MUSIC:
Nightingales and birds of prey

Summer sounds take wing in Montreal

by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

Summer in Montreal means festivals, festivals and more festivals. This year’s FrancoFolies, shoved forward to accommodate the midsummer Outgames, kicks off today, June 8—for highlights, see this week’s regular Music section. The Fringe Festival also starts today, and in conjunction with Pop Montreal, they’ve got the Fringe Pop outdoor stage going on, June 10 and 15–18, at the corner of Rachel and St-Laurent. The free shows there include sets by the Hot Springs, the Besnard Lakes, Think About Life, Land of Talk and Patrick Watson.

Meanwhile, the Suoni Per il Popolo festival of freaky, free-thinking sounds continues right through June at Casa del Popolo and la Sala Rossa. Still to come at Suoni: instrumental math-punk heroes Don Caballero, lysergic lot Pink Mountaintops, AIDS Wolf, A Silver Mt. Zion and of course, alt-jazzers like Ken Vandermark, William Parker and René Lussier.

Right after that, on June 29, the Montreal International Jazz fest kicks off, and the line-up’s a sweet one this year. Indoor, ticketed shows include Ani DiFranco, Bedouin Soundclash, Bonnie Raitt, Buck 65, Calexico (with mariachis!), John Zorn, Kokono No. 1, Maceo Parker, the McCoy Tyner Septet offering a musical history of the Impulse! label, Cat Power, DJ Shadow, Daniel Lanois, Dave Brubeck, Pharaoh Sanders, Etta James, Elvis Costello jamming with New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint, the Dears, the Roots, Paul Simon, Gonzales’s Pianovision project, Yann Tiersen and Yusef Lateef. Then there are the outdoor shows, which include Cheb I Sabbah, Somali rapper K’naan and Bet.E & Carlos (yup, same lady as from Bet.E & Stef).

Picnics and punks

July 13 opens this year’s Nuits d’Afrique events, 10 days which will include Youssou N’Dour, Sierra Maestra, Senegalese rap unit Daara J joining Quebec’s Kulcha Connection, Congolese rhumba champs Kékélé and locals Afrodizz. The Montreal International Reggae Festival, meanwhile, happens July 14 to 16 in the Old Port, with Shaggy, Turbulence, Maxi Priest and Barrington Levy. The late Bob Marley will be the focus of the fest this year, with renowned reggae historian Roger Steffens presenting a special exhibition of Wailers-related items, and a free stage just off the site for Marley singalongs. Also, watch out for the after-parties at Medley, with Asylum DJs on July 14 and a special ladies-of-dancehall soirée the night after. Divers/Cité, in early August, presents—with pride!—DJ Ultra Naté at the Lesbomonde soirée, Aug. 5, and Deee-lite’s Lady Miss Kier DJing at the Sexgarage stage on Aug. 6.

Other large-scale events to pencil in include the weekly, sun-soaked Piknic Électronik at Parc Jean-Drapeau—check out Jordan Dare, Mini, Bliss and David Kristian’s Gentle Bakemono project on June 18, Fred Everything on July 9, Hakan Lidbo on July 23 and Moonstarr and NYC’s Nickodemus on Aug. 6.

The Unholy Alliance metal meltdown, with Lamb of God, Children of Bodom and of course the almighty Slayer, is at the Bell Centre on July 3. That’s followed on July 12 by the Sounds of the Underground event at Metropolis, with Cannibal Corpse, In Flames, GWAR and more. July 17, the Old Port’s the place for Dog Day Afternoon, with Metric, Fiery Furnaces, Electric Six and Canada’s best live band, Holy Fuck. The Vans Warped Tour rolls through on Aug. 13 with a line-up that includes Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (goddamn!), NOFX, Gypsy punks Gogol Bordello, Senses Fail, the Bled and the return of Helmet.

Sounds of industry

Classic industrialists Ministry and Revolting Cocks are at le Medley on June 10 (the same crowd might want to catch Front Line Assembly at Club Soda on June 25). Le Medley is also the spot for AFI and Dillinger Escape Plan on June 13, while Britain’s new rock hope Arctic Monkeys are there on June 16. The night after, Doors drummer John Densmore and his Iranian pal Reza do the crossover thing at le National. Canadian rock legends Bachman-Cummings take care of business at Théâtre St-Denis on June 21. June 22, le Spectrum hosts a double dose of quality U.K. hip hop with the Streets and Lady Sovereign, the same night Liars are at Cabaret and, if the rumours are true, Mylo drops in on I Love Neon. The night after, New York new wave icons Blondie are at Metropolis, while the founding father of disco, the legendary Nicky Siano, arrives at Stereo.

Dashboard Confessional bring the emo to the Old Port on June 29, the same night that legends of loudness Blue Cheer and openers Witch (with J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.) are at la Sala Rossa. Wilco return to Metropolis on July 10, while Bon Jovi and our favourites and yours, Nickelback, are at Parc Jean-Drapeau on July 13 (alternately, catch the amazing Alejandro Escovedo at Café Campus that night).

Two to tango

Global funk-spelunker Diplo brings his Brazilian protegé act (and Mad Decent label signing) Bonde do Role to la Sala Rossa on July 15. Morbid cabaret duo Dresden Dolls open for Panic! at the Disco at Metropolis, July 16. That irascible Peaches joins Josh Homme’s Eagles of Death Metal and Montreal’s own falcon of life metal, the World Provider, at Metropolis on July 19.

July 21 sees the first ladies of house, DJs Colette and Heather, hyping their split CD on the Om label at Stereo, while Stereobar hosts a tango/electro fusion party with Robert de la… Gauthier and Miguel Graça on July 30. System of a Down bring their pals Avenged Sevenfold and Unearth to Parc Jean-Drapeau on Aug. 2, and synth-pop peculiarity Gary Numan does his thing at le National Aug. 5, the same night Oneida and Danielson are at la Sala Rossa. The unsinkable Mariah Carey, with dancehall prince Sean Paul in tow, are at Bell Centre Aug. 15, and Canadian rock’s reliable regents Blue Rodeo sail into the Old Port on Aug. 18. The summer wraps up with a four-day I Love Neon mini-fest, Aug. 31 to Sept. 4—no names on hand yet, but knowing the Neon gang, it’ll be hot.