POP Montreal 2018 Recap: Day One
It’s been three years since my last POP experience, so I headed down to the Rialto Theatre last night without knowing what to expect. As soon as I entered the POP Montreal opening party, I immediately felt at ease. The vibe was inviting, intimate, and full of that specific kind of excitement that fills the […]
POP Montreal 2018: Picks Amid Plenty
Rejoice indie music fans for today marks the beginning of this year’s installment of Pop Montreal! For those of you who suffer from option paralysis I give you my deepest sympathies because, as usual, there’s just so many shows to choose from. Even just looking at their schedule can send shivers down the spine of someone […]
Quebec Elections 2018: A Crash Course on the Four Major Parties
Quebec provincial elections are less than two weeks away and there is a lot to learn before we go to the polls. There are four major political parties to choose from: the incumbent Liberal Party (PLQ), the Parti Québécois (PQ), Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), and Québec Solidaire (QS). There are smaller parties running too and […]
POP Montreal 2018: Exciting Acts to Check Out
On September 26th, Pop Montreal returns with another five days of music, film, panels, and visual arts. It’s been a few years since I’ve attended this very Plateau/Mile End festival, but I already know I’m going to have a good time. Because unlike other bigger festivals where you’re drawn to check out what you know, […]
Michelle Blanc May Be Running in Mercier, But Keeping Her A Candidate Is All About the PQ Base Outside of Montreal
Michelle Blanc won’t win in Mercier and Parti Québécois (PQ) Leader Jean-François Lisée knows it. Keeping her on the ballot is all about how removing her would play outside of Montreal. Mercier, which includes a large chunk of the Plateau and Mile End, is Amir Khadir’s riding, or at least it will be until he […]
The 2018 Quebec Election FTB Readers’ Poll
The late August heat may have you sweating like summer, but there is one sign that fall is just around the corner: election posters are everywhere. With the 2018 Quebec Election campaign in full swing, it’s time for another FTB Election Poll! Just like the real election, it’s one vote per person, unlike the real […]
Ryan Setton of The Holds on Recording Juke, the Band’s Development and the Montreal Scene
Montreal’s The Holds are a band inspired by the greats and their local contemporaries. Frontman Ryan Setton cites classic R&B artists like Otis Redding and Stevie Wonder, classic rock acts such as The Animals and Led Zeppelin and local acts like John Jacob Magistry and The Damn Truth among the band’s influences. “When we approach […]
Dawn McSweeney on Writing, Montreal, Narrative Structure and The Hills We Climb By Accident
Dawn McSweeney has been writing for years: short stories, poetry, even some journalistic pieces for this very site. Now, she has finished and published her first novel, The Hills We Climb By Accident. “The story lent itself to the length of a novel,” McSweeney said in a phone interview, “I started writing it with the […]
Pride 2018: Demystifying Queerness and Sexuality – Talking Dog Productions Presents The History of Sexuality
The History of Sexuality is a play that is going to make you uncomfortable, but the reasons it will are the very reasons why you should see it. Following a successful run at the Mainline theater in September 2017, it was selected as part of Pride 2018’s programming. Playwright, director, and producer Dane Stewart set […]
The CAQ Aren’t Different, They’re Just the Bigots Some Anglos Don’t Have to Fear
It’s one of those headlines that sounds great: “Anglos, it’s time to get over the 1995 Quebec referendum.” Yes, it is. Glad The Montreal Gazette finally realized it. However, the paper’s Facebook plug of the op-ed revealed what guest opinion writer Lise Ravary only got to at the end of her piece. That fear of […]
Mtl Pride 2018: An History Lesson Wrapped in a Sincere Portrayal of Queer Intimacy – Brave New Productions Presents Gently Down the Stream
I had no idea what to expect when I entered the Mainline Theatre to see Brave New Productions’ staging of the Martin Sherman play Gently Down the Stream. I knew that the play was part history lesson, telling the history of the persecution of gays in the United States, but I had no idea what […]
Osheaga 2018 Day Three
Day 3 of Osheaga seemed like any other. Folks both young and old lining up for the attractions in between the long awaited sets of their favourite artists. The atmosphere was jolly, friendly and exciting. There was much to be entertained with and everyone seemed delightfully entangled with the surrounding crowds and atmosphere. With seesaws, […]