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ArtsFestivalsMusic

Well labour day has come and gone which means the kids are back to school (teehee, sucks to be you kids!) fantasy football is back, the days are getting shorter and sadly the summer music fests are all but over. The shows this week are therefore going to be slowly transitioning into more and more indoor events.

Fortunately there are some great shows to look forward to in the near future. Starting with…

Selah Sue

Next Wednesday you can head over to Théâtre Corona and check out Belgian singer/songerwriter Selah Sue who is currently on tour in support of her second album Reason. Selah has been a success on the other side of the Atlantic ever since the release of her self titled debut album back in 2011.

If you listen to a few of her tracks you can see why. Beautifully arranged music that always seems to feel like the swell of a wave before it crashes over top of you is layered in behind Selah’s rich introspective vocals. Selah is definitely this week’s award winner for best artist you’ve never heard of but lucky for you there is some time between now and next Wednesday’s show to change that.

Selah Sue plays Théâtre Corona, 2490 Rue Notre-Dame Ouest, Wednesday, September 14th, 8:00pm (Doors at 7:00), $27.50 + s.c. in advance / $32.50 + s.c. day of show, tickets available through boxoffice.

All Aboard + The Honest Heart Collective + Hometown Lights + Bordeen + Caraway 

The best option for an indie rock/hometown show this week is happening on Saturday night at La Vitrola where no less than five great local(ish) acts will be hitting the stage to entertain you for the very reasonable price of ten dollars. All Aboard, The Honest Heart Collective, Hometown Lights, Bordeen and Caraway are all Canadian artists who will make you realize that you don’t have to go far to find good music.

This show should be an intimate, energetic and tightly packed evening of music so don’t complain if you leave a bit sweaty and with some ringing in your ears. Also don’t forget to bring some cash for the merch table, the lifeblood of the indie band tour budget.

All Aboard, The Honest Heart Collective, Hometown Lights, Bordeen and Caraway  play La Vitrola, 4602 Boulevard St Laurent, Saturday, September 1oth, 8:00pm (Doors at 7:00), $10 ($12 at the door) tickets available through lifttckt.

Slayer + Anthrax + Death Angel

Metal fans should take note of one of the biggest shows to hit our area this year outside of the festival circuit. These three thrashtastic pioneers have been doing what they do since the early 80’s and don’t seem to be showing any signs of slowing down.

I’m not going to speak about the bands at length or link to any of their websites. Fact is, these guys don’t need any promo, this is more of a friendly reminder that they’ll be hitting Metropolis next Tuesday. Now here’s four hours of Slayer music just because…

Slayer, Anthrax and Death Angel play Metropolis, 59 Rue Sainte-Catherine East, Tuesday, September 13th, 8:00pm (Doors at 6:30), $69.50 + s.c. in advance / $75.00 + s.c. day of show, tickets available through box office.

Villa Paradizo

If you’re looking for a fun outdoor activity this weekend but the money isn’t really flowing at the moment you might want to consider Villa Paradizo, the free EDM festival taking place on Crescent and De Maisonneuve this Friday and Saturday. The third installment of this fest has a mix of local and international DJs that will be spinning from 11 am to 11 pm on both days.

For anyone who might have trouble in a crowd or who enjoys spending money at free shows keep in mind all the bars in the area are the best (and only) seats in the house. They’re asking for you to call and make reservations in advance if you want a spot.

The downside is you have to pay “Bar on Crescent between De Maisonneuve and St Catherine” prices for drinks. Personally I’d save the money and go be part of the crowd on the street.

Villa Paradizo happens on the corner of Crescent and De Maisonneuve, Friday and Saturday, September 9th and 1oth, 11:00am to 11pm, free.

* Featured image: Selah Sue via YouTube

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!

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Despite criticism from fans based on interviews, the Heavy Montréal line-up ended up being one that should sell more tickets than its 2013 incarnation. Headlining one of the days, love them or hate them, is Metallica. The other day will go to Slayer, appearing at Heavy MTL for the first time since 2010.

Other featured bands include Lamb of God who were scheduled to play in 2012, but couldn’t. Three Days Grace, Hatebreed and Symphony X clearly show what the festival’s creators meant by going back to their roots. On the punk/rock side of things, The Offspring, Bad Religion and Pennywise are standouts.

In addition to the stellar line-up, a fourth stage was added. Since the festival intends to reach the largest number of people (and considering the event has grown considerably since its inception) is it possible that stages will now serve a greater importance with the farther out stage catering to the rock and punk fans while the two main stages cater to the heavy metal fans.

Another interesting note is the amount of North American artists. While Heavy MTL has always mainly featured artists out of North America with some European bands thrown in (In Flames, Children of Bodom, At The Gates), this year’s Euro flavour comes from Epica and Apocalyptica from Netherlands and Finland respectively.

In an interview with Canoe, Nick Farkas, head of programming said: “In recent years, the festival took a very metal corner and it has put off people to go.” Part of the reason why the festival had a lower attendance in 2013 than it did in 2012 was because of groups such as Avenged Sevenfold headlining and a lack of ‘must-see’ bands. While 2012 had SOAD, Manson, Slipknot and Deftones, 2013 had to settle with Danzig, A Day to Remember and Godsmack. It should be a no brainer why fans chose 2012, myself included.

Tickets go on sale this Friday with weekend passes going for $165 and gold weekend passes for $400.

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