(light up the town) The Telus Fire on Ice fireworks go off with a bang on Saturday night in the Old Port, while Noël sur l’avenue makes shopping and dining along Mont Royal Avenue all the more festive with concerts, family friendly activities and more all weekend. Downtown at the Quartier des Spectacles, play with outdoor interactive musical installation Iceberg, part of Luminothérapie exhibition. And the Olympic Parc celebrates the grand opening of their winter site on December 15: from 11:30-8 p.m., help decorate their 15-metre Christmas tree, visit with Santa, and partake of gourmet treats from some of the city’s best food trucks.

(circus lights) Cirque du Soleil’s colourful, musical Saltimbanco fits right in with the festive season and delights with all kinds of acrobatics, juggling, feats of strength and stamina, and, of course, tension-diffusing clowns. Cirque returns home this month to mark the final run for the company’s longest-running show – 20 years! – see it December 19-30 at the Bell Centre, with behind-the-scenes packages available for some shows. On another musical circus note, Cirque Alphonse’s Timber! takes place in a forest full of lumberjack acrobats, clowns and family-friendly comedy – December 18-31 at Montreal’s one-and-only circus centre, Tohu.

(gift giving) Sometimes it’s just easier to shop in a town that isn’t your own. Take some of the pressure off gift buying by stopping in at some of Montreal’s hot, variety-packed craft and artisanal fairs. The Pop Montreal music festival puts on hip and super cute Puces Pop DIY & Craft Fair December 14-16 with an opening party on Friday evening, at Église Saint-Enfant-Jésus (5035 St-Dominique). The biggest fair of its kind in Canada, Salon des métiers d’art continues to December 22 with over 400 Quebec artists and artisans selling clothing, toys, food and much more at Place Bonaventure – see Santa every Saturday afternoon. And the smaller Old Skool Crafts Holiday Fair sees local craftspeople bringing their quality handmade goods to L’Église St-Michel (105 St-Viateur W.) on Saturday and Sunday.

(sounds of Christmas) Classical music and traditional Christmas songs fill December’s days and nights. Notre-Dame Basilica hosts the Montreal Symphony Orchestra performing Hector Berlioz’s L’Enfance du Christ with Kent Nagano conducting, December 19-20, and on December 14-15 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., eight Quebecois singers sing traditional Christmas songs for the Les Stars chantent Noël. On December 16 at the Gesù hear the French 18th century organ music of Les douze Noëls pour orgue de Louis-Claude Daquin. Québec writer Bryan Perro tells a magical, Christmassy tale of two villages as the Montreal Symphony Orchestra accompanies, December 14-15 at Maison symphonique de Montréal. And at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Bourgie Hall, soprano Suzie LeBlanc sings a traditional concert of Advent music, with violinist, organist and conductor on December 16 at 3 p.m.

(sights on stage) The traditional December run of Les Grands Ballets’ The Nutcracker continues to December 30 at Place des Arts, while there are only a few days left to catch Robin Hood, as staged by children’s theatre experts Geordie Productions, at the Centaur Theatre in Old Montreal (453 St-Francois-Xavier). If you’ve been waiting years for Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to be turned into a 14-song musical, well, that dream is now a reality, at Theatre Rialto on December 14. And critically lauded play Red , about the life and art of Mark Rothko, continues at the Segal Centre to December 16.

(sports on ice) Get your hockey fix at CWHL fundraiser game Les Boys (NHL alumni and stars of the Les Boys television series) vs. Les Girls (Montreal’s national championship team The Stars, featuring Olympic players) on Saturday, December 15, 1 p.m. at Etienne Desmarteau arena (3430 Bellechasse). Canada’s other official sport takes over the Bell Centre this Saturday: National Lacrosse League teams Toronto Rock and Rochester Knighthawks face off. And ski and snowboard freestylers literally take to the street for Amnesia Shack Attack on December 15 starting at 7 p.m. – see tricks, jumps and more on St-Denis between Sherbrooke and Ontario.

(more music) Montreal’s live music scene is feeling the holiday party vibe this weekend. Get along with the locals on Friday night with Mac Demarco, Each Other, Freelove Fenner and DJ Cadence Weapon At Il Motore (179 Jean-Talon W.). On Saturday night, Swiss folk-metal band Eluveitie loudly zooms into town with Wintersun and Varg at Club Soda,  and rock-dance it up with Mark Sultan and Lunar Exile, at Casa Del Popolo (4873 St-Laurent). On December 16, get closer with indie-pop cool kids Tegan & Sara at Metropolis, while American hip hop artist Machine Gun Kelly brings his rapid-fire vocal ways to Club Soda. Artist centre Easter Bloc brings together international sound artists and experimental musicians to perform, record and discuss their work in Object Inusité, December 19-22, with opening night performances December 19 at 7 p.m. And on December 20, get into a little American country music with Drew Womack and his band Sons of the Desert at Sala Rossa.

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Take a break in Montreal this week with days dedicated to amazingly affordable fine food, high-flying and inspiring on-stage entertainment, international film and art, family-friendly sounds of science, and lots of great live music…

(fantastic food) The food-centric week begins on Friday with an array of gourmet food trucks – from tacos to crepes to hamburgers – set up for your culinary pleasure at Montreal’s Olympic Park. For sit-down meals, check out Montreal’s TASTE MTL Restaurant Week, ongoing to November 11, with gourmet prix-fixe menus – from $19 to $39 – at some of Montreal’s best fine-dining restaurants. Choose by cuisine or discover new parts of the city by choosing by neighbourhood: spend an evening in Old Montreal, the next one at a restaurant downtown, in the Plateau or Mile End, Outremont, the Village or Griffintown.

(life on film) Film festival season continues in Montreal with the French-language – English subtitles usually included – Cinémania, to November 11, with features, shorts, retrospectives (including an extensive one on Sandrine Bonnaire’s films), presentations and Q&A sessions, and more. Among the many films, see Cinémania’s opener, an official Cannes competitor, Jacques Audiard’s Rust and Bone, starring Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts in a story of a former boxer, his son and a woman coming to terms with a life-altering disability. And on November 7, doc film fest RIDM begins its reign of real life representations, with films from around the world, including Peter Mettler’s The End of Time, Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Mekong Hotel, a series of 15 favourite docs chosen by 15 members of the film community, and much more.

(circus & theatre) Circus shows in Montreal are always an adventure of some kind, but that adventure is guaranteed to be thrilling and heartfelt with inventive and talented Montreal-based international circus troupe 7 Doigts de la Main – their latest show, Séquence 8, is chock full of stunning acrobatics and ensemble work, big laughs, great music and a love of circus arts and audience connection, at La Tohu circus centre to November 17. In theatre, Black Theatre Workshop extends its successful run of Harlem Duet, an award-winning play that spans Shakespeare’s Othello and the sentiments of Martin Luther King in a story of the struggle to gain true equality in North America. And Persephone Productions presents Shakespeare’s classic of classics Hamlet at the Calixa Lavallée Théâtre in Parc Lafontaine, November 1-10.

(beautiful bodies) International rock star choreographer Hofesh Shechter’s Political Mother is powerful, beautiful and moving – for dance fans or simply for anyone looking for a great show. With 10 extremely talented dancers and 7 musicians live on stage, Political Mother tells a story of hope in the face of tyranny – at Théâtre Maisonneuve at Place des Arts, November 1-3. In the same performative vein of dance-meets-music-meets-storytelling, Montreal choreographer Frédérick Gravel debuts his Usually Beauty Fails, November 7-10 and 14-17 at Cinquième Salle.

(east & west) The 13th Arab World Festival of Montreal entertains and informs, highlighting links between Arabic and Western cultures through music, performance, film, art and talks, to November 10. On Friday November 3, hear famed pianist Abdel Rahman El Bacha play works from Bach to Prokofiev and more, at Cinquième Salle. On November 4, hear the music of Algeria’s Hamdi Benani, at the Corona Theatre, while Zohreh Jooya and her Afghan dance ensemble captivate in a North American premier at Cinquième Salle at Place Des Arts, and up in the neighbourhood of Mile End at the beautiful Rialto Theatre, spend the evening at Goodbye To The Duels, Hello To The Duets, a concert for peace, featuring Moroccan singers Abderahim Souiri and Laila Gouchi. See the festival’s program online for full details and more.

(educational entertainment) The Montreal Science Centre gets kids and adults really listening with new exhibition Musik: From Sound to Emotion, a zone where science, creativity and entertainment meet. Learn how music affects different parts of the brain, how we experience music physically and emotionally, and get a chance to make music of your very own in the exhibition’s high-tech music lab. The exhibition is based on input from numerous scientists at Montreal universities as well as from musicians, including  Montreal-based pop-punk band Simple Plan.

(joys of music) Friday night begins a week of great music with Montreal’s Esmerine, celebrating 15 years of Constellation Records, at the Musee d’art contemporain. On the other end of the show spectrum is the laser-light-show spectacular The Australian Pink Floyd Show at the Bell Centre, while Designer Drugs and Beat Market electro-rock the SAT. Saturday night cranks the decibel level with Sonar Festival on Tour, featuring Die Antwoord, Azari & III, Seth Troxler, and  more dance-worthy acts, at Metropolis. Monday night sees Martha Wainwright pouring her heart out at the Corona Theatre, the sweet west-coast pop-rock sounds of Grass Widow at Il Motore, and a late night of dancing to the great Richie Hawtin, Loco Dice and more at the SAT. The week turns rock retro with Journey on November 5 and ZZ Top November 7, both at the Bell Centre. And Thursday night rules as Howl! Arts brings the great D’bi Young and Kalmunity Vibe Collective to Sala Rossa and NYC’s Yeasayer rocks Cabaret du Mile End.

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The family that scares together, um, swears together? Cornball adages notwithstanding, the good folks at La Ronde will have your whole clan clinging to each other as they promise to turn the world-class theme park into a world-class “scream park” at this year’s edition of Fright Fest. On Saturdays and Sundays until October 28, starting at 5 pm, La Ronde will throw open the doors on no less than three haunted houses – District 510, Death Row and the brand new Massacre Museum – and other shows while letting loose a whole range of freaky costumed creatures that promise to be frightening with a smile when it comes to the kids. Speaking of which, step into the park’s Zombithèque and have the wee ones done up undead-style from 6-9 pm.

While Charlie Brown may have found waiting for The Great Pumpkin fruitless, there is no such disappointment in the Montreal Botanical Garden’s yearly presentation of the already-underway Great Pumpkin Ball. The Great Pumpkin Ball is a big orange bounty of family friendly activities, from the riotous variety of decorated pumpkins in the Main Exhibition Greenhouse, to the Little Monsters Courtyard (promising “pumpkin-aroos, battling monsters, Insect Soup, a hungry frog toss and a squash hunt” as well as other Halloween-themed activities), to the home of “friendly witch Esmeralda and her funny magic formulas,” to Halloween origami and much more. Open every day during operating hours until October 31.

Not all of the colourful characters who inhabit Montreal are of the flesh and blood variety, and the good folks at Montreal Ghosts (“In Strange Company Since 1999”) have dedicated themselves to sharing the stories of some of the city’s more fleeting and ephemeral denizens. Montreal Ghosts, which offer both ghost tours and ghost hunts in Old Montreal – the centuries-old home of many of la belle ville’s most illustrious historical spectres – promises its guests a one-of-a-kind evening street theatre experience courtesy of the many professional actors they employ. This year participants can take advantage of a special ghost hunt on Oct. 26 & 27 as well as Oct. 30 & 31. The 90-minute, interactive, all-ages tours depart at 6:30 pm (and also 8:30 pm on Oct. 27).

Montreal’s fascinating Pointe-à-Callière historical museum – which kind of has a permanent, built-in Halloween feel… complete with a real, exposed graveyard on one of its subterranean levels – reprises its Jack O’Lantern tour for kids again this year. Kids of all ages are invited to accompany Jack (“a young Irishman wandering in the world of the dead, looking for a lantern to light his way”) as he wends his way through the museum telling stories and teaching his companions how to talk to ghosts. These tours take place during the afternoon on Oct. 20 & 21 as well as Oct. 27 & 28.

Zombie walks are a recent phenomenon that’s enjoying increased popularity the around the world and which involves little more than putting on some ratty clothing, ruffling the hair, applying ghastly-looking facial makeup and walking around like you’ve been up partying for three days. Like just about anything that involves a large grouping of people these days, even the undead are being drawn into the ever-livelier Place des Festivals in the Quartier des Spectacles. The bigger, better, deader annual Montreal Zombie Walk kicks off there on October 20, and this year boasts an expanded itinerary.

The Zombie Walk starts at noon and a tent will be provided where participants can get their zombie on with a makeup artist for only ten bones. The St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival has organized a zombie dance crew that will perform Time Warp and Thriller before the walk departs at 3 pm for a two-hour stumble through downtown and Old Montreal. The zombie apocalypse concludes at Katacombes where there will be an after-walk party featuring a costume contest and live band performances by Chahut d’ruelle, Jimmy Target & the Triggers and Misfits tribute band Bloodfeast. The Zombie Walk itself is open to corpses of all ages.

And now that the kids have wandered off to bed, Halloween nightmares dancing in their heads, the adults can get down to the business of having some frightful fun themselves at the following +18 events…

Bolder and brasher with each subsequent edition, the Spasm film festival is the hub for all things horror and hilarious for nine days in October (namely 11-13, 18-20 and 25-27), with several special events and screenings at various locations throughout Montreal. It all culminates with an Old School Halloween Party at the Plaza Theatre featuring music from the 60s (starting at 10 pm), 70s (11 pm), 80s (midnight), 90s (1 am) and 2000s (2 am). Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door, and note that costumes are mandatory.

It’s Christmas at Halloween for Rocky Horror fans (and for reasons best explained by someone who knows more about campy, glammy, gender-scrambly rock musicals than yours truly, there never ever seems to be any shortage of Rocky Horror fans) this year. Mainline Theatre – famous for its always edgy and entertaining brand of resident theatrical evil – presents Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show, based on the original 1973 British stage production from which the movie was adapted. Mainline’s version features an expansive cast, a live six-piece band and original choreography, but no projection of the film (Oct. 17-20, and tix are $23). If you want to see the original 1975 film on the big screen with a live cast acting it out onstage below, then this perennially popular phenomenon is yours to be had at The Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Ball 2012, held again this at the gorgeously renovated Imperial Cinema in downtown Montreal. There are two shows a night– hosted by incomparable tranny master of ceremonies Plastik Patrik – on Oct. 26, 27 and 31 ($17.95 in advance, and $19.95 at the door).

In other anticipatory pre-Halloween activities, Theatre Ste-Catherine once again plays host to their annual, and very popular, shock’n’awesome Haunted House party tour, this year titled “No!”. As in “No! promises to pluck you from your happy place and set you in a darkness you never wanted to imagine. Sound fun? No!” Billed as the only haunted theatrical experience in the city, No! runs from Oct. 25- 31, from 8 pm until late, and as usual it’s only “$20 to get out!”

Utterly unique, multidimensional and multidisciplinary arts space The Darling Foundry – housed in a former ironworks, built in the 1800s, and located just a few short blocks from Old Montreal – lends its industrial expanse again this year to the Cirque de Boudoir Halloween extravaganza “A Night to Dismember” on Oct. 27 (and which last year sold out with more than 650 petrifying partygoers). This year’s theme is iconic villains and victims from classic horror flicks – think Friday the 13^th’s Jason Voorhees (yup, he has a last name), Damien Thorn (the Omen series), Marion Crane and/or Norman Bates from Hitchcock’s Psycho, Chucky, The Crypt-Keeper, Honey Boo Boo, all of The Golden Girls, whatever strikes your Hollywood horror fancy. (Non-theme costumes are perfectly hunky dory as well.) Terrifically terrifying décor will be provided by Remy Couture, providing a backdrop for performance pieces and a host of DJs. It’s $20 in advance, $30 at the door.

Montreal’s dance clubs never fail to get creepy on Halloween, and this year is no exception as Circus celebrates its “Dark Knights” event with U.K. breaks/house DJ James Zabiela, Tallahasee’s DJ Camo, and Montreal-based progressive house DJ Scott James on Oct. 27 from 2 am to 10 am… St-Laurent Blvd.’s exclusive BLVD44 is throwing a “High School of the Dead” mashup party on Oct. 27, the principle theme being, it would appear, survival… Downtown’s Club 1234 kicks it with their “Mad House” monster mash event featuring MC Mario and DJ Ludo in the main room, a high-paying costume contest, and “Vampire,” “Devil” and “Insane Frankenstein” bottle service packages… And Arena, located in the former Montreal Forum (the old home of the Habs, and which has a few hockey ghosts of its own) rolls out its Vampire’s Ball on Oct. 27 starting at 8 pm. R&B, hip-hop and house music by DJ Payce and VJ Hypnotica, and lofty cash prizes for best costume. Tricks and treats, indeed!

The post WHAT TO DO IN MONTREAL FOR HALLOWEEN appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

In the winter months, there’s Igloofest and Montréal en Lumière and, as the snow starts to thaw and maple syrup starts gushing out of the trees, the Cabane a Sucre season takes over. By the time the summer rolls around we’re all so hopped up on maple sugar that we frolic around Mount-Royal, scour for the best terraces and hit up F-1, Jazz Fest, Just for Laughs, FrancoFolies, Divers/Cite, Pride and more!

February

MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE (February 16-26): One of the largest winter festivals in the world, the High Lights festival (as it’s known in English) invites 900,000 visitors each February to get out of their winter funk and enjoy the best gastronomy, art, music, performances and culture in Montreal. The 11-day festival culminates in one of my favourite nights of the year: Nuite Blanche! On February 25, Montreal comes alive for the night owls. Staying open to the wee hours of the morning for 180 mostly-free activities. Take a tour of the Reso (the underground city) converted into an art exhibition, or take a midnight dip in the Olympic swimming pool! Metros and buses run all night to connect all the late night cultural activities!

March /April

MICHAEL JACKSON’S IMMORTAL WORLD TOUR: (March 20-22): See the King of Pop live on in the ultra extravagant musical tribute by Cirque du Soleil. With state of the art puppetry and a massive moving “giving tree”, this is a spectacle that does justice to the late larger than life pop star.

MONTREAL IMPACT (March 17-October 22): The Montreal Impact‘s 2012 season will be its first as a Major League Soccer team. They play at Saputo Stadium, which is right next to Montreal’s iconic Olympic Stadium. This will be an exciting season for the Impact as they tackle the best teams in the world, and it is still a relatively cheap activity to do!

AMALUNA BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL (April 19-June 11): Details are scarce on Cirque du Soleil’s newest touring show Amaluna, set to premier in April. All we know is that it tells an emotional love story set on a mysterious island governed by goddesses and guided by the moon. Yep, sounds very Cirque du Soleil. Like the many shows before it, this one is sure to wow.

May / June

ELEKTRA (May 2-6): Electronic music, lasers, robotics and all things digital come together for one week and will blow your mind in a harmonic fusion of technology and art.

FESTIVAL ACCES ASIE (May 3-19): This festival celebrates the culture of Asia and invites people to learn, engage and be entertained by the music, art, films, dance and cuisine. Become apart of the sacred rituals and ancient history of Asia!

THE LITTE PRINCE BY LES GRANDS BALLETS (May 3-5, 10-12): A creation by Didy Veldman for Les Grands Ballets of a story we all recognize and have been touched by.

GRAND PRIX DU CANADA (June 6-10): The best Formula-1 drivers from around the globe, along with 300,000 race fans, meet at Parc Jean-Drapeau to watch the showdown on the Gilles-Villeneuve Circuit. One of the busiest weekends in Montreal for tourism, commerce and partying.

July / August

FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE JAZZ DE MONTREAL (June 28-July 7): One of the largest Jazz festivals in the world. People travel from across the globe to take in the 370 free outdoor concerts, 650 shows and the hundreds of related festivities.

JUST FOR LAUGHS FESTIVAL (July 12-29): Get your LOL on at Just for Laughs. Gala performances, theatre shows, club acts and outdoor shows will get your ROFLING on the floor. Was that redundant?

DIVERS/CITE 2012 (July 30-August 5): Seven days of cultural activities all pulsating in Montreal’s core. Stage events, drag queens, live music, dancing and fun for the whole family.

MONTREAL FASHION & DESIGN FESTIVAL (August 1-4): McGill College Avenue goes from being “the road with the Starbucks on it” to the epicentre of Canadian mode, design and fashion. Outdoor fashion shows, live performances and after parties galore.

OSHEAGA (August 3-5): The largest music festival of its kind in Canada. If music is your religion, then Osheaga is the Sunday sermon. 5 different stages, and more than 80 world renowned musical acts. This is a weekend for the Instagram.

MONTREAL PRIDE CELEBRATIONS (August 14-19): Community Day, and the massive gay pride parade! A weekend to celebrate diversity, acceptance, and let your rainbow colours fly. Don’t miss the crowning of 2012′s Queer of the Year!

September / October

POP MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL (September 19-23): 50,000 fans will enjoy 600 artists at POP Montreal. Independent music in alternative venues, POP Montreal is the perfect way to discover new music and the city.

BLACK & BLUE FESTIVAL (Thanksgiving Weekend, October): More than 60 activities for the gay community and their allies. All culminating in the massive rave at the Olympic Stadium that goes from dusk till dawn. Need a visual? Check it out here.

THE MAGIC OF LANTERNS (September 9-October 31): Montreal’s stunning botanical gardens live on into the fall months by hundreds of handmade silk lanterns. One of the most enchanting evenings you can have in the fall. Grab a hot coffee (with a touch of Bailey’s) and be transported into another world.

November / December

LA GRANDE DEGUSTATION DE MONTREAL (November 8-10): La Grande Degustation de Montreal translates roughly to The Big Taste of Food & Drink of Montreal. So that’s exactly what it is. Under one roof you’ll find 1500 products and 250 vintners, distillers and brewers from around the world.

SALON DES METIERS D’ARTS DU QUEBEC (December 7-23): Since 1955, this event hosts some 400 exhibitors as they show off their artisan crafts for the public. The perfect place to get a special holiday gift.

The post MONTREAL 2012 EVENTS CALENDAR appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Now in its 5^th year, Igloofest is by far the biggest thing happening in Montreal during the month of January. Every weekend, from the 13^th to the 29^th, people get bundled up and head down to rock out at the Old Port’s Quays of Old Montreal. The “bundled up” part is important, as, over the years, people have started taking their winter wear quite seriously. From a contest to find the best one-piece snowsuit to incredible sweaters (as the video below demonstrates), you’re bound to see it all…

Since you’ve got to keep moving to stay warm, Igloofest helps out by hosting by some of the most exciting and energetic DJs and electronic musicians in the world. This year, there’s Detroit house legend Carl Craig, the tech-house stylings of Berlin’s Anja Schneider and Baltimore’s electro rap queen Kid Sister. Montreal music is also well represented by the now internationally-beloved Poirier, a rare appearance from Akufen and a set from certified next-big-thing Lunice, who puts on as high-energy a DJ show as you’re likely soon to see.

With 3 full weekends of DJs and electronic musicians, plus a new second stage (or igloo, to be precise) located in their neon Igloo village, the names mentioned above are clearly just the tip of the iceberg. Make sure to check out the full schedule and skate on over to their blog which has interviews and, in many cases, music from most of the artists performing. Staying on top of all of this is clearly going to be a challenge, but don’t worry, they’ve got an app for that.

Photo credit: Miguel Legault

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Since you have already, no doubt, planned the optimal trick-or-treating route for Halloween (based on a formula that predicts a path with the largest concentration of residences with a high candy-to-healthystupidapples ratio), why don’t I just skip ahead to telling you where the best Halloween parties in Montreal are this year…

Children have long been given top billing when it comes Halloween and, as such, have no problem with it falling on a Sunday evening. But we are adults and we have work to go to (or at least get out of) on Monday morning! No longer will these pint-sized terrors in totally obvious costumes rule the night! Because of this, I’ve got 3 nights of Halloween party possibilities to peruse…

Friday, October 29^th

Velvet 54: Montreal’s most buzzed-about/best looking nightspot has a Studio 54-themed night with two floors on the go and a ton of DJs. This will sell-out, no doubt, so act fast.

Maskerade Ball:  Makes sense that the costumed rave-up at the Pepsi Forum is on Friday- the lineup of Carl Cox, Fedde Le Grand and Joachim Garraud guarantees that it’s not ending early.

Halloween Tributes at L’Escogriffe: A ghoulish tribute to Swedish punk icons Refused featuring Montreal’s Specials at L’Escogriffe. L’Esco likes this howliday so much that the next night they return with a Hallowed tribute to The Cramps.

Saturday, October 30th

Haunted Howl-o-Ween Hop: Blue Sunshine is a cinema club that hosts weekly horror film courses. They seem, therefore, like the perfect people to team up with local promoters Teenbeat Takeover for a “Haunted Howl-o-Ween Hop”. The fun starts with an evening curated by Pittsburgh garage legends The Cynics and a screening of Bad Ronald at Blue Sunshine. It then screams over to the Divan Orange when The Cynics, Le Chelsea Beat, The Broken Jugs and all sorts of evil goes bump late into the night.

Halloween at Casa: Mark “Steamed Dumplings” Slutsky and CFCF team up for what might be the best scary music in town. There will be a costume contest- given the crowd, the “think piece” costume will go over well here.

Murder on the Dance floor Halloween: Right across the road at Sala Rossa is Halloween with The Goods’ Scott C and special guest Zattar. Every night The Goods put on is guaranteed dancefloor gold. Ideal costume: someone who likes dancing.

Neon’s Voyeur Halloween : The I Love Neon Halloween parties are usually as over-the-top displays of gory hedonism as the city has. At Cabaret JPR this year, this all-ages event features NY/Paris techno duo Motor as well as locals Jordan Dare and Mayday.

Kill Halloween : This event is billing itself as “Canada’s Biggest Halloween Party” and features circus performers and fire and blood and Erol Alkan, La Riots and like 20 other dudes.

Sunday, October 31st

uRockaoke’s Halloween Thriller: uRockaoke is karaoke backed by a live band made of up some of Montreal’s best musicians. I check their song list for this show at the Belmont: yes, they do have “Monster Mash”.

Diamonds Rings: Though Il Motore has a Halloween party the night before, this Diamonds Rings album release party should totally be on your Halloween calendar. Not only is the album great, but he wears colorful face paint all year, so this seems like a clear winner. Bonus: openers PS I Love You are about to get scarily huge.

The post MONTREAL HALLOWEEN PARTY LINEUP appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

As early as last week, many people outside of Quebec had not heard of Karkwa. But when the Montreal group, who’ve been together for over a decade, won the prestigious Polaris Music Prize in Toronto, that changed almost overnight. Before their Pop Montreal show on September 30^th at Metropolis, the Montreal Buzz caught up with guitarist and vocalist Louis-Jean Cormier…

Montreal Buzz: I was watching the Polaris Gala and you guys did seem genuinely shocked to have won…
Louis-Jean Cormier: We were so surprised and still are a bit. It was so unexpected and, right before, all I could think about was being nervous about having to be up there and speak in English in front of everyone.

MB: People in Quebec know Karkwa- Les Chemins de Verre is your fourth album- but is this sort of an introduction to the rest of Canada and the world?
LJC: Yes, we are a little unknown for everybody else and I think this will be very interesting in helping us going to play in new places. On est vraiment content (“we’re really happy”) that this might open some new doors for us.

MB: Do you think that it matter that many of your new fans may not understand all of your lyrics?
LJC: When you have a common musical language, I don’t think it matters as much. Maybe I’m a dreamer, but I think things are changing a bit. C’est pas rare de voir des groups qui includes des Anglos et Francos (“it’s not uncommon to see groups with French and English members”) et la Main est plutot bilingue maintenant (“The Main, aka St-Laurent, is fairly bilingual these days”).

MB: What do you guys have planned for your Pop Montreal show?
LJC: We’re very excited to be coming to play this new album for Montreal and to be playing with our friend Leif Vollebekk, people should make sure to show up to see him. Pop Montreal always has so many underground musicians that we’re also excited to discover some new artists.

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Pop Montreal takes over the city from September 29-October 3. For the 9th year in a row, Montreal gets all a-flutter with little pockets of big music tucked into all manner of venues. We’ll have more coverage coming up, but for now, let’s just get into some music you should consider seeing…

You may peruse the list of bands below and realize that you haven’t heard of many of them. That’s almost the point with Pop Montreal - while other fests deliver the ubiquitous big names, Pop brings the ones that you won’t hear anywhere else. The way to tackle this fest is to leave your options open. Start with a show you need to see then go where the wind (and beer) takes you- something their new $10 POP Hopper pass is all about.

1 – The XX : This UK trio have won the Mercury Prize and almost universal acclaim for their deliciously dark debut album. There are bits of Portishead mixed in with traces of Cocteau Twins or The Kills (depending on how old you are) and flourishes of R’n’B that add a little zazz to the near-gothic proceedings.

2 – Braids : Though famed indie group Xiu Xiu are the headliners and local outfit Valleys are always great, make sure to show up to see Braids, one of Montreal’s up-and-comingest bands. These transplanted Calgarians make meandering, rhythmic music that is totally pants-off charming, as you can see for yourself in the video below.

Views of Montreal _ BRAIDS from vincent moon / temporary areas on Vimeo.

3 – Mary Margaret O’Hara is such an under-the-radar Canadian rock icon that you may not have even heard of her. Take a second to read up: her 1988 release, Miss America, is cited on practically every “Best Canadian albums of all-time” list.

4 – Diamond Rings

Diamond Rings, aka John O of the D’Urbervilles, is a showstopper and superstar in the making. The David Bowie allusions are not undeserved (though don’t tell the whole story) and his full-length debut, Special Affections, is going to be huuuuge.

5 – Hudson Mohawke : If you want to dance without having to leave your brain at the coat check, this is the night for you. Glasgow’s Hudson Mohawke and Brooklyn’s Machinedrum headline the night alongside some of the city’s most interesting beatsmiths.

6 – Naomi Shelton and The Gospel Queens : The Pop people always manage to bring some criminally forgotten legends to Montreal and this year Naomi Shelton and her Gospel Queens are at the top of that list. Though she’s been a gospel and soul singer since before you were born, her 2009 album, What Have You Done, My Brother?, shows she’s still got it.

7 – Priestess

Quebec loves its metal and Priestess can absolutely do it to it. But while you’re shredding away, don’t sleep on the fact that these dudes can write proper songs with melodies and whatnot. Guaranteed this night is going to be packed and heavy as heck.

8 – Radio Radio

You’d be right to be skeptical about Acadian rap music with lyrics in Franglais. But that would also mean you’d never actually seen the undeniable fun and funk that these guys bring to the stage.

9 – Shonen Knife

Pop punk that sounds like The Beach Boys got into it with The Ramones. Performed by three Japanese girls who’ve been at it for almost 3 decades. If you’re not intrigued by that, than you and I can’t be friends.

10 - Head up to Little Burgundy Pop Loft, which has shows starting at midnight for the duration of the Festival.

The post POP MONTREAL – 10 SHOWS YOU HAVE TO SEE appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

The annual Montreal Black & Blue Festival is one of the world’s great parties.

What started back in 1991 as a simple fundraiser for HIV/AIDS related charities has become a full-fledged 7-day social, cultural, sports and party event that attracts thousands of people from around the globe to Montreal.

This year is the 20^th anniversary of Black & Blue, and the organizational team (Bad Boys Club) is sparing no expense in throwing a grand shindig. The best DJs from Chicago, Australia, Holland, Egypt and beyond will be descending on Montreal from October 6 – 12.

But, you ask, is this party for me? Well thankfully I’ve created a highly scientific one-question quiz to see if this party is for you.

Which of the follow appeal to you?

a)   Cutting edge House or Trance music
b)   Stunning live performance art
c)    Sexy bodies from all over the world
d)   All of the above

If you circled a, b, c or d, you’re going to want to get your arse to Montreal for this unique festival.

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Here’s a sample of the action…

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MAIN OFFICIAL EVENTS

Jock Ball
Featuring: Shawn Riker & David Laguer
Thursday, October 7
Sky Club (1474 St-Catherine Street East)
10 PM – 3 AM
$5

Leather Ball
Featuring: Jack Chang, Escape, Scotty Thomson
Friday, October 8
Theatre Telus (1280 St-Denis Street)
10 PM – 8 AM
$40

Military Ball
Featuring: Stéfane Lippé, Manny Lehman, Tony Moran
Saturday, October 9
Theatre Telus (1280 St-Denis Street)
10 PM – 8 AM
$70

Black & Blue (The Main Event)
Sunday, October 10
Palais des congrès (1001 Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle)
9 PM – Noon
$95

House Room: DJ Rosabel, Chus & Ceballos, Paulette, Mark Anthony
Trance Room: Omar el Gamal, TYDI, Marco V, Gareth Emery, Aly & Fila, Simon Patterson, Carl Müren

Recovery Party
Featuring: TBA
Stereo Nightclub (858 St-Catherine Street East)
11 PM – 8 AM

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ASSOCIATED EVENTS

Big Jump Volleyball Tournament
October 8 – 10
www.volley-boreal.net

15^th Annual Swim-o-Thon
Saturday October 2
http://www.acontrecourant.qc.ca/en/swimathon

Theatre: Paradise by the River
Presented by Centaur Theatre Company
October 5 – 31
http://www.centaurtheatre.com/42_paradisebytheriver.html

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OFFICIAL MEALS

VIP Dinner
Le Planète (1451 St-Catherine Street East)
Saturday, October 9
$35

Official Brunches
Saturday, October 9 – Le Saloon (1333 St-Catherine Street East)
Sunday, October 10 – Le Planète (1451 St-Catherine Street East)
Monday, October 11 – NüVü Bistro (1336 St-Catherine Street East)

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MORE DETAILS

Black & Blue
6 – 12 October 2010
Presented by Bad Boy Club Montreal
http://bbcm.org/home-en
Official Hotel: Delta Centreville

The post BLACK & BLUE: THE BIG MONTREAL PARTY TURNS TWENTY! appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Well, there we were. Neatly lined up behind media stanchions. Tennis legend, the ever-elegant lady of the courts, Chris Evert, (fabulous in fuchsia) was guest of honour at the red carpet event hosted by Tennis Canada and the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank. Chris, a three-time champion of the Rogers Cup, was inducted into the Rogers Cup Hall of Fame on Monday August 16 during a centre court presentation at Uniprix Stadium.

Jostling paparazzi caught photos of arriving players, including Quebecer Aleksandra Wozniak, (‘’I love fashion and tennis!’’), who wore a black and white short dress, with a wide bling belt and dangling earrings. Each lovely lass posed with Eugène Lapierre, director of the Rogers Cup, as did local wit Jean-René Dufort, who was slated to model later in the evening. At the fund-raising event, a fashion show featured Quebec designers Nadya Toto, Eve Gravel, Denis Gagnon and Rudsak, with accessories by Charlotte Hosten. The event ($350 a ticket) attracted athletes (such as Kovalev) and luminaries from Montreal’s corporate community: I chatted with Francis Fox and his political son Jonathan, as well as Leonard Schlemm, who will cycle with Lance Armstrong in a fund-raiser this fall. The evening raised funds for community tennis to be promoted in Montreal schools. The mystery of the night? Who was the neatly-chignoned tall young lady in a short purple dress? On arrival, she adroitly avoided the Rogers Cup signage-wall (a must for all photo ops), scooted totally behind it – and was secreted in a side door.

The post DRESS UP TIME IN TENNIS LAND appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.