Mile-high fly guy

>> Stefie Shock turns on the City of Lights

by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

Here's hoping local musician Stefie Shock has his Air Miles card in order. He's just returned from his first round of hype work in France, concentrated in Paris, and judging by the way people reacted to his debut album of last year, Presque Rien (now seeing the light of day over there), he'll be hopping the Atlantic on a frequent basis from here on in. His brand of cool pop, clever, grooving and sleazy in a dignified way, seems to have clicked.

A showcase for industry types blew up after it was announced on France Inter--"the Radio-Canada of France"--and drew in the general public in a big way. "I didn't know what to expect from the crowd," says Shock. "I didn't even know there were that many until I got on stage. But I think it was one of the best shows we've done.

"We did a radio show as well, because radio shows really get a live crowd over there. It was a show that plays on France Inter and it's with the president of the Francofolies de Larochelle, who has a lot of credibility. He really goes up front and defends French music."

Shock's already booked for the Francofolies festivals in France and Belgium this summer, as well as for the one here, where he's scored a sweeeet slot opening for Québec pop icon Jean Leloup on July 26 (tickets go on sale this weekend). An excellent pairing, but one Shock will have to stock up on new tunes for.

"I've got a new one called 'Mile High Club.' You know what that is? If you make love on a plane, you become part of this club. Someone told me about it six months ago or so, and that was the idea for the song. It's a groovy track, the most dancefloor, club-oriented song I've done so far."

Shock will be doing an exhaustive Quebec tour in the fall, but intends to jet over to France as often as possible, to sustain the buzz. He'll need the aforementioned Air Miles card, and a bucketful of patience, too, because Parisians are still Parisians. "If you go to a café, that's the worst--les garçons de café. I don't know why. I don't get it. We went to one place for breakfast and the garçon was so rude, so chiant, that we left. If he's gonna be like that, I'm not gonna have him serve my food! No way!"

At Cabaret on Friday and Saturday, April 27--28, 8pm, $21.65