP Movie, which first screened at the 2020 Edition of POP Montreal. Now, it’s available for all to stream!

The POP Movie by Andi State is now streaming for FREE on YouTube

If you know of an event that you feel should be covered, please contact arts@forgetthebox.net or music@forgetthebox.net

No promises but we’ll do our best

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Okay, sure, it snowed on Thursday. Maybe that was Mother Nature’s way of playing an April Fools joke on us.

In general, though, things are getting much nicer outside, but for the time being, most of us are stuck indoors after 9:30pm. Fortunately, there are tons of local arts and music you can enjoy from home.

This week. we’ve got a festival, a movie and a virtual concert from a local venue. Let’s get started:

Shigawake Festival Presents Full Concerts Throughout April

The Shigawake Music Festival has been celebrating Quebec-based musicians since its inception in 2009. There wasn’t an in-person event in 2020 for obvious reasons, but organizers decided to hold its 12th edition anyways, albeit a bit differently.

They filmed The Barr Brothers, Martha Wainwright, SoCalled and a slew of other acts performing in the festival’s namesake town of Shigawake (in the Gaspe Region, population 338) last summer, with a plan to let the general public virtually attend this spring. In March, they streamed the event as three full days of festival performance highlights and now, in April, will be presenting full concerts throughout the month.

It kicks off tonight (April 3rd) at 8pm with Martin Henry.

The 12th Shigawake Music Festival presents Full Sessions for FREE from April 3-30 2021 at ShigawakeMusicFestival.com

Aisling Chin-Yee and Chase Joynt’s No Ordinary Man

Billy Tipton was a transmasculine jazz musician whose career ran from the mid 1930s to the late 1970s. He was long portrayed as an ambitious woman posing as a man to have a better music career, but now Montreal director Aisling Chin-Yee along with Chase Joynt hope to give some justice to Billy’s legacy and question the representation and treatment of transgender individuals in media and society.

Along with with his son, Billy Tipton, Jr. and several members of the trans community, the filmmakers have put together a documentary called No Ordinary Man to celebrate Billy’s life and career. It was released this week, to coincide with the Transgender Day of Visibility (which was March 31st).

Here’s the trailer:

No Ordinary Man opened in select theatres on April 2nd, 2021 and is available to rent and view online

Urban Science Brass Band Close Out Les dimanches couvre-fun

For the past few weeks, Indie Montreal has been offering us a weekly dose of virtual local shows, complete with streaming from a local venue. Tomorrow is final edition of Les dimanches couvre-fun (for now), and they’re going out in a big way, a big band way, with the Urban Science Brass Band performing at Café Campus.

Of course, this group, that sometimes comprises as many as 40 performers (musicians and dancers), is best known for reinventing hip hop classics and performing on the street, flashmob-style, to the huge crowds out during Montreal’s festival season. This year, our fingers are still crossed for a festival season, or at least part of one and the crowds at night aren’t there because, for the moment, they can’t be.

At least we get to bring some of that spirit back this Sunday with the the Urban Science Brass Band. Here’s them doing some of what they do best:

Urban Science Brass Band perform virtually at Café Campus as part of Les dimanches couvre-fun on Sunday, April 4, 8pm. Tickets available through ThePointOfSale.com

If you know of an event that you feel should be covered, please contact arts@forgetthebox.net or music@forgetthebox.net

No promises but we’ll do our best

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The weather outside is spring-like, but we’re still under a curfew. Fret not as there is plenty of great arts and music to enjoy from home.

This week, it’s all music, though one entry is a film. Let’s get started:

Eve Egoyan in Duet for Solo Piano

When you see the name Egoyan and the word film appear in the same sentence (as they did in this post’s title), it’s only logical to assume that celebrated stage and screen director Atom Egoyan has a new flick. In this case, though, you’d be wrong, we’re talking about his sister Eve.

Eve Egoyan isn’t a filmmaker, rather she is recognized as one of the 25 greatest Canadian classical pianists of all time. And she is the subject of the documentary Duet for Solo Piano directed by Su Rynard currently playing (online, of course) as part of the 39th edition of the International Festival of Films on Art.

The film delves into the events that have shaped Eve and left a mark on who she is today. It sets out to offer “rare insight into the creative process and the complexity of developing new work that pushes the boundaries of art, instrument and self.”

Here is the trailer:

Duet for Solo Piano is available across Canada for online viewing until Sunday, March 28 as part of the 39th Edition of the International Festival of Films on Art. Get your tickets through LeFIFA.com

Titelaine Perform at Le Ministère Virtually

Indie Montreal’s Sunday virtual concert series from real venues, Les dimanches couvre-fun, continues. So far the likes of Elephant Stone, Millimetrik and The Liquor Store have performed at different venues around town and now, this week, Titelaine will perform at Le Ministère.

This Montreal duo offers nostalgic downtempo songs that you can dance to. Their scenography was specifically designed for this show and this venue.

While you wait, here is some of their music:

Titelaine perform at Le Ministère as part of Les dimanches couvre-fun, Sunday, March 28th, 8pm. Tickets available through LePointDeVente.com

Gayance Launches Fruta Gogoia

Montreal/Hatian DJ Gayance has spent the past few years opening for acts like Princess Nokia and Kaytranada, playing events such as POP Montreal and Osheaga and directing documentaries on the Piu Piu movement and the Montreal beat scene. She also had a winter arts residency in Salvador, Bahia (Brazil) for the past seven years.

She will be releasing her first EP Not Toning Down For Sh*T in the fall and the first track is a Bahia folk song called Fruta Gogoia. For Gayance, “it’s a mantra that calls women, especially Black women & queers, to take all the space they need to take without compromise.”

Fruta Gogoia will be available March 26th. You can pre-save or pre-add the track or check back tomorrow when we’ll update this post with it. In the meantime, enjoy some of Gayance’s DJ work:

If you know of an event that you feel should be covered, please contact arts@forgetthebox.net or music@forgetthebox.net

No promises but we’ll do our best

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We seem to be getting more live art and music (virtually, of course) as the weeks go by and the weather gets nicer. This week we’ve got a couple of live events and a band formed during the pandemic’s first single release.

Let’s get started:

BIG BANG & The Aussenwelt Collective Stream Virtual Nuit Blanche Performances as Part of Art Souterrain

This Saturday night is Nuit Blanche, the showcase event of the annual Montréal en lumière Festival. Unlike every other year, though, the Metro won’t be open all night, museums and galleries won’t be receiving throngs of people in the wee hours of the morning and crowds of people won’t be packing the Quartier des Spectacles to enjoy tir sur glace or a ride on the winter Ferris wheel…because of, well, the cufrew.

Nuit Blanche will still be happening virtually and one of its most popular attractions is back: Art Souterrain. The installation part, featuring art in Montreal’s underground city, will still be happening as of April 10th, but tomorrow night, they will be streaming performances from the Aussenwelt Collective and Stéphanie Décourteille’s BIG BANG dance formation live.

Violet Hébert and Joseph Blais will provide the musical accompanyment for these three performances. Here’s a promo video to give you an idea of what it might look like:

Art Souterrain, the Aussenwelt Collective and BIG BANG will stream an evening of multidisciplinary performances Saturday, March 13, beginning at 8pm, on the Art Souterrain YouTube Channel

The Liquor Store Play Cabaret Lion d’Or Virtually

If you thought to yourself “Wouldn’t it be nice to catch a Big Band playing Cabaret Lion d’Or again?” well, this Sunday you can, virtually, of course.

The Big Band in question is The Liquor Store and they will be performing at the aforementioned very stylish venue on Ontario East as part of Indie Montreal’s Les dimanches couvre-fun series. It’s a chance to catch not only the music part of going to a show, but the venue part as well, without leaving home or watching an old video.

Speaking of an old video, for now, here is the same band playing in a different venue before all the lockdowns:

Indie Montreal presents The Liquor Store Live from Cabaret Lion d’Or as part of Les dimanches couvre-fun, Sunday, March 14th at 8pm. Tickets available through ThePointOfSale.com

Scarlet Wives Debut Single Dream Funeral

When two musicians have their tour plans scrapped due to a pandemic and then have their rhythm guitarist and drummer drop out, they could just sit at home and wait or form a new band with a new drummer and write and record music. Alice (vocals, guitar) and Mike (bass) chose the latter when they formed Scarlet Wives with Zenab (drums).

They also joined up with three other musicians and sound engineers to form Lack Haüs records. Scarlet Wives’ first single is also the label’s first. Called Dream Funeral, it was released March 5th and the next one is due out in April.

They describe the song as “a heavy-hitting dose of fairy grunge” but you really should just give it a listen at one of the links below or check out this teaser video (*** WARNING: Video may trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy):

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Scarlet Wives (@scarletwives)

Scarlet Wives’ first track Dream Funeral is available on (and subsequent tracks will be available on) Amazon Music, Bandcamp and most major platforms

Featured Image: Scarlet Wives

If you know of an event that you feel should be covered, please contact arts@forgetthebox.net or music@forgetthebox.net

No promises but we’ll do our best

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How’s your March Break going? Still inside at night (by law) and trying to get out in the day? Working an essential job? Looking for some music and arts to get you through the early March snow and cold?

This week, we’ve got an album launch, a film screening and live virtual shows that should feel more like actual shows.

Let’s get started:

Les dimanches couvre-fun Kicks Off with Millimetrik

Indie Montreal is waiting to get back to doing what it is known for: promoting local shows in venues. While that is not currently possible, they have come up with the next-best thing to do as we wait for things to get back to somewhat normal: promoting local shows in venues – virtually.

They have launched Les dimanches couvre-fun (for those who don’t speak it, couvre-feu is curfew in French), a weekly series of virtual concerts streamed from venues around the city. We’re scheduled to see performances from Cabaret Lion d’Or, Ausgang Plaza, Le Ministère and Café Campus/Petit Campus over the next few weeks.

The series kicks off this Sunday at 8pm with Millimetrik performing at Piedestal’s virtual amphitheatre. Future shows will feature The Liquor Store, Elephant Stone, Titelaine and the Urban Science Brass Band.

In the meantime, please enjoy the dreamlike groove of this Sunday’s headliner and prodigal son of Quebec City Pascal Asselin, aka Millimetrik:

For info and tickets, please visit lepointdevente.com

Institut Launch L’effet waouh des zones côtières

Okay sure, Institut isn’t a Montreal band, they’re from France. But we are including acts that have a connection to here and this one sure has its Quebec roots.

They have worked with director and cinematographer Michel La Veaux on the score for the feature film Labrecque, une caméra pour la mémoire while Denis Côté produced the music video for ici aussi off their second album.

Now, they are releasing a new album, L’effet waouh des zones côtières, which offers “a clever mix of afrobeat and new wave to which ingenious mixes are added each time. The songs themselves cover today’s realities candidly and with ample irony – reinvented romances, pleasures at a distance and home delivery.”

L’effet waouh des zones côtières launches today (March 5th) and will be available through institut-bonjour.com For now, enjoy the video for ici aussi:

Vision Nocturna (Night Shot) @ Cinema Politica

Cinema Politica is known for screening politically-charged films at places like Concordia’s Hall Building (but also at other locations around the country and the world) followed by discussion with the people behind the films and their subjects.

During the pandemic, they have opted to do the same, only virtually. This month’s offering is Vision Nocturna (Night Shot) from Carolina Moscoso.

It’s an “experimental film composed out of fragments shot over years as the Chilean director reckons with the trauma of her rape. Artistic cinematography and sound composition create a visceral experience as the emotional artifacts of Moscoso’s story collide with the systemic burden of a justice system that has ultimately failed to prosecute the perpetrator.”

On Sunday, journalist and author Dawn Marie Paley will moderate a discussion with Moscoso joined by Mexico City-based artists Amanda Ruiz and Cerrucha.

You can stream the film as of March 4th at 7pm until Monday, March 8th at 7pm and the livestream the webinar Sunday, March 7th, at 7pm and visit CinemaPolitica.org for more

Featured image from Vision Nocturna (Night Shot)

If you know of an event that you feel should be covered, please contact arts@forgetthebox.net or music@forgetthebox.net

No promises but we’ll do our best

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Jason C. McLean speaks with comedian Preach, the host of this year’s Gala Dynastie, a celebration of Black excellence from across Quebec. They talk about comedy during COVID, this Saturday’s online edition and this year’s theme: The Rise of the Engaged.

The 5th Edition of Gala Dynastie streams live this Satruday, March 6th, at 6pm. For tickets and for more info: GalaDynastie.com

Follow Aba & Preach on YouTube and Facebook

Follow Jason C. McLean on Twitter @jasoncmclean

ArtsFestivalsMusic

February is almost over, nicer spring-like temperature is around the corner and a vaccine is on its way, and with it, the possibility we all may be able to be out past 8pm once again. For now, though, there is plenty of Montreal arts and music we can enjoy online.

Let’s get started:

Black History Month Wraps Up

February is also Black History Month and in Montreal that always means plenty of music, film and other artistic performances as well as conferences and panel discussions. The 30th official edition hasn’t let the pandemic slow it down by going virtual and surely won’t be slowing down in its closing weekend.

There is a Nuits d’Afrique concert tonight, there’s a Black Utopia panel discussion tomorrow courtesy of the Massimadi Afro LGBTQ+ Film and Arts Festival and much more.

For details and schedule, please visit MoisHistoireDesNoirs.com

Wake Island Release Nouvelle Vague

Wake Island, the duo composed of producers Philippe Manasseh and Nadim Maghzal, are no strangers to Montreal music fans, ditto for those in New York and Beirut. They offer an “80/90’s electronic esthetic with melodies drawing from their Middle Eastern roots.”

With Nouvelle Vague, the latest single from their album Born to Leave, they are doing something so very Montreal. They are releasing the French version today and plan to release an English version in exactly one month, March 26th.

Here is the tune in French:

Firas Nassiri Releases Music Video for Taksim Featuring Christina Enigma

Montreal electro music fans may know Firas Nassri from the the 2020 GAMIQ ectro EP of the Year winners Beige-à-Coeur. Last January, he released his first solo album La Levantine.

With it, he hopes to “explore the bridges between electronic music and his oriental influences” in a style heavily influenced by his Syrian origins.

Nassiri’s latest single, released today along with a music video, is called Taksim. The lyrics are taken directly from the poem On Death by Lebanese-American poet Kahlil Gibran and recited by Canadian vocalist Christina Enigma.

Here is the video:

Featured Image of Firas Nassiri and Christina Enigma courtesy of Indie Montreal

If you know of an event that you feel should be covered, please contact arts@forgetthebox.net or music@forgetthebox.net

No promises but we’ll do our best