Bum rush le viaduc!

Despite the enormous budgets and pretense often associated with parties and cultural events, from time to time I get reminded that the real keys to success are often as simple as a keen knowledge of how to have fun, a real desire to entertain and contribute to the public, a vat of mojito and cojones the size of basketballs. Enter local indie-crunk-electro barons/guerilla soundsystem Megasoid. With little more than a van, a pile of equipment, a lonely overpass and a mysteriously efficient rumour mill, they accomplished what many promoters fail to do with ample industry connections and high-falootin’ promo—a cheap, crazy night out with great people and slammin’ tunes, last Friday, June 1.

The chaos began at midnight after an already-sloppy afternoon at the St-Viateur Street Festival. Something about the too-good-to-be-true vibe of the whole thing, the enormous and eclectic turnout of locals, the funky jams and the wacky location made the crowd a particularly hyped-up one. When the last few beats of Peter Björn and John’s “Young Folks” ran out and the crew shuffled off to deal with the fuzz, I wondered if I had just witnessed a legendary party. When the track started back up again on its own, van-top DJ booth unmanned, and the young folks all started screaming and jumping once again regardless of the presence of the five-oh, I knew it was so. The police didn’t seem the least bit intrusive and graciously left the boys without any fines to pay, and all the smirking and chuckling party people dispersed into the streets of Mile-End after almost two hours of bumpin’ and grindin’.

All that to say, the bar has been set for party craziness this summer. Here’s hoping that crews will be out there trying to top it. You can catch Megasoid again on Friday, June 8 at the SAT alongside the Skeletwinz, Bonjay and the Peer Pressure posse.

There are plenty of other options to distract you from the Grand Prix rabble that will surely be rendering large sections of the city completely undesirable. Frigid starts up a new weekly party at Sky tonight, June 7, with guest DJ Mary Hell. Also tonight you can get Yo Majesty, Thunderheist and Bush Party at Main Hall. Over at Lambi, the latest edition of Komodo Dubs will rumble the hardwood with residents Komodo and DJ Hosta as well as this month’s guest Intoccable. Friday, Afrodizz will be playing Divan Orange. On Saturday night, French electro-zombie Kavinsky will be back from the grave, resurrecting post-Italo-disco synth pop.

On Sunday, June 9, catch You Say Party! We Say Die! at Divan Orange, or pop into Zoobizarre for an evening of refinement and wholesome, family fun with Ghettonuns. The Fringe festival starts up this week, so keep an eye on their programming and remember that they’re setting up camp at Lambi and Green Room to party down all weekend.

All your disco are belong to us…
jack.oatmon@gmail.com

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