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We Just Wanna Have Some Fun, Down at the Rock and Roll Club

With the arrival of the first weekend of April comes the realization that one quarter of the year has passed by already. This can be seen as either a good thing or a bad thing for those lucky enough to call Montreal home. On the one hand the first three months of the year are the worst, weather wise, in this part of the world, but on the other it means that you only have three quarters of the year left to make up for all the missed days due to the cold. Fortunately all the musicians, artists, promoters, and venues in the city also feel the same way. Prince Palu is exhausted from going through all the possible things to do over the next few days, but here is what he came up with. Happy Easter and/or Passover.

Thursday, April 2, 2015

To kick off this weekend, CJLO's (ever-growing) Mix Tape Club is having a meet and swap at Le Cagibi (5490 St-Laurent) right before The Oven re-Launch extravaganza, to celebrate the newly renovated recording studio at CJLO. Local bands Saxsyndrum, Fleece, and Michael Cota, all of whom have some connection with The Oven, will play for your listening pleasure. The whole night will be broadcast live and only costs $5.

Over at L'Escogriffe (4467 St-Denis) the 15th anniversary festivities continue with Les Breastfeeders, No Aloha, and Nancy Pants. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes as you will not be able to keep yourself from dancing.

If you would like it to be heavier and more psychedelic, then Bar le "RITZ" P.D.B. is where you will want to plant yourself for the evening. Los Angeles band Wand who have just released their second album, Golem, on In The Red, will be pulling back into town once again to expand minds and leave a ringing in your ears. Sadly, Chocolat had to pull out of this show, but Grand Rapids, MI's Heaters and Montreal's Corridor will pick up the slack and make this a night of swirling sounds and kaleidoscopic vibes. Doors at 9:00, show at 9:30. Tickets are $10 in advance or $13 at the door.

I don't want to come off as a prude when I say this, but I really have a hard time getting over the fact a band this fun wants to put the word 'diarrhea' into my brain when I am listening to their music. That said big riffed, power rock 'n' roll Nashville's Diarrhea Planet is fun and if you can get over the disgusting visual undertones to their name, you will have a great time. They will be joined by fellow Infinity Cat alumni Left & Right and the power-pop skank-boogie of Ottawa's New Swears. Doors at 8:00, show at 9:00. Tickets are $10 in advance or $13 at the door.

If you are looking for a more frightening, hardcore start to your weekend, then you should check out Chicago's Harm's Way as they headline a night of musical destruction with Ashtabula, OH's Homewrecker, Columbia, SC's Discourse, Quebec City's Apes, and local doom metal fanatics Lifespent, at La Vitrola (4302 St-Laurent). Show starts at 7:00, so if you want to see all five bands get there early. $15 at the door.

If that seems a bit too intense for you, and you would rather have a more guitar-plucking-on-the-front-porch kind of evening, head down to Sala Rossa (4848 St-Laurent) where the good people at Hello Darlin' Productions will present Craig Cardiff and Oh Susanna. Doors at 7:30, show starts at 8:00. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door for $20.

The last musical options for tonight is one of a more folky, ethereal and dreamy feel. Up at La Plante (185 Van Horne) you can sway to the ghost folk of Nighttime, the bedroom grunge folk of Ceilidh Michelle, and the experimental folk noir of HOST. The cozy homemade ambiance of the stage at La Plante will be a great setting for such an evening of music. $5 or PWYC. Shows starts at 9:00. BYOB.

And the final option for tonight is one I know very little about, but am very intrigued by the sounds of it. Over at The Wiggle Room (3874 St-Laurent) Divine Danny Dee hosts the Weird Ass Game Show. This is a live game show that features stars of the local comedy, burlesque and music scenes, and gives someone from the audience a chance to win $100, along with loads of other prizes. I don't know anymore than this, so you will have to go and check it out for yourself. Doors at 7:30, show starts at 8:00. $10 or $8 for students.

Friday, April 3, 2015

Maybe you got to see Rakim a few weeks back and need another old-school fix, or maybe you missed The God MC and have been kicking yourself ever since. Either way you have a chance to rectify the situation when Champagne Productions and CJLO 1690AM present members of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan, Ghostface Killah, GZA, and Cappadonna at Théâtre Telus (1280 St-Denis). The night will also feature DJ Merciless, Lord Fury, and Killah Priest. Doors at 9:00pm. Tickets range from $46 to $86 and can be purchased online or at Empire (251 St-Catherine E) and Cinko (1641 St-Denis), or by phone at 514.746.7423 or 514.586.2339.

If you are looking for a more dirty rock 'n' roll sound for your Friday night, Hanni El Khatib returns to Montreal at Bar le "RITZ" P.D.B. Touring in support of his latest album, the brilliant Moonlight that came out back in January, which while expanding his sound doesn't forget his garage rock roots. Opening will be the rock 'n' roll duo Black Pistol Fire, who are originally from Toronto but now split time in their hometown and Austin, TX. Doors at 9:00, show starts at 9:30. Tickets can be bought online for $15 (+fees) or $18 at the door (+ fees... WTF?!).

If on Saturday night you find yourself with both a craving for some experimental pop psychedelia and some delicious donuts, you couldn't have picked a better day for your weird cravings to collide. Over on Parc Avenue at Chez Boris (5151 Parc) you will find Johnny de Courcy, the best thing to come out of New Westminister, BC since the last best thing that came out of that small town on the banks of the Fraser River southeast of Vancouver. Joining in the donut induced delirium will be the pop noise band Pool Boy and the electronic ambiance of Tess Roby.

Over at L'Esco, Analogue Addiction present a night with Montreal's Prince of Dark Wave, Taylor Hoodlum Stevenson, with his blend of glam punk and space disco beats. Also appearing on the bill will be the London, UK Black Metal band Whitby Bay and Montreal's free-jazz/experimental punk duo Shining Wizard. If you are looking for things to get weird, this is a guaranteed home-run. Doors at 9:00 with $7 cover.

Now over at Montreal's newest rockin' billy hang-out Donair Cité (2070 St-Denis) the fabulous rockin' trio Bucko will grease back your hair just right and get them feet movin'. With a lineage that includes The Cockroaches, Ray Condo and his Hardrock Goners, The Sexareenos, Eric Sandmark and his Rumblers, The Honky Tonk Heartbreakers, Bloodshot Bill and the Handcuffs, and The CPC Gangbangs, these fellas ain't kidding when they say that they are "dedicated to the feast of rock and roll decadence." The proof as they say is in the puddin', and these three will get the puddin' shakin' like your mama done warned you against. In addition to the live show, there will be a side order of 45s on the turntables. Show starts at 9:00 and goes until late.

Need a touch of electronic soundscapes to help the work week that was melt away? Le Divan Orange (4234 St-Laurent) hosts a night that is right up your alley. The fuzzy northern soundscapes of Pang Attack, the trip-hop meets Kraut rock of Oliver the Great, and the ambient psych-soundscapes of Victory Chimes will get your mind right for relaxing into the long weekend.

Unfortunately, I am not hip enough to know where the Poisson Noir loft space is, so I cannot tell you where to go on Friday for the Montreal album launch show for Overnight. I am however putting it in here in case you already know where Poisson Noir is, have a friend who knows, or want to go through the trouble of contacting the band to find out the address. My guess is that they will tell anyone who asks, since it would be self-defeating otherwise. Anyway, they will be playing with guitar, drum and beats duo Special Noise and the post-punk trio Big Knife Little Knife. Show starts at 10:00.

Saturday, April 4, 2015

If you were really hoping to see Overnight on Friday, but you already had other plans or didn't know where Poisson Noir is, you can catch them performing an early show Saturday at 2:00pm down at the BBAM! Gallery (3255 St-Jacques) in Saint Henri, before they rush off for a show later that night in Ottawa. Speaking of our nation's capitol, if you or anyone you know are going to be in Ottawa on Saturday night, they are playing at Raw Sugar Café (692 Somerset W).

Another offering from Analogue Addiction can be found at Divan Orange with Halifax psychedelic pop band Walrus joining forces with a couple of great experimental pop Montreal bands, No Aloha and Snooker Emporium.

If you are in a more traditional punk mood, then head over to Katacombes (1635 St-Laurent) where UK anarcho-punk pioneers The Mob hit the stage on one of the few dates on their 2015 tour. Joining them will be a trio of local bands, all like-minded comrades if not in sound definitely in spirit, Dethfox, Johnny Couteau, and Perverted Justice.

The must-see metal show this week seems to the Electric Wizard show at Théâtre Corona (2490 Notre-Dame W) and I don't say that because doom metal is my forte, but because of the amount of my die-hard metal friends who all seem to be going. Sharing the bill will be Virginia's Satan's Satyrs, and Toronto's Blood Ceremony.

On the complete other end of the sonic spectrum is the French electro-folk-pop band Lilly Wood & The Prick who pull into Club Soda (1225 St-Laurent) with Brooklyn-based traveling dance party French Horn Rebellion. Doors at 7:00, show starts at 8:00. Tickets $22 + service fees in advance or $25 + service fees at the door.

Another local show of electronic soundscapes of varying textures and volumes is happening up at Bar le "RITZ" P.D.B. where Pascale Project, Tobias Rochman, Tinsel, and Scohno will all take turns trying to melt your melt with their electronic pulses and loops. If you are into that sort of thing four bands for $5 can't be wrong. Doors at 9:30, show starts at 10:00.

Saturday will also see the homecoming show for Homeshake, with his groovy R&B vibes meets eerie bedroom recordings style, at Casa del Popolo (4873 St-Laurent). Also playing will be Kyle Bobby Dunn, adding his minimalist ambient sadness, and DJ Baby Blue. Doors at 9:00, show starts at 10:00. $10 cover.

Another hip hop show of note this week is the Houston, TX artist Travi$ Scott being presented by Rickey D Events at Le Petit Olympia (1282 Amherst). The night will be hosted by DL Jones have a DJ set from Ryan Playground. The doors open at 10:00 and the show starts at midnight. Tickets $35 + fees.

Sunday, April 5, 2015

After all that craziness, it is time to wind down. I know that last week I apologized for always ending the weekend with folky or old time country music, but I do not apologize for ending this weeks column with this show. At Casa del Popolo this Sunday you will be taken on a cosmic folk journey with Saskatoon, Saskatchewan singer-songwriter Dumb Angel, Montreal Americana quartet Sunfields, and Toronto's experimental folk-noir orchestral pop band Del Bel.

If you want something that might get a little louder, you could always check out the DJ night at PÂQ ATTAK at Rockette Bar (4479 St-Denis) with the DJ team of JP Bourgeois and Max Hébert. Starts at 10:00, no cover charge and $12 pitchers all night.

--Prince Palu hosts The Go-Go Radio Magic Show, every Friday night from 6 to 8pm. Tune in. Turn on. Freak OUT! Only on CJLO.