July is a loose, silly time in Montreal, not only because it’s the height of summer holidays, but because long-running comedy festival Just for Laughs, July 10-28, lets some of the biggest names in comedy reign the city’s downtown core…

The comedy festival’s biggest events, and often the most varied in comedic stylings, are the Just For Laughs Galas – this year hosted by Dane Cook, Sarah Silverman, Seth Meyers, Joan Rivers, Eddie Izzard and Montreal’s own Jay Baruchel. The fast-paced showcases, held in the opulent Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at Place des Arts, give comedians, famous and up-and-coming alike, about 10 minutes to share the best material in their arsenal – plus the galas are recorded for TV, so there’s the added bonus of possibly seeing your laughing face on the small screen soon.

Laughs gain further focus at the fest’s solo shows, where comedians let their newest material loose and reprise classic stuff. This year, spend quality time with: Amy Schumer and her dirty thoughts; former Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Anchor Colin Quinn and his political humour; Hannibal Buress in a new show and as host of Hip Hop Karaoke; Bo Burnham and his musical, MTV-friendly ways; Scottish comedian Danny Bhoy in new show Dear Epson; sitcom and podcast self-made star Marc Maron, and many more. Also get to know cutting-edge comedians better at the intimate Theatre Ste-Catherine, where Maria Bamford shares her surreal world, Tig Notaro gets amazingly real, You Made It Weird host Pete Holmes stays weird, and South African star Trevor Noah makes a North American name for himself. Over at the equally intimate Mainline Theatre, see what 30 Rock’s Judah Friedlander has printed on his hat, and watch his co-stars Scott Adsit and John Lutz do a show of their own.

Just For Laughs is also famed for its themed shows, ongoing for years now, with return guests and new blood. For a taste of the real Montreal, check out the Bilingual Show, with Anglophone comedians trying their hand at French jokes and Francophones telling it like it in English, hosted by Mike Ward. A variety of languages make their way into the ever-popular Ethnic Show, this year hosted by This Hour Has 22 Minutes’ Shaun Majumder, while Hebrew, Jewish tradition and self-perpetuated stereotyping is all comedy fodder at The Bar Mitzvah Show. Or stick with boring old English at the Britcom showcase, hosted by Rich Hall. Not to be missed for shock value alone: The Nasty Show, hosted this year by Bobby Slayton and Jimmy Carr, oddly, or perhaps fittingly, preceded by Date Night: The Relationship Show. And drop in on Talk Of The Fest at Club Soda, where every night a different host, from 30 Rock’s Kristen Schaal to SNL’s Taran Killam and Bobby Moynihan, gets breakout stars up on stage to win over new fans.

Along with Just For Laughs headliners, galas and themed shows comes an unscripted improv show from Whose Line Is It Anyway’s Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood, comedy competition The New Faces of Comedy, the world premier of Brad Copeland’s feature film Coffee Town, and SPANK! The Fifty Shades Parody, a witty, steamy send-up of the best-selling book, created by a crack team of Toronto writers and improvisers invading the Centaur Theatre. And see even more comedy, mostly of an 18+ nature and with ticket prices that won’t dig into the beer budget, at JFL sister festival Zoofest, where French and English stand-up, comedic theatrical performances, indie circus acts, and more collide.

THE DETAILS

Just For Laughs, July 10-28, 2013

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(comedy gold) The best of the North American comedy world might just be right here in Montreal right now – comedy festivals Just for Laughs and Zoofest run until the end of July with enough shows every night to cause a comedy overdose. From big-name shows like Louis C.K. (July 28) and Russell Peters (July 27) to locals like Joey Elias and up-and-coming comedians – check out Zoofest for the most surprising (and affordable) of these – and don’t miss JFL’s Best of the Fest in the intimate confines of Comedy Works, where any of the fest’s big stars drop in as the show’s surprise guest. Plus entertaining on-screen antics at the JFL film fest! Awesome times.

(worldly delights) One of my favourite festivals, Nuits d’Afrique, is also one of the most diverse – Africa is huge and complex! Get a taste of that gorgeous diversity this weekend: check out the new millennium’s voice of Guinean music in Les Espoirs de Coronthie, hear the fantastically warm voice of one of Mali’s leading figures in music, Oumou Sangaré, see Sénégalese-Quebecer and kora master Zal Sissokho with Montreal fave Fabrice Koffy, and maybe even learn some kick-ass Brazilian martial-arts-meets-dance moves in Capoeira workshops. And, of course, so much more (and there’s great food too!) The fest runs downtown at the Quartiers des Spectacles and at clubs around town until July 24.

(tumble for ya) The final weekend of Montreal’s own circus festival, Montreal Completement Cirque, is upon us – with free shows at the Old Port of Montreal (and a chance to try the trapeze out yourself!) and high-quality, death-defying circus shows from Cirque Carpe Diem, The 7 Fingers and more, plus a full weekend extravaganza for the whole family at Montreal’s circus centre, La Tohu – to July 24 at various locations, check out the full schedule at Montréal Complètement Cirque.

(cool off with art) Art lovers looking to pick up a piece of Montreal’s creative output should check out the Safewalls Pop-Up Shop this Saturday, July 23, in the Tapis Rouge tent next to the Cirque du Soleil’s Totem tent at the Quays of the Old Port, 8–11 p.m. See (and perhaps purchase!) prints from local and international artists and watch as art collective En Masse draws a gigantic mural before our eyes. Also: Osheaga Arts presents The Photography of Susan Moss, one of Montreal’s most well-known and loved photographers – she and her amazing shots of big-ticket rock shows and the city’s night life at Usine C (1345 Lalonde), to July 28.

(Haiti in the park) Hang out in one of Montreal’s best parks this weekend and take in the greatness of Montreal’s Haitian community, bringing on the best of Haitian traditional and contemporary music, dance, food and more at the fourth edition of Haiti en Folie at Parc LaFontaine, July 22–24.

(cinema lovin’) Escape the heatwave and enter the wild at the Fantasia film festival, Canada’s acclaimed fest of films that challenge the norm, inspire the imagination, and occasionally scare the crap out of even the most seasoned horror-movie lovers. At cool and calm (for the summer anyway) Concordia University, to August 7.

(musical meat) In another world of song, something that was bound to happen too: the story of Montreal’s most famous smoked-meat restaurant told in musical form. The success of Schwartz’s: The Musical proves that the world really did need more songs about the love of a mouth-watering sandwich. At Centaur Theatre (453 St-François-Xavier), to August 7 – with Schwartz’s sandwiches sold on-site every Wednesday!

(hard rockin’) There have been speculations in music news lately (and in the 70s, 80s and 90s) that rock n’ roll may, in fact, die – obviously this is rubbish, and one need only look to the insane popularity of outdoor rock show Heavy MTL – people come from all over for this one, at Parc Jean Drapeau this weekend (July 23–24). This year, bang your head to Kiss, Disturbed, Motörhead, Billy Talent, Godsmack and so many others. And brush up on your metal history before the fest at Cine-Metal’s outdoor screenings of Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey and Heavy Metal Parking Lot –  at Place de la Paix (on St-Laurent Blvd. just south of Ste-Catherine), July 22, 8 p.m.

(get into the karaoke groove) If karaoke has gotten all same-old, same-old to you and the very idea of hearing a bar sing along to Sweet Caroline puts you one step closer to madness, get sane in the brain at Hip Hop Karaoke – the coolest karaoke in town, this Saturday (July 23) at Le Belmont (4483 St-Laurent). Speaking of “urban” music, it means all kinds of things in Montreal  – The MEG Festival (July 28–31), a.k.a. the Montreal Electronic Groove fest, defines it as electronic, rock, pop and hip hop. On Thursday, see what that really means as local bands and DJs play shows around town (for cheap and for free!).

(rockin’ boats) If all that rock heaviness is just too much, the 16th edition of the Montreal International Dragon Boat Race Festival is also this weekend (July 22–24) at the Olympic Basin on Parc Jean-Drapeau – watch as teams of racers pick up their paddles to raise fun and have fun, plus see music, dance and other performances (and there’s all kinds of food too!)

(show time) Outside the festival sphere, shows must go on. Psych-indie-folk comes to Il Motore (179 Jean Talon W.) on July 22 with Cass McCombs and Lower Dens. On Saturday, July 23, local blue-folk outfit Bad Uncle plays Divan Orange and, whether he’s your cup of tea or not, the super popular Josh Groban will sing up a storm at the Bell Center. On Sunday, wacky ska-punkazoids Reel Big Fish play Metropolis and Paul McCartney shows he’s still got it goin’ on, at the Bell Center. And on July 27, Osheaga in the City gets that festival started early with The Glitch Mob at the SAT with Phantogram and Com Truise, followed by Gobble Gobble with Grimes and Pat Jordache on July 28 at La Sala Rossa (4848 St-Laurent).

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Weird Al hits Montreal July 28 as part of the Just for Laughs Festival to host the musical comedy variety show A’MPD at Club Soda, which features Bo Burnham, Reggie Watts, Tim Minchin, Garfunkel & Oates and Tom Green with Organized Rhyme.

Perform This Way appears on the musical comedy and pop culture icon’s thirteenth album The Alpolcalypse, released last month. But it almost didn’t make it onto the album. As the story goes, Weird Al was told Lady Gaga had rejected the song so he posted it on YouTube and blogged about it. But three decades, 12 million albums, two Grammy awards and a children’s book into his career, Weird Al’s fans continue to support their kooky hero. They rallied online for the cause, somehow catching Gaga’s attention. (It turned out, apparently, that one of her managers had turned it down without showing it to her, and when she heard it, Al explains, gave it her blessing.)

This wasn’t some elaborate plan on Weird Al’s part – quite the opposite. “I just wanted to let my fans know,” he said. “I figured I put so much time and money into it already, I wanted people to hear it. People were really upset… my fans are really great. They really had my back with this.”

After all, it’s an honour to be parodied by Weird Al Yankovic. Who could forget his ’80s Michael Jackson parodies Fat and Eat It and these days he’s still got his finger on the pulse, knocking off the likes of Miley Cyrus, TI and The White Stripes. Despite his many successes, songwriting doesn’t come super easily to Weird Al. “I’d like to think I’m good at writing but it’s not my favourite part of the job,” he said. “I have to write to have material to perform. I don’t freestyle.. I’ve just got this warped brain.”

He generally whittles down his many ideas into those which “have most possibility comedically and which can translate into an entire song… Everything I’ve done has been strictly for grins. The overall message is that you shouldn’t take things to seriously. It always amuses me when people find hidden messages in my songs.”

His recent children’s book, When I Grow Up, made the New York Times best-seller list. “It’s a whimsical, fun book. Having a very young child really helps in the inspiration department,” says Yankovic, who as a kid wanted to write for Mad magazine, but at the advice of a guidance counselor, earned an architecture degree before pursuing musical comedy. As for what the book is about, he sums up, “There’s a world of possibilty out there. Follow your muse and do what makes you happy. I never thought when I was a kid that I’d have this extended adolescence.”

THE DETAILS

Weird Al Yankovic hosts AMP’D at Just for Laughs at Club Soda, July 28, 2011 (7 & 10 p.m.)

Guest Blogger Simona Rabinovitch is a Montreal native who lives Brooklyn, New York. She covers arts, culture, travel and entertainment-type stuff for the Huffington Post, Globe & Mail, ELLE Canada, Lonely Planet, Zink, DazedDigital and more.

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Pinkarnaval, a “prêt-a-porter carnival”, was the wild introduction to this year’s Just for Laughs festival. It was a parade, perfomance and party celebrating dance, theatre, street arts and music. There were dancers, musicians, circus performers and hundreds of Montrealers dressed in JPG’s signature stripes. It was, in the words of Pinkarnaval artistic director Danielle Roy, right up the designer’s alley: “Jean Paul Gaultier takes a playful, lighthearted and humorous look at society. Our intention is to give back to the street and to society the elements that inspired the ‘enfant terrible’ of the fashion world. His vision of dance, live shows and cinema blends well with the carnivalesque universe.” I think the video above shows they pretty much nailed it.

The designer’s irreverent exhibition, The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, has been getting rave reviews from around the world. It’s no surprise why: it’s an innovative remix of the dry, boring retrospective and Gaultier himself has been on hand to show Montreal that the love goes both ways…

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Joey Elias started doing standup in 1992, supposedly because he lost a pool hall bet. Since then, he’s toured the world making people laugh and appeared in TV specials and major Hollywood movies. For this year’s Just for Laughs, he’s doing two very different shows: Bumps, Bruises and Bedtime Stories, a hockey-themed extravaganza and CBC’s The Debaters, a hugely popular mano-e-hilarious-mano series. But why listen to us explain all this when you can just watch the video above and hear it straight from the far funnier mouth of Joey himself.

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THE DETAILS

Just for Laughs, July 5-31, 2011

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(fashion parade) Seems like there’s been a parade in Montreal every weekend for at least five weeks now… No joke! Who knew Montrealers loved dressing up and marching down streets so much? Well, I guess I did. This weekend’s Carnaval Arts Parade, this year known also as Pinkarnaval, kicks off the 29th edition of the Street Arts part of the Just For Laughs Festival.

The 1600-person-strong parade, inspired by the equal parts classy and outrageous French designer Jean Paul Gaultier and his current Montreal exhibition, The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, starts at 7:30 p.m. on July 16 at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and makes its way to Place des Festivals. The next day, performers (dancers, choreographers, DJs) and non-performers (that might include you, especially if you’re ready to learn some new moves) dress in their striped best for the Striped Ball dance party at Place des Festivals at 9 p.m.

(acrobatic entertainment) Montréal Complètement Cirque is drawing crowds around town, turning frowns upside down on the young and not-so-young alike. Boundary-pushing Australian circus troupes Circa and Tom Tom Crew put their own twist on acrobatics, adding in elements cabaret and hip hop respectively. Co-director of Quebec-based circus Les 7 doigts de la main, Patrick Léonard puts on one of the most physically demanding one-man shows imaginable. And, of course, what would a circus festival in Montreal be without Cirque du Soleil? The imagination soars in nature-meets-culture extravaganza Totem. Catch free performances – and try the trapeze out yourself – with Cirque Carpe Diem at the Quays of the Old Port, every day from 2–8 p.m. Montréal Complètement Cirque runs July 7–24 at various locations. For tickets and showtimes, see the full schedule.

(rhythms of africa) Expect the unexpected at the 25th edition of Festival International Nuits d’Afrique – the term “world music” means so much more than it used to, especially when that music is coming from the world’s second most-populous continent. Hear traditional and folk music alongside rock, blues, jazz and the uncategorizable, at shows downtown in the Quartiers des Spectacles and at cool venues around town, to July 24. Also focusing on Africa, this weekend Théâtre De Verdure hosts African films under the stars at Parc La Fontaine: on July 15, the band Maloukai warms us up at 7, followed by a screening of Abdelkrim Bahloul’s Voyage à Alger at 9; on July 16, it’s Quebec multi-instrumentalist Atna Njock, followed by documentary Kinshasa Symphony; and on July 17, be charmed by Namori, preceding Boubakar Diallo’s film Julie et Roméo.

(taste of osheaga) At the end of this month, comes Osheaga, Montreal’s biggest outdoor concert – three days of music and more over at Parc Jean Drapeau, but to tide us over until then, Osheaga has are a few pre-show treats for us. This weekend, chill with musician, DJ and creator of immersive-art happenings, Kid Koala on his Space Headphone Tour, all set up nice and cosy at the awesome Biosphere, July 15–17, various showtimes. Also part of Osheaga Arts, check out Montreal’s always-thrilling rock n’ roll poster art at the Music on Paper exhibition at 4220 Drolet (corner Rachel) to July 20.

(film fest fantasies) It’s been 15 years, but Montreal’s Fantasia Film festival keeps getting weirder, wilder and creepier – and more popular (sold-out screenings are a regular occurance at this fest.) Fantasia brings together films from around the world that are anything but mainstream, no matter how big their budgets – see films at the fest before they open to a wider audience months later or films that will never make it back. This year’s biggie is Kevin Smith’s Red State, a comic-book-style action-horror film – the director will be here to introduce it too. Also making their premieres at Fantasia are Joe Cornish’s alien-invasion-in-London flick Attack the Block, Carl Tibbetts’ thriller Retreat starring Cillian Murphy and Thandie Newton, Mike Flanagan’s indie-horror Absentia, South Korea’s Ryoo Seung-wan introduces his The Unjust, Korean director Kim Jeong-hoon’s Petty Romance, a sex-and-violence take on the romantic comedy, Japanese director Shinji Imaoka’s fantasy Underwater Love, Takashi Miike’s Ninja Kids, and many, many, many more. All at Concordia University’s Hall Theatre and J. A. de Sève Cinema, July 14 to August 7.

(laughs, gags and chuckles) Just For Laughs is just warming up with the ever-popular, ever-totally-nasty The Nasty Show, hosted by Jeffrey Ross and featuring Anthony Jeselnik, Mike Ward and more – July 14–16 at Metropolis (59 Ste-Catherine E.). The Couscous Comedy Show, created and hosted by Uncle Fofi takes us on a tour of the new and hilarious multi-culturalism, July 13-18, at Esplanade de la Place des Arts. JFL kid sister, Zoofest always gives us what we want in comedy, but with a twist and don’t forget to try a tour off the beaten path with Local Montreal – tours start in English at 10:30 a.m. every day!

(outside entertainment) In the middle of the St-Laurence River, just across from downtown Montreal, is Parc Jean-Drapeau, a gorgeous park on Île Sainte-Hélène, easily accessible by public transit (the metro goes under water! This still somehow thrills me). During July, the park hosts Weekends du Monde – this weekend, catch mini-festivals highlighting the arts and culture of Haiti, Brazil, Mexico, Cuba and more, from 11 a.m. to midnight, June 16–17. Meanwhile, on Île Notre-Dame, a 15-minute walk away, the Vans Warped Tour shows that its still going strong as long as kids still skate and listen to California punk and metalcore – Less Than Jake, Against Me!, Planet Smashers, 3OH!3 and D.R.U.G.S. are among those causing sanctioned trouble on stage.

(hot sounds) The aforementioned Nuits d’Afrique, Vans Warped Tour and Kid Koala shows make up the majority of music to be found in Montreal this weekend – but, of course, there’s always more, whatever your tastes run to. On July 16, dance to the melodic techno beats and blorps of Mutek fave Arthur Oskan, at Le Belmont (4483 St-Laurent). On July 17, old-school British punk is back with The Vibrators, with The Genratorz and many more at Cafe Chaos (1635 St-Denis), California’s ska-meets-indie-rock-folk RX Bandits are with Maps & Atlases at Cafe Campus. And on Sunday, as always in the summer, Piknic Electronik, at Parc Jean-Drapeau’s Jardin des Floralies for the day – dance in the sun and breeze, make new friends, try not to fall in love too deeply with Montreal…

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The JFL Film Festival has had its share of coups in the past: Premieres of unspeakable acts of bad taste (meaning great comedy) such as Paul Provenza’s The Aristocrats—if you’ve never heard of it, look it up, because it’s too risqué to write about here. Or last year’s premiere of Dinner for Schmucks, starring Steve Carrell, which was a remake of French comedy classic Le Diner des cons, which never played here. The point is, any given year is touch-and-go for comedy films, but that never stops the JFL Film Fest from putting stuff on screens that folks want to see- without any of those awkward silences you sometimes get in stand-up clubs.

If you’re a Canadian comedy director, your dream is for your film to premiere at JFL. Well actually, your dream is to move to LA, make it big, and then return triumphantly home for a brief vacation in which your film premieres at JFL.

Hometown boy Angelo Tsarouchas’s feature debut, Fred and Vinnie, did just that, first winning Best Feature Film at the Beverly Hills Film, TV and New Media festival, and now coming home for its Canadian premiere.

Dave Foley and Margot Kidder make up the all-Canadian headliners in Servitude, a film about a service staff’s night of revenge, directed by Warren P. Sonoda, who has the distinction of being one of the few music-video directors to have shot over 100 vids in Canada (seriously).

There’s also a classy and lovely-looking doc called Beauty Day, about Ralph Zavadil, who had a cable show called The Cap’n Video Show, that showed on basic access in Ontario and was a precursor to Jackass in its stupidness and bad judgment, writ large.

Even though size is supposed to matter a lot, the best part of the JFL film fest tends to be their awesome short-film programme, Eat My Shorts! This year, they have two Sundance mentions and an Oscar winner, and really just a bunch of incredible quickies from all over the world, like The Wonder Hospital from South Korea. Also, if you speak French, the headlining films this year are about missionaries and ethic profiling. Comedy at its best, people.

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What came first, the Hyatt Regency or the Jazz Festival? Well, the Hyatt did in 1976 but the Jazz Festival moved right across the street shortly afterwards, designating the Hyatt as the place to be for the best shows in town. In fact, you don’t even need to be within the Jazz Festival grounds to enjoy the world-class entertainment. Simply saddle up to the bar, order a cocktail and hit the expansive wrap-around terrace with the best view of the shows happening right across the street. With a full bar and restaurant and a pool with glass sliding doors, why would you want to be anywhere else?

The newly-renovated Hyatt Regency in Montreal is situated in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles. It boasts 12 floors, 605 rooms, a bar and several lounges. And if you’re thinking of coming to Montreal and staying at the Hyatt, make sure to check out the Sweet Deal Package, which offers not only a great deal on your stay, but on all sorts of activities around Montreal.

SIX Resto Lounge is the Hyatt’s swanky lounge and restaurant with a glowing spherical bar that sort of looks like an angelic space ship. The bar specializes in cocktails made with fresh ingredients crafted by highly trained mixologists. I recommend putting yourself in the capable hands of the bartenders and trusting them to make you whatever drink they’ve just concocted (even if one of the feature ingredients in one of their Martinis is salmon). You should trust them, because they’re professionals. On Thursday there’s the ever-popular Happy Hour favoured by locals and out of towners alike starting at 5 with a guest DJ. For this event, the lounge’s atmosphere shifts to more of a sophisticated party with plenty of delicious drinks to enjoy. Soak up the atmosphere inside the lounge or head outside and perch on the terrace for a sweeping view of an incandescent downtown Montreal at night.

They have an extensive food menu but I settled on the Brook Trout and my associate enjoyed the AAA steak with a blue cheese crust and a lovely red wine selected by the knowledgeable waiter. I was too full for dessert but next time I’ll know to save some room for the tempting menu. Instead I opted for the Toblerone Martini that tasted like Chocolate Milk, so use caution.

I’d like to tell you that I spent the rest of the evening taking advantage of the sauna, steam room and 24 hour gym where I ran on the treadmill and brushed up on my algebra then sponsored a child in need. But I didn’t. The terrace and the shimmering downtown lights with the backdrop of the Quartier des Spectacle and Jazz Fest was far too enticing. Instead I sampled a Whiskey Sour and sat on the spacious terrace in a lush bathrobe enjoying a perfect summer night. The next morning, I woke up to room service delivering a continental breakfast. Perfect.A

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THE DETAILS

Hyatt Regency Montreal, 1255 Jeanne-Mance, (514) 982 1234

Sweet Deal Package

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Really and truly, the Zoofest pass is one of the best deals in this festival town. While the shows’ ticket prices are quite affordable in the first place, the pass alleviates some of the risk in seeing acts you’ve never heard of – and when you leave the show, stomach muscles cramped from laughing, mind blown, you’ll feel like you hit it big in Vegas or something. The subversive, darkly funny side of Vegas, where stars claw their way up with brute talent and hard work. If we’re lucky, maybe some of them will wear sequins and feathered headdresses (it’s happened before).

Cases in point: the hilarious Paul F. Tompkins;  the awesome Khalil Ashanti’s Basic Training; Montreal favourite and all-around fabulous person DeAnne Smith not only does stand-up but is the writer behind Other People’s Problems, performed by Sarah Quinn; the bizarre-meets-deadpan theatrics of The Pajama Men;  UK comedian Russell Howard; Australian comedian Adam Hills; the very funny guest star on Tim and Eric: Awesome Show and The Sarah Silverman Program, Maria Bamford; Broken Lizard’s The Fat Man and Little Boy Show; SNL writer John Mulaney; SNL and 30 Rock writer Hannibal Buress; NYC’s Eugene Mirman, known for playing the landlord on Flight of the Conchords and for a stint on Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Just Laughs mainstay and star of Who’s Line Is It Anyway?’s Greg Proops, to name just a whole bunch.

That’s the comedy (and that’s just some of the English-language stuff! If you’re a French speaker there’s, like, a whole other hilarious world of entertainment at Zoofest for you!), but, being an odd little festival intent on winning our hearts, Zoofest takes it a step further, with the jazz and blues stylings of New Orleans’ band Meschiya Lake and the ‘Lil Big Horns, the guitar-infused comedy of Nick Thune, the pop-funk of Montreal’s Damien Robitaille, the slight insanity of L.A. rapper Mickey Avalon, the harmonic indie-pop of The Darling Demaes and hip-hop cabaret End of the Weak.

Plus, in association with Zoofest, Local Montreal offers daily off-the-beaten-path tours of Montreal arts and cultural nooks and crannies. Yeah, Zoofest is a little “different,” but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

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THE DETAILS

Zoofest, July 9-31, 2011

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(free to be funny) The Just for Laughs outdoor events start with the colourful bang of Pinkarnaval, a 1600-person parade on Saturday, July 16, followed by the “Striped Ball” on Sunday at Place des Festivals, where everyone is encouraged to wear stripes as an homage to designer Jean Paul Gaultier! The next week, July 21–24, street art and theatre has its day at Place des Festivals too, with music, dancing (Victor’s Follies Cabaret & Le Grand Bisou has something interactive in store), World-Record breaking ukulele playing, and a little something from the world’s best knife thrower, The Great Throwdini (I’m seriously not making this stuff up, people). And the final JFL weekend, July 28–31, sees stars of Quebec comedy on the outdoor stage, plus Saturday’s Parade of Twins – yes, real life (and some not-so-real-life) twins, triplets and quadruplets, dressed up, in a parade. Only at Just For Laughs, and only in Montreal…

(crazy town) The lovable black sheep of Just For Laughs, Zoofest takes us on the off-beat path with the Local Montréal program – free tours (in English and French) of many of Montreal’s strange and artistic nooks and crannies. Also, not quite free, but if you do the math and go to, say, 10 or more Zoofest shows, then their $39 festival pass works out to you getting to see all those shows for pretty much free. (This kind of math is why I don’t do my own taxes anymore, just fyi). And, since many a Zoofest performer has gone on to notoriety, you’ll have the added bonus of getting to say you saw ‘em first.

(park life) Every summer, Parc La Fontaine becomes a relaxing and jovial respite in the middle of one of Montreal’s more happening residential neighbourhoods (and, hey, it’s near La Banquise – poutine in the park never hurts). Théâtre de Verdure adds to the simple joys of sitting in the park with a full roster of entertainment. On July 10 at 4 p.m., they bring in the Orchestre Métropolitain, directed by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and on July 18 at 7:30 p.m., Alain Trudel directs some of the best young musicians in Canada through some of the classics of classical music. There’s also the contemporary dance stylings of Louise Bédard Danse, July 9–13, films under the stars all month long, plus music and more.

(flying trapeze) If spectacle is what you’re after, look no further than Festival Complètement Cirque– alongside the circus festival’s many indoor shows, free outdoor programming pervades for almost all of July. Down at the Quays of the Old Port see the acrobatic feats of Cirque Carpe Diem every afternoon and evening (4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.) – and try out the trapeze yourself! The Minutes shows in the Latin Quarter (St-Denis between Ontario and Ste-Catherine) happen throughout the fest too, with acrobats and clowns popping up here and there, sometimes when we least expect it. And on July 10, 12 and 17, see Varia, a show of equestrian feats from the Innocenti Family and their nine horses, at TOHU.

(island paradise) The famed Carifiesta parade turns downtown Montreal into a blocks-long party on the afternoon of July 9 – Montreal’s Caribbean community is in fine form and proves it with teams of dancers, marching musicians, colourful floats and, of course, many a carnivale-requisite scantily clad and brightly feathered lady. Meanwhile, over at the beautiful Parc Jean-Drapeau on June 9, the Caribbean isle of Jamaica comes to Montreal with food, music and fun for the whole family. The park’s Weekends du Monde series continues every weekend of the month with entertainment and edibles from Latin America, China, the Mediterranean, Cuba, and beyond.

(dreams of africa) Festival International Nuits d’Afrique takes over Place des Festivals in downtown Montreal from July 21–24, beginning with a free outdoor show from “Africa’s dancefloor king” Meiway and Le Zo Gang at 9:30 p.m. On July 22, see Zal Sisskho on the kora and singer Hakim Salhi, and on July 23 it’s the stars of Soukous, and on July 24, see Burkina Faso percussionist Dramane Koné. But it’s not all about music appreciation: check out a photography and poster exhibition, learn some essential capoeira and samba moves. Consult the full schedule for all indoor and outdoor shows from over 57 artists from 32 countries at the fest.

(urban paradise) Montreal history museum The McCord Museum has somehow managed to grow what they’re calling an Urban Forest, right in the middle of downtown Montreal – the landscaped area takes over Victoria Street (from Sherbrooke to President-Kennedy Avenue) and offers respite from the traffic and noise of the city. Dutch landscape architect Paula Meijerink brings her vision to the pedestrian zone, paired with lunch-hour activities from Tuesday to Saturday, the launch of Spacing Magazine on July 20 at 6:30 p.m.

(unity in diversity) At the end of the month, comes Divers/Cité, July 25–31, a celebration of LGBT pride in Montreal. A feast of outdoor entertainment begins on July 28 with the longest-running cabaret variety show in Quebec: 1, Boulevard des Rêves, featuring 16 artists, including Misstress Barbara, Elisapie Isaac, Marie Carmen and Joey Arias (in his homage to Klaus Nomi). On July 29, welcome the Friends for Life bike riders as they roll in from Toronto at 3:30 p.m., followed by music from New Society dance party DJs until midnight. Saturday night brings on Mascara: La Nuit des Drags, a three-hour singing and dancing drag queen extravaganza – followed by a dance party, of course. Rounding out the weekend on Sunday is Le Grand Bal, where disco, pop and techno fill Parc Émilie-Gamelin.

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