May Arts Calendar
A Sample of What’s On in Montreal
Visual Art
May 14 – June 1: Recent Concordia grad Amanda Durepos is showing her collage-centric work in an exhibition called Cut&Paste which explores issues surrounding technology and personal identity. The show is fittingly in a European-style paper shop and art gallery. Note bene (3416 Parc Ave.) / Mon. to Fri. 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. / Free
Music
May 4: The Tattoo Rebellion launch their eponymous rock album at Hemisphere Gauche. The band is a merging of Canada’s Sign of One and New York’s Tragic Orange. Hemisphere Gauche (221 Beaubien St. E.) / 9 p.m. / Tickets $8 adv, $10 door
May 5: Former Fiery Furnaces frontwoman Eleanor Friedberger takes her indie pop solo effort Last Summer from NYC to Park Ex. Il Motore (179 Jean-Talon St. W.) / 8 p.m. / Tickets $23.50
May 6: Quintron and Ms. Pussycat bring their inventive New Orleans electronic punk puppet show north of the border. Il Motore (179 Jean-Talon St. W.) / $13 adv, $15 door more info
May 17: Electronic performance art duo Dewanatron (NY) open for and play with local post-chamberpop group Caroline Glass Band. Casa del Popolo (4873 St. Laurent Blvd.) / 8:30 p.m. / $8
May 19: Montreal musicians known to have a certain Simon and Garfunkel quality, Lakes of Canada launch their latest album before heading out on tour. Il Motore (179 Jean-Talon St. W.) / 8:30 p.m. / Tickets $10
Performance & Theatre
May 3: Easy Action brings the laughs with a merging of action film aesthetic and long-form improv. Yell suggestions at the top of the show and see an improvised story take shape. Montreal Improv Theatre (3713 St. Laurent Blvd. #202 / 8 p.m. / Tickets $8
May 4: May the Fourth Be With You is a night of stand-up comedy by known Montreal laugh-makers followed by an open mic and open dance floor. Freestanding Room (4324 St. Laurent Blvd., 3rd Floor) / 8 p.m. / Tickets $10
May 4-5: Bust a Move 9th Edition puts dancers from around the world against each other in six different categories, from popping to hip hop via locking, featuring live DJs. Tohu (2345, Jarry St. E.) / May 4 at 6 p.m., May 5 at 7 p.m. / Tickets $20-$30 (15% off with student I.D.), 2-day pass $35
May 7: Cafe Concret brings an evening of experimental puppetry and performing from underground puppet artists to Casa del Popolo (4873 St. Laurent Blvd.) / 8:30 p.m.
May 16-26: Poutine Masala is bollywood meets Montreal in a story about a Quebecois boy who falls for an Indian girl. The trilingual play (English, French, and a pinch of Hindi) takes the tone of comedy dance-theatre. Mainline Theatre (3997 St. Laurent Blvd.) / 8 p.m. with 2 p.m. Sunday matinees / Tickets $23
May 21-27: The 7th Montreal Sketch Comedy Festival will feature emerging talent from around the world alongside local favorites. Some shows can be hit-or-miss, but Toronto’s Ladystache and Montreal’s Uncalled For take the guesswork out. Theatre Saint Catherine (264 Ste. Catherine St. E.) / Mon. to Sun. 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. late shows Thurs. to Sat. / Tickets $12
Literary Arts
May 5: Free Comic Book Day is the first Saturday in May each year when comic book stores across North America give freebies to anyone who comes in. Drawn and Quarterly is slated to participate and posters around Mile End suggest there will be cookies and juice to go with the readables… Drawn and Quarterly (211 Bernard Rd. W.) / All Day / Free
May 7: Alice Petersen, a New Zealand-Canadian living in Montreal, will debut her short fiction All the Voices Cry at the Atwater Library. The collection features 16 short stories set in the author’s homelands of Quebec and New Zealand. Atwater Library (1200 Atwater Ave.) / 7:30 p.m. / Free
Varia
April 29 – May 7: The Montreal Isreal Film Festival runs the gamut of issues affecting Israel and its people – from racism, Israeli-Arab relations, to aging and queer issues. AMC Theatre (2313 St. Catherine St. W.) and Cinema Guzzo / Various Times / Tickets to be purchased in advance: Free for Students, $14 Regular, $70 7-film pass
May 17-19: The Montreal Underground Film Festival celebrates and promotes low-budget filmmakers who challenge conventional film aesthetics. All kinds of experimental shorts can be seen in two locations. Sala Rossa (4848 St. Laurent Blvd.) and Friperie Pote:tr (6029 Parc Ave.) / Various Times / Tickets $5-$7
May 23 – 27: This year’s Sight & Sound Festival is themed Systems of Symmetry. Sound and video artists come together for performances, installations and interactive art pieces. Eastern Bloc (7240 Clark St.) / Various times and prices
