by JOHNSON CUMMINS

Time is ticking, so if you like to have a smoke with your rock, you have to make it out to these shows. Tonight, May 11, marks the return of Heavy Trash, with guests the D Rangers, but the venue has just been changed from El Salon to the comparatively small confines of the Green Room. If you aren’t hip, Heavy Trash is Jon Spencer with a member of Speedball Baby, and rounding it out are members of the Sadies. If you don’t have tickets already, better rush down early. Also happening tonight is one of the most innovative surf bands around, Surferigno, at Quai des Brumes. For a hardcore smackdown, head down to Café l’Inconditionel tonight for Beneath the Massacre, Leng Tch’e, Fuck the Facts, Orphans in Coma, Withdraw and the Last Felon.

Friday, you can check out Bob Wiseman, who may be better known as “the weird guy who was in Blue Rodeo but got kicked out for being way too weird.” Wiseman will be projecting some films and playing some music at Club Lambi.

If you are really dying to light up in these autumn moments of smoking while drinking, you have to go where the smoke is always blue. I am talking of course about Barfly, which on Saturday plays host to Fake Blood, Barracuda Sunrise (from St. John’s) and the Nymphets. The Stills may have dropped the Interpol-junior scenario with their new record, but will still pack ’em in the same night at le Spectrum. Warming up the giant stage will be another band that understands the value of a good scarf, the Royal Mountain Band.

On Tuesday, the return of one of Canada’s greatest living punk bands Dayglo Abortions, will soil the stage of Foufounes. Will the singer light himself on fire again, or again end up in the emergency room after smashing a beer bottle over his own head? It’s nice to see that there are bands out there that are still punk as fuck—especially when they’re 40.

Ending off the Punkusraucousrex week on Wednesday is the MIMI’s Alex Soria Fountain Award for Promising Local Songwriter Showcase with the wizards of the tambourine the Adam Brown, Land of Talk, Yonder Hill and Philippe B. This will be the last time behind the traps for the Adam Brown’s Marc-André, so he can concentrate on his other band, Nitrosonique, as well as some sort of acting thing he’s cooked up that will probably get him nowhere. Head down and glare at him as though he’s making a big mistake. It’ll probably freak him out.

REGINA: THE CITY THAT RHYMES WITH FUN! jonathan.cummins@gmail.com

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