Naghmeh and the Southern Shores

ArtsFestivalsMusic

Aaaahh, June in Montreal. The time when you can’t walk around any part of the city without running into a local show or even a full-blown festival. There’s so much going on, we can’t possibly whittle it down to just a few listings, but that’s exactly what we’ve done, so let’s get started:

Folk Fest on the Canal

There are three things that make this festival stand out:

  1. It’s called the Folk Fest and the lineup is largely, wait for it…folk music. Sure, there are some acts that verge into somewhat less folky territory, like this year’s indie rock headliners Plants and Animals, but there is always a clear line back to folk. In a town where the (anything but) Jazz Fest reigns, it’s a refreshing change.
  2. It’s community-oriented and clean. It takes place entirely in the Sud Ouest Borough and mostly along the banks of the Lachine Canal. Also, the port-o-johns are spotless and so are the festival grounds. Like Osheaga but with people picking up after themselves.
  3. It’s Free! While donations are encouraged and there is a VIP area this year you can buy into, access to the festival and its three stages is free.

You have three options to head on down to the Canal and catch some tunes in the great outdoors. It’s a folk-ing great time!

 

Montreal Folk Fest runs June 15, 16 and 17. For complete schedule visit MontrealFolkFest.com

Naghmeh and the Southern Shores

We’ve mentioned Naghmeh and the Southern Shores in this column before, but you can never get enough of this local band’s blend of Persian melodies with rock and folk and notably interesting lyrics. They’re playing again tonight, this time at Grumpy’s, so check them out in a very intimate though always rocking space.

Naghmeh and the Southern Shores perform at Grumpy’s, 1242 Bishop, Friday, June 15, 10pm. FREE

Queer Songbook Orchestra

On Tuesday, the Queer Songbook Orchestra will take the audience at Sala Rossa on a musical journey through the last century of uplifting queer narratives in popular music. It’s their mission to celebrate and perform obscured LGBTQ2S historical narratives, as well as tell the personal stories of members of the community and the songs connected to them.

Guest vocalists Safia Nolin and Beverly Glenn Copeland as well as storytellers Louis Negin and Gabe Maharjan will join the Toronto-based 12-piece chamber pop ensemble on stage. This event is part of the Suomi Per Il Popolo Festival.

Queer Songbook Orchestra perfrorm with Darren Creech as part of Suoni per il Popolo at Sala Rossa, 4848 St-Laurent, Tuesday, June 19, 8pm. Tickets are $10 and available through lfttckt.com

Dennis Ellsworth

PEI native Dennis Ellsworth has been making music for over 20 years. He describes his sound over those decades as “dark, smooth, romantic alt-country-ish type songs” but he felt like he needed a change with his latest album, the aptly titled Things Change, produced by Joel Plaskett of The Emergency.

Here’s some of his latest sound:

Dennis Ellsworth performs with Esther Hazy and The Pangs at Barfly, 4062A St-Laurent, Tuesday, June 19, 9pm. $10 at the door

* Featured image via Queer Songbook Orchestra

* 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. Our week goes from Thursday to Wednesday, so let us know by the preceding Sunday, though not too much in advance, or you may get lost in the shuffle. We can’t be everywhere and can’t write about everything, but we do our best!

ArtsMusic

Did you hear the birds chirping early this morning? Did you notice the dewy grass thawing? Winter if FINALLY over!

The cool breeze this morning confirmed what we’ve been all waiting for. Spring is here for real. And we’ve got some great live bands to celebrate the good times ahead.

A Night Of Rock N Roll Decadence

Les Ismore bring their their grungy classic folk rock to the stage with tinges of LA glam metal and reggae to boot.

They will be sharing the stage with Naghmeh and the Southern Shores who will rock out their folk rockin’ tunes with middle eastern influences and lyrics dripping with sass.

Sharing the spotlight that evening will be Broke Diplomates who’ll showcase some fine 70s psychedelic and British Invasion influences.

Opening act Sella will display some witchcraft influenced dark vibey music drenched with blues soul and dark cabaret.

To top off the list, second opening act Jason Allman, will also appear on stage. With no presence online, who is this mystery musician? Is he one of the Allman brothers?

Les Ismore Montreal, Naghmeh and the Southern Shores, Broke Diplomates and Sella perform at Crobar, 1221 Crescent Street, Saturday, April 14, 9pm, $7-PWYC at the door

Pop Jazz With A World Class Voice

“With an honesty and warmth that sets her apart from so many artists, Doty is an emerging Canadian talent who is clearly one to watch for 2017 and beyond.” CBC Music

Ellen Doty. She’s got a one in a million voice. She’s a real road warrior; her last cross-Canada tour included 42 show that she booked herself.

She will be in town to display her latest album which is all about pop, jazz, soul, folk, and indie music. Yet, instead of the usual instrumentation, this album has no bass, background vocals, horns or layers. Just piano, voice, and drums showing off a raw and spacious sound.

Come see her soulful act, a show you won’t regret.

Ellen Doty performs at Casa del Popolo, 4873 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Tuesday, April 17, 8pm. Tickets are $14.30 and available through Indie Montreal

From YouTube Pranks to the Stage in Montreal

It’s not important that he’s sold 40 million records worldwide. It doesn’t matter that his 80s single Never Gonna Give You Up was a huge hit.

What’s really important here is that Rick Astley, yes THAT Rick Astley is performing here in our hometown.

Not familiar with his work? Sure you are (if you’ve ever been Ric-Rolled).

It’s great to share this video without making it part of a prank:

Rick Astley performs at Theatre Corona, 2490 Notre-Dame Ouest, Saturday, April 14, 8pm. Tickets through Evenko (Currently SOLD OUT) 

An Evening Of Musical Revelrie

Sweet Roger brings his genuine performance to the stage fueled by the sounds of folk, Americana, and alternative.

Also performing that evening is vocalist, guitarist/composer Nolan Hubbard who brings his evocative acoustic-pop songs from his first album recorded in Nashville by recording industry heavyweights.

Also sharing the stage will be passionate singer songwriter Cinzia who, along with The Eclipse, will showcase her rock pop songs with stellar vocals.

To top off the list, Americana country rocker Greg Mcevoy blows in from Toronto.

Sweet Roger, Nolan Hubbard, Cinzia and the Eclipse and Greg McEvoy perform at Barfly, 4062A St Laurent, Friday, April 13, 8pm.

From Ballads To Bangers
Scenic Route To Alaska will be in town to spread their contagious pop sound. They are already a a hit in Australia and Europe, and their unique brand of pop actually has substance. To find out more about this band check out our contest post for details.

Scenic Route To Alaska perform at Quai Des Brumes, 4481 St Denis St, Wednesday April 18, 9pm. If you don’t win the contest, tickets are $11.85 and available through Indie Montreal

* Featured image of Les Ismore via Facebook

* 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. Our week goes from Thursday to Wednesday, so let us know by the preceding Sunday, though not too much in advance, or you may get lost in the shuffle. We can’t be everywhere and can’t write about everything, but we do our best!

ArtsMusic

Hello dear Forget The Box readers!

The clocks have sped up, we just had our first day of spring and things are looking on the up and up. You can feel it in the air as the sun shone the other day and everyone felt anticipation for the good weather on its way in.

It’s a very hopeful time of the year and the artists this week are the first performers to bring in this wonderful season: there’s 16 year old prodigy Billie Eilish, pop music’s savior from the likes of Britney Spears and company, the classic old school metal Iced Earth, and local working class musicians Naghmeh and the Southern Shores all playing in town this week.

Naghmeh and the Southern Shores: Local and Soulful

“Her love for nature and her positive vibes spill out of her music.. the energy of Naghmeh and the Southern Shores is contagious … leaves you wanting more.”

– Fred di Santo, Artist Relations @ Godin Guitars.

Come check out Iranian Canadian front woman Naghmeh Shafiei and her bandmates Don Pinkerton (drums), David Saveliosky (bass) and Seth Duin (lead guitar) for a late brunch performance at L’Escalier. Fusing Persian melodies and rhythms in her vocals with soulful rock and folk influences, Naghmeh draws bits and pieces from the likes of Metallica and The Eagles, and her open minded taste in several genres.

If you are a fan of melodramatic/quasi-sarcastic lyrics, you are sure to be entertained. It’s always a score to come see a band of seasoned performers play.

This hard working band plays a live gig or two every month, so the four-piece are not new to the scene. They’ve hit up Casa Del Popolo, Grumpys, and Brutopia among other well known bars.

Naghmeh had been gracing the stages of open mics in Vancouver, San Francisco, Buenos Aires, Calgary, and Berlin prior to settling down in Montreal. And it shows. The energetic front woman has great stage presence and knows how to work a crowd.

“I often think and write about love and war, about friends and family, about gratitude and uncertainty. About all and nothing at all.”

Naghmeh and the Southern Shores perform at l’Escalier, 552 Ste-Catherine Est, Saturday March 24th from 3-5pm. Free

Iced Earth

Hailing from Tampa Florida, birthplace of Death Metal, Iced Earth brings its 34 year rich history to Montreal. Spearheaded by founding member and main songwriter/guitarist Jon Schaffer, with 11 studio albums thus far, fans of bands like Death and Testament are in for a real treat.

.So come join Iced Earth for a night of old school thrash, power metal and that special Florida metal sound that grows alongside the orange tree groves of Sunkist.

The Noise and Heavy Montréal present Iced Earth performing with Sanctuary and Kill Ritual at Théâtre Corona, 2490 Notre-Dame Ouest, Sunday, March 25 at 7:30pm. Tickets available through Evenko

Billie Eilish

If you haven’t hear of 16 year old prodigy Billie Eilish, you’ve definitely heard her single Ocean Eyes that went viral and has 35 million streams on Spotify. The young musician is making waves, with Apple naming her their Upnext Artist last October.

Born into a family of actors and musicians, Eilish was raised and home schooled in Los Angeles where at age 11 she started writing songs with her brother. Although her songs are pop in nature, she’s got an unusual take on the genre.

“My first real song was about the zombie apocalypse…I literally watched The Walking Dead and I took little lines from it.”

Her song Bellyache is about a psychopath who s just killed all her friends. And her lyrics for the track Hostage are also unexpected:

I want to steal your soul
And hide in your treasure chest

The pop star also has a unconventional style: baggy pants, track suits, silver hair and likes wearing a Louis Vuitton scarf around her neck in the heat of the summer.

“I just like dressing out of my comfort zone. I want to dress in a way that if I was in a room full of people wearing regular clothes, I would be like “Oh I bet everyone’s looking at me. I want to feel that way. That’s my casual.”

Billie Eilish performs with Reo Cragun at Théâtre Corona, 2490 Notre-Dame Ouest, Tuesday, March 27 at 8pm. The show was originally moved from Fairmount Theatre because it was sold out but now is sold out at the larger venue as well

* Featured Image of Naghmeh and the Southern Shores via naghmehasong.com

* 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. Our week goes from Thursday to Wednesday, so let us know by the preceding Sunday, though not too much in advance, or you may get lost in the shuffle. We can’t be everywhere and can’t write about everything, but we do our best!