From the moment I arrived at the nineteenth edition of Shazamfest, there was not a minute that passed without something exciting or, at the very least, interesting happening. As I approached the main site, following the decorated path from the car park, the Eastern Township fusion dance troupe Tribal Roses had just gotten underway. Led by Catherine De Sève, the troupe mixes eastern dance and western electronic music. It was punctuated with flamboyant costumes and a fair amount of audience participation, which at Shazamfest culminated in one big mass dance-a-thon to close out the show. 

*Reader discretion is advised for the films mentioned in this article* 

The Fantasia Film Festival is back at Concordia University’s Hall Building and surrounding area for the 28th edition, which runs from July 18th - August 4th. The premier genre film festival gives the excuse to beat the heat and grab a seat for a film that will surely entertain. Before we get to our top film picks curated by us, Remi and Danny of At The Movies, here are some things to look forward to at this year's edition.

as edited from press release

ShazamFest, the much-beloved carnival of music, circus and burlesque returns for the nineteenth year, hosted in an angelic site nestled in Quebec’s Eastern townships that’s set in and around lush riverside woods and a natural amphitheatre.  From July 11-14th the sleepy town of Barnston West will be hopping. 

While Summer has announced itself to Montrealers through its many heat waves, the four-bill Summer Solstice show at L’Hemisphere Gauche on Beaubien kicked off the official first day of Summer with live performances from local bands, as well as those from Ottawa and Toronto. The Ottawa three-piece band Backstreet Dragon opened the night with songs from the latest album Kick Rocks and gave the crowd a sneak peek at some soon-to-be released summer tunes. Followed by Joey Bird and the Toronto band Roach, the night ended with a vibrant performance by the Montreal group Societal Siege.