The charming and uplifting Seoul, arrestingly captivating Yamantaka // Sonic Titan, and dramatic Murray Lightburn took over La Sala Rossa this past Wednesday as part of M for Montreal.
Photos by Jay Manafest
Yamantaka // Sonic Titan
M for Montreal music preview
M for Montreal starts this Wednesday and with four days worth of concerts, panel discussions and workshops, it’s the usual overload of stuff to see and do. Here’s our list of top musical acts to see at this year’s festival.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20
Yamantaka // Sonic Titan @ La Sala Rossa
When: 9 p.m.
Where: 4848 Saint-Laurent
How much: $18
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21
Born Ruffians + Odonis Odonis @ La Sala Rossa
When: 9:30 p.m.
Where: 4848 Saint-Laurent
How much: $18
A Tribe Called Red + Tommy Kruise @ S.A.T.
When: 10 p.m.
Where: 1201 Saint-Laurent
How much: $18
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22
Apigeon + How Sad + Boats + Seb Black @ TRH Bar
When: 8:30 p.m.
Where: 3699 Saint-Laurent
How much: $10
Grand Analog + Cadence Weapon (DJ set) @ Divan Orange
When: Midnight
Where: 4234 Saint-Laurent
How much: $12
Duchess Says + We Are Wolves + Solids @ Cabaret Underworld
When: 10 p.m.
Where: 1403 Sainte-Elizabeth
How much: $15
Kandle + Pawa Up First @ Nomad
When: 10 p.m.
Where: 129 Van Horne
How much: $15
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23
Franco M: Ponctuation + Dead Obies @ Café Campus
When: 2:15 p.m.
Where: 57 Prince-Arthur
How much: $14
Young Galaxy + Miracle Fortress + Valleys & Purity Ring (DJ set) @ S.A.T.
When: 9 p.m.
Where: 1201 Saint-Laurent
How much: $15 (includes entry to afterparty w/ Purity Ring)
Further information can be found on the M for Montreal website. You can also download their app for iOS or Android.
Photo by Alex Bédard for M for Montreal.
Shows this week: CJLO birthday party, King Khan & The Shrines, Yamantaka // Sonic Titan
Support the local music scene! Go see these shows this week.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25
CJLO 15th/5th Anniversary Party: Wintersleep + Fucked Up + Cadence Weapon @ S.A.T.
It’s a happy 15th/5th birthday this Friday for local indie radio station CJLO 1690 AM. The Concordia University radio station was formed in 1998 and at first could only be heard within the university and online. In 2008, CJLO started broadcasting from 1690 AM which allowed it to reach audiences as far away as Burlington, VT. It has since won a bunch of CMJ awards including “Biggest Champions of the Local Scene” in 2012 and “Station of the Year” in 2010.
For its birthday party, the good people at CJLO have booked a diverse lineup of acclaimed Canadian acts. Starting off the show is Edmonton native Cadence Weapon. The three-time Polaris nominee released Hope In Dirt City a little over a year ago and is currently working on his 5th full-length album here in Montreal.
The second act on the bill is Toronto’s Fucked Up. The hardcore punk outfit won the Polaris prize in 2009 for their opus The Chemistry of Common Life. Although they are considered a punk band, their fresh approach to creating music has allowed them to maintain an originality that is rarer and rarer in the punk and hardcore genres.
Juno Award-winning Wintersleep from Halifax close off the show. In the ten years they’ve been a band, Wintersleep have released five full-length albums, toured across North America, Europe and the United Kingdom, and have performed on The Late Show with David Letterman.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27
King Khan and The Shrines + Hellshovel + Vomit Squad @ La Tulipe
The legendary King Khan and The Shrines are back after a six-year hiatus with their latest release Idle No More. Blending elements of psychedelic, soul, garage rock and R&B, King Khan and The Shrines are a bangin’ musical sensation that is even more fun when experienced live.
Opening are the equally quirky and psychedelic garage-influenced Hellshovel and dummy punk surf rockers Vomit Squad.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29
Yamantaka // Sonic Titan + Tired @ Cabaret du Mile End
The phenomenal Yamantaka // Sonic Titan are releasing their already highly-acclaimed new album UZU on October 29. Their unique blend of indigenous music, performance art, opera, and rock have made them one of the most talked-about bands in the local scene this year. Their live show is an immersive experience, entrancing the listener and making the audience feel like nothing exists outside of the performance.
Photo by L.P. Maurice for POP Montreal
Passovah Summer Music Festival focuses on local acts
Everyone knows Montreal has no shortage of music festivals. But there is a real lack of focus on the local music scene. Enter Passovah Productions and their annual Passovah Summer Music Festival.
This year is the second edition of the new festival and it has already established itself as a vital one among Montreal’s various cultural happenings during the summer season. Its inaugural edition featured 24 local acts spread out over two nights. This year’s edition has doubled in size with over 50 local acts. They’ve also added an extra night of shows as well as daytime shows on Saturday and Sunday.
The festival’s success and great potential for further growth can be attributed to a few factors.
“The fact that it’s all local is a big thing,” said Passovah’s creative director and co-founder Noah Bick. “The fact that it’s pay-what-you-can and the fact that we have short sets, those are three things that set it apart from other festivals.”
The PWYC model is one that is gaining in popularity in the local music scene. Bick and many others agree that this is a very effective way of promoting local talent and exposing less well known acts to a broader audience.
“It’s a good way of making sure that whoever wants to come to the concert is going to come and cost is not going to stop them,” he said. “I think a lot of artists would rather have 100 people in the room, 50 of which have paid, than 50 people in the room.”
Another thing to consider is that if you’re paying less to get into a show to see a band, you’ll be more willing to spend that money elsewhere on their music or merch available at the show.
Aside from the fact that the musical acts featured in the festival lineup are all local, there is nothing that they all have in common. The lineup is an eclectic collection of genres and styles that exemplifies the wide range of talent that Montreal’s thriving music scene has to offer.
“A lot of these bands are either people that I’m friends with or people whose music I’ve really gotten into and I’m just so glad that Passovah’s organically grown into this way of helping local artists do their thing,” Bick said. “The different ways in which some of these bands have gotten on the bill is really cool and inspiring.”
The following is a small taste of some of the acts performing in the festival, which runs from Friday, August 9 to Sunday, August 11. For a complete list, consult the Passovah Summer Music Festival’s website.
SALTLAND / Friday, August 9 at Il Motore.
FRAGILE FEET / Friday, August 9 at Il Motore
RUBY KATO ATTWOOD & ALASKA B (YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN) / Friday, August 9 at Il Motore.
WAKE ISLAND / Saturday, August 10 at Il Motore
SPECIAL NOISE / Saturday, August 10 at Il Motore
PIGEON PHAT / Saturday, August 10 at Il Motore
*Photo by POP Montreal
MIRACLE FORTRESS / Sunday, August 11 at Il Motore
CINEMA L’AMOUR / Sunday, August 11 at Il Motore
ISLE OF PINE / Sunday, August 11 at 185 Van Horne
