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Are the best summer pop fests lurching toward Montreal? by CHRIS YURKIW
Ramp Rage IV Coming to Montreal?: Yes Where/when?: Spectrum, Saturday, June 7 Artists performing: Ten Foot Pole, 22 Jacks, X-Large, Burning Heads What's the latest on the lineup?: Trigger Happy replaced by Rimouski boys X-Large Last year's fan demographic: Skatepunks looking for a festival This year's fan demographic: Skatepunks waiting for the Vans Warped Tour Non-music shtick: Concurrent skateboard competition/phat-pant street sweeping contest at Taj Mahal June 6-8 Major sponsor/trying to get youth hooked on: Molson Dry beer Tickets & info: Show: $10 advance, $12 door + taxes & service (Admission 790-1245). Competition: En Équilibre (939-0859) Wild Card: 6:30 p.m. starting time for show
Coming to Montreal?: Unfortunately When?: Sunday, June 29 French name of venue: Hippodrome de Montréal English name of venue: Blue Bonnets Raceway Artists performing: Main stage: Our Lady Peace, Tea Party, Collective Soul, I Mother Earth, Groovy Aardvark, Holly McNarland. Second stage: Les Secrétaires Volantes, Kinnie Starr, Age of Electric, Glueleg, Finger Eleven Last year's demographic: Toronto scrunge fans This year's demographic: Canadian scrunge fans Non-music shtick: The "Ville-Edge," including the YAWP! Cabaret Major sponsor/trying to get youth hooked on: Molson Dry beer and CHOM FM Tickets & info: $27.50 + taxes & service (Admission 790-1245, Spectrum box office 861-5851) Wild Card: Rumours that a miffed Moist might bum rush the Tea Party's set for a rousing hometown version of "Gens du pays" Lollapalooza Coming to Montreal?: No Coming to Quebec City?: No Where, then, and when?: The Kingswood Music Theatre at Canada's Wonderland(!), just north of Toronto; Friday, July 4 Artists performing: Main stage: Julian & Damian Marley, James, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Korn, Tricky, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Tool, Orbital. Second stage: The Eels, Summer Camp, Dr. Octagon & DJ Shadow, Jeremy Toback, Radish, Inch What's the latest on the lineup?: The final dénouement slot on the main stage moves from Orbital to Devo to Prodigy to The Orb as the tour progresses Last year's demographic: Metallica fans This year's demographic: Electronica fans Non-music shtick: Ticket includes "Passport to Wonderland"--access to the amusement park Major sponsor/trying to get youth hooked on: All hemp products Tickets & info: $45 + tax (TicketMaster (416) 870-8000 or venue (905) 832-8131) Wild Card: Will Tool give Korn a nightly niblet enema? Vans Warped Tour '97 Coming to Montreal?: Dude, like, yeah! Where/when?: Hippodrome/Blue Bonnets; Sunday, July 20 Artists performing: Main stages: Offspring, Pennywise, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Social Distortion, Descendents, Lagwagon, Suicide Machines, Sick Of It All, Reel Big Fish, Hepcat, Royal Crown Revue, Less Than Jake, Blink 182, Limp Bizket. Club stage: Sugar Ray, Millencolin, Lo Presher, Sun Child What's the latest on the lineup?: Organizers scored the Offspring late into the booking game as a crown jewel Last year's demographic: Your 14-year-old brother This year's demographic: Your 15-year-old brother Non-music shtick: in addition to the usual skateboard competition, in-line demonstrations and BMX bikers, the Mega-Pump Wall Climbing Competition has been added Major sponsor/trying to get youth hooked on: Gatorade Tickets & info: $25 + taxes & service (Admission 790-1245) Wild Card: Will any amount of watering the grounds prevent a twister-size dust cloud like the one that was kicked up at last year's show? Another Roadside Attraction Coming to Montreal?: Not exactly Coming close by?: Yeah Where/when?: Franklin County Field, Highgate, Vermont; Saturday, July 26 Artists performing: Tragically Hip, Sheryl Crow, Ashley MacIsaac, Wilco, Los Lobos, Change of Heart, The Mutton Birds, Ron Sexsmith, Van Allen Belt 1995 demographic: People who thought Matthew Sweet was John Popper 1997 demographic: People who think Sheryl Crow is "hot" and that Ashley MacIsaac might "whip it out" Non-music shtick: Ashley MacIsaac might "whip it out" Major sponsor/trying to get youth hooked on: Kilkenny kilts of Cape Breton Tickets & info: "Early Bird" special $30 US + service (Admission 790-1245) Lilith Fair Coming to Montreal?: Very probably Is this that groovy all-women-artist fest organized by Sarah McLachlan?: Yup Where/when?: Stade du Maurier; Sunday, August 17 Artists performing: (N.B.: Unconfirmed) Main stage: Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, Shawn Colvin, Indigo Girls. Second stage: Lhasa, Mary Jane Lammond, Wild Strawberries What's the latest on the lineup?: Some of the many artists on the revolving bill who won't be coming to Montreal are Paula Cole, Emmylou Harris, Juliana Hatfield, Joan Osborne, Suzanne Vega, Victoria Williams and Cassandra Wilson Last year's demographic: Folks into funky ladies in four North American cities This year's demographic: Folks into funky ladies in 35 North American cities Major sponsor/trying to get youth hooked on: Estrogen Tickets & info: Should go on sale circa June 14 House of Blues Smokin' Grooves Tour Coming to Montreal?: Probably Where/when?: Hippodrome/Blue Bonnets; Sunday, August 24 Artists performing: George Clinton & The P-Funk All-Stars, Cypress Hill, Erykah Badu, The Roots, Foxy Brown What's the latest on the lineup?: The sixth, revolving slot will be filled by OutKast in Montreal, as opposed to The Pharcyde and Brand New Heavies in some other cities. If the show happens it'll be the closer of the tour Last year's demographic: B-boys and girls This year's demographic: R&B-boys and girls Major sponsor/trying to get youth hooked on: Pepsi, House of Blues wings, Dan Aykroyd films Tickets & info: Not yet available Wild Card: With no roof at Blue Bonnets, what will George Clinton tear off the sucker? And... a Molson dry summer If it counts as a festival, we'll also be privy to the Rock Fest Molson Dry, a series of free evening shows tied in with the Grand Prix and highlighting, on the main stage on Ste-Catherine St. in front of Complexe Desjardins, Sinéad O'Connor (June 11), Amanda Marshall (June 12), Grim Skunk with Moist (June 13) and James Brown (June 14); and in clubs Great Big Sea (June 11, Medley), Dodgy (June 12, Medley), Zébulon (June 13, Soda), and the Snitches with Wide Mouth Mason (June 14, Medley). Check your Boss Can label for details. Or if you like that Canadian-bolstered American brew, you might go for the free Budrock Megashow (6 p.m., June 21, Parc des Îles on Île Ste-Hélène) featuring loveable jurassics ZZ Top, Cheap Trick and Noir Silence. Finally, watch for Polliwog's annual outdoor fest in Parc Jeanne-Mance on August 16, with the likes of SNFU, Overbass, Angry White Mob, Rusty, Change of Heart, Kermess, Santeria and others to be announced. |
Ready?! Another Roadside Attraction looks like the rootsy H.O.R.D.E. festival this year, but H.O.R.D.E looks like Lollapalooza and Lollapalooza is looking like Perry Farrell's ENIT festival of last year. The OzzFest looks like Lollapalooza of last year, but the OzzFest isn't coming here, although Lilith Fair and the Smokin' Grooves Tour probably are. So get out your hemp sun hat and pop that Blues Traveller CD into the DiscMan, 'cause there's a big bugger of a bush party goin' on out there...
EdgeFest '97