Spring yamakasi

by SCOTT C

I was walking home last Sunday afternoon when I saw one of the funniest things you could ever expect to see on a clear, spring day. You know how Montrealers are. The temperature goes up to six degrees and you’ve got cats proudly parading around the mountain in cargo shorts, Birkenstocks and socks. Then there’s the overabundance of people who choose the warmer seasonal change to try out all their new running gear and active iPod accessories before the cold snaps back again one more time. But on Sunday, I saw two McGilligan dudes making their way through the McGill sports complex, parkour-style, trying to navigate their way through the concrete with the efficiency and style of urban ninjas. While one guy led the way over short walls and calculated jumps, the other guy followed red-faced, huffing and puffing and stopping dead in his tracks at most of the obstacles. As I got closer, I witnessed this guy run head-on into a 10-foot wall and moan, “Holy shit...” as his friend gingerly hopped it and kept going. I think I laughed out loud, so sorry, buddy. Keep it up, and you’ll be jumping the rooftop at the McGill International Executive Institute like Spider-Man in no time.

This Friday, March 30, at la Plage, check out Montreal dub nut Vander and friends Dan Beats, Béni BBQ and Franklyn as they bring the live sounds of Bass Ma Boom in Dub to the floor. Show starts at 9:30 p.m. In keeping with the low-end theory, DJs Sase One and U.K. import Jack Walton try their hand at the Dubstep Experiment over at le Kopshop on Saturday, March 31. Props to these guys for trying to school Montreal on the exploding sounds of dubstep, a South London hybrid that incorporates influences from drum & bass, dub, U.K. garage and 2-step. Five dollars gets you in.

Fredy V and his band Black Soil hit the stage for the first time since playing with Omar back in October, with a show this Friday, March 30, at Cabaret. Sharing the bill with Kweku and the Movement, the Hot Springs and Whiteroom should pull a varied crowd in for this show, with Fredy and the gang hitting the stage first at 9:30 p.m. Tix are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.

Last week, I forgot to mention that if you’re interested in copping a limited edition WeFunk 10th-anniversary t-shirt, you should move fast. Check out www.wefunkradio.com’s store section, where you can get a piece of Montreal music history, thanks to www.glife.com.

Don’t forget the Goods this Saturday, March 31, with guest Len Senator joining the monthly throwdown of funk, soul, hip hop, Afro, Latin, bossa, broken beat and boogie at la Sala Rossa ($10 at the door).

I’m talkin ’bout car wars... fathead@videotron.ca

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