Ethnicity and lollipops

The Urban Ethnic Collective was created in order to explore the question "what is art in Montreal?" Their answer: whatever it is, it's created by people descended from every culture under the sun.

The UEC show celebrates the diversity of spoken word performance in Montreal, with a line-up that includes poetry by Ted Won, hip hop by Dostoyevsky (not the dead Russian, the live poet of Jamaican descent), and "jazzoetry" by David Neudorfer with Jason Selman and the Rhythmic Missionaries, among others. Also, images of Montreal and Haiti by photographer Olivier Hanigan and "tree planter music" by Jay Hall. At Artishow April 21, 8:30 p.m., $3. Proceeds go to the UEC's Dragon Jaws Magazine.

The next day, the racy Soirée Sucette features Toronto poet Hawksley Workman (who's taking time out from touring with the Violent Femmes), Alexis O'Hara and Jake Brown. One translation of "sucette" is "lollipop," another translation is "blowjob" and the content of this show is rumoured to need no explanation... Also at Artishow, April 22, 9 p.m. Tickets available at Cheap Thrills and Noize for $5, $7 at the door. : -- Patti Sonntag

... more arts