Friday on My Mind: It's a circus out there with jazz, Comiccon and Montréal Complètement Cirque
Violent Femmes
Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Place des Arts.
Brian Ritchie, bassist for the fabulous folk-punk band Violent Femmes, goes way back with the Montreal International Jazz Festival.
The band, which formed in Milwaukee in 1981, headlines Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier as part of fest. Their first set will be devoted to 1984 album Hallowed Ground, considered to be one of the first Americana records. Then they'll perform the self-titled 1983 debut LP from start to finish. That's the disc they're best known for; it features Gone Daddy Gone and Blister in the Sun.
On the phone this week with Ritchie, who was in Prince Edward Island mentoring local artists, I told him I'd seen them at an epic 1985 show at the Spectrum and he began talking about his history with Montreal and the jazz fest. Violent Femmes played the fest at Metropolis in 2014.
'The first time I flew on a plane in my life was to go to Montreal and I went to the jazz festival,' said Ritchie. 'I think it was '79 or '80. Carla Bley and Archie Shepp were playing that year. So it's meaningful to me to play the festival. That was my first adult festival experience. They played at the Théâtre St. Denis. So I'm a little bit tender about the Montreal jazz festival. It's kind of like a full-circle thing.'
Their first album it remains far and away the most influential thing they've ever done. The trio was then made up of Ritchie on bass, singer-guitarist Gordon Gano and drummer Victor DeLorenzo. Today the group consists of Ritchie, Gano, multi-instrumentalist Blaise Garza and drummer John Sparrow.
Though they don't have a big catalogue of hits, their music resonates more than 40 years later.
'We still have kids getting into us,' Ritchie said. 'A lot of music (from back then) isn't still valid. It's just nostalgia. Whereas with The Cure or the Femmes, it's not just nostalgia. It's also excellent music.'
He thinks Violent Femmes have endured 'because the lyrical perspective, at least in the songs we're most known for, is universal, yet it was a kind of vulnerability that Gordon was relating at a time when rock was very macho and very artificial. I think he was ahead of the times. Then also the music itself, with the way that we played with acoustic instruments and we didn't use any production trickery of the time, which would've dated it by now. Our recordings could've been made in the '50s or they could've been made now.'
Comiccon
Friday to Sunday at the Palais des Congrès.
Comiccon spokesperson Jason Rockman reeled off names of some of the celebs attending the pop culture festival — and it was kind of dizzying.
The guest list includes Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Andy Serkis from The Lord of the Ring movies; Famke Janssen from X-Men; former Montrealer William Shatner of Star Trek fame; Peter Weller from RoboCop ... and the list goes on. That's why 65,000 people show up every year.
'This is their pop-culture event of the year,' Rockman said. 'This is like their Super Bowl, this is their Game 7, it's a big big deal and it's fun to be part of something that makes people happy. This is an event that brings smiles to people's faces.'
There are autograph sessions and photo ops, but Rockman underlines that most of the participants also take part in panels, talking about their lives and careers.
Tickets: montrealcomiccon.com
Montréal Complètement Cirque
All weekend at various venues.
With the jazz festival and Comiccon in full swing, it goes without saying that our city — festival hub that it is — just has to have another major fest on the go. Montréal Complètement Cirque kicked off Thursday and continues until July 13, another reminder that Montreal is the most notable circus-arts centre in the world.
There are two shows at La Tohu: The Genesis from the Copenhagen Collective and La Noce d'Alfonse from Cirque Alfonse. But if paying indoor shows is not your cup of acrobatics, head down to St-Denis St. every night for al fresco circus action between Sherbrooke and Ste-Catherine Sts. from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. You can check out the Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia, Catalonian artists who construct giant human towers on the street. There's also the Cirqu'Easy bar at the corner of de Maisonneuve Blvd. and St-Denis. It's possible your bartender might be a circus performer.
Tickets and information: montrealcompletementcirque.com
Demons and Wonders
All weekend at Cinémathèque Québécoise.
Cinémathèque has kicked off a two-month series, Demons and Wonders, devoted to the big screen world populated by giants, fairies, ghosts, dragons and monsters of all kinds. Films this weekend include the Tim Burton classic Edward Scissorhands (Friday at 7:45 p.m.) and the 1982 fantasy cult hit The Dark Crystal (Sunday at 6 p.m.).
Rolling Stone Presents Amplified
All weekend at Oasis Immersion at Palais des Congrès.
This is an immersive exhibition presented by Rolling Stone magazine and featuring The Who, Radiohead, Janis Joplin, Tame Impala, The Ramones and many more. You're in, right? Me, all it took was mention of The Ramones.
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Montreal Gazette
17 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
Friday on My Mind: It's a circus out there with jazz, Comiccon and Montréal Complètement Cirque
Friday on My Mind is a highly subjective, curated rundown of five of the cooler things happening in Montreal during the weekend. Violent Femmes Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Place des Arts. Brian Ritchie, bassist for the fabulous folk-punk band Violent Femmes, goes way back with the Montreal International Jazz Festival. The band, which formed in Milwaukee in 1981, headlines Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier as part of fest. Their first set will be devoted to 1984 album Hallowed Ground, considered to be one of the first Americana records. Then they'll perform the self-titled 1983 debut LP from start to finish. That's the disc they're best known for; it features Gone Daddy Gone and Blister in the Sun. On the phone this week with Ritchie, who was in Prince Edward Island mentoring local artists, I told him I'd seen them at an epic 1985 show at the Spectrum and he began talking about his history with Montreal and the jazz fest. Violent Femmes played the fest at Metropolis in 2014. 'The first time I flew on a plane in my life was to go to Montreal and I went to the jazz festival,' said Ritchie. 'I think it was '79 or '80. Carla Bley and Archie Shepp were playing that year. So it's meaningful to me to play the festival. That was my first adult festival experience. They played at the Théâtre St. Denis. So I'm a little bit tender about the Montreal jazz festival. It's kind of like a full-circle thing.' Their first album it remains far and away the most influential thing they've ever done. The trio was then made up of Ritchie on bass, singer-guitarist Gordon Gano and drummer Victor DeLorenzo. Today the group consists of Ritchie, Gano, multi-instrumentalist Blaise Garza and drummer John Sparrow. Though they don't have a big catalogue of hits, their music resonates more than 40 years later. 'We still have kids getting into us,' Ritchie said. 'A lot of music (from back then) isn't still valid. It's just nostalgia. Whereas with The Cure or the Femmes, it's not just nostalgia. It's also excellent music.' He thinks Violent Femmes have endured 'because the lyrical perspective, at least in the songs we're most known for, is universal, yet it was a kind of vulnerability that Gordon was relating at a time when rock was very macho and very artificial. I think he was ahead of the times. Then also the music itself, with the way that we played with acoustic instruments and we didn't use any production trickery of the time, which would've dated it by now. Our recordings could've been made in the '50s or they could've been made now.' Comiccon Friday to Sunday at the Palais des Congrès. Comiccon spokesperson Jason Rockman reeled off names of some of the celebs attending the pop culture festival — and it was kind of dizzying. The guest list includes Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Andy Serkis from The Lord of the Ring movies; Famke Janssen from X-Men; former Montrealer William Shatner of Star Trek fame; Peter Weller from RoboCop ... and the list goes on. That's why 65,000 people show up every year. 'This is their pop-culture event of the year,' Rockman said. 'This is like their Super Bowl, this is their Game 7, it's a big big deal and it's fun to be part of something that makes people happy. This is an event that brings smiles to people's faces.' There are autograph sessions and photo ops, but Rockman underlines that most of the participants also take part in panels, talking about their lives and careers. Tickets: Montréal Complètement Cirque All weekend at various venues. With the jazz festival and Comiccon in full swing, it goes without saying that our city — festival hub that it is — just has to have another major fest on the go. Montréal Complètement Cirque kicked off Thursday and continues until July 13, another reminder that Montreal is the most notable circus-arts centre in the world. There are two shows at La Tohu: The Genesis from the Copenhagen Collective and La Noce d'Alfonse from Cirque Alfonse. But if paying indoor shows is not your cup of acrobatics, head down to St-Denis St. every night for al fresco circus action between Sherbrooke and Ste-Catherine Sts. from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. You can check out the Castellers de la Vila de Gràcia, Catalonian artists who construct giant human towers on the street. There's also the Cirqu'Easy bar at the corner of de Maisonneuve Blvd. and St-Denis. It's possible your bartender might be a circus performer. Tickets and information: Demons and Wonders All weekend at Cinémathèque Québécoise. Cinémathèque has kicked off a two-month series, Demons and Wonders, devoted to the big screen world populated by giants, fairies, ghosts, dragons and monsters of all kinds. Films this weekend include the Tim Burton classic Edward Scissorhands (Friday at 7:45 p.m.) and the 1982 fantasy cult hit The Dark Crystal (Sunday at 6 p.m.). Rolling Stone Presents Amplified All weekend at Oasis Immersion at Palais des Congrès. This is an immersive exhibition presented by Rolling Stone magazine and featuring The Who, Radiohead, Janis Joplin, Tame Impala, The Ramones and many more. You're in, right? Me, all it took was mention of The Ramones.
Calgary Herald
2 days ago
- Calgary Herald
From Shania Twain to teenage punk bands: Is Calgary Stampede the Greatest Music Festival in the West?
Article content What's on site Article content The four stages on the Stampede grounds include the Scotiabank Saddledome, which is offering Shania Twain, with opener Devin Cole, as its sole concert this year on July 5. This is unusual, given that there were four arena shows last year. But if you're only going to offer one stadium show, superstar Shania Twain is probably a safe bet. This is obviously a ticketed event. Article content The Big Four Roadhouse will also host the only other ticketed concert, on July 6, featuring Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Boy Golden, Noeline Hofmann, The Paper Kites and MJ Lendermen. All other shows are free with the price of admission, although they are restricted to those aged 18 and over after 6 p.m. Article content The Coca-Cola Stage will offer dozens of shows and all are free with the price of admission to the park. Article content Article content Article content The acts booked for the Nashville North tent tend to perform the sort of music most expect at the Stampede: mainstream and safe country that sounds like it came from a Nashville writing room even if it didn't. Article content So this is where you will see acts such as Tenille Townes (Thursday, July 3), Jade Eagleson (July 4), Drake Milligan (July 5), Midland (July 6), The Reklaws (July 10) and MacKenzie Porter (July 13), along with Alberta acts such as Hailey Benedict (July 5), Alex Hughes (July 7, 8, 9), Devin Cooper (July 7, 8, 9) and Mariya Stokes (July 10, 11, 12, 13). Article content Article content This may be the Stampede's most eclectic stage, where you will see the aforementioned Americana of Jason Isbell (if you buy a ticket), but also hip-hop artists such as De La Soul (July 8), Lil Jon (July 9) and Yung Gravy (July 11) and the folk and fiery-rock hybrid of Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello's solo work (July 12). The venue will also host local acts such as Jory Kinjo (July 10, 11, 12, 13) and Kate & The Comets (July 7, 8, 9). Article content Article content 'When we move to the Big Four Roadhouse it does vary a little bit,' Wright says. 'We started thinking about what that venue can really deliver on and it becomes a broader range of lineup. You could see country artists there, but you start to see more hip-hop, R&B and classic rock. It's our roadhouse, it's our party bar. You want to sip and savour and catch up. It's a different space. It feels different.' Article content Coca-Cola Stage Article content One of the Stampede's calling cards, programming for the Coca-Cola Stage, seems to have gotten increasingly more adventurous over the years. Once the domain of classic-rock and Nickelback wannabe acts, it now features a more eclectic bunch. This year that includes the aforementioned KALEO (July 4), Arkells (July 6) and Bleachers (July 10) but also alternative R&B songstress Tinashe (July 8), R&B and hip-hop songwriter Khalid and pop-punk mainstays Simple Plan (who have been playing for nearly 30 years, just in case you want to feel old).
Montreal Gazette
3 days ago
- Montreal Gazette
Dunlevy: Jazz fest turns into giant Nigerian pop party for free outdoor blowout
'Montreal, can you hear me?' bellowed the DJ who came out to warm up the crowd just past 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. 'Who's ready for Ayra Starr? There are two rules: you gotta sing or you gotta dance. You can't do neither, alright?' It was the midpoint free outdoor blowout at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, and like her name implies, Starr is a star. The 23-year-old, Grammy-nominated Nigerian Afrobeats singer, born Sarah Oyinkansola Aderibigbe, is one of many artists in the surging music genre that is taking over the globe. The proof was in the massive, multicultural crowd that filled the festival site on Tuesday night. 'Look at the density,' jazz fest co-founder André Ménard marvelled, pointing to the throngs of young people extending all the way down Jeanne-Mance St. to Ste-Catherine. 'C'est jam-packed,' said Evenko media relations manager Christine Montreuil. The rain held off and much fun was had by all. In the crowd an hour before showtime was Rogeyatou Kanteh. A native of Gambia, the 28-year-old has been in Canada for just over a year, moving between Montreal and Ottawa. She had come down to the jazz fest site 'just to have fun.' 'It's important to be outside and refresh your brain,' said Kanteh, who noted Starr is 'not my kind of artist, but I know I will enjoy it. She's an R&B artist; I enjoy Afrobeats, but I'm not familiar with her songs.' Jevenson Dominique, 32, and his friend Steven (who preferred to give only his first name), 25, didn't hesitate to declare themselves Starr-struck. 'We like her style,' Steven said. 'I love Afro music,' Dominique explained. 'And she's hot,' he added, with a chuckle. The two were waiting for a crew of about 10 people to join them. In the peer group of the two Haitian-Québécois men, Starr's free performance was an event. 'She's the crush of our friends,' Steven said. 'It's exciting,' offered Dominique, who hadn't seen Starr perform before. 'We're looking forward to it.' Maezie Holubowicz-Levington, 19, and Lucie Mitima, 20, know each other from a downtown brasserie chain they work at. Mitima arrived in Montreal in January from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where she discovered Starr's music on YouTube and TikTok. 'She sings well,' Mitima said. 'She's pretty, too,' Holubowicz-Levington mused, adding that the two friends had come down 'to spend time together.' 'To feel good, dance and sing if we have to,' Mitima riffed. They pretty much had to. Starr took the stage at 9:40 p.m. with a beckoning look and a shake of her hips as she shimmied into her smoothly funky hit Fashion Killer. Flanked by four male dancers and backed by an air-tight band, she controlled the stage like a pop star on par with Beyoncé, Rihanna or any other modern American chart-topper. And if you have any doubt that that's where she's headed, know that Starr is signed to Republic Records in North America, home to Taylor Swift and Lorde, among others. She turned and shook her behind for the audience, drawing cheers during Control. Her moves garnered roars of approval throughout the night. Fans pulled out their phones to record the action during Bloody Samaritan, while Starr cooed and grooved to the bumping club beat. She stuck around for the first few minutes of a DJ interlude to shake her money maker with her beat-maker, a smile on her face as she sang the words to the dance hits he dropped, including David Guetta's Titanium feat. Sia, which elicited a massive singalong from the crowd. Starr bantered with the audience upon her return. 'Everybody's good?' She asked, reading signs held up by fans in the front, including 'My first concert' and 'Do you want to be my copine?' She led a chant of 'Away, away, away ah-ah' during her 2021 single Away. And the crowd went wild in the final stretch for her hits All the Love, Commas and Rush. In the grand list of jazz fest moments, this was one to remember: the night the Montreal International Jazz Festival turned into a giant, jubilant Nigerian pop party.
