And like so... pop! The city is wrestling between summer & fall and suddenly Pop Montreal has arrived, riding in on a dappled pony. One of the finest festivals in all the world: a week of wonderful concerts, brave billings, late parties, brilliant films, social clashes and illuminating discussion. As I've said before: Our SXSW, our ATP, hundreds of artists piling into venues across the city, from churches to concert-halls, conjuring rackets. Gigs are complimented by films, dance-parties, dozens of free talks, events, barbecues, craft-fairs and froo-fra. Tis brillig and the slithy toves are gyring and gimbling, mark my words.
After years of doing Pop, I feel the important thing is to seek out the most extra-ordinary moments. Pay attention to that word, extra-ordinary. Not just whatever the present hotness is, slipping through town on its North American tour: but the least pedestrian of concerts - one-offs, rare bookings, special settings, or perfect mixed bills. And don't run around so much that you don't have any fun.
I've noticed two shifts in this year's Pop programme, one bad and one good: first, while there remain dozens and dozens of cheap $10 shows, the festival also has several concerts costing well over $30. This is to mitigate risk - Pop's low-ticket-price policy meant that in years past, some incredible shows (Fever Ray, Burt Bacharach) also lost money. But I think the emphasis on low prices was one of the festival's proudest flags. So I was sorry (and a little aghast) to see that shows by Grizzly Bear, David Byrne & St Vincent, Gotye and Chairlift (and maybe more) cresting into the $40s and $50s. The other development is much less fraught: Pop's migrating north. Instead of being pushed toward the downtown Quartier des Spectacles, again this year Pop is looking toward Little Italy. Venues like the Eglise Pop, (the grotto that is) Brasserie Beaubien and even the shift from le National to La Tulipe are, to me a, rebuke of the Quartier. And they're using the gorgeous Parc de la Petite Italie for their free outdoor gigs - a nice change from Parc des Amériques.
This Guide
As always, this Guide is my guide to Pop. It's not a universal guide. It is personal, subjective, honest. I recommend the things I love, the things I am curious about. And I leave out the things - even if they're highly touted - for which I'd have to fake excitement. Take everything with seas of salt.
I made similar guides in 2008 and 2009, 2010, 2011, and in 2008 also wrote up my experiences for McSweeney's.
If you're a visitor to Montreal, please take advantage of the city's Bixi bike rental system. Please also look at the sidebar on the right, where Said the Gramophone has some local recommendations (they're mostly restaurants).
How to Use This Guide
I suggest you flip between this guide and the official printed Pop program, which is full of band descriptions. (You can also build a schedule via the festival's website, but I find paper helpful: you can write on it.)
Pop HQ
If I refer to Pop HQ, I am referring to their registration/box-office/symposium/gallery space at L'ancienne École des beaux-arts de Montréal, located at 3450 St-Urbain, corner of Sherbrooke.
Tickets and Passes
Lots of Pop is completely free. There are afternoon concerts, art openings, barbecues, installations, record and craft fairs, as well as workshops, lectures and conversations between artists. Symposium - the name for Pop's "conference" component - is very often my favourite part of the whole festival: all these remarkable events - hilarious and interesting conversations, demos, jams, with some of the fest's biggest artists. Symposium programming is tragically underattended: don't miss it.
Unlike the old days, when you could browse the whole festival for about $80, these are the ticket options in 2012:
- Buy tickets. Most Pop concerts are like any other concerts, year-round: you can buy tickets at the door, online, or at the record shops listed here. Almost everything's cheaper if you buy it in advance. Setting aside the free shows, most gigs cost between $10 and $25 (though this year's Pop has some of its most-expensive shows ever - a troubling trend), which includes the headliner and up to three openers. Buying tickets is really the simplest way to do Pop - figure out the concerts you want to see, buy the ticket, show up. For $10 you can also get a one-day Pop Hopper upgrade to any ticket. This pass lets you drop in on most of the night's other gigs. (See below.) Please note: Pop Hopper upgrades require planning. You can only buy them when buying tickets online, or by dropping by Pop HQ, 12pm-8pm.
It's important to note that the festival's smaller gigs are ineligible for a Pop Hopper upgrade. Anything that costs less than $10 cannot be upgraded. So if you want to see a string of little shows, buy a ticket for a big one and upgrade that.
- Pop Hopper Day Passes.These $33 passes are for people who wish to skim and graze between shows, rather than seeing any one line-up in particular. Buy them here or at Pop HQ, 12pm-8pm. Pop Hopper passes don't guarantee access - most concerts have a certain allotment of Pop Hoppers they will allow in, and some gigs won't allow any Pop Hoppers at all. If you want to visit multiple venues in one night, it's usually a better deal to buy the ticket for the concert you really want to see, then spring for the $10 Pop Hopper upgrade (see above).
- Super Pass. For $402.41, do more or less whatever the hell you want.
Recommendations over several days
Besides the concerts, films and Symposium events, Pop has a couple more important segments. Most importantly there's Art Pop, with visual arts exhibitions which are mostly on all week. This year my program highlights are these: The Art of The Suburbs, looking at the creative process for Caroline Robert's and Vincent Morisset's work with Arcade Fire, including sketches and digital gizmos;
Do your holiday shopping early: Pop's massive, excellent art&craft fair, Puces Pop, takes place Saturday and Sunday in the basement of St-Michel church (St-Viateur @ St-Urbain). Those days there's also a record fair a few blocks away, in the basement of the Ukrainian Federation. Finally, if you're a parent, do look into the often-overlooked Kids Pop.
Recommendations day by day
Every day, I break things down as follows:
| What I'm doing: | Instructions for following me around! But there are gazillions of Pop shows, much more than any one person can do; depending on your tastes and budget, there's lots more to recommend. |
Anchor your evening: | The ticketed shows that deserve your doubloons, usually including several acts. |
Roam: | The night's other best sets, for those with slimmer wallets, industry passes, Pop Hoppers, or a sense of adventure. |
Roll the dice: | The day's foremost curiosities and gambles - could-be treasures and maybe-flops. |
And then a list of the day's highlights, as far as I can tell. It's important to note I am not listing entire bills - just my highlights. So check the program for full set-times.
I highly recommend everything on these lists, but everything listed in bold is CAN'T MISS.
This list has been made using the Pop's updated online schedule of September 12. All dates/times are as best as I know.
UPDATE 14/9: Saturday's Exploded Folk show (Adam & Amethysts, Gym Deer, James Irwin, etc) has been moved from Tour Prisme to La Plante.
UPDATE 18/9: Revised set time (and added mp3) for Mélanie Boulay.
UPDATE 19/9: Added general information on Sunday's Lhasa tribute.
UPDATE 21/9: Added time/info for Peaches musical and Phonopolis instore. Also Leif Vollebekk's Tom Waits show will feature Little Scream, Brad Barr, Adam Kinner, Michael Feuerstack and more.
Wednesday, September 19
| What I'm doing: | I'm going to start Pop 2012 with some blah blah blah: some of the smartest people in Montreal music, on a panel at 4:45pm. I might try to catch the Rodriguez doc, Searching for Sugar Man (trailer), which has been on my list for a while; after that it's almost certainly the amazing Fixture Records showcase at Brasserie Beaubien: the eerie quiet of Brave Radar (mp3), the loose garage-pop of MAVO (mp3), Freelove Fenner's gangly guitars (mp3): these are great things. But I don't want to miss the Moment, either, at O Patro Vys: songs by James Irwin (mp3) and Nick Scribner (mp3) with a wild, spectral band - really great stuff. |
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Anchor your evening: | Three choices if you want to spend the whole night in one place:
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| Roam: | If you want to duck and weave, try Mélanie Boulay (one half of les Soeurs Boulay mp3), apparently with free smoked meat, Stereolab's Laetitia Sadler (mp3), or the funky bump of Antibalas (who knew they were still kicking?!). And any Fugazi fan should hightail it to Howard Bilerman's talk with Guy Picciotto, at 6:30pm. |
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Roll the dice: | There is nothing dicier than a comedy show, but Comedy Pop has some of the city's most bona fide hilarios. And man I'd love to be at that Mr Muthafuckin' eXquire concert, with a cup of whiskey sour. |
16h45 - Radical Re-Imagination of Music in Canada panel (Tim Hecker, Mozart's Sister, Ian, &c) [Pop HQ - free]
18h30 - Howard Bilerman talks to Guy Picciotto [Pop HQ - free]
19h30 - Mélanie Boulay (& gratis smoked meat/beer) [Commission des Liqueurs - free]
20h00 - Searching for Sugar Man film [PHI Centre - free]
20h00 - Diamond Rings [La Tulipe - free]
20h00 - Holy Oak [O Patro Vys - $10]
20h30 - Brave Radar [Brasserie Beaubien - $10]
20h30 - Comedy Pop early show (Deanne Smith, Peter Radomski, Kirsten Rasmussen) [Playhouse - $10]
21h00 - Antibalas [Corona - $18]
21h15 - MAVO [Brasserie Beaubien - $10]
21h30 - Cobra & Vulture [Divan Orange - $15]
21h00 - Stars [La Tulipe - free]
22h00 - Freelove Fenner [Brasserie Beaubien - $10]
22h00 - Laetitia Sadler [Ukrainian Federation - $15]
22h00 - Mussaver [O Patro Vys - $10]
23h00 - Wild Nothing [Il Motore - $13]
23h00 - Mr Muthafuckin' eXquire [Mission Santa Cruz - free]
23h00 - Comedy Pop late show (Deanne Smith, Peter Radomski, Kirsten Rasmussen) [Playhouse - $10]
23h30 - Deerhoof [Cabaret du Mile End - $20]
00h00 - The Moment [O Patro Vys - $10]
00h15 - Chevalier Avant Garde [Brasserie Beaubien - $10]
02h00 - Gang Gang Dance [Eglise Pop - $20]
Thursday, September 20
| What I'm doing: | A wonderful string of free shows on this Thursday afternoon: Canailles' (mp3) raucous take on trad quebec folk, Parlovr's mischievous guitar pop (mp3), Mozart's Sister's tense r&b (mp3), Born Ruffians' minimal art-rock (mp3) - all good. Wish I could take in the marvellous bill at the Ukrainian Federation but it's a night divided: I'll head to Breakglass for what will certainly be a special show, Young Galaxy (mp3), up close & intimate (hopefully previewing some of their new material - what I've heard is outstanding). After that I'll go see the bare folk of Weather Station (mp3), who I adore, followed by the ringing rawk'n'roll of either Hot Snakes (mp3) or PS I Love You (mp3). |
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Anchor your evening: | They have lined up something wonderful at the UK Fed: Dirty Three (mp3), legends of instrumental music (with my favourite drummer in the whole world, Jim White); AroarA, who are Ariel Engle and Andrew Whiteman, previewing an LP of dirty, sensuous folk; and the local post-rock outfit Ferrishweel. A steal at $22. |
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Roam: | A great night for wandering the city: Adam Kinner (mp3) plays solitary, careful, wondering saxophone (and sometimes sings). Reversing Falls (mp3) have two drum-sets and a full racket. Cousins (mp3) and Caves are past Said the Gramophone nods. Alaclair Ensemble (mp3) are francophone Quebec's best hip-hop crew. And Fiver (mp3) is Simone Schmidt ($100, Deloro), who shoots people dead with her two-eyed stare. |
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Roll the dice: | Maybe (maybe) Fanfare Ciocârlia are the real deal, with their gypsy racket. World Provider (mp3) mashing up with Philippe Blanchard will be great and technicolour. Metz kicked my head in at Sappyfest. And above all there's Sweet Nothing, Andi State's impressionist film on Suuns (mp3), followed by a performance from the band. |
13h00 - Canailles [Parc de la Petite Italie - free]
14h00 - Gypsy music workshop with Fanfare Ciocarlia [Pop HQ - free]
14h00 - Parlovr [Parc de la Petite Italie - free]
15h00 - Get Paid panel (Pitchfork, French Kiss Recs, SOCAN &c) [Pop HQ - free]
17h00 - Mozart's Sister [Parc de la Petite Italie - free]
18h00 - Born Ruffians [Parc de la Petite Italie - free]
19h00 - Young Galaxy [Breakglass Studios - $12]
20h00 - Fanfare Ciocârlia [Rialto - $25]
20h00 - Ferrishweel [Ukrainian Federation - $22]
20h30 - Adam Kinner [Casa del Popolo - $10]
20h45 - AroarA [Ukrainian Federation - $22]
20h45 - Elite Gymnastics [Club Soda - sold out]
21h00 - Reversing Falls [Divan Orange - $10]
21h00 - Sweet Nothing (Suuns documentary, followed by concert) [John the Evangelist Church - $10]
21h00 - Turning (Charles Atlas/Antony Hegarty doc) [Pop HQ - $8]
21h30 - Dirty Three [Ukrainian Federation - $22]
21h30 - Grimes [Club Soda - sold out]
21h45 - Canailles [Rialto - $25]
22h00 - Weather Station [Brasserie Beaubien - $10]
22h00 - Cousins [CFC - $10]
22h00 - Caves [L'Esco - $10]
23h00 - Parlovr [Divan Orange - $10]
23h00 - Metz [Mission Santa Cruz - free]
23h00 - World Provider vs Philippe Blanchard [Eglise Pop - $20]
23h30 - Fiver [Brasserie Beaubien - $10]
00h00 - PS I Love You [Divan Orange - $10]
00h00 - Hot Snakes [Mission Santa Cruz - free]
00h00 - Alaclair Ensemble [Sala Rossa - $16]
01h00 - CTZNSHP [Divan Orange - $10]
01h00 - Dusted [CFC - $10]
01h45 - Peaches DJ set [Eglise Pop - $20]
Friday, September 21
| What I'm doing: | I will not miss The Sin and the Swoon, Montreal's best (and sweetest) country act. But after that, this is a night of crisis: three shows I wish I could see, spending the whole night. |
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Anchor your evening: | Sophie's choice:
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| Roam: | Besnard Lakes at their home studio, Breakglass, doing your head in; Snowblink's glimmery folk (mp3); Born Ruffians (mp3), in tiny Casa, invoking quick will'o'wisps; Charlottetown's English Words (formerly Smothered In Hugs), who have released a killer new single (mp3); and, well, you probably won't go wrong watching David Byrne and St Vincent (mp3), even if $49 seems pretty rough. |
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Roll the dice: | Lil B (mp3) is pretty much the definition of "roll the dice": an unfliching iconoclast, deep as lakes, who may or may not be able to put on the best show of Pop. |
14h00 - The Sin and the Swoon [Divan Orange - free]
14h00 - Caves [Parc de la Petite Italie - free]
16h30 - Adam & the Amethysts / Snowblink [Phonopolis instore - free]
17h00 - Rah Rah [Parc de la Petite Italie - free]
17h30 - Jimmy "Bo" Horne talks to Cadence Weapon [Pop HQ - free]
19h00 - Zammuto [Quai Jacques Cartier - $54]
19h45 - Chairlift [Quai Jacques Cartier - $54]
20h30 - Mouthbreathers [Divan Orange - $10]
20h30 - Gotye [Quai Jacques Cartier - $54]
21h00 - Auroratones, experimental musical shorts [Pop HQ - $8]
21h00 - David Byrne & St Vincent [Eglist St-Jean-Baptiste - $49]
21h00 - Peaches Christ Superstar (with Gonzales) [Ukrainian Federation - $15]
21h30 - Julia Holter [John The Evangelist Church - $15]
21h30 - YELLOW TEETH [Divan Orange - $10]
21h30 - Army Girls [Casa del Popolo - $15]
21h30 - English Words [O Patro Vys - $10]
22h00 - Yamantaka//Sonic Titan musical [Rialto - $15]
22h00 - Besnard Lakes [Breakglass Studios - $12]
22h00 - Lunice [Club Soda - $28]
22h00 - Gonjasufi [Foufounes - $15]
22h30 - Tim Hecker [John The Evangelist Church - $15]
22h30 - Baby Eagle & the Proud Mothers [Divan Orange - $10]
23h00 - Doldrums [Mission Santa Cruz - free]
23h00 - Snowblink [Club Lambi - $10]
23h00 - Lil B [Club Soda - $28]
23h30 - Adam & the Amethysts [Divan Orange - $10]
00h00 - Austra [Mission Santa Cruz - free]
00h30 - Born Ruffians [Casa del Popolo - $15]
00h30 - Shotgun Jimmie [Divan Orange - $10]
02h00 - A Tribe Called Red [Eglise Pop - $10]
Saturday, September 22
| What I'm doing: | I may give charity my $20 to see musicians and athletes play basketball: it was pretty fun last year, and this year there's the added exclamation mark of David Byrne at halftime. What's certain is that I will catch up with D Byrne and W Butler at 8pm, when I'm introducing their talk (and David's book launch) at the Ukrainian Federation). Maybe I'll see you there? Later, I'll head to the amazing Exploded Folk Showcase at |
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Anchor your evening: | The aforementioned Exploded Folk Showcase is amazing bang-for-buck. If you like arty r&b, Akua and Lusk will also be marvellous. Dark country lovers, get thee to the Cabaret for the journeymen Sadies + Sin and the Swoon. |
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Roam: | I'm a big fan of Black Atlass' sinister R&B (mp3), and especially the electronica from Ryan Hemsworth (mp3), out of Halifax: both play the Belmont. Esther Grey (mp3) and Molly Sweeney (mp3) play strong, frayed folk. So excited to see that Cotton Mouth (mp3) are making a return: fierce synth-pop, for fans of Wolf Parade. And of course Mozart's Sister (mp3), deservedly buzzy (just wish she wasn't playing with Jimmy "Bo" Horne, by whom I am unmoved). Also: I've heard very good things about the Uprising film. |
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Roll the dice: | People who have seen him live won't shut up about Rich Aucoin - and Divan Orange is a small venue by his standards. And I love Leif Vollebekk (mp3): he is hosting a Tom Waits covers night with Little Scream, Michael Feuerstack, Brad Barr and more. |
11h45 - Audio engineering panel (Howard Bilerman, Mke Sniper, Martin Bisi, &c) [Pop HQ - free]
13h30 - Tour Better panel (bookers, promoters, PR) [Pop HQ - free]
14h00 - Pop vs Jock [McGill Sports Centre - $20]
16h15 - Jeanette Lee talks to Vivien Goldman [Pop HQ - free]
18h00 - Avec pas d'casque [Ubisoft Rooftop - sold out]
18h30 - Uprising: Hip Hop and the lA Riots [Pop HQ - $8]
20h00 - David Byrne talks to Win Butler [Ukrainian Federation - $15]
20h30 - Daniel Isaiah [Rialto - $25]
20h30 - Mussaver [Tour Prisme La Plante - $10]
23h30? - Black Atlass [Belmont - $10]
21h00 - Christopher Smith [O Patro Vys - ?]
21h30 - Cotton Mouth [Casa del Popolo - $10]
21h30 - Gym, Deer [Tour Prisme La Plante - $10]
21h30 - The Sin and the Swoon [Cabaret Mile End - $17]
21h45 - The Belle Game [O Patro Vys - ?]
22h00 - a k u a [Sala Rossa - $20]
22h00 - Leif Vollebekk & friends (Tom Waits covers) [Breakglass Studios - $15]
22h00 - Esther Grey [Cagibi - $10]
22h30 - James Irwin [Tour Prisme La Plante - $10]
23h00 - Molly Sweeney [Cagibi - $10]
23h30 - Adam & the Amethysts [Tour Prisme La Plante - $10]
23h30 - The Sadies [Cabaret Mile End - $17]
23h30 - Olenka and the Autumn Lovers [Petit Campus - $10]
23h30 - Big K.R.I.T. [Club Soda - $25]
23h30 - Radio Radio [SAT - $20]
23h45 - Jacob Lusk & the R Kelly All-Stars [Sala Rossa - $20]
00h00 - Rich Aucoin [Divan Orange - $12]
00h00 - The Omen: Midnight Mass [John the Evangelist Church - $10]
00h00 - Andre Williams [Cabaret du Mile End - $17]
01h00? - Ryan Hemsworth [Belmont - $10]
01h00 - Mozart's Sister [Eglise Pop - $20]
01h00 - Zoobombs [Club Lambi - $10]
Sunday, September 23
| What I'm doing: | After a visit to Puces Pop and the Record Fair, hard to pick the highlights on Pop's final day. You can't really go wrong. Grizzly Bear (mp3) are one of my favourite a-list indie bands, and I love Woodpigeon (mp3) too. But ultimately I will probably go for the things that I will not see any other day, just rolling into town: a re-mounting of Where the River Got the Water, a magic-realist dance show led by Hanako Hoshimi Caines, with music by Katie Moore (mp3) & friends (and co-written by James Irwin). Or else the feat of a set that's promised by Lucky Dragons, recently profiled in WIRED. (Then I will go see Sun Araw's dazzled noise (mp3) and Nicky Da B getting low, because this is an insane and fuckin' rad combo.) Oh and I love the look of that 3pm New Media panel, not because of the topic but because of the panelists: the incredible Vincent Morisset (Arcade Fire, Bla Bla, Sigur Rós' INNI) & Damian Taylor (Björk's Biophilia, etc). |
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Anchor your evening: | See above. Go see Where the River Got the Water; go see Grizzly Bear (mp3) and the superb weird pop of Unknown Mortal Orchestra (mp3); go see Lucky Dragons' high-tech experiment; go have your head done in by Sun Araw (mp3) and Nicky da B. |
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Roam: | Not a fan of Patrick Wolf (mp3) but I'd love to catch Woodpigeon (mp3) at L'Astral (it's a lovely room). Or, if it's not sold out, Purity Ring (mp3) will be a special hometown show; they don't play very often. |
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Roll the dice: | If you go see Deep End (trailer), at the Trylon, you will watch the movie standing inside the Trylon's swimming pool. Yes, soaking wet. Violent, vintage, one-of-a-kind. |
12h - Managers' panel [Pop HQ - free]
13h15 - Future of Opera panel (Yamantaka//Sonic Titan, Opera Montreal & c) [Pop HQ - free]
15h00 - New Media and Music panel (Vincent Morisset, Damian Taylor &c) [Pop HQ - free]
15h30 - Skolimowski's Deep End (1970), screened in a (filled) swimming pool [Trylon pool - $10]
15h00 - Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet film [Pop HQ - $8]
16h00 - Where the River Got the Water [Remix] (dance show with Katie Moore & co) [Ukrainian Federation - $10]
17h00 - Lucky Dragons [PHI Centre - $15]
18h00 - Lhasa de Sela tribute [Park at St Urbain/Van Horne - free]
20h00 - Unknown Mortal Orchestra [Olympia - $40]
20h00 - Woodpigeon [L'Astral - $23]
21h00 - Grizzly Bear [Olympia - $40]
22h30 - Purity Ring [La Tulipe - $15]
01h00 - Sun Araw [Eglise Pop - $12]
02h00 - Nicky Da B [Eglise Pop - $12]
And that's all! I will try to keep this guide updated with new developments, cancellations, surprise shows, etc. Follow me on Twitter to stay up to the minute. And I'm sure I've missed tons of great things - leave your tips in the comments!
Great post! Would take me forever to get a good post like that up! Just a few days away!
Posted by Andrew at September 16, 2012 3:47 PMSorry for the comment spam! Won't comment again! Put together a Pop Montreal guide to free shows (linked)!
Posted by Andrew at September 18, 2012 3:31 AM
and it will begin playing. All songs are also available to download: just right-click the link and choose 'Save as...'
