From fezzes to free jazz

by JOHNSON CUMMINS

Tonight gets the weekend started early with Fuad and the Feztones down at l’Escogriffe. Made up of half of the Gruesomes and half of the Stills, these fez-wearing ne’er-do-wells are all jacked up on the frat rock of the Premiers, the Kingsmen and Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, so teenage Stills fans beware.

The Montreal Knows No Wave series hits its Volume 4 tonight, which coincidentally also happens to be Sabbath’s best record, so this is guaranteed to be a good one. Head down to the Casa to check out Captain Daydream, Sex Cryme, Shoebomber and guests, with DJ Kvlt 667 bringing the noise between sets. Also on tap tonight is Matador Records’ Lavender Diamond, but show up earlier to check out the psych-noise jams of Entrance with Anemones opening up the night at la Sala Rossa. Down at the best darn punk rock venue in the city, Katacombes, dig the stoner grind of Excreted Cowboy, Discrime Nation and Hard Charger tonight.

Better call in sick for work on Friday because the St-Viateur Street Festival will be held between Parc and St-Urbain from 2–11 p.m. Playing for free will be Iron Maiden fan-club prez and very polite drunk Patrick Watson, Pas Chic Chic, Socalled, Los Papas, Dee, Kumpania and not-so-polite drunks Yesterday’s Ring. Once the sun goes down on

Friday night, American Devices will come out to play with Nightwood at l’Escogriffe, while Hamilton’s Vapids lay down their Ramones-style riffage at Katacombes, with a little help from Sexhead and the Creeps.

Saturday proves to be no less lethal when Inepsy obliterates Katacombes with Toronto’s Maximum RNR and locals the Dangers and the Evil Boys. Also happening on Saturday night are the horror-rockabilly sounds of the Gutter Demons, the punk rock Irish reels of Corrigan Fest and guests Troma Lisa, down at Café Campus.

Sunday night at la Sala Rossa promises a great evening of jazz for people who hate jazz when the Sea and Cake (featuring Tortoise member John McEntire behind the traps) pull into town with Thrill Jockey labelmates the Zincs opening up.

At Café Campus on Monday, catch the Swedish grind of Regurgitate along with local Relapse Records signees Fuck the Facts as well as Mesrine and Cripple Crew.

Finally, on Wednesday, the ongoing Suoni per il Popolo workshop series Tools of the Trade will have its first session of this year’s festival hosted by none other than William Parker and Hamid Drake. Everybody is encouraged to bring an instrument down to la Sala Rossa at noon for a jam and a discussion of freeform jazz from the lips of masters. Later on Wednesday night, Parker and Drake will perform as a duo at the same space.

Imagine a world without Ben Mulroney...Jonathan.cummins@gmail.com