POP Montreal released the first part of their lineup for their annual fall festival at a 5 à 7 on Wednesday in their new venue, Chez Ursa, which is conveniently located right below their official headquarters.
The atmosphere at Ursa is friendly. Dan Seligman, POP’s co-founder and creative director, even acknowledged the good vibes as he thanked us all for coming.
The venue itself is quite cozy; lamp-lit, with a rug in front of the stage which creates a sense of the familiar comfort of being in your own living room, the only thing missing being seats. Although on my way to the venue I had the unfortunate luck of choosing a particularly broken Bixi bike, and so my feelings about the matter were more inspired by my aching legs than anything else… Choose your bike wisely, folks.
When I first arrive, Hua Li is casually mixing her set, fluidly transitioning between a mix of rap and RNB. Her adorable dog, Edna (pictured below), joins her on stage, calmly gazing out at all of us while Li sways rhythmically in time with the music. The combination of their presence invites a relaxed overall mood, though there is an air of something among us that is similarly curious and intriguing.
The performances also include POP’s first play: Trapped in Elon’s Mansion, written by Joe Bagel (of which a reading of an excerpt was performed at Chez Ursa). The play was inspired by a twitter fight between Elon and Jarrett Walker, and is full of rapid-fire witticisms, many in reference to Musk and his ex-girlfriend, Clair Boucher (Grimes), and their own various connections to Montréal.
Musk, giving his two cents to the mayor of Los Angeles
Some other noteworthy acts from the lineup also include: Laurie Anderson, Tirzah, and Aldous Harding. (Full list of performers to date pictured below). The festival is set to take place from the 25th to the 29th of this September throughout Montreal. Tickets are on sale now, and can be purchased through POP’s website.
FULL LIST: Laurie Anderson, Tirzah, Aldous Harding, Nick Cave, Weyes Blood, Kokoko!, Yung Baby Tate, Moor Mother & Jerusalem in My Heart, Félicia Atkinson, Jon Bap, Hollerado and Xiu Xiu, Jess Sah Bi & Peter One, Tinariwen, Shonen Knife, 47Soul, Kedr Livanskiy, Yamantaka // Sonic Titan, Oshun, Ian Isiah, Lafawndah, Ex Eye, Teto Preto, Torres, Jerry Paper, Kelman Duran, Daniel Norgren, Haviah Mighty, Blanck Mass, God Is an Astronaut, Marwa Loud, Helm, Emel Mathlouthi, Jessica Moss, Ellis, Bad Waitress, Charlie Cunningham, Fink, TiKA, Colin Stetson, Rebecca Foon, Rakta, Ellemetue, YlangYlang, Trapped in Elon’s Mansion, Hua Li, James Baley, Mobydick and Friends, Desiire and Odile Myrtile.
POP Montreal 2016 came and went with a blast of exquisite music, a frenzy of new friends and old faces, and a pleasant haze. Here is a highlight reel gleaned from the morass of sights, sounds, and smells that descended upon Montreal this past weekend.
Seth Bogart
Nothing was left up to the imagination with Seth Bogart. This underground LA pop diva sensation blew the minds off everyone in the room, with his unabashed physicality, wry satirical lyricism, and explosive performativity. The hilarious video content was nearly as captivating as his outfits, which he changed three times!
John Cale
John Cale performed in a very fitting venue: the aged and mysterious Rialto Hall. You can feel the passage of time sitting in the upper portion of the theatre, just as you can feel the passage of time in Cale’s mysterious calmness.
Perhaps surprisingly, what was most striking about his performance was its contemporary relevance. A mixture of live and electronic drums provided the basis for exquisite synthesizer tones and a guitarist who played more sounds than notes.
Holy Fuck
Holy Fuck came to party, and they took us all with them. Never before has an instrumental band been as captivating as this quartet of feisty Torontonians, excited to share a new LP with the world after a six-year hiatus. Nothing was lost in the interim – in fact, the group has only sharpened their tones even more; made those arpeggiated grooves even smoother; those lengthy breakdowns even tighter. Check them in your city if you can, for undoubtedly you will dance.
Angel Olsen
Back at the Rialto Theatre, I witnessed the transformed sound of Angel Olsen, a fairy-folkster turned rock’n’roller. Her band looked cute in their 50’s style suits, but the real catch is Angel’s voice, which carries a worldliness that belies her young years no matter what band arrangement she performs with. She put aside the guitar for a couple of keyboard ballads, sending the crowd away into the night with catchy melodies reverberating in our ears.
Morthouse
Drawing from the darker shades of new-wave, these brothers brought a captivatingly sinister energy to the tiny L’esco stage. One cannot help but be fixated by the singer Thomas, who manages to convey the brooding skepticism of a Nick Cave figure in all his glory. Every phrase was spat out with the vigour and charm of a street urchin turned art student, or visa-versa.
Hua Li
If you don’t know Peggy Hogan (aka Hua Li) yet, then get with the program. This dynamic local hip-hop artist and rapper is one-of-a-kind excellent. Performing with collaborator Gloze on programmed drums, Peggy slid smoothly through a healthy batch of heavy hip-hop with consummate ease, delivering her verses’ lines with dexterity and force. It’s always a pleasure to see someone act out their confidence and skill in a physical way, and Peggy sure knows how to get down with her beats.
The forecast reveals an incoming hurricane of pop heading straight for Montreal from September 16 to 20th. Umbrellas will do nothing for you; give in and embrace the vibrant shower of art and rock.
Pop Montreal is coming. <3
With over 400 artists involved, we’ve got you covered with our top 10 picks from this year’s program:
POP Montreal and Passovah present :Holy Data, L.A Foster, Kurvi Tasch, Tasseomancy + Wake Island – Saturday 19 September 2015– Divan Orange – Doors 7:30pm / Show at 8 pm – Tickets 10 $
POP Montreal and Arts & Crafts present: The Cribs + Farao + Absolutely Free + invités – Saturday September 19th 2015– Théâtre Fairmount – Montreal – Doors 8:30 PM / Show 9:30 PM- $18 in advance / $20 at the door
POP Montreal presents: The Besnard Lakes Are The 17-Piece Band + guests –Friday, September 18th, 2015-Rialto Hall (upstairs) — Doors 8:30 PM / Show 9:30 PM- Tickets $20
Mild High Club + Mega Bog + Rakam + Bile Sister + Tess Roby, Saturday, September 19, Casa del Popolo, Doors 8pm / Show 8:30pm – $10 in advance/ $12 at the door
POP Montreal and Maison Sociale present: Ariana Molly + Hua Li + Prismhouse + guest- Friday, September 18th, 2015 – Maison Sociale (5386 St-Laurent) – Show 12 am FREE!
5. OUGHT
POP Montreal presents: Ought + guests – Thursday, September 17th, 2015 – Ukrainian Federation (5213 rue Hutchison), Doors 7 pm / Show 8 pm, Tickets $15
POP Montreal, Debaser, E-Tron and Analogue Addiction present: The Beverleys + Fet.Nat + Hilotrons + Boyhood + Mono No Aware – Wednesday September 16th 2015 – l’Escogriffe – Montreal, Doors 7:30PM / Show 8:30PM, $10 at the door
POP Montreal and Indie Montreal present: Static Gold + Po Lazarus + First You Get The Sugar + Corinna Rose – Thursday, September 17th, 2015 – L’Hémisphère Gauche (221 Beaubien East) Doors 8 pm / Show 8:30 pm Tickets $10 in av / $12 at the door
POP Montreal, Loose Fit Collective and Annie present: New Fries + Steve Jr + Towanda + JLK + In Hock – Thursday September 17th 2015 – Brasserie Beaubien – Doors 8PM / Show 9PM – $10 at the door
TOP 5 EVENTS NOT TO MISS
5. Puces POP presents: The Puces POP Arts & Crafts Fair Thursday, September 17th to Sunday, September 20th, 2015 160 St-Viateur East – 2nd floor Thursday – Friday: 5 pm to 9 pm Saturday – Sunday: 11 a to 6 pm Opening party Thursday at 5 pm
4. Art POP, CKUT and Archive Montreal present: Montreal Shows 1965-1975: Posters, Photos and Ephemera Wednesday, September 16th to Sunday, September 20th , 2015 Vernissage: Wednesday, September 16th, 6 pm POP Quarters (3450 St-Urbain) Wed – Thu – Fri: 11 am to 8 pm Sat – Sun: 11 am to 6 pm – FREE!
3. POP Symposium and The Indigenous Studies Program at the McGill
Institute for the Study of Canada present: Indigenous Beats Friday, September 18th, 2015 POP Quarters (3450 St-Urbain) Talk 11:30 am – FREE!
2. Kids POP presents: Film Animation Workshop Sunday, September 20th, 2015 POP Quarters (3450 St-Urbain) Workshop 11 am to 1 pm Ages 6 and up, registration required. Email kids@popmontreal.com with child’s name and age – FREE!
1. Film POP and CISM present: Showgirls (Paul Verhoeven | USA, 1995 | 131 min.) – 20thanniversary screening! Friday, September 18th, 2015 Cinéma L’Amour (4015 Saint-Laurent) Screening 11:59 pm – Tickets $10, on sale August 28th
