by RAF KATIGBAK

St-Jean-Baptiste weekend is here, meaning it's time to go bananas. While some "independently inclined" Montrealers see the fête nationale as an excuse to break shit, for the most part, it's a time when anglos and francos put aside their differences to get shitfaced together. So in the spirit of people mixing things up in ways that shouldn't really go together but do, I hereby announce: Attachez vos ceintures, ça va brasser b'en red!

In a town where guys in jester hats can peacefully co-exist with girls in university tank tops and $200 sweatpants, DJs like Tommie Sunshine are right at home. Anyone who's ever seen this guy mix it up behind the decks knows why - dude throws rock, techno, old-school and electro together like nobody's business. Catch him playing with the incomparable Jordan Dare and the slightly overrated Crossover at the Neon party at the SAT this Saturday.

Of course, since Dare will be closing out the Neon party, Blizzarts Voyeur weekly will be minus one resident. Never fear, DJ Bliss is there to pick up the slack. In fact, Bliss is so confident, he's decided to take this opportunity to record the first live Voyeur mix CD. Which means that in the not-so-distant future, when Bliss finally takes his long-overdue place among the top DJs in the land you'll be able say, "I was there!" Don't miss it!

The Warrior party might just be the perfect pre-Neon/Voyeur festivity on Saturday evening. To celebrate its fourth dazzling issue, the magazine is inviting every guest to bring their three favourite pieces of vinyl, which once catalogued and tagged will be mixed into a seamless set by the secret big-name resident DJs (the records will of course be returned to their owners). This willy-nilly musical adventure kicks off at 9 p.m. at the Skol gallery (372 Ste-Catherine W., #314). Also, speaking of musical mix-ups, check warriormagazine.org for your chance to win a trendy new Ipod Shuffle!

Friday night, people planning to see Tommie Sunshine should definitely check out DJs Emmanuelle & Danika at the Roxy (1426 Stanley), where the ladies will be whipping people into a drunken frenzy with their eclectic everything-under-the-sun-style. Did somebody say old school West Coast Chicago deep-house versus electro rock rare disco pop new wave new beat techno? Holla!

The best way to spend these days, of course, is with your friends, drunk and/or stoned in the great outdoors. Piknic Electronik is more than happy to oblige with two days of events. Saturday, it's the breakdance competition War is War with DJs Static, Devious, Andy Williams and Tony Desypris, and Sunday it's a Turbo label showcase with DJs Jordan Dare and Mark Dillon - come early, the first 250 people get a special Turbo CD! As always, it's a 1–8 p.m. affair.

Speaking of Turbo, tonight, June 23, check out Parking's Overdose night as label head Tiga will be representing the local electro scene with resident DJ Mini. Also at Parking, on Sunday, a great DJ (and one of my favourite condiments), Chicago's Miss Honey Dijon, will be dropping some wax on your ass (and then peeling it off quickly).

...AND WHILE YOU'RE OUT THERE, BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA. Diskoakimbo@sympatico.ca

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