Bal en Blanc bills itself as the largest event of its kind in North America under a covered space. 15,000 people will converge at the Palais des congrès de Montreal to celebrate electronic music, fashion and dancing. The DJ line-up is looking to be an impressive one with David Guetta and Calvin Harris headlining the Main Room, and Armin Van Buuren in the Trance Room. Check out the full DJ line-up here.

If you’re heading into Montréal for Bal en Blanc, the official partner hotels include the W Montreal, and the Westin. Both have special White Party rates that are accessible here.

There is a whole slew of connected events leading up to the big ball that have the official Bal en Blanc stamp of approval. A full list of connected events is available here, and highlights include Yinon Yafel at Unity on Thursday, March 28 in the Gay Village, and Eliad Cohen with the PAPA World Tour at Stereo on Saturday, March 30.

Dress Code? White. It’s part of the ambiance. Don’t be that person who thinks they’re being cheeky by wearing mustard yellow. You are not cheeky and people will glare. Most of all: Party smart, play safe, and have a wonderful time! (You might even meet the dancing bunny.)

THE DETAILS

Bal en Blanc 2013, March 30 to April 1, 2013

The post MONTREAL’S MASSIVE DANCE PARTY BAL EN BLANC 2013 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

With 2013 fast approaching, we wanted to look back at some of the amazing moments that made 2012 so special and recognize and highlight all the amazing work our cameraman Guillaume Langlois has done. Please check out all of the videos on the Tourisme Montreal Youtube channel and we’ll see you next year!

The post BEST OF 2012 MONTREAL BUZZ VIDEO appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

We’ll begin with one of the epicenters of New Year’s Eve partying in Montreal: the Sir Winston Churchill Pub Complex, which is comprised of three popular spots on bar-and-nightclub-clustered Crescent Street. For their part, Winnies Bar will ring in the New Year with the help of singing DJ Sandy Duperval spinning house – advance tickets are available for only 20 bills and include champagne.

The adjoining Karina’s Club Lounge and piano bar steps things up a notch, offering a five-course meal accompanied by a live piano and a dance party hosted by DJ Tag. Their $79.95 ticket also comes with a glass of champagne at midnight. And in the Sir Winston Churchill Pub proper they’re promising the “ultimate” NYE courtesy of DJ Jeff Lauzon, who will be spinning Top 40 club hits, old school R&B and house. For a limited time only tickets are $20 and include, of course, champagne.

Are your end-of-year appetites hungering for lively jazz and blues and an equally exciting menu? If you decide on the perennially classy Upstairs Jazz Bar and Grill, you’ll be picking a winner that makes a regular habit of picking its own winners. To wit, Upstairs has again this year invited Dawn Tyler Watson, a six-time consecutive winner of the Quebec Lys Blues Award for Best Female Artist to provide the sultry soundtrack for your good time. And while Watson takes care of your cerebral needs, the Upstairs grill will gratify gastronomic imperatives with a three-course meal that is included in the $134.95 ticket price. It all gets cookin’ at 8 pm.

Not to be outdone, Montreal’s House of Jazz dinner club (formerly the storied Biddle’s, a mainstay for many top-shelf Montreal jazz players of yore) is offering a five-course spread, with dinner followed by dancing courtesy of the Carolyn Fe Blues Collective featuring special guests Graham Chambers and Daniel Prévost. This soulful soirée goes for $114.95.

If you fancy a pub crawl, popular Crescent Street brew pub Brutopia will be celebrating the passing of 2012 with Montreal five-piece Kebeko who, in the band’s own words, “well-illustrate the cultural diversity of Montreal with a mix of rock, world music, Quebecois folk and a lot of groove.” The $10 admission includes party favours and a burst of the bubbly at midnight. MTL’s self-proclaimed oldest Irish pub, The Old Dublin is no stranger to a party, and on Dec. 31 will play host to old-school rock’n’roll outfit Flashback. It’s all covers, but without the cover charge. And the Irish Embassy Pub and Grill is, oddly but engagingly, offering a Mardi-Gras themed New Year’s party with live music courtesy of The Jack.

Speaking of Mardi Gras, as well as odd and engaging, Cirque de Boudoir – who specialize in unique thematic events that cater to the senses, mixing and matching elements of circus, burlesque, electronic dance music and fetishism – bring a New Orleans theme to their Carnavalesque 2013 New Year’s brain burner, which takes place at Bain Mathieu, an old public pool converted into a multipurpose arts and party place. Tickets are $60 (free drinks until midnight) and $85 (for open bar all night). Things get wonderfully weird beginning at 9 pm.

Montreal’s two principle comedy clubs – Comedyworks and The Comedy Nest – have got the funny for your money on New Year’s Eve. The Comedy Nest features The Late Show veteran Jeff Caldwell in their special New Year’s show (“which always sells out”), which boasts special comedic guests, party favours, a champagne toast at midnight, a light buffet and goes for $49.50 and gets underway at 10 pm. For their part, Comedyworks has two shows featuring much-loved Montreal comic Mike Paterson (who captains weekly stand-up nights on every Tuesday) at the helm of a cast of some of Montreal’s best hilarity-makers. Each show is a $20 ticket, and following the second show the party will move downstairs to Jimbo’s pub where there will be DJs and dancing and carefree carousing.

If serious is more to your taste, as in serious partying, then many of Montreal’s premiere dance clubs are stepping to the fore once again. As would be expected, Circus Afterhours is going big with an international lineup of top-tier DJs, including Orjan Nilsen, Leon Bolier, Jay Lumen, Koen Groeneveld and Uppercut. Tickets are $60 in advance and $85 at the door, which opens at 10 pm. Arena Rendez-Vous NYE 2013 (located in the former Montreal Forum) plans to let the genies out of the bottles a bit earlier, with open bar from 8-11 pm, followed by a “huge” balloon drop, party favours and a live countdown from Times Square on the big screens, all for only $30. And finally, rising U.K. dirty house and soulful techno DJ Nicole Moudaber returns to Stereo to anchor their NYE dance floor.

While the term “high” certainly has relative applications as it relates to clubland, when it comes to Altitude Club 737, atop Montreal’s distinctive 47-storey Place Ville Marie building, high is simply about location, location, location. And sadly for fans of the sky-based bar, this NYE party begins the countdown to the end of the club which, after 18 years, officially closes on Jan. 1 following the expiration of their lease. Starting at $55 a ticket, all attendees can avail themselves of VIP treatment from 8-11 pm, and arguably the best view in town all night, for one last night.

Sister venues Casa del Popolo and Sala Rossa – located directly opposite one another on Saint-Laurent – provide affordable New Year’s support of first resort for the city’s indie scenesters again this year. At Casa, DJs Mark Slutsky and Raf K bring their no-pressure cooker back to both rooms for their annual spectacular. Across the street, perpetual-motion hip-hop/funk/soul/jazz collective The Goods – conceived a decade ago by DJs Scott C and Andy Williams – will put dance in the pants of all comers commencing at 10 pm.

And for those who like to put their hair up, two legendary punk bands from both near and afar will be moshing in the New Year in Montreal. Indefatigable L.A. skate punksNOFX, who celebrated their 30^th (!) anniversary in 2013, will play a “New Year’s Heave” show at the Olympia Theater with similarly awesomely elderly Brit punks Snuff, The Creepshow and The BCASA. Local punk scene legends Ripcordz continue with a tradition of their own making in the form of the Ripcordz Annual Punk New Years Eve featuring special guests Ab Irato, Sale Gauloise, Talk Sick and Bastard 86 at Café Chaos. Get in the holiday spirit of things by wearing your best and brightest Christmas tree studs. Tix are only 10 bones, and the show blows off the doors starting at 9 pm sharp.

They call themselves Montreal’s “best open bar party,” and for the past 14 years they’ve certainly been a contender for that title. Featuring 10 bars arrayed around Club Soda in the Quartier des Spectacles, the annual Fluid party offers a “leave your wallet at home” policy, meaning that in addition to all drinks, even tips are covered with your entry fee, which ranges according to how much attention you need: tickets start at $84.99 (entry, coat check and tips covered) and go up to a whopping $1,999.99 (a 10-person package that includes full bottle service, champagne all night, and a promise of absolution from whatever higher power you observe). Dance music will be provided by DJ Yo-C, David A and more. Lift-off at 9 pm.

Also competing for best open bar party is New Year’s XS Celebration. And if size matters, New Year’s XS may have the edge at an anticipated 6,000 partygoers filling what remains of the old Montreal Forum. Billing themselves as the “biggest all-inclusive party in Montreal history,” New Year’s XS features 12 international DJs spinning R&B, house, hip-hop, Top 40 and more in five themed rooms, 50 bartenders, midnight champagne, circus performers, body painters, a laser show and a “super-secret countdown surprise.” A one-way ticket to crazytown is $79, or $159 for a ticket and hotel.
And last but definitely not least, the Grand Bal in Montreal’s historic Old Port is one of the most-anticipated highlights of the holiday season. The Bal’s now expanded form includes numerous activities, but the main event (which is free to attend) on New Year’s Eve itself has youthful pop-rock-reggae outfit Raffy warming up the crowd in the central Place Jacques-Cartier from 10 pm until 11:59 pm, at which time the annual countdown will take place. At midnight the Telus “Fire on Ice” musical fireworks display will boom in the New Year, kicking of an outdoor dance party that will go until 2 a.m. If your outdoor winter activities don’t include the shaking of the booty, the Quays Skating Rink, with its own DJ, will stay open until 1 am on this special evening.

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All of the aforementioned New Year’s parties merely scratch the surface of everything that happens in a city that takes its celebrations seriously. So please, if you know of an event that didn’t get a mention here, please post all the pertinent details below in the comments section.

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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.

Before I present the list, here are a few Karaoke tips to consider: 1.) We will not survive if you do “I Will Survive”. Yes it’s classic karaoke, but just please not again! 2.) Keep it under four minutes. With Don McLean’s “American Pie” clocking in at 8 minutes and 37 seconds, you’ll be wishing you picked a shorter song come the 7th verse after the novelty of your wailing rendition wears off and the crowd gets bored and starts booing. 3.) Celine is Queen in Quebec Karaoke. Do her proud.

La Boîte à Karaoké (2071 Sainte-Catherine West): This place is located amongst some of the best Asian food in city (yes, some foodies will argue even better than Chinatown proper) and let me tell you, they’ve perfected the formula for karaoke. Cheap Pitchers + Huge Music List + Rowdy Regulars = no shame, all fun karaoke experience. La Boite a Karaoke is like a happy neighbourhood jukebox. Try: Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” (The Glee Version).

Lipster @ Royal Phoenix (5788  Saint-Laurent): Hosted by the most glam duo in the Montreal Queer scene, Michael and Julie (Julie also hosts the insanely fun Bingo night at Royal Phoenix), Lipster drains all pretension out of Karaoke and just has a good time. They get you loose with their $4 Pabst tallboys or 5 shots for $10 specials and then puts a microphone in the hands of anyone who wants their Idol moment. Group sing-alongs very common.

Pang Pang (1226 Mackay): Love it, hate it, Pang Pang is a Concordia area institution and doesn’t really care what you think. Seriously, the woman at the front desk literally could not care less, but this place is fun regardless. Pang Pang is one of those “private room” karaoke places. The list is so extensive you might spend more time trying to decide what to sing than actually singing. At least you can enjoy strong drinks (available by pressing a button to call the waiter) and dance on the table because nobody is going to judge you. Some people call Pang Pang way overpriced, but some people argue it’s worth the hefty bill. Watch the 2011 Queer of the Year contestants break it down at Pang Pang!

Club Date Karaoke and Piano Bar (1218 Sainte-Catherine East): Club Date is all about balance. On one side this place is not the best looking, washrooms could use a good scrubbing, and the bartender needs an attitude adjustment. But on the other side the crowd is friendly, I made more friends in one hour than I had made all month, and the regulars who come here can actually belt out a tune and give the original artist a run for their money. People are relaxed and into the music, so if you’re killing a song, you’ll have people run up and join you on stage to be the wind beneath your wings. Even though it’s located in the heart of the Gay Village, the crowd is very mixed with straights, gays, and the odd drag queen.

Hip Hop Karaoke @ The Belmont (4483 Saint-Laurent): Maybe you want to throw down and show those haters what you’re made of, or maybe you just want a hearty giggle. Either way, Hip Hop Karaoke is returning to Montreal on November 15. This monthly event is where the stage is set and the audience is ready for some action. Have you got what it takes to reign Hip Hop’s Karaoke King? Try: Eminem’s “8 Mile”.

The post MONTREAL’S BEST KARAOKE appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Black & Blue is all about creating a space that is filled with positive energy, respect, fun and even love. The main event will take place Sunday, October 7 and, like the past 21 editions, will feature the best local and international DJ’s like the UK’s Gareth Emery, Holland’s Sander van Doorn, David Morales from the United States, and Montreal’s own Stephan Grondin. The Black & Blue main event boasts three rooms: The Black Room, The Blue Room and the Chill Lounge. For a full list of DJ’s spinning in each room click here.

Black & Blue continues to evolve with the addition of a brand new event on Saturday (October 6) at 3PM called “De-Light” and is completely free with live music, DJ’s and lots of entertainment. Shows to look forward to include Debbie Tebbs, The Easton Ellises, Donzelle et El Negro and Footprintz. For a full list of shows during De-Light click here.

Black & Blue Festival is an entire weekend of pre-parties, parties, pre-recovery parties and recovery parties. Kickstarting the whole thing will be a Launch Cocktail at Club 737 Lounge Panoramique. That’s the club on the roof of Montreal’s famed Place Ville-Marie, for directions look up at the sky and head towards the giant spinning spotlights. Tickets are $15 at the door and include two drinks, but is free for anyone with a Black & Blue VIP pass.

Along with the main Black & Blue, there will be the annual Jock Ball, Leather Ball and HardBall. For Jock Ball (Oct 4, Circus, 11PM) get your best sports wear and game face ready. Leather Ball (Oct 5, Club Soda, 10PM) will have a dress code of obviously leather, but I’ll probably be wearing lace because I’m a rebel. HardBall (Oct 6, Club Soda, 10 PM) will feature a special presentation by Montreal Fetish Weekend and tickets are $40 at the door.

Ready to get your black, blue and leather on? Before you start making plans remember that Black & Blue is a safe space and prevention is very important to the BBCM. Party wise, play safe and have a blast!

THE DETAILS

Black & Blue Festival, October 3-9, 2012

The post BLACK & BLUE FESTIVAL 2012: EVOLUTION appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Take regular Halloween things like spiders, vampires, ghosts, and werewolves. Now make them sexy. Add glitter, dance music, alcohol and fashion. And now you have the general premise of the majority of big gay Halloween parties in Montreal. Sounds fabulous right? Well consider this your official invite to join in the horror-glamor-scary-fabulous and the downright terrifying. Good luck…

GayBash presents: HALLOWEEN XTRAVAGANZA Gaybash always throws the wonkiest parties with the most complex themes. Each theme must be dissected carefully and fully embodied. Because if you don’t, you’ll be the loser not dressed up. Their Halloween theme this year is: Zombie Voguers Infect Montreal. Still not inspired? They provide a list of words to help spark your creative costume mind: Zombies, glitter, Santeria, occult, Bones, Sickliness, glamour, opulance, 28 Days Later, neon glowing eyes, Zombie Nuns, lipstick, warrior face paint, sequins, pearls, bloody dead girls, human flesh, voguing, Death drop, and expensive ripped clothing. I’m sure now you know exactly what you’ll wear. Time to zombie vogue for a good cause too because a portion of the proceeds go to  Saturday, October 29, 10PM, Cherry (417 Rue Saint Pierre), Presale tickets $10 at Moog Audio, Priape or Arithmetik stores. $20 at door.

Cirque de Boudoir presents: SILVER SCREEN HALLOWEEN Something wicked this way comes! A classic old horror movie themed Halloween party, hosted by the amazing Cirque de Boudoir! This is the one to be seen at. It is being held in the spookiest place in town: The underground dungeon speakeasy of Velvet in L’Auberge St-Gabriel in Old Montreal. Performances by Bella Obscura are sure to shock, and visuals by Bunnyguts are going to creep under your skin! This party is going to be the most horrifying thing in the most fabulous way. Saturday, October 29, 10PM, Velvet/Auberge St-Gabriel (426 St-Gabriel), Presale tickets $20 at Priape, Xtasy, Image In, Cruelle and Auberge St-Gabriel. $30 at door.

Club Unity presents: EPIDEMIE There is an international epidemic happening, a rogue mutating bacterial infection is spreading throughout the world, killing everything in sight. By complete chance, a bartender at Unity has created a cocktail that neutralizes the infection instantly! At midnight on Saturday, October 30, this antidote will be distributed to everyone at Unity. Will you be there? Will you survive if you don’t? Unity also has the most competitive costume competition. These gays really go all out. First place winner gets $1000, 2nd place takes $500. Free entry for anyone in a costume! Saturday, October 29, 10PM, Club Unity (1171 Ste-Catherine E.), Cover $7, Free in costume. Note: Huge line ups. People wait up to an hour to get in.

Royal Phoenix presents: FRIGHT NIGHT This is a royal Halloween bash! Hosted by Montreal Street Fashion, Hot Sauce, and the amazing Antonio Bavaro! There will be free candy, go-go dancers and all night drink specials. Royal Phoenix is a real hot bar right now, so this place is sure to be packed. Saturday, October 29, 10PM, Royal Phoenix (5799 St-Laurent), $5 before 11:30PM, $7 after.

Faggity Ass Fridays presents: NIGHT OF THE CLOSET MONSTERS This party is also known as the Night of the Giving Head. This is one of the more classic homo halloween bashes that delivers fun year after year. The costume contest is almost who can wear the least amount of clothing while still being something. I think Adam & Steve won last year, if you catch my drift. The theme is monsters, so you’re supposed to dress as your favourite monster! Here are some suggestions: Ann Coulter, Lady Gaga fan, Cookie Monster, or your ex. This is another chance to give to a good cause! All proceeds go to the Head & Hands project to help promote safe sex and sex education in Quebec. Friday, October 28, 10PM, The Playhouse (5656 Avenue du Parc), Suggested donation of $10. Pay what you can.

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The task was simple: 5 shots in 5 Montreal bars. What could possibly go wrong?

In a city like Montreal, anything can happen. You might accidentally light your hand on fire (like I may or may not have), but you also might stumble across your favourite bar of all-time. We chose bars in 5 different neighbourhoods to showcase the diversity of Montreal’s nightlife scene and to prove that on any given Saturday night, no matter where you are in the city, somebody somewhere wants to party too.

Hurley’s Irish Pub: When I asked the Irish bartender at Hurley’s if he wouldn’t mind talking about car bombs on camera, I was relieved that he immediately agreed and understood that I meant nothing other than that famous shot made so popular by Irish pubs. The disarming Irishman kindly poured us some genuine car bombs that were dark and warming, much like this authentic Irish pub.

Le Saloon: This is a gay village hot spot where you can opt for a nice meal or simply enjoy their fully stocked bar when Le Saloon morphs into a supper club at night. We arrived around 9:30, which by Montreal standards is painfully early, but the bar was packed anyway and the staff was so professional that, in spite of the hectic atmosphere, they poured the drinks with a smile and the shots were just as sweet.

El Jumelji: This bar’s decor is as if that 13-year-old kid who talked about opening the “the best bar ever!!!” grew up and actually did it. El Jumelji is safari-themed, has jungle murals, poker nights, zebra print painted hallways and countless pool and Foosball tables. It’s no coincidence that the bar’s name is basically how a drunk person would pronounce the title of that 90′s movie starring Robin Williams where for some inexplicable reason a jungle bursts out of a board game. I’m talking about Jumanji, or Jumelji depending on how many drinks you’ve had. Regrettably we only had two.

Lab Comptoir a Cocktails: Nestled across the street from Montreal’s beautiful Parc La Fontaine, this seemingly unassuming tavern actually assumes quite a lot. For instance, the bartender assumes you know how to do a flaming shot. The only instruction he offered after pouring the flaming drinks was “don’t light your hair on fire.” I didn’t light my hair on fire. Just everything else. Aside from that, this dark and cozy bar feels like one of the city’s best kept secrets.

Sparrow: New to the scene, but associated with some of St-Laurent’s nightlife pillars, Sparrow is frequented mostly by youngish anglophone regulars donning their finest. The decor is reminiscent of a turn of the century Parisian salon, but maybe it’s just the wallpaper and ennui. Regardless, this lovely bar’s martinis are among the best in the neighbourhood and the drinks are reasonably priced and creatively paired with fresh ingredients, like their signature gin and and cucumber shot which is my personal favourite.

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THE DETAILS

Hurley’s Irish Pub, 1225 Crescent St, (514) 861-4111

Le Saloon Bistro Bar, 1333 Sainte-Catherine East , (514) 522-1333

El Jumelgi, 3350 Ontario East , (514) 522-0905

Le Lab Comptoir a Cocktails, 1351 Rachel East, (514) 544-1333

Sparrow, 5322 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, (514) 690-3964

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Guest Blogger: Sophie Naima Caird

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When legendary Detroit techno producer Carl Craig plays Igloofest on Thursday, January 27, it will be only the fourth time he’s DJ’d in Montreal (most recently dropping a memorable set at Mutek in 2009). Montreal Buzz caught up with him at his Planet E offices in Detroit to find out what he’s got in store for us…

Montreal Buzz: You’ve played all over the world, on many outdoor stages, but are you prepared to DJ outside in the middle of winter in Montreal?

Carl Craig: I have a jacket that I’ve had for years and actually I just lost one of my favorite hats at a club in Windsor, but I think gloves are going to be the real issue…

Montreal Buzz: Planet E (the record label that Craig founded) is celebrating its 20-year anniversary this year- is your set at Igloofest going to be a retrospective of sorts?

Carl Craig: I’m usually pretty loose, but definitely I’ll be spotlighting the 20 years of history and representing all that’s happened on the label. Planet E has been my soul; it’s been a great outlet to get out my musical ideas and those of other people I admire. These days when I look out at the crowd, I see a mixture of kids, young and old, and you can see the history there. But, you know, good songs are good songs, no matter when they came out.

Montreal Buzz: You’ve been at this for a couple decades- have you changed how you approach a DJ set?

Carl Craig: The older the fruit, the sweeter the berry! (Laughs heartily). Actually, my first gig ever was playing a family reunion, but a lot of my first real sets were shorter and it was just pure fun and making sure that people kept dancing. Now I usually play longer and it’s a bit looser, as I said, and I’m playing stuff playing based on music that I’ve made. Sometimes at (London’s) Plastic People, I’ll play the whole night and I get to expand and play my history but also play the future. I’ve learned a lot.

Montreal Buzz: How do you see your future and that of Planet E unfolding?

Carl Craig: I appreciate that, going forward, the music industry has changed so much and the lines are blurring- it used to be that an underground hit was actually underground which is often not the case now- and that the definition of what a “success” is has changed. Obviously we’ll continue to release music, but we also have to look at what else are we good at and ask what else can we learn?

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Oh yeah, now I remember. Because it’s outside! In the middle of winter! At night! Along the frosty St-Laurent River! And did I mention it’s outside? So, yes, if you’re a winter activity buff, you’ll be in your element. But if the GPS triangulations of this event conflict with your personal barometer for cold weather, I suggest you bite the bullet. Because once you’re there and picking up the vibe, you’ll be like, Wow, okay, I heart Igloofest.

To stand up to sub-zero temps, do as I did and don a full-on ski-suit. If you happen to own a retro-fabulous one-piece snowsuit, get thee to the photo booth and have your fine self immortalized on the Igloofest website – you just may win some amazing stuff, including a VIP weekend at Le Massif de Charlevoix. Should you feel like hitting the scene in a bright turquoise winter onesie, silver moonboots, and a neon pink mad scientist wig, trust me, you’ll be in fine company.

And talk about One Love. In overcoming the chill of a sunless sky, you can’t deny the power of body heat emanating from hundreds of nocturnal festivalgoers. Cold is not a painful word when there’s hot chocolate, vin chaud (mulled wine), and all sorts of booze to warm you up. And let’s not forget the multiple fire pits for cosy, group bonding. Finally, the most important ingredient of the night: dancing! After only a few minutes of moving to that smooth, electro-groove, I pretty much guarantee you’ll be hot – and hooked.

P.S. If you liked my tuque and scarf (see video above), you can get your own official Igloofest gear on-site or at Off The Hook at 1021 Ste-Catherine St. W., Second floor.

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