Going to indie-theatre’s biggest summer event, the Montreal Fringe Festival, is like going to a remarkably affordable casino: sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but you always end up happy because you’ve met a few memorable characters and had a few beers…

The St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival, June 4-24, is a sure bet when it comes to being both a lot of fun and a bit messy – there’s no artistic direction, no censorship, application is by lottery, and ticket prices are low, meaning anyone with $10 can be a part of the theatre crowd. This year’s festival will see over 700 performances by over 500 theatre, comedy, dance, music and visual artists from Quebec, elsewhere in Canada, the United States and far-flung places around the world. In many ways, Montreal’s festival is similar to international Fringe festivals, but Montreal’s Fringe has English and French shows in almost equal parts as well as a number of bilingual and wordless shows.

With such cultural variety, the festival, now in its 23rd edition, draws over 60,000 people to its dozen small venues each year – variety is the key to that success. Comedy, from autobiographical solo shows to sketch-comedy improv troupes, is often the biggest contender, but every year, exception dramas surprise audiences with their emotional weight and professional quality. Among the two opposites are many good options: Love in the Time of Time Machines; 2 For Tea; Talk, Mackerel; They Call Me Q; Teaching Shakespeare; White Hot; Joe’s Cafe; Tap Me on the Shoulder, and, naturally, dozens of others. Montreal’s vibrant dance community is out in full force too with shows such as The Knocking Within, The Elephant in the Room, Pulse, Southern Boy, and more.

And, of course, there’s theatre that’s even further off the beaten track and well into the sexy zone: funny, tawdry Glam Gam Burlesque puts on The Little Beau Beau Show at the famed Cafe Cléopâtre;  innocence, love and life lessons collide in Holy Tranity: A Dirty Love Song to the Gay ‘80s, burlesque dancer Cherry Typhoon pairs up with clown-comedian Shoshinz in Annoying Visitor (possibly more silly than sexy); and even show called Cellos on Fire, where metal riffs meet wicked bowing skills, is sure to be hot. Continuing on with the risque, each day concludes at 1 a.m. with Fringe After Dark, a cabaret-like event at Café Campus, where each night offers something new: a Strip Spelling Bee, alt-burlesque, a zombie fest, a fake prom, a mac n’ cheese cook-off, a waffle breakfast, and more.

Among all the theatrics is an outdoor series of events at Fringe Park at the bustling corner of St-Laurent and Rachel. Sit back, have a cold drink, meet people and listen to music, take a workshop, or participate in a comedy show like storytelling series Confabulation or the Drag Races, every Thursday to Sunday – and June 23 features a full day of programming just for kids. Taking over the tunes on June 15 is Piknic Electronik, handing the mic over to Cult#MTL a little later in the day and on June 20 and Pop Montreal June 22-23. Fringe music shows also take over nearby Divan Orange (4234 St-Laurent) a few days a week, highlighting the talents of bands like Groenland, Buke & Gase, Krief, Klô Pelgag, and many more. With all that outdoor activity plus all those shows to see, the Montreal Fringe Fest is an indie-entertainment powerhouse built on the love of theatre (and beer).

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THE DETAILS

The St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival, June 4-24, 2013

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We’ve curated what we think is a pretty great list of our favourite videos featuring Montreal-  check them out…

THE MAN WHO LIVED ON HIS BIKE: This short film by Guillaume Blanchet is simple, cute, and jaw-dropping. Montreal is one of the most bike-friendly places in North America with dedicated paths, trails and a city-wide public bike renting system called Bixi, not to mention the upcoming Montreal Bike Fest.

SEB TOOTS MONTREAL SNOWBOARDING RUN: We’re all happy that the trees of Mount-Royal are now leafy green and we can picnic, bike, hike, and hang around the Tam-Tams, but we can still reminisce about the fun winter things like this awesome video of Montreal native Seb Toots snowboarding.

SHANGELA PERFORMS “TURN ME OUT” AT MONTREAL GAY PRIDE: Shangela is an up and coming drag culture icon. During Fierté Montréal Pride 2012 she seriously turned it out in one of the fiercest performances to ever take the stage. Skillfully filmed by Tourisme Montreal videographer Guillaume Langlois.

SAINT-LAURENT: This adorable little love story features the coolest people and places of Boulevard Saint-Laurent. Can you spot your favorite?

COME LIVE SOME MONTREAL MOMENTS: What is a #MTLmoment? It’s a moment that is crazy, spontaneous, fun, with great friends and full of laughter. Those times when you say “I gotta Instagram this” while soaking up some of that Montréal je-ne-sais-quoi. Check out some #MTLmoments , or tag your own on Instagram.

YOURS TRULY, MONTREAL: For a museum that is built upon really old stuff (the ruins of the first settlement of Montréal) the Pointe-a-Callieres museum has some pretty cutting-edge features. Created by Moment Factory, Yours Truly, Montreal is an immersive video projection directly on these beautiful archeological sites. It’s make history fun!

MONTREAL – TRIBUTE TO LIVE THE LANGUAGE: A gorgeous video that hits all the “raphys”: Geography, Cinematography, Typography. A tribute to Live the Language by Xuan Pham and Roman Koscianski.

LES BOULES ROSES: Claude Cormier’s “Les Boules Roses” in Montréal’s Gay Village have become an integral part of summer in the Gay Village. People flock to the terraces that pop up along Saint-Catherine when the pedestrian-only festival Aires Libres starts every May, and the pink balls cast a dreamy glow over each and every one. Fabulous!

FITZ & FOLLWELL.: Who doesn’t like a video with a cute puppy and trendy bikes? Fitz & Follwell is definitely the trendiest place to get a personally guided bike tour of Montréal. Oh, and the tour usually comes with some form of Montreal snack/beverage.

FIREWORKS IN MONTREAL: The amazing International Fireworks Competition that lights up the Montreal skyline twice a week from June 22 to August 3rd, 2013. This video is just a sneak peek of what you can expect from this year’s edition, but every year they manage to make it even more dazzling.

BONUS VIDEO:

I’LL FAIT BEAU DAS L’MÉTRO: This is the amazingly campy first advertising campaign for Montréal’s Metro that was released in 1976. Kudos to anyone who does a 2013 version, guerrilla style. Montréal’s Metro is the fastest way to get anywhere, and if you’re coming into the city for a trip they have great deals on weekend passes!

The post 10 Great Montreal videos appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

DETAILS:

Society for Arts and Technology
1201, Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montréal (Québec) H2X 2S6 Canada

Phone : (514) 844-2033

General Email : info@sat.qc.ca

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Guest Blogger: Guillaume Langlois

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Winter is the traditional season for oysters, though Maestro owner and Maitresse d’hotel Ilene Polansky reminds us that the thing about only eating bivalves in months ending in “r” went out when refrigerated transport containers came in. But December reminds us that oysters are delicious, so we satisfied our craving the other night at Ilene’s Montreal classic, Maestro S.V.P.

“Maestro”, as locals call it, has been known for almost 20 years as the *best* place to eat oysters in the city. You might be up for competing in their ongoing competition to see who can slurp down the highest count of their saline bivalve of choice, the beautiful Beausoleil (current record: 24 dozen by one couple in an evening).  They also offer the best cocktail-hour deal in town, the dozen Beausoleils for 13$.

On a recent weeknight, we sought out the cozy sanctuary of Maestro’s bar as our perch while gazing out at the wintry wonderland on the most stylish block of St-Laurent blvd, to suck back some of our favourites and check out what’s new at Maestro (turns out it’s a revamped small-plates menu and, for now, a special holiday menu for the winter season.

We started with Maestro’s classic oyster shooter, which was both an amuse-bouche and a shot to set us straight.

Then, we moved on to the fresh menu of the day…

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They brought us a delectable platter of fromtheir fresh sheet of the world’s best, that even got a little bit sexy and a lot disco when they switched  on the blue light of the built-in oyster bar.

We ordered some of our favourites: Massive Gliddens from Maine, as big as the palm of my hand

To Vancouver’s Kushi, theworld’s  cutest oyster!

The only thing prettier than a plate of oysters is the shells we left over, knowing the bivalves belong in our bellies!

Our oyster degustation finished off with a platter of baked oysters, that hit the spot on a cold night (the one in the front is Maestro’s perfect Rockefeller., washed down with a fresh-tasting Sauvignon blanc.

We also sampled some of the standout small plates: from tiny, spicy calamari, to snow-crab cakes, to scallops in their housemade peppercorn sauce .

At the end, we scoured the wall of famous folks who’ve visited Maestro S.V.P. to find our favourite…

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DETAILS

Maestro SVP

3615 boul St Laurent
Montréal, QC H3X 2V5
(514) 842-6447

Metro: Sherbrooke

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Guest blogger: Melora Koepke

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Ladies, start your engines. Montreal-based fashion label Barilà is opening a pop-up shop. For ten days starting Nov. 14, get your fill of edgy frocks at major discounts. I’ve seen this local brand’s rocking show at Montreal Fashion Week; now it’s time for you to see the collection up close – and bring it home.

To kick off Day One of this temporary boutique, there will be a special grand opening event with cocktails and nibbles. Plus, designer Sabrina Barilà will also be in the house to mix and mingle. I caught up with this super-stylish lady to chitchat about her ideas, her pop-up shop, and, of course, her clothes.

Your motto is “Live the life you love and love the life you live.” It’s taken from a Bob Marley song?

It’s something he says before he sings a song actually. It reminds me to live more “in the now” and try to find happiness in everyday life. I believe this is the way to live my life to the fullest. So I use it as the Barilà motto in hopes that when people read it, it will provoke that same thought.

Why a pop-up shop? Are you testing the scene for your own Barilà boutique?

Actually, yes! That’s exactly what I’m doing! It’s a good way for me to get to know and familiarize myself with my customer base as well.

I love the location you chose in the Mile End.

I spoke to my friend Julia (she has a jewellery line called “La Raffinerie”) and she told me about this space on St-Laurent that is rented for all sorts of events, mostly art exhibitions. I checked it out and I liked it! I thought it was perfect for a pop-up shop. Next time will probably be somewhere else; I like the idea of popping up in different areas of the city.

Tell me about the clothes.

The collection is edgy, sexy and totally wearable. Anybody can pull it off – anybody that has the personality and confidence, of course. There are lots of sequins for the holidays, great little party dresses, blazers and super cosy tunics. We also created some new styles just for the pop-up shop.

What kind of deals will there be?

We will have the glitzy holiday collection at retail price and the fall stuff will be reduced from 30% to 50% off. There will be something to suit everyone’s budget.

I notice you work with faux leather, and I think you told me in our last interview that you’re a vegetarian. What is your stand on fur and leather?

I didn’t eat meat for 10 years, but I never claimed I was a vegetarian since I ate fish. But last year, I did this Master cleanse (not for everyone, btw!) and once I came off of it, I had this urge for chicken. So now, I eat poultry! My stand on fur and leather? I’m not as radical as some activists, and I don’t want to be a hypocrite either. I do have leather shoes, but I don’t buy fur or leather jackets. I do what I can.

Opening night will feature DJ Kyle Calma and cocktails. Will it be a rock-themed night?

Kyle is my boyfriend. He can play whatever he wants.

Just so I can prep my girls, is the sale cash only?

We take cash, credit and debit.

Finally, what will you be wearing at your next holiday party?

In all honesty I would like to be naked on a deserted beach for the holidays, but since this is not going to happen, and I will probably be hosting a little Christmas bash at my place, I think I would like to wear a nice high waist, a wide-leg camel cashmere wool trouser with a pastel colour shirt tucked in, rolled up sleeves, a thin belt and burgundy patent leather heels. Imagine a threesome between Chloé, Marni and Max Mara.

THE DETAILS

Address:
5145 blvd. St-Laurent (between Laurier and Fairmount)

Grand Opening Cocktail (and shopping):
Sunday, Nov. 14, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Pop-up Shop:
Monday, Nov. 15 to Wednesday, Nov. 24, 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Prices:
Between $150 and $500

The post SHOW & SELL – BARILÀ POP-UP SHOP appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Last Wednesday marked the opening of a new, exciting venue on St-Laurent blvd : Noa Sushi Lounge.  For the occasion, cordon-bleu trained creative director Nacim Louali invited two Japanese chefs : Taketsuna Araki (formerly from Kaizen and Soto) and Koichi (from Kioochi Club Hotel & St-Malo Kasukabe in Tokyo) – flown in from Japan for the occasion – to shake up the new sushi kitchen.

The sushis served presented a mix of traditional techniques and ingredients less common to japanese cuisine, like a beef tartare rolled up in cheese with tomato confit, truffle vinaigrette and pickle.   Noa’s sake selection – 16 kinds and counting – picked by sommelier Olivier Paret and the cocktail list, imagined by former Paris Buddha Bar Bartender Fanny,  impressed the crowd.  The guests, mingling in the minimal-inspired space, whose modular lighting system constantly changes from hot to cool hues, seemed to enjoy Noa’s daring statement, just like the quieter ones, lounging in the euro-zen backyard terrace.  Summer just isn’t over yet.

3509 St-Laurent, Montreal (Qc) H2X 2T6

514.903.4431 / www.noasushi.com

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Montrealers love their thrift shops.  That is probably why you’ll find some in almost every neighbourhood of the city. Conveniently, three of our favourites ones are neighbhours, which makes for an easy vintage shop-hopping sessions on Saint-Laurent Boulevard.  Moreover, these boutiques have a unique way to play with retro stylings, making them an awful lot of fun to walk into, even when you’re not looking to actually buy anything.

FRIPERIE ST-LAURENT

I’m pretty sure every single Montrealer I know bought, at least once, something from those racks.  Famous for its second-hand leather jackets along and vintage hockey jerseys, the store also features an always-interesting selection of shoes and hats, usually in mint condition. 3976, boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montreal, QC, H2W 1Y3 / 514-842-3893

KOKOKONUT & KITSCH & SWELL

These two fairly new sister-stores make for an unparalleled kitsch time-travel experience. Elvis impersonators and Betty Page worshippers will find the complete attire for their next church basement party. Don’t be shy, everybody loves a little zebra/leopard print dress! You’ll also find some unique pieces of furniture ( the type your great aunt threw away after the fifties), some tastefully cheesy records, big ol’ shiny jewelry and, possibly, the lost collection of vintage “adult” magazines your grandfather hid from you all these years.   3972 Boul. St-Laurent Montréal, H2W 1Y3 / 514-658-2928 & 3968 Boul. St-Laurent Montréal, H2W 1Y3 / 514-845-6789 kitschnswell.ca

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