Montreal is no stranger to music festivals, widely known as the place to be in June and July for all things jazz and Francophone and early August for Osheaga’s indie-rock, yet more niche in its May music festivals: all manner of electronic music at Mutek and Elektra, the refined sounds of the chamber music festival, and the pop-punk, Pabst-soaked, poutine-fueled extravaganza that is Pouzza Fest…

Pouzza Fest turns the weekend of May 17-19 into a full-on takeover of 10 of downtown Montreal’s great venues, including Metropolis and Club Soda, packing in over 150 bands from dusk to late. It’s true that one person’s punk is another person’s pop, but with so many bands with a range of styles – what would a fest like this be in Montreal without ska, for instance – fans can pick and choose what they like. And though Pouzza Fest’s packed roster may seem intimidating, show-hopping is definitely part of the experience – die-hard fans are sure to have a festival pass, but other options, like a one-day pass, are available too.

The festival may be way bigger than it began three years ago when Hugo Mudie, lead vocalist of The Sainte Catherines, founded it, but it still maintains a solid community vibe, not only welcoming legends of punk and up-and-coming bands, but making sure there’s food aplenty for all, from hot dogs to poutine – bands even accompany a Saturday Lunch and Sunday Breakfast at Foufounes and BBQ dinners at Katacombes. But back to the music: among the many headliners of the fest are Me First & the Gimmie Gimmies, New Found Glory, A Wilhelm Scream, The Planet Smashers, Saves the Day, Good Riddance, Braid, Lemuria, Crime in Stereo, the Decay, Teenage Bottlerocket, Big D & the Kids Table, MXPX, Grade, The Slackers, The Creepshow, The Motorleague, and Boston-based trash band Psycho.

It’s also easy enough to get a taste of the festival for free at the weekend’s outdoor shows in the Quartier des Spectacles at the corner of Clark and Ste-Catherine. The music here is on the lighter, more “accessible” side of punk: on Saturday hear Mike Park, Dan Potthast and Miracles, followed by catchy pop punk of Masked Intruder, Montreal’s Alie Sin, Brooklyn’s acoustic punk-folk Sad & French, Quebec folk-rock Swiss Knife, guitar strumming and singing Brian McGee, and The Flatliners’ Chris Creswell wrapping up the day. The music starts up again on the outdoor stage on Sunday with Mike Park and Dan Potthast followed by a super secret show at noon, The Matchup, Dying River, Jen Unbe & Dark Horse, Toronto’s rollicking My Man, and NYC’s Vic Ruggiero of ska-rocksteady band The Slackers.

THE DETAILS

Pouzza Fest May 17-19, 2013

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(Famous Faces) Several big names have been announced for the 34th edition of the Montreal International Jazz Festival, happening June 28 to July 7 at classic music venues and outdoors on free stages. Naturally topping that list is the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, unleashing that diva voice and attitude on June 29 at Place des Arts. As always in the past decade or so, the festival branches out from jazz to include the jazz-influenced, like She & Him, the duo of Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, playing July 3 with Camera Obscura, and, much to the delight of long-time fans, Scottish indie-pop group Belle & Sebastian, in Montreal for one of only two North American festival stops, on July 5. And American trumpeter Wynton Marsalis plays with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, on June 28.

(Jazz Style) Though the festival loves to mix and match musical ways, it’s jazz that still makes up the majority of festival acts. Several great musicians play three hours of jazz at saxophonist-composer Wayne Shorter’s 80th Birthday Celebration on June 29 – including Shorter himself! Ever-popular Pink Martini blends jazz with swing, pop and suave ways on June 27. One of Canada’s greatest jazz voices, Holly Cole returns to the festival with her new album and jazz standards, June 27-29. Saxophonist Joshua Redman comes back complete with a quartet and string section and a new album on June 29. Grammy-winning guitarist and singer George Benson plays his smooth greatest hits from the ‘70s and much more on June 30. And the world-touring Preservation Hall Jazz Band gets everyone’s toes tapping to Dixieland on July 5.

(Top 5 Picks) As everyone’s taste is different, it’s hard to say what is a must-see at this year’s festival, but Aretha Franklin is probably a sure bet. Can’t go wrong with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings either, who always get the crowd dancing to their classic soul, modern R&B sound – see them July 3. Also on July 3, a double bill featuring New Orleans singer-pianist Dr. John and singer and multi-instrumentalist Leon Russell playing classic blues and ‘70s folk-rock is not to be missed. The saxophonist son of John Coltrane returns to Montreal with his Ravi Coltrane Quartet, playing June 28 after a five-year absence. And Oliver Jones shows us why he’s a jazz great and piano genius in a solo show on July 5. As the fest approaches, more acts are sure to be announced – big names and lesser knowns as well as major free outdoor concerts – so we’ll be adding to this list as summer approaches… and make sure to check out this great deal on concert tickets from La Vitrine!

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THE DETAILS

Montreal International Jazz Festival, June 28-July 7, 2013

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