For festival fiends

by JOHNSON CUMMINS

Festivals are indeed in full swing in Montreal right now, with a big one happening this weekend at Parc Jean-Drapeau. Heavy MTL proves why Montreal is the perfect place to hold a metal fest, with 23 bands playing over the two days. Kicking it off on Friday will be none other than ex-Kyuss and Fu Manchu bro Brant Bjork switching his drumsticks for a six-string at Club Soda. Tune in, turn on and bong out.

Fringe Pop is already underway and has some great free shows happening every night in Parc des Amériques on the corner of St-Laurent and Rachel. Tonight, Thursday, June 19, you can check out the Handsome Furs, the Witchies and Little Scream. Friday is the Oholics, who were the talk of the town at NXNE’s afterparties last week in Toronto, the D’Urbervilles and the Wooden Sky, and Saturday sees Halifax’s always awesome Wintersleep, the Youjsh and Zeroes. Whatever you do, don’t miss Wintersleep—for my money, they’re one of the best bands in Canada right now. All shows start at the ungodly hour of 6 p.m., but fear not, the beer tent is definitely worth skipping dinner for.

AWAKE FOR SUMMER: Wintersleep

The Suoni per il Popolo festival has been going on this entire month but is saving the best for last. Tonight, you can check out Tren Brothers, featuring the Dirty Three’s Mick Turner and Jim White in a folky duo setting, while openers Bernier/Trottier dabble in electro-acoustics within traditional folk arrangements at la Sala Rossa. On Friday at la Sala Rossa, you can check out Retribution Gospel Choir, featuring Alan Sparhawk from Low, with former Live Skull and Come singer Thalia Zedek supporting. Although the Choir should prove to be amazing, Zedek will give them a good run for their money because her soft, melancholic vocals are about as good as it gets.

Across the street at Casa del Popolo on Friday, check the psych-folk-rock of Quest for Fire, featuring ex-members of Deadly Snakes and Cursed, and current members of No No Zero, with Wyrd Visions. The fine, furry folks from Pirates of the Lachine Canal get in on some Suoni action and co-present Anemones, Big Chocolate Flavour and France’s the Feeling of Love on Sunday at Casa del Popolo. The Feeling of Love is a one-man band who plays blues, but before you simply shrug this off, this solo wrecking ball isn’t afraid to get a little dirt on his hands through non-traditional form and elements of noise.

Off the festival path are the Captains, Shortpants Romance and Winnipeg’s the Ex-Girlfriends at Barfly on Saturday. Also happening on Saturday night is Montreal’s trashiest band, Demon’s Claws, with the Feeling of Love (again!) and Seb Normal at l’Escogriffe. Even with the Heavy MTL festival in town, the heaviest show this week is Saturday night down at Katacombes, when New Jersey’s Killing It play with Montreal thrash gods …And the Saga Continues (think very early D.R.I. and Negative Approach), with the Castavets taking up the sweat-act slot.

ARE YOU ON THE BUS OR OFF THE BUS? JONATHAN.CUMMINS@GMAIL.COM