Citylake

ArtsMusic

This week we’ve got an assortment of great local shows with very affordable ticket prices covering a wide variety of music genres, so whoever you are we’ve got a little something for you. Let’s not waste any time, here are some show ideas for your to think about when planning your weekend.

Static Gold + Kayko

On Thursday night Quai des Brumes will be fired up as two great electro funk bands, Montreal’s own Static Gold and Toronto’s Kayko will be hitting the stage ready to blow the roof off. Seriously kids, this is the show where you need to make sure to bring your dancing shoes because there will be no wallflowers and no exceptions made for those who want to sit down.

Both these acts have recently released singles that drip with 70’s nostalgia while still feeling fresh and making you want to hear more tracks, something they’ll most certainly give you on Thursday. We couldn’t decide which one you should listen to, so here’s both!

 Static Gold and Kayko play Quai des Brumes, 4481 rue St-Denis, Thursday, November 17th, 8:00pm.

Lakes of Canada + Motel Raphaël + Krief 

On Saturday night, Indie Montreal will be hosting an evening featuring three great local acts headlined by Lakes of Canada, a band that seems to grow their sound with every successive step they take. Recently they released a live acoustic album (always a gutsy move) Transgressions Acoustic which has given their sound a whole new texture and feel.

Joining them will be indie folk pop trio (and unofficial winners of the award for best local band name ever) Motel Raphaël as well as singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Patrick Krief. I know it’s hard for some of you plat-rats to be on time but do try for this one, the lineup is not to be missed from top to bottom.

Lakes of Canada, Motel Raphaël and Krief play La Sala Rossa 4848 Boulevard St-Laurent, Saturday, November 19th, 8:30pm (Doors at 8), $10 in advance through indiemontreal, $12 at the door.

Sunrise & Good People + Paint + Arms of the Girl + Citylake

Another great show taking place on Saturday night is at Piranha Bar where an evening of indie music, headlined by local act Sunrise & Good People, is taking place. Known for creating fun catchy songs that also speak to the bigger picture issues around the world these guys capture the deeper and more spiritual meaning behind their art.

Joining them is an all Canadian lineup of equally as accomplished performers including Paint, Arms of the Girl and Citylake. This show is probably the most diverse concert of the week, perfect for groups where not everyone has the same tastes. There’s even a discount if you buy two tickets at the same time!

Sunrise & Good People, Paint, Arms of the Girl and Citylake play Piranha Bar 680 Ste-Catherine Ouest, Saturday, November 19th, 8:30pm, $7 (or 2 for $10).

 

Riot Porn + Full MT + The Shakewell Brothers + Blame Mary

This show is a combination of some of the best things in the world: punk rock, Barfly and free concerts. It’s amazing how well those words just go together. This event, featuring the local punk bands Riot Porn, Full MT, The Shakewell Brothers and Blame Mary is being labelled as Radical Live and is a great way to blow off steam for those who are feeling a little disenchanted by recent events.

Considering the non-existent cover charge and Barfly’s better-than-anywhere-else-on-the-Main’s drink prices this has to be the hands down best show of the week for those who are brok… urrrrr financially savvy.

Riot Porn, Full MT, The Shakewell Brothers and Blame Mary play Barfly, 4062A Boulevard St. Laurent, Friday, November 18th, 9:00pm, free.

* Know a band or an artist that should be featured in Shows This Week? Maybe a show FTB should cover, too? Let us know at music@forgetthebox.net. We can’t be everywhere and can’t write about everything, but we do our best!

* Featured image of Lakes of Canada via Indie Montreal

ArtsMusic

In this week’s installment I’ll be giving you three options to kick off your weekend. So tell your roommate you’ll be using the dancing shoes on Friday, they can have the pj’s. All are reasonably priced, have Montreal based talent involved and want you to be friends with them. Well maybe not the last one.

Pif Paf Hangover – Lost Cousins

Head over to the Divan Orange Friday night and you’ll get a good dose of electro pop courtesy of Pif Paf Hangover. The Montreal based duo composed of Max O Finn and Emmanuel C Boucher are currently working on their second album which should be out sometime in 2016.

If you’re curious about the new music you should know they’ve promised to play some of the new stuff on Friday. Here’s a teaser:

They’ll be joined by Kingston based indie rockers Lost Cousins who win this week’s prize for coolest band you’ve probably never hear of. We can fix that real quick though, just click play… just click play… doooooo it… (seriously though, this is a pretty great video for a very catchy track).

Pif Paf Hangover with Lost Cousins perform at Divan Orange, 4234 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Friday, April 29, doors 8:30pm, show 9:30pm, $10 in advance, $12 at the door, 18+. Buy tickets through Indiemontreal.

Citylake – Let Us Out – The van Arks

On Friday you can also head over to Atomic Cafe and check out Citylake, Let Us Out and The van Arks. This trio of local bands promises to give an energetic and inspired night full of new and sometimes improvised music. Here are some recent live tracks the bands have posted in anticipation of the show.

 

If you want to know more you’re in luck since FTB recently sat down with Citylake frontman Martin Saint for an exclusive interview.

Citylake, Let Us Out and The van Arks perform at Atomic Cafe,
3606 Ontario East, Friday, April 29th, doors 9pm, show 9:30pm, $5. Tickets at the door.

Finger Eleven with Special Guests: Polista and Men & Company

The big rock show of the night is certainly taking place over at the Théâtre Fairmount where Finger Eleven will be performing a mix of new material and classic hits. The band, formerly known under the best 90’s band name ever the Rainbow Butt Monkeys, have been doing this for a long time now and certainly won’t fail to impress.

Just as exciting is that they’ve asked two local acts, Polista and Men & Company to support them. Lovers of the big guitar sound take note, this is the show for you.

Finger Eleven with special guests Polista and Men & Company play Théâtre Fairmount, Friday, April 29th, doors 8:00pm, show 9:00pm, $20. Tickets available through Théâtre Fairmount box office.

Featured image: Lost Cousins via Instagram

Know a band or an artist that should be featured in Shows This Week? Maybe a show FTB should cover, too? Let us know at music@forgetthebox.net. We can’t be everywhere and can’t write about everything, but we do our best!

ArtsMusic

Montreal band Citylake has officially reformed, albeit with one member change, and is returning to writing and recording their interesting blend of indie folk-rock, dark post-punk and 80s new wave with some psychedelia thrown in. Think Donnie Darko soundtrack. Listen to the pre-production recording of Ugly City for a taste:

Frontman Martin Saint is active in Citylake, a trio formerly known as Satori, and also as a solo performer. For over a year he has been a resident performer at l’Escalier (his next gig is February 25th). Following the very recent reformation of the band, I was able to pick Martin’s brain a little about performing and the solo versus band dynamics on stage, and here’s what he had to say:

Stephanie Beatson: What do you like most about performing?

Martin Saint: The adrenaline rush that comes with it. Every crowd, every venue, every performance is different. If it weren’t I’d get bored with this very fast.  There’s always a certain element of risk when you expose your soul to the public but I choose to embrace that rather than fear it.

I like that no matter how many times I’ve played such and such song I’m never quite sure how it’s going to come out, what the people’s reaction will be. It’s a dialogue; I give all I have, leave it all out there and feed off the energy I get from the audience, and from other band members if it’s a band gig.

ms2Do you prefer performing as a solo act or with a band?

There’s nothing like fronting a band, for me. Playing original songs and the odd cover alongside a solid rhythm section is hard to describe in words. Once you have the right chemistry with the right partners it becomes a purely instinctive thing. Since I’m doing it again now for the first time in a while I realize how much I missed it.

Still, I find playing solo very formative, a great way to stay in shape. There’s nowhere to hide. It’s something that no matter what I would never want to give up entirely.

What was the most memorable thing that’s happened during a show?

A long time ago I was playing guitar with my teenage band and some very, very drunk -and high on God knows what drugs- lady started this lascivious dance in front of me, with her jeans zipper all the way down. I kept doing my thing, not paying too much attention until I felt something pulling at my left leg.  I thought it was one of my stupid male friends making fun of me but as it got more insistent I looked down and saw it was that lady.  Believe it or not she then bit my leg!!  I had to shake her off the best I could and meanwhile still carry the song.

I have witnesses to this story, by the way.  The doorman was a friend of mine. I was hoping he’d help me out but he was too busy roaring with laughter along with everyone else…..I need new friends!  The important thing is that apparently I didn’t miss a beat!

* Photos by Ally May Chadwick