Break the record

The Guinness World Record for most gigs attended was broken last week by eight energetic youngsters in England who, between them, covered 84 gigs in seven days. Well, now that Pop Montreal is officially on and poppin’, I personally think that my Mirror colleagues and I are given the best opportunity to crush that record in less than five days.

For my part, I’m gonna kick off Pop today with a couple non-gig events, first by checking out the En Masse installation at Red Bird Gallery (135 Van Horne) and then peeping the symposium on funding and how to get grants at Espace Réunion (6600 Hutchison), which would be a good look for all you broke-ass MCs and producers that sell weed for studio time. Get your grant game up! I might go check Ceska RAPublica at Cinéma du Parc, a film exploring the conflicts of rap culture in the Czech Republic. Later on at Studio Just for Laughs is Red Bull Megahurtz, an interactive DJ showcase including a long-overdue performance by Megasoid—the highlight of last year’s Pop—and a string of other software DJs. Same time at Club Lambi is none other than Juice Crew First Lady and ’80s icon Roxanne Shante, who will be backed by Grand Wizard Theodore—the inventor of scratching—and joined by MTL’s own Princess Leah Poppinz.

Friday, Kid Koala presents the Slew, with six turntables and Wolfmother’s rhythm section, at la Tulipe. Soul master DJ Kobal gets you warmed up at la Sala Rossa for Lee Fields & the Expressions, and Hindu Kush blaze up Quai des Brumes before a closing set by DJ Brace. Saturday is the climax, starting with the World Street Music lecture in the afternoon with Khiasma, Wayne Marshall, Dago Donato, Brian Shimkovitz and DJ Rupture, who will also throw together a set at Lambi later in the night. Poirier’s Karnival, featuring Face-T, Dub Boy and Paul Devro, tears the roof off at Club Soda, and the Tremendous Records showcase at Studio Just for Laughs, featuring aRTIST oF tHE yEAR, Love & Electrik, Barletta and Seb Diamond is fo’ sho another highlight.

AND SO MUCH MORE… DABEATSEEKER@GMAIL.COM