Where better to start this summer’s rundown of musical offerings than with our cover subjects, Hank Pine & Lily Fawn. The pair perform multiple shows as part of the Fringe MTL Bites series—not to be confused with Fringe Pop—this spread, happening at Green Room, Divan Orange and la Sala Rossa, offers music with a theatrical bent between June 12 and 21. Pine and Fawn’s three shows include one that crosses over with the Suoni per il Popolo fest and another afternoon jam for children. Also on the Fringe MTL Bites roster: Woodhands, Sunday Sinners, Angela Desveaux, Snailhouse, Starvin Hungry and more.
France’s Phoenix unload their production-heavy, revisionist FM rock at la Tulipe on June 16, same night Latin rock legion Colectivo hit Petit Campus. Payz Play push the right buttons there the night after, while a resurrected No Doubt hit Bell Centre. You can pogo along with mall-punk icons Rise Against and Rancid at Parc Jean-Drapeau on June 18, or uncover Clues at la Sala Rossa that night, or catch garage-pop auteur Bobby Conn at Divan Orange.
Frosty robo-romantics the Juan Maclean plug in at SAT on June 19, same night Fake Blood (half of big-beaters the Wiseguys, now remixer to the Kills, Hot Chip and Bonde do Role) hits the decks at Foufounes Électriques. June 19 also sees the first of the inaugural Virgin Fest’s two days at Parc Jean-Drapeau—on the menu that weekend are Black Eyed Peas, Simple Plan, New Kids on the Block, Akon and more.
June 20 has Great Lake Swimmers doggie-paddling into Théâtre Plaza and Maritime garage gurlz the Stolen Minks at l’Escogriffe, as well as the Nuit d’Amour night with Stern, Jarco Weiss and Obscene Kidz at le Social. June 22 is when Prairie punks Propagandhi set it off at Club Soda, and June 23 offers both Mr. Gee-shucks himself, pre-punk icon Jonathan Richman, at Cabaret or Land of Talk at Il Motore.
SINFUL ATTRACTION: Tori Amos
Summer slaughter
and a rootsy canal
Two Canadian acts that were pioneers in extending the possibilities of punk, NoMeansNo and Montreal’s own American Devices, are at la Sala Rossa on June 26, while Japanese funky-rockin’ furies Zoobombs explode at Divan Orange on June 27. That’s also the date of the second Folk Fest on the Canal, all day and outdoors at Terrasse St-Ambroise in St-Henri, with an impressive line-up including Joel Plaskett, Socalled, Ladies of the Canyon, Li’l Andy and more.
June 28 has Magik Markers at la Sala Rossa, Subhumans (the old-school U.K. punk band, not the Canadians of the same name) at Foufounes Électriques, and techno titan Richie Hawtin with Pheek and others at Piknic Électronik. Sleazy glam-rock legends the New York Dolls slap on the warpaint for a Club Soda show June 29, while Jay Reatard hits la Sala Rossa on June 30.
That’s also the day the 30th Montreal Jazz Festival kicks off, with a smorgasbord of shows including visits from Ornette Coleman, Kool & the Gang, the Dears, Charlie Haden, Dave Brubeck, Lila Downs, Oliver Jones, Thunderheist and countless more. The Jazz Fest runs till July 12.
July 3 sees Wolf Parade offshoot Handsome Furs at Théâtre Plaza, while July 7 has the scintillating, retro-delic sounds of Oakland, CA’s Cryptacize at Il Motore. Roots music’s crotchety conscience, Steve Earle, is at le National on July 9 and the Vans Warped Tour returns to Parc Jean-Drapeau on July 11 with NOFX, Bad Religion, Underoath, Anti-Flag and much more, though you might prefer Sunset Rubdown, Elfin Saddle and the Witchies at Il Motore.
Montreal’s Fred Everything goes all-in and all-out at Piknic Électronik on July 12, while the apparently ageless KISS rock ’n’ roll all night at Bell Centre on July 13 (is greasepaint the elixir of youth?). July 14, Japandroids terrorize Club Lambi, while July 16 welcomes the Summer Slaughter Tour at le Medley, featuring the soothing tones of Necrophagist and Ensiferum with Winds of Plague, Dying Fetus, Beneath the Massacre, Decrepit Birth, Blackguard… damn, it’s fun to type this stuff in! Over-the-hill cuddle-punks Green Day are at Bell Centre on July 18, while July 21 has the phosphorescent Abe Vigoda at Divan Orange and Bruce Peninsula at Il Motore, the venue hosting Obits and Red Mass on July 22.
SHIMMER AND SHAKE: Cryptacize
Boy toys, Beasties and
big riffs at the Big O
Ed Banger associate DJ Mehdi rocks Foufounes Électriques on July 24, while the next night, synth-pop deities Depeche Mode roll into Bell Centre and lost garage-rock revivalists the Cynics strangely materialize at Petit Campus. The charmingly named Goatwhore get all gruff at Foufounes Électriques on July 26, and July 28, well, that night obviously belongs to the fearsome Queensryche, who play Club Soda.
Les FrancoFolies run from July 30-Aug. 9, with such acts as Arthur H, Jane Birkin, Malajube, Karkwa and Pierre Lapointe, while Aug. 1–2 see Osheaga at Parc Jean-Drapeau with a powerhouse line-up including headliners Beastie Boys and Coldplay plus the Roots, Girl Talk, Arctic Monkeys, Rufus Wainwright and Crystal Castles. Aug. 1 also has local-DJ-done-good A-Trak at SAT, while Aug. 3 sees Fleet Foxes at Metropolis. Aug. 5, meanwhile has the venerable Social Distortion at le Medley.
Aug. 7, you’ve got your Blink 182, Fall Out Boy and Planet Smashers at Bell Centre, while on Aug. 8, Black Lips, Demon’s Claws and Bloodshot Bill make a mess at le Studio, Tom Fun Orchestra stumble into Divan Orange and riff-rock tyrants AC/DC raise a ruckus at the Big O. Aug. 10 is the appropriate date for a 10-bands-for-$10 showcase at Foufounes Électriques, with Poison the Well and nine more, while Aug. 11 features Tori Amos at the intimate Théâtre St-Denis. Prog rules on Aug. 12 when Dream Theater, along with Dweezil Zappa playing his dad Frank’s tunes, get noodly at Bell Centre. The following night finds rave icons Underworld back at it at Metropolis.
Aug. 17 finds John Legend and India Arie at Metropolis, while on Aug. 29, you can witness the wetness when those mighty mimbos, Jonas Brothers, play Bell Centre. A great way to wrap up the summer—mark it on your calendar now!—would be the Ninja Tune bill at the Aug. 30 Piknic Électronik, including Amon Tobin and Speakerbruiser.
NATIVE TONGUE: Lila Downs
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