Music

Good crack

by Darcy MacDonald

Advice for the St. Paddy’s Parade & recognizing the Irish in you and your local po-po, PLUS shows and DJ nights for your non-Celtic party needs, from hip hop to roots-rock to French Touch.

Sure ’n’ begorrah, a lot of you reading this have no idea what “sure ’n’ begorrah” means, but it has something to do with Irish stereotypes, so it doesn’t matter: this weekend, you’re Irish, like it or not! Or so they tell us.

The St. Paddy’s wagon of pints, parades and petty criminality is upon us and with it the usual barrage of guitar-slinging troubadours taking over most of the city’s watering holes. What does St. Patrick’s Day have to do with hip hop, you ask? Well, nothing, really, besides the gaudy apparel and costume jewellery. But a quick note to thuggish types I see around the parade grounds every year: you don’t have to look all sketchy like you’ve got something to hide out there!

Seriously, I know it’s impossible to believe, but short of jumping on the roof of a patrol car, breaking out your baton and singing “Clancy Lowered the Boom,” po-po will pretty much leave you be to drink and smoke in peace for three full hours on Sunday afternoon. True story.

See, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, especially a cop, and we all know an Irish cop isn’t allowed to raise his shillelagh in anger on his patron’s day, right? Well, just play safe and have fun out there, okay? I feel like this might not be the year the boys in blue remain quite as tolerant of a loud, colourful crowd on the streets of Montreal getting the slightest bit out of hand, for some reason.

Here’s where you can warm your cockles this week.

Thursday – Increasingly prolific Quebec singer/songwriter Paul Cargnello, no stranger to the city’s soul sides, brings last fall’s Papa Paul album to life at la Sala Rossa, backed by the Frontline band and joined by hometown fave Sarah MK to get the people ready.

Unless you’re already holding your tix for Ed Banger artist Breakbot, who plays le Belmont tonight with Mayday and Why Alex Why?, you’re shit outta luck, ‘cuz it’s sold out.

Friday – That’s okay because Cult MTL and High Food got you! Bot’s fellow Banger Mr. Oizo nests at the SAT, with guests A-Rock and Cherry Cola for an epic evening of non-Celtic celebration.

Saturday – Make it a 3 p.m. date at the BBAM! Gallery, featuring the funkified vibe of drum vet Thomas Harris and his Thomasity ensemble featuring Mark Haynes, Alex Gordon and John Acer.

Nighttime welcomes les Soirées Lounge Urbain to the Blueprint Lounge, with live art, music from Karma Atchykah and friends and much more, all to be filmed and featured on their site. Sounds pretty cool for $10, must say.

Meanwhile, WeFunk brings you more of that good stuff at Vinyl Lounge with Scott C and Professor Groove. ■

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@ShineCultMTL

Posted in Music

by Darcy MacDonald

Contributor
Darcy MacDonald has been with Cult MTL since day one, a decade ago. Which means today, he’s a middle-aged white guy (albeit one more interested in other people’s ideas than in his own). He was previously a columnist and reporter for Montreal Mirror, and has also created content (FKA “written”) for RBMA, Noisey, Montreal Gazette, The National Post and probably some other great places he’s forgotten about. Music, culture, community and miscellaneous questions in search of answers all come across his desk, sooner or later.

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