The Stoned Poet

On the 30th April, a special gathering was happening at La Sottorenea . Bands who book shows on week days are always on a gamble. Who knows how many people will show up after work, knowing they have to come in to work on the next day. But as summer approaches, people tend to go out more and that means that every booked shows week or weekend can benefice a larger crowd. I was one of those people who was working on Friday but decided that the beautiful weather and sun was enough to get me out of my basement for the night. So I grabbed my suit, ran to my car and drove right up to La Sottorenea in a hurry. Serial Milk , a band who's gaining more attention following the release of their brilliant EP titled Animal Disguise, where celebrating their new music accompanied of In Headlights and Escape. I was quite curious to see Escape as I'd never heard of em', In Headlights I'd seen at B7 previously but was not quite familiar with their sound. Upon arrival, parking found, and ...

 On May 2, at La Toscadura, there happened to be a mass of children and adults who all came to worship music, good times and witness some of the wildest musical display's I'd personally seen in a while. I'm talking about like Iggy Pop's wild stunts or insane feats pulled off stage back when Heavy Montreal use to be a thing. Moments where band members are in such trance on stage that anything can happen in the name of entertainment. God knows, these are the best shows one shall ever see. SewerSpewer Guesting with Feartilizer  I arrived after the first band, Unsucked, had finished playing. I talked outside with showgoers, it was around 9:30 and the place already seemed to be going wild. I'd barely drank one sip, I saw a kid being transported outside the venue, barely conscious, seemed to have ingested some kind of powder or stimulant related drug or an insane amount of alcohol. Whatever it was, his body now demanded rest and water. To my left, another one was laying ...

Seum , a stoner sludge doom metal band from Montreal have recently released a new album titled Parking Life . To celebrate the new release, the band decided to perform four shows in metro stations around Montreal just before their performance at La Sottorenea on May 2nd. It's a bold move, unique, unforseen, wild and most of all satisfying for us fans to have such crazy times in the metro. Their performances were wild, packed with action and nasty riffs, people even moshed at times. The question remains, was it a good idea? Was it worth the hustle? Will it happen again? First of all, two famous acts have done so in the past, Yo Yo Ma a world renowed cellist, and Stromae in 2013 which saw his performance start in the metro and gradually move to Place des Arts. Around the world, Jimmy Fallon helped U2, Miley Cirus, Ed Sheeran and more to perform undercover around New York's subways. What makes these performances so special is the element of surprise and the fact that usually so...

 It was a cold Friday night. Only option was to get in the car with friends and drive to Montreal. There, lay all hopes of finding twindling and fiddling to do. There'd be no beauties nor druggies outside with the cold weather, only option was to find a venue to scuffle in and drink and fade in the crown. That meant money would be needed, and I had all but money honestly. But nonetheless we went, drove, stopped at Atomic Cafe, gave a guitar back to a friend, bought a Pink Floyd Echoes 1965-2025 Magazine reviewing the band's entire career. I couldn't help but start reading it and sure it inspired more psyched lsd induced ideas to my brain. Possibilities seemed infinite. Thus, an idea came, I could try and bargain a ticket for the gang to go to a show. The show in question I wanted to see was, Sunday Riot Club, Street Panther and The Space Wizards @ L'Escogriffe. My friends Antoine and Jordan seemed unbothered of the uncome, but I was determined to get in, whatever the co...

''Ladies and Gentlemen, I hope you've enjoyed your night up till now, I now ask you to scream as I welcome Bad Objection on stage!'' It was a night of restlessness. I'd been partying for so long, I couldn't even remember what it felt like to be sober. The sun had dried my neurons, the weed had enhanced my hearing and sight. Basically I felt I was living in a moonage daydream. I hung with Chad during the day and by six o'clock, we arrived at Trashcan . Monoliths of emptiness guarded the place, you can feel needles crawl under your arms, hear the skateboarders skate upon the diy ramps. Many used to be waiting for their man here, some still do, but overall, the place has calmed down. Rookies who start going to Trashcan now a days, missed the good old days where the old bartender would inject LSD in the water to get everyone high, gone are the days of weird allegations of sexual harassement, or people being invited to sleep upstairs waking up the next day r...

  Fresh Wax , Dying Of Thirst , Death By Knife and Druidess all contributed in the madness that happened on June 21rst near Van Horne Skatepark. The whole thing was set up to support Druidess' release titled The Product Of My Love. An album I'll dig deeper into along the article! They played sets, each raising the bar for the next, picking at each other seeing if the next one in line could top the act. Yet it was no Hendrix setting guitars on fire at Monterey, no Who smashing guitars on stage blowing drum kits or any Slayer show with a fire burning in the middle of the crowd. But I must say, we got close to it, having a guy blowing heeps out of a I don't know what kind of looking bong. Look at the picture on the left and you'll understand. The show was a sight to see, Bourdain would call it kitchen fueling material if he'd been there. I came to see Death By Knife and Druidess, and as I arrived, Death By Knife were starting to play. Now I must say, their songs were...

 I'd dragged my feets up to Lachine district under the red hot sun listening to high class proper muppet jazz and gizzmo sucked out of mans to be, all billed under a festival call La Dame Festive. Friends and I filled our ears and tummies along the canal with delicacies overpriced and spent the end of the afternoon playing haki-sac. By the time six o'clock came by, I was in a metro falling asleep as the lights and sounds sped around me in all directions, the destination was a show at Barfly publicized by vicious kids who've got nothing more to do than grind their feets and teeths on cheap knicks and good music. The bands featured on this bill were the Snatchers, Gitni and the one and only Sigil Grove. Upon arrival after fighting through endless dreams during my metro rides, I skated to the venue and felt a surge of energy as wind and the citie's vices fluded my tired neurons. Upon arrival, I met freaks from  Evergreen ,  Bad Objection ,  Steeple , crossed with The Sn...

  *Through the echoes, circling me, pitch black around, my breath intensifies, voices keep screeching, I can't understand surely what is said but I can distinguish Bad Objection, 4th Of May and a mention of a free show.* I wake up as an eerie scream swims out of my throat. Oh geez, I'm back in Montreal. It's been two weeks I'd been on a boat, away from all lunatics and the vices emancipating from the city's conducts. I get up, and I'm immediatly tipped off. My body's moving from side to side, all around me, the ground, the walls, the flowers, nothing moves. Every object seems to accept their state, where as on a boat, the sea caresses you and keeps reminding the boat's crew that nowhere is safe, no anchor may allow to settle for good, and every furniture as and inch away from being seasick. I open up my cellphone and upon arriving on Instagram I stumble upon a show, May 4th, besides Van Horne Skatepark, Free, All Ages! Conflit Majeur , Bad Objection , an...

 March 23rd, there's a show at Barfly on St-Laurent at the height of the Schwartz Deli a popular franchise that attracts tourists and meat lovers every day. On that famous night, Bad Objection fronted by Ricardo Ranaldi, was long awaited because every other member had left the band and so everyone was left wondering who would be filling in the shoes of such a trailblazing legacy. On that night, bands such as World Of Blue and Gitni were also to scheduled to be playing, two bands I'd personally never seen.  Now it's quite particular since I came to the venue to also celebrate my birthday that was the next day  on the 24th so I kind of arrived late and missed World of Blue and almost missed Gitni. But I did get to catch Gitni for their last two songs and what I caught was four boys who enslaved the crowd to their catchy grooves and by the time I came in, everyone wanted more from the band. They'd entwined every mind to their very will and now every one was doing what the ...