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Canada's Bill C-12 continues to receive pushback from refugee community
Refugee and migrant support groups are calling on the federal government to withdraw its proposed border security and immigration law. The law will make changes for those seeking asylum in Canada.
The latest action to draw attention to the bill featured a film screening and panel discussion from Action Réfugiés Montréal.
Death to All Honour the Late Chuck Schuldiner at MTELUS
Death was had by all at the MTELUS in Montreal this past Wednesday night. Quasi tribute act / quasi metal supergroup Death to All have been bringing the late Chuck Schuldiner’s musical legacy to fans around the world since 2012 - and their performance in Montreal was one for the books.
Understanding Death to All always requires a short mansplain. Death was a Floridian metal act formed back in 1984, spearheaded by the legendary Chuck Schuldiner. Originally getting inspiration from gory horror flicks like Evil Dead, the band’s 1987 debut Scream Bloody Gore would spawn an aptly-titled musical subgenre: death metal. Characterized by blood-curdling vocals and a chunkier, grimier instrumental sound, thousands of bands, to the likes of Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, and Deicide, would pioneer this groundbreaking new sound.
What separated Death from their cadaveric competition, however, was their ability to always be at the forefront of the genre they created, always one step ahead of the curve. Over the course of 11 short years and 7 album releases, Death’s output would gradually evolve towards a technical and progressive sound with longer and more intricate song structures - a far cry from their debut’s classic bloody bangers like “Mutilation” and “Regurgitated Guts”.
Death’s discography is a case study in the evolution of metal music, in a similar fashion to how the Beatles’ 7-year run dictated the progression of rock music in the 1960s.
Long story short: Chuck Schuldiner is the man. And as these stories tend to go, he was taken from the world early after a battle with an aggressive cancer that took his life at 34 years old.
Since his 2001 passing, Death’s discography has been cemented as canon listening for metalheads around the world. As the group’s fanbase continued to snowball, a desire grew to see their material played live.
Enter Death to All, consisting of former Death members Gene Hoglan (drums 1993-1996), Steve DiGiorgio (bass 1986, 1991-1998), and Bobby Koelble (guitars 1994-1996). Joining this trio is Max Phelps, taking on Schuldiner’s parts on vocals/guitar. Together, the foursome delivers just about the best rendition of Death’s music that one could ask for. While traditional “tribute” bands often have zero connection to the material they play, Death to All feels like a living, breathing amalgamation of everything that made Death so great.
Death to All are currently on the Symbolic Healing tour, a celebration of Death albums Spiritual Healing and Symbolic, which are respectively celebrating their 30th and 35th anniversaries this year. While the band played fiery renditions of Spiritual Healing classics like “Defensive Personalities”, “Living Monstrosity”, and the album’s winding title track, the real treat came with a full playthrough of Symbolic - track for track, note for note.
Although I’ve been a Death fan for years and this is my third time seeing Death to All live, I’ve regrettably never actually listened to the fan-favourite Symbolic. I’m kind of glad that I put it off, however, as hearing this legendary album for the first time in a live setting was a phenomenal experience. Songs like “Crystal Mountain” and the opening title track play amazingly in a live setting, despite being on the more technical end of the metal spectrum. Such is a testament to Schuldiner’s songcrafting abilities, simultaneously exploring intricate song structures while keeping tracks lively and fun with good replayability value.
The most standout thing I noticed at the concert was the general age of the fans. Usually, concerts performed by legacy metal acts draw an older crowd - original fans from the heyday of metal music who helped propel the genre to monumental heights. However, the Death to All crowd was surprisingly young, with the majority of fans sitting in the 18-30 year old range. This is the real testament to the lasting legacy of Death’s music, showing that just as many new fans are flocking to the group’s sound as there were back during the band’s inception, despite not having released any new material in over 25 years. That is proof of legacy.
Death to All is currently completing a North American tour with support from Gorguts and Phobophilic and will embark on a European tour this summer. Don’t miss out!
RIP Chuck.
OLD SOUL Bathes Audience in Sound: Undercurrent Album Release Party
Old Soul, a rock band together for nearly a decade, released their new album, Undercurrent, two weeks ago. I streamed it soon after it dropped. It was early morning on the bus to work, and I wasn’t expecting the tone change for this album after having listened intensely to their first album, Overgrown, three years ago. The audience was given context for this upcoming project: flowing water, the colour blue, and a siren lounging along a rock face. Even if we hadn’t been given these visuals, the muted tones of certain tracks where Loreta Triconi’s voice seems like it’s coming from deep within a lake, the glide from one song to the next, showed me that Old Soul is fluid. It’s clear the band has emerged from the lush forest of their previous album and has found themselves digging into a reservoir of experimentation, exploring what rock is and can be.
Hearing them live, however, was entirely different compared to the cocoon of my headphones.
The sounds were fuller, the pitch of the lyrics varied, and the live performance let the band improvise. The bass, played by Joe Bottaro, grounded the depth of sounds that I was experiencing with rich chords, while the drummer, Ryan Palfalvi, punched through the songs, bringing a sharpness I hadn’t anticipated. This audile fullness was something that hadn’t occurred to me so clearly until then. By streaming their album, I had compressed their sound. Streaming can be great, I can guarantee that. It’s how I listen to my music, other than the weekly vinyl. Similarly to photographing an object, a landscape, or a person, streaming strips a certain essence from music. That additional layer of atmosphere created in live venues can never be replicated through speakers and headphones (try as technological innovations might). Rock resides in the rapport between audience and performers in live spaces.
On November 13th, I arrived to the venue, Le Balcon (connected to St. James United Church) a little while before the crowd and happened to cross paths with Old Soul’s guitarist, Peter Rallis. We chatted for a bit, and we agreed it would be best for me to explore the space and get a bird’s eye view from— you guessed it—the balcony. The room the band was playing in was very red and warm, at odds with their themes of flowing water and blues. There were intimate seats up on the balcony that were clearly meant for the canoodling couples lining the semi-circle wall above the stage. A great view, but I was here to plant myself squarely at the center of the crowd. I went back down as the opening set, Space Wizards, were getting ready to perform. The band set the feel of the night with cool, jazzy-psych tunes that transformed into a more intense rock energy at the end of their performance. We were given sips of what was coming next. We were primed.
Old Soul got on stage, and the lights changed to blues and purples. Psychedelic swirls tattooed the walls surrounding the band. For this album release party, Old Soul was playing Undercurrent start to finish. The album opens up with synthy bass chords right off the bat with “Closer”, something that felt more contemporary, more indie. But it also sounded like something from an 80s sci-fi film. Loreta maintained the gliding notes the audience is familiar with that extended and wrapped themselves around the instrumentals. I am shamelessly using the analogy that this track sounded as if I were hearing music through water. There was something muffled, intimate and close (ha) about this opening song that set it apart from their previous musical past.
While Overgrown was a call reincarnating the rock and blues energy of the '60s and '70s—think Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Doors—Undercurrent blends this past sound with their new one. The album itself is more mellow at times—at one point, when the band performed “The River”, an acoustic forward piece, the audience all sat on the ground and swayed. I’d never sat on the floor of a venue like that before, at least not intentionally. We were lulled into believing it would remain this mellow the entire time. We were wrong. Old Soul tripped us up and recalled their rock essence with piercing guitar riffs, heavy bass and intense drum solos. Tracks like “Talking to Myself”, “Rolling Rock”, and “Colours of the Moon” added that high-energy beat to balance out the more lo-fi and groovy sounds.
Between two songs, Loreta spoke to the audience about how this album was more intimate than what the band had previously made. I felt the intimacy and sensuality of their music, in hearing it performed live before my very ears. Engaging all the senses at this album release is part of that intimacy: the vibrant music gracing the venue, the bodies that crowd together and brush alongside each other, the smells of people’s perfumes, colognes, body odours, the taste of the double gin and tonic in my hand, the pulsing lights in time with the music. I didn’t feel that intimacy when I first heard the album on the bus. Time and place were totally essential here. However, when I do listen to the album, which has been a lot more since the album release party, I’m reminded of what I felt when I was there. The auditory cues are like what the madeleine cookie is to Proust’s narrator in In Search of Lost Time, jogging my memory involuntarily, conjuring just as sweet recollections of my experience. I wonder now how my experiences of countless albums before this one would be entirely different had I heard them live.
Undercurrent feels like a new vision of rock. One where bodies still shimmy and writhe in response to the music. This vision is informed by the past, but does not dictate where the sounds converge in pools. The fluidity of Old Soul cannot be confined to falling somewhere between genres—they rearrange themselves according to the vessel they find themselves in. And that vessel can be broken down and reconstructed countless times over.
A Conversation with Great Dain
This transcription is the abridged version of the interview. The full 35 minute interview is available at the bottom of the article, for those interested in more lengthy discussions and anecdotes.
Photo by Sammy Mohellebi
As the Halloween season came to a close a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending local punk band Great Dain’s first headlining show at L'Hémisphère Gauche. Consisting of four Concordia electroacoustics students (Julian on drums, Noah on bass, and Laurier and Shae on vocals and guitar), this group has been tearing it up at small venues across Montreal since March and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. In this interview, taken a few days after their first headliner in one of Concordia’s recording studios, the band has a casual conversation about their influences, their experience playing shows over the past year, and their recent headlining show.
J: Can I talk in a Dracula accent?
N: Can I be explicit in nature?
If you do talk in a Dracula accent, I will have to put “in a Dracula accent” in parentheses before everything you say.
N: Start the article like that. First sentence: “In a Dracula accent”.
No, yeah. Everything you’ve all just said was being recorded, so I will have to put everything in there.
Alright, so, introduce yourselves.
J: We’re Great Dain.
S: Do you want the full names of everyone?
Sure, full legal names.
We’ve got Laurier Michel Payette-Flynn, Julian Michael Dainard, Noah something Louette? I dunno, what’s your middle name?
N: Keep it a mystery. I’ve got two middle names.
S: And I’m Shae Murdoch McGregor Powell.
Okay, nice. You guys have been around for how long?
L: Eight months.
J: Would that go back to April? ‘Cause April was our first show.
S: Not for me, though. I joined, like, the second show.
L: Well, in reality, we’ve all been playing together for a good year and a half.
J: Pretty much since we met in the program, but I’d say officially it would be our first show, which was Gert’s.
S: And then I joined when they did Esco ‘cause Noah was in Colombia, so I filled in on bass, and then they were like “Do you wanna just stay?”. Actually, I don’t even really know how it happened.
J: I think it was actually that we had written a song already with you, and then we realized we maybe needed one more guitarist, and it just kinda worked out.
L: Even, like, tonally or sonically, there was just something missing from some of the songs, like it was very basic in the sense it was just bass and guitar and drums, and when Shae came in there was a little more diversity in what we were doing. We could explore stuff. I could just not
S: We could just physically do more things.
N: We have more freedom to do cooler things cause you’re not just bound to singing and playing rhythm guitar. You could do a solo, you could stop playing guitar and just sing, you guys could harmonize while I do something else.
J: It also makes some of the songs we play sound bigger, like “Batterhead” or “Zigzag”. Like when you guys are both playing equally to each other, it just makes things sound really huge.
Would you say you all have an equal part in how a song comes together?
J: For sure.
L: Definitely.
S: Yeah, mostly.
J: We’d like to believe that nobody keeps score, but also, most song ideas are just one of us coming up with something, and everyone fills in the blanks.
L: I think we’re big believers in building the song together.
S: Letting each instrument do what they wanna do on it, because it's just like “add your thing on it. I dunno what the bass is supposed to sound like.”
L: It’s just trying to remove the most ego possible when it comes to that. It’s very much an equal-parts kind of band.
J: Yeah, nobody’s here trying to take home a prize for whatever they did.
S: And it’s not like any of us play the director, either. If one of us has an idea, we just pipe up about it.
J: Okay, cool. Some songs are entirely written by some of us, and we’re helping each other figure out what our image is, while other songs are just us jamming, and eventually we get a structure to it.
S: That’s most of it.
J, gesturing to Laurier: Like some songs like “Regret”, which is all you.
L: I mean, I wrote that song four years ago.
J: And then “Batterhead” is a song that I wrote, which is the only song I’ve written lyrics for. And then Noah and I did “Hangtime”, which is just two chords, but it’s awesome.
L: I think the other thing is that someone will bring an idea and explain it, and then everyone tries to get their mind in that same vision.
N: We tried figuring a song out once, and it was a very moody, more heavy metal-ish type of song, and we couldn’t get it right, so I just decided to put on ambient rain sounds and turned the lights off, and we tried playing again. I think that let us figure out the song a lot easier, ‘cause wejust needed that ambience.
Talk to me about your influences. What kind of bands do you share a mutual appreciation for?
N: I think, for all of us and what we envision Great Dain as, it’ll be just us hanging out and putting music on, putting together songs that we like into a playlist or something and then that as our basis.
L: It’s a mesh of a lot of different tastes in music. For me and Noah, we take a lot from funk inour playing. At least for me, that’s what I have in mind.
N: Aesthetic-wise, we all like late ‘80s punk music, pre-grunge punk music and college radio punk music.
S: For me, I was in a punk band when I was 17, but I actually didn’t listen to a lot of punk music, so I started listening while I was in that punk band. I was really into Bad Brains and Liam Lynch. And then I was listening to a lot of Beck and the shit my guitar teacher would get me to learn. Queens of the Stone Age, Quiet Riot, shit my parents liked. Then, when I joined this band, Noah got me onto Crowbar, Julian got me into Helmet and Gulch, and that’s where my head’s been at for the past little bit. What happens is, during our rehearsals, we show up at different times, sit outside, drink, smoke and listen to music. And then it gets to a point where we’re like “fuck, we should just be playing.”
N: What’s funny, though, is that the music playing is usually just reggae.
J: I’d say for influences directly on our music and how I like to play, Fugazi is one of the bands that we all came together and just appreciated.
L: I also think like Alice and Chains, anything Ian Mackaye, Dinosaur Jr…
J: Also, a lot of BC bands.
I’m curious about the process for changing your setlist, since normally you start your shows with the “Great Dain Theme Song” but opted for "Batterhead” this past show.
J: Wow, I didn’t know we’d get asked that.
S: People were so confused about why we didn’t start with that. I think we assumed people were tired of hearing that.
J: I was like, I don’t really want our setlist to get stale.
S: People really like the theme song. We gotta bring it back.
J: I think we will bring it back, but I wanted to try something new.
S: Plus, we wanted to elongate it, so we put it in the middle and made it twice as long. L: It’s one of those songs that we like to play around with.
J: I think, since we’re new, when we try something new, it’s not really the worst.
N: If it’s a more recognizable song for people who know what we do, putting it in the middle is a bit smarter since you don’t start the show off with everybody dancing immediately.
Was your first headliner stressful? I’m under the impression that you all did a lot of rehearsing that day.
J: We ran through the setlist twice. The original plan was that we were all supposed to show up at 10, and Noah was staying at my place that night.
S: Just so that they could show up early. Like, Julian picked up Noah from work the night before.
J: And Noah and I ended up staying up until five in the morning. We picked up a pizza from my work, we were drinking beer, and kind of…
N: Pre-show jitters.
J: And I wake up to a bunch of snoozed alarms at 12 o’clock. I woke up in my underwear and went to wake Noah up like “we gotta go, we gotta go”. I can’t even process that I’m hungover or anything, and just hopped in the shower, then we left, but still had enough time to go through the setlist twice at least.
L: But I don’t think the fact that we were headlining made us nervous. I think we were more excited than anything else.
S: If anything, this is the one show I felt the least nervous for. I felt like we had actually practiced so fucking well.
N: Also, having it as a Halloween show gave so much levity to the whole situation. S: ‘Cause we could be fun.
Any local bands you’ve played with that you’d like to shout out?
ALL: Dollhouse.
J: Yeah, they took us under their wing, and they're the reason we’ve been gaining a following so far. They got us Van Horne.
L: They’re also just infinitely nice people.
N: They kind of immediately liked what we did and had us tag along to all of their shows, which basically kickstarted our whole thing. So we owe a lot to them.
J: It’s given us a chance to play with different bands that sound different from us.
S: But also, Dionysus and Soleil St.-Jean were perfect for that bill two nights ago. I hadn’t heard anything they made. Zoe and I made the poster, and we didn’t know what the vibe of the bands was, but Dionysus blew my fucking socks off, and Soleil St.-Jean was sludgy as hell. They came up after and were like “great job” and I’m like “fucking, you did a great job!”
J: The bassist of Soleil St.-Jein came up to each and every one of us individually after the show and just complimented us on what we were doing. For people to have that sort of reaction is something I’m eternally grateful for.
S: It’s cool when you can reciprocate just as strongly, too. The lead guitarist for Dionysus? A blindfolded Ozzy cover? Are you kidding?
N: Kind of put us all to shame after that.
J: Marius, yeah. Marius is fucking dope. He pulls up with a pedalboard the size of a guitar case. And when you pull that up to a show, I’m like, “Well, are they really going to use all of this?” This guy was shredding every single song.
N: One of the best live guitars I’ve ever heard.
S: Also, the drummer for Dionysus in the morph suit is singing every song.
N: Singing while drumming. Their bass player is also sick and nasty. Shoutout Duncan. It’s great that you guys are dedicated to being genuine and having fun.
N: The fact that our main goal is to have fun and enjoy what we’re doing rather than stand there with a stone face trying to be absolutely perfect, I feel like, as an audience member, it's more entertaining.
J: We play to the best of our ability, which creates a more genuine sound.
N: We also make mistakes and laugh all the time.
S: I think, pound for pound, people just tell me it feels like we’re hanging out on stage.
L: Authenticity is a big thing for us. There’s no point in putting an act on stage for us. That’s not something we do.
S: I turn my dial to eleven when I’m on stage, but it’s not like I’m not me.
J: I’ve seen a lot of bands and musicians where you see them and almost struggle with a lack of confidence by overcompensating for being a professional on stage. The entire time, you’re
taking yourself seriously while everyone else sees you're not having fun. An audience feels stressed by what you put out on stage, not just the music itself, but also your body language. It’s like your audience is responding to not only your music, but to you as an individual.
S: It’s a transaction of energy. You model the energy you want them to have; they’re gonna do it. If you’re the best audience member for them as a player, they’re gonna be like “Yeah!” and get whipped up.
I’ve got one more question before letting you all go. What’s next for Great Dain?
L: Album.
J: Yeah, we get a lot of people asking us to put music out, including my parents.
S: We do have a show on November 20th.
L: With Dollhouse.
S: I do think we’re gonna try to record an album during winter and possibly tour after.
N: We’re gonna take our time with it though, ‘cause you can only put it out once.
J: We’re still writing songs as well. We have enough songs now, I feel, that if we have them all recorded, we can curate what’s gonna be on the album.
L: We all really care about whatever this album could be, so the biggest thing for us is taking our time to make it exactly how we want it to sound. If it takes until summer, that’s fine.
J: Do we have any room for shoutouts to anybody? Yeah, you’re welcome to shout out some more people
J: Shoutout to Larry’s mom, Julie, for letting us use her garage.
S: And being so normal about it. She’s there all the time doing work upstairs as if there isn’t an entire concert happening in the same house.
L: Shoutout to my neighbours for not sending me another noise complaint.
J: Shoutout to Sergio for fighting for Montreal noise laws.
S: Shoutout to Zoë for making the Great Dain poster.
J: Shoutout to Savannah for making our first logo. RIP Van Horne. We wish we could play there a million more times.
N: Shoutout to our recording teacher at Concordia, John Klepko.
S: Shoutout, Sammy, for taking all of those pictures. And Karl and Frank for their cars.
J: Yeah, sorry, Karl. We still owe you gas money. Shoutout to my dad, who’s always begging us for demos.
S: Shoutout to Raven.
J: Shoutout to all of our friends who show up to shows. If we seem cold or not as engaging after a show, it’s never anybody else. We’re so grateful for the attention and the people that show upmore than anything.
L: I would have been happy if ten people showed up to the show.
S: The fact that we got upwards of sixty people was pretty cool.
J: To see a crowd of people moshing to the music that we write is insane.
S: Like when I screamed “Open the pit” to have a pit open? Are you kidding me?
L: I do want to input a warning if you’re ever in a pit with us: Sorry. Watch out, plant your feet, clench your teeth or something, or maybe just get out of the way.
J: If you fall down, though, we’ll help you up. Watch out for me, though. I might deck you.
N: Shoutout to all the people under 5’8 in the pit.
J: Shoutout to the venues for letting us play as well and being cool about our music being loud. And thank you for the beer discounts. We love those.
S: A dollar off every beer is a dollar I can save to buy beer.
Alright, well, thank you guys for taking the time to record and do this interview. See you guys around.
J: See ya.
GAMERella: An Interview with Gina Hara
Founded in 2013, GAMERella has spent over ten years building a community of gamers across Canada and in its hometown of Montreal, Quebec. Celebrating over 10 years with thousands of alumni across the country, the GAMERella Game Jam will be happening November 15th and 16th, alongside the 2025 Montreal Games Week. Every year, GAMERella invites game lovers from beginners to experts to join in on the weekend-long game-making workshop, where they team up with other folks to create a game over two days. GAMERella is a springboard for many people interested in the video game industry from underrepresented communities (women, LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, etc.). This year, GAMERella is launching its first-ever mentorship program. Today, we speak to co-founder and co-director Gina Hara
Answers from co-founder and co-director Gina Hara.
1) For those who may want to attend or take part in GAMERella for the first time this year, what can they expect from the event?
They can expect a cozy, friendly and inclusive event filled with people excited to collaborate and share knowledge.
What GAMERella's about is creating a safe space for folks from equity-deserving backgrounds who have always wanted to make a game but never had a chance to get started. Throughout the weekend, we'll be offering mentorship from professionals in the industry, mental health support, free food, and an overall supportive, low-stress space to experiment, learn, and connect.
Whether you're an artist, writer, programmer, or just someone curious about games, you'll find a community that cheers you on every step of the way. People make their first-ever games here, and they leave with new friends, collaborators, and the confidence to keep creating.
2) What skills can someone take out into the real world from GAMERella?
So many! On the technical side, participants learn the basics about game engines, design tools, and storytelling techniques. But the biggest takeaways are often collaboration, problem-solving, and creative resilience.
Making a game in two days teaches you how to communicate, compromise, and work as a team. These are skills that can transfer into any creative or professional field. People leave with a newfound sense of confidence, realizing, “Oh, I can actually do this.” That’s a powerful feeling.
3) This year, there is a mentorship program. How important is this to the event?
It means a great deal! It’s really the next evolution of what GAMERella has always been about.
Year after year, we create this utopian weekend, free of barriers (as much as possible). Participants and crew alike have been hoping for something that extends that, throughout the year.
Over our 13 years, we've seen how mentorship can change the experience of aspiring and emerging game-makers. The mentorship program formalizes this: matching young creators with seasoned game developers for guidance, portfolio feedback, and long-term support.
The goal isn't to solely teach technical skills, but rather to open the door to historically closed opportunities for equity-deserving groups. It's about helping people build networks and careers. And in the long term, create a kinder and more equitable games industry.
4) Do you feel there has been progress made since the events of Gamergate, and what progress would you like to see happen in the future of the video game industry, from triple-A titles to independently produced games?
There's been progress, most notably in how we speak about inclusion and safety, but the work is far from over. More studios have begun taking diversity and representation seriously, and there's more visibility for under-recognized creators than ever before. That's encouraging. But systemic change takes time, and the economy is not helping. What we see in layoffs, barriers in hiring, pay equity, leadership representation, and workplace culture is discouraging. Independent creators and community projects are often leading the way, but the larger industry needs to keep pushing beyond empty gestures and social media statements towards actual structural accountability. What I'd love to see next is more shared power: where equity-deserving creators are not just represented, but are the ones shaping decisions, stories, and systems from the inside out.
5) Fun Question: What is an independent game that you played this year that gamers need to seek out?
Psychroma! It is a side-scrolling psychological horror game focused on highlighting LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC experiences. It's a beautifully crafted Canadian game that is refreshingly original and leaves you with a lasting impact. But if you want something more cozy, check out Go Go Town! It is a delightfully charming game that combines farming, city management, decoration, cute ghosts and local multiplayer!!
Gina Hara is the co-founder and co-director of GAMERella, happening from November 15-16th. For more information, visit https://gamerella.ca/en/. To participate, visit https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/gamerella-game-jam-2025-registration-1595717436809.
Remi is the host of At The Movies, along with regular Co-Host Danny Auber,y every Tuesday morning from 9-10 AM only on CJLO 1690 AM. They cover local film festivals, have interviews with directors and actors, and talk about a new film or the classics. They also cover the iconic sounds of present and past film scores and soundtracks. Follow Remi on Letterboxd. Remi is still the casual gamer on the PlayStation 5, looking for story-driven games despite his parents' wishes that he would take breaks in between.
Slipping into Other Worlds at Newspeak
In the middle of a dance party, you wouldn’t normally expect the DJ, anchored perfectly in the middle of four CDJs, to pull out a stringed instrument and turn a dance floor into an entranced audience. Yet that is what NGL Flounce did, and it is what I experienced at Newspeak on a chilly Saturday night, courtesy of the Massimadi x Discoño collaboration, an event closing out the 17th edition of the Massimadi film festival.
The night began with Ms Baby’s DJ set, whose song selection beckoned in the first arrivals with an assurance that the dance floor was definitely warmed up. What started with R&B/Hip-Hop classics to sing along to soon turned into body roll inducing, choreo-starting mixes of afrofusion, baile funk, and high BPM remixes.
When NGL Flounce takes the stage, there’s a palpable shift in the atmosphere. While many still felt the call to dance, all turned towards the performer, taking in the ethereal mix of strings backed by tracks that seemed to bounce between the electronic and the traditional. Chants and drums served as percussion while the violinist made the strings sing both lead and harmony, bringing the audience along through the soundtrack of afro-electronic trance.
The event was hosted by dancer and multidisciplinary artist Joya as well as rapper, actor and writer Cakes da Killa. Joya seemed to dance non-stop, first as part of the crowd, then up on a stage set just behind the night's performers.
When Young Teesh gets on the decks– not before requesting another round of applause for NGL Flounce, Cakes da Killa launches into emcee duties, grabbing the microphone to remind “all Montreal baddies” to report to the dance floor.
The night was absolutely electric: I heard two completely different, completely high energy remixes of Where Have You Been by Rihanna, and sang along with the crowd at the top of our lungs, somewhat hidden by the highest possible settings of the venue’s fog machine. Between Missy Elliot and Chief Keef there was bouyon, salsa, and soca, with Cakes on the mic keeping the energy high, and Joya on the stage dancing up a storm, welcoming attendees to join in. A stage usually becomes the second dance floor in Montreal and Halloween weekend can be no exception.
Archangel and Ekitwanda closed out the night, to the delight of the dancers, behind the DJ booth and in front. To see the bartenders and people working the coat check singing along was wonderful, and when I noticed Carolina, the event producer of Discoño, watching the performers, eyes full of admiration and pride, my heart was warmed on this chilly October night.
When I tore myself away to begin the long walk towards the nearest nightbus, lungs full of fog machine air, all I could think was how easily we slipped between worlds with each performance, anchored by hosts who tied these sets together, culminating in one unforgettable Afro-Queer story.
Jamming it real hard with Between Friends
The outside of Le Ministère was inconspicuous enough for a Monday. With a few smokers lingering outside and muffled music pouring onto the street, it seemed like any other evening on Saint-Laurent Street. Yet, past the chilly air and into the sweaty, hazy venue, indie pop duo Between Friends brought Montreal into the euphoric, 2000s-fuelled world of their new album, WOW!
As “You & Me Time” blasted through the speakers, the evening was already electric. Beaming lights and glow sticks cut through clouds of smoke as Savannah and Xavier Hudson stepped on stage. The duo instantly turned the venue into a blown-out club, with the whole room jumping up and down, leather boots sticking to alcohol-stained floors. Bold neon lights flooded the space as bodies swayed, creating a rhythm of their own. It was exactly what WOW! is all about— feeling young and careless, with a vodka cranberry in hand. As the room sang along to XD, the lyrics seemed to resonate with every person there: “Tonight, I’m looking on the bright side.” The duo’s energy was mesmerizing, with Savannah’s shirt reading “good girls go to heaven, bad girls go to Montreal” glowing under the purple haze.
Smoke lingering across the venue put the show on hold for thirty minutes as the fire alarm went off, sending the musicians backstage. After turning off the smoke machines and crowd covers of Queen songs, the siblings came back on stage with a bottle of Jameson in hand. The start of JAM! was welcomed with pulsating lights, cheers, and a shot. A fan favourite, the crowd yelled every word, drowning out Savannah and Xavier’s voices. Once wasn’t enough— not even close. Between Friends played the track four times throughout their set, taking turns singing it from the audience. The duo invited every person in the room to experience the electrifying world of WOW! right beside them.
Through their electropop and danceable tunes, Between Friends still found space for bittersweet, nostalgic moments. Songs like “blushing” and “affection” offered a break from the party. The kind where you sneak off to the bathroom to think for a minute, music still blasting from the other room. Hearing “affection” left me starstruck— suddenly, I was 18 again, red solo cup in hand, looking for affection in all the wrong places.
As the night slowly came to a close, the siblings were still giving it their all. They ended the evening with an encore of “JAM!” Anyone who had left the room hurried back in, ready to experience “WOW!” for a few more minutes. On my way out, I glanced at the merch booth, noticing a shirt with the text those who don’t believe in WOW! will never find it. Still buzzing from the last few hours, I understood exactly why that was true.
Montreal elects Soraya Martinez Ferrada as mayor
Montreal has elected Soraya Martinez Ferrada as mayor. Martinez Ferrada defeated Luc Rabouin and the incumbent party, Projet Montréal.
“Tonight, it is you who has won. Tonight, Montreal has chosen courage and ambition,” said Martinez Ferrada in her victory speech.
She promised change after eight years of the last administration. She added voters told her they wanted to be heard.
“We heard you about Camillien-Houde, homelessness, housing, cleanliness, mobility and security,” Martinez Ferrada said.
Martinez Ferrada, who immigrated to Montreal from Chile at eight years old, became the first person of colour to be elected as the city’s mayor. Her election also marks a historic moment for the city’s immigrant communities.
“I am an immigrant, I am a daughter of Bill 101, I am a daughter of Montreal, and I am home,” Martinez Ferrada said.
For Cris Vargas, Martinez Ferrada’s connection to his home country was important. “Very proud of supporting another [person] from Chile,” said Vargas.
Reaction to victory
The scene inside the venue was loud as hundreds of supporters erupted in celebration as Ferrada’s win was announced. Chants of “Soraya” filled the room, signs waved in the air, and applause continued long after.
Among the crowd was Martinez Ferrada’s daughter who waited in anticipation. Tears streamed down her face as the results poured in.
“All my emotions ran through me. It was just a lot, because I know how hard she worked for it,” Kayla Rodriguez Ferrada said.
Supporters highlighted Martinez Ferrada’s character and leadership. Véronique Pigeon, an attendee, said she appreciates Martinez Ferrada’s ability to stand up for the well-being of the city. “She has the heart of the people in the epicentre of her decision-making process,” Pigeon said.
Political career
This is not the first political win for Ferrada. She was elected to the federal government in 2019 as a Liberal MP. In 2005, she was elected as a city councillor for Union Montréal in Saint-Michel.
Looking ahead to her term in office, Martinez Ferrada pledged to lead an administration that engages directly with Montrealers. “I promise we will be an administration that listens to understand, that listens to react, and that listens to build Montreal with you,” she said.
“Soraya is the leader that Montreal needs,” said Benoit Langevin, Ensemble Montréal candidate and incumbent city councillor for the Bois-de-Liesse district.
Premier François Legault congratulated Ferrada on X and said, “Really looking forward to working together to strengthen Montreal's prosperity and influence.”
In her speech, she addressed those who did not vote for her.
“I heard you as well. I will be your mayor too, because Montreal belongs to everyone,” she said.
According to the latest results, Martinez Ferrada secured 43% of the vote, surpassing Luc Rabouin, who received 35%, and Gilbert Thibodeau, who followed with just over 10%.
Shant Karabajak is banking on affordability for a win
Shant Karabajak is a high school teacher by day, teaching seventh and eighth-graders geography and history. Outside of school hours, he is going door to door in Montreal’s Sud-Ouest, campaigning for borough mayor with Transition Montréal.
He moved to the Sud-Ouest at the end of 2017 after a run for a city councillor position in his previous borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville with the now-defunct Coalition Montréal. In the 2021 election, he ran for borough mayor of Le Plateau-Mont-Royal with Ensemble Montréal. He lost in both elections.
This will be his first election running for a position in the Sud-Ouest while living in the borough. If he wins, he hopes to use his master's degree in Urban and Regional Development to make life more affordable for all. This includes building off-market housing, such as social and cooperative housing.
“The private sector's ambition isn't to make units of housing, it's to make the most money possible. If they could achieve their financial goals with one house, they would do it,” says Karabajak.
Affordability also fits into another focus of his campaign, homelessness.
“With my urban planning background, I knew very factually that the number one cause of homelessness is not addiction or drug consumption, it's affordability,” says Karabajak.
A 2024 report by the city of Montreal states the island has over 67,000 units that are not on the private market. The units are housing co-ops, low-income social housing and other units operated by non-profit organizations. A little over 9,500 of them are found in the Sud-Ouest, the most in Montreal.
In 2021, Karabajak also campaigned on affordability in his run for mayor in Plateau, but he was defeated by Projet Montréal’s leader, Luc Rabouin. Karabajak came in second with nearly 18 per cent of the vote.
One of the major differences between that campaign and this one is that Karabajak currently lives in the borough where he is running for office. He was living outside of the Plateau in 2021. Danielle Pilette, a professor at Université du Québec à Montréal specializing in municipal management, says living in your riding can improve your odds of winning.
“In certain communities that have a strong sense of belonging, it's important. It can help a candidate get elected,” she says. She adds that the Sud-Ouest is one of those boroughs that feels this way.
According to Pilette, a candidate’s professional and political background is also important for residents of the Sud-Ouest. While Karabajak has lived in the area on and off since 2017, he doesn’t have much experience in the borough. He has experience working with a housing cooperative, but it's one located in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
“Opportunities and experiences within the borough didn't materialize for me,” says Karabajak. He tried with a few different organizations, but he says, “They were looking for different profiles.”
One of Karabajak’s opponents is Projet Montréal’s Véronique Fournier. She does have that long track record. She has been a resident of the borough for 25 years. She was a city councillor for the Sud-Ouest from 2009 to 2013.
During her time as city councillor, the borough adopted a mandatory inclusion strategy for housing.
“We ensure that our developments include different types of housing,” says Fournier, something she plans to continue if elected.
However, Karabajak does have a key ally, Craig Sauvé, who has a history of success in the borough. He has been a city councillor in the Sud-Ouest since 2013, winning three elections.
While Karabajak admits to not being the most active person in the borough before this election cycle, he is trying to reach as many residents as he can now. His team recently hosted a launch party at Bar Courcelle in the borough. Residents took advantage of the event to speak with the candidates. Although it wasn’t the first event to reach the public, his team has also attended local events such as the Little Burgundy Festival and Monktoberfest.
He is confident that the reactions he has been getting from the public in this campaign will lead to a win. He says he had success on a street in Little Burgundy.
“Every door we knocked on [they said] ‘on this street, don’t worry about it, we are all voting Transition Montreal,’” says Karabajak.
CJLO's 2025 FUNDING DRIVE
That's right, today on Friday, October 24th CJLO is launching our annual funding drive! From now going until November 8th, you won't want to miss out on amazing progamming and special events all in the love for CJLO! Our goal this year is to raise 15,000$ and we know you can help. Make sure to follow us on instagram (@cjlomtl) to check out everything that's happening and to donate at the following links.
10/24 Punk Show + Zine Launch @lasalarossa (Sotterenea)
10/29 CanCon Music Trivia @barstarbar
11/01 CJLO Divas Live: Halloween Covers Night @lasalarossa
11/05 Live from the Oven Compilation Launch @wills.beer
11/07 Annual All-Night Broadcast @ tune in live on 1690AM/cjlo.com
From the underground to the airwaves, support for CJLO is support for your community!
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