A POP MONTREAL TASTE TEST
AT A GLANCE
POP Montreal runs from Wednesday, Sept. 26 through Sunday, Sept. 30. For tickets and more information, visit popmontreal.com. POP Montreal has shows big and small. Here are 10 hot tips, sorted by style.
FILM
Socalled’s Porn POP (Thursday, Sept. 27, 11 p.m., Cinéma L’amour, 4015 St-Laurent Blvd., $20). In the “only at POP Montreal” department, Montreal klez-hop hero Socalled presents his directorial debut, The Housesitter, a gay erotic film starring Valentin Braun and River Wilson, with live piano and vocal accompaniment by Socalled himself.
HIP HOP
Waahli (Friday, Sept. 28, 7 p.m., Jardins Gamelin, free). A longtime member of Montreal’s electrifying world/ jazz/hip-hop collective Nomadic Massive, rapper Waahli launches his debut solo album, Black Soap, with a free outdoor concert.
INDIE ROCK
Wolf Parade (Thursday, Sept. 27 to Sunday, Sept. 30, 9 p.m., La Sala Rossa, 4848 St-Laurent Blvd., $30). One of the bands that put Montreal on the map as an indie music mecca, Wolf Parade plays not one, two or three, but four shows at this year’s festival, with rotating guests in the opening slot. At publication time, tickets remained only for the Sunday.
SOUNDCLASH
Venetian Snares x Daniel Lanois (Thursday, Sept. 27, 7:45 p.m., Rialto Theatre, 5723 Parc Ave., $30). Winnipeg electronic beatsmith Venetian Snares and legendary Canadian singer-songwriter-guitarist-producer Lanois present their unique mix of ambience, frenzied rhythms and evocative pedal steel guitar, captured on their self-titled album, released this year.
VARIETY
Elle Barbara’s Bosom Confidante (Sunday, Sept. 30, 10:30 p.m., Cinéma L’amour, $20). Montreal avant-garde singer-songwriter Elle Barbara’s style ranges from soul to jazz, rock and electro. Expect the unexpected as the trans artist hosts a late-night variety show at our city’s landmark porn theatre.
INDIGENOUS
Elisapie (Thursday, Sept. 27, 8 p.m., Monument-National, 1182 St-Laurent Blvd., $30). The Inuit singer-songwriter performs songs from her new album The Ballad of the Runaway Girl, a breathtaking mix of rock, folk and groove, with moments of ethereal splendour.
SCOT-ROCK
The Proclaimers and Siobhan Wilson (Wednesday, Sept. 26, 8 p.m., Corona Theatre, 2490 Notre-Dame St. W., $44.50). Scottish folk-rock duo the Proclaimers are best known for their 1988 smash single I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), which broke through to North America in 1993. Glasgow chanteuse Wilson opens.
STEP DANCING
Abdul Lateef and the Distraction Machine (Friday, Sept. 28 and Saturday, Sept. 29 at 8 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 30 at 2 p.m., MAI, 3680 Jeanne-Mance St., $25). Inspired by his zombie comic book series Z’Isle, Montrealer Lateef and friends present a show combining step dancing, singing, beatboxing and music played on “upcycled objects” and bicycles.
MADCHESTER
The Charlatans UK, with Frankiie (Friday, Sept. 28, 9 p.m., Fairmount Theatre, 5240 Parc Ave., $30). Rewind to the early ’90s and British rock band the Charlatans were cooking up a storm with their infectious blend of old soul, dance beats, alt-rock guitars and plaintive vocals. Let’s do the time warp again.
REGGAE
Equiknoxx, with Sista Majesty and Blackout Soundsystem (Friday, Sept. 28, 11 p.m., Piccolo Rialto, 5723 Parc Ave., $15). Late-night reggae parties have become a POP Montreal tradition. This year’s edition features Jamaican dancehall crew Equiknoxx, Martinique’s Sista Majesty and Montreal’s Blackout Soundsystem. T’Cha Dunlevy