Chili reception

by JOHNSON CUMMINS

While the line-up at this year’s Jazz Festival plays it a bit safe, perhaps to placate aging tourists, there’s still some good ol’ skronk happening off the beaten path downtown. Over at Casa del Popolo, tonight Improvising Montreal presents guitarist Chris Burns (Crackpot, 1,2,3, Go and way too many more to mention), drummer Will Glass, cellist Remy Bélanger de Beauport and dancer France getting their skronk on with Rose Rose Rose. To keep things from getting too stuffy, the band have prepared a unique rendition of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Cold Shot” for any lost Jazz Festival types, and promise to use Kim Mitchell’s “Rockland Wonderland” as a touchstone if their improv bursts out of the stratosphere of tolerance.

Friday night, the Vibrators return yet again, to Katacombes this time, so if you were unable to elbow your way into their two-night stint at l’Escogriffe last week, this is your last chance to catch one of the last bastions of ’77 punk, with the Automatix, Out of Order, the Diskonected and the Bators.

On Friday night, Barfly is guaranteed to put a hole in the ozone layer by emitting massive amounts of methane when they host Nick the Prick’s First Invitational Chili con Carne Cook-off. Over 15 cooks, at last count, will compete for Montreal chili supremacy, with chili tasting open to the public between 8–10 p.m. Unfortunately, the last event Nick the Prick organized, Nick the Prick’s First Invitational Scooter Run, turned out to be a bust when he was the only lonely mod who showed up, but he has promised to redeem himself with this gastronomic event. [Ed.’s note: Rumour has it that Johnson himself helped set this up.] At 10 p.m., the soirée transforms into a mod night with the gear sounds of the Lovely Lads, the Northern soul of the Scooter Boys and some other shitty band that is probably best forgotten. Nick the Prick would also like to add that rockers will not be admitted.

Saturday night, la Sala Rossa hosts the electro-pop sounds of the Blow. If you’re like me and think electro-pop is about as interesting as watching paint dry or trying to sit through televised curling, the sweet crooning and monologues of the Blow’s singer and brain trust Khaela Maricich are guaranteed to win you over. Adding ballast to the bill is the pop-prog guitar shredding of Marnie Stern—throw her name in the YouTube search window and prepare to be amazed. Opening up is Republic of Safety. Also happening on Saturday night, down at Katacombes, are Turboshaft (Turbonegro meets Issac Hayes, presumably) with Born Dead Icons (R.I.P.?) side project Arson Angels.

Not too long ago, when the End graced the Foufounes stage, their drummer managed to dislocate his shoulder while playing insanely heavy blast beats. Well, things have changed somewhat for the Ottawa band, who’ve added more rock and mid-tempo elements to their metal sound, but they still haven’t lost their will to bludgeon. They return to Foufounes with From Autumn to Ashes and I Hate Sally on Tuesday.

Finally, on Wednesday, you can check out the boogie rock of Bullmoose with the thinking-man’s rock of Starvin’ Hungry and Andrew Devillers at Casa del Popolo.

These aren’t blues, these are wax…
trash his motor! Jonathan.cummins@gmail.com