No calm before the POP

I know everybody out there is about ready to pop on Wednesday when the behemoth POP Montreal festival sets down stakes and holds the city tight in its iron mitt, but there are still some absolutely killer shows happening this week, too.

Thursday: Don’t miss a night of punkity thump when Aunty Panty, Cheap Wig and more pound the walls of Casa. 4873 St-Laurent, 9 p.m.

Another night of fucked up punk can be had at Divan Orange as they celebrate 10 years of providing stages for some of the best bands in the city. Blowing out the candles on Divan’s cake is PyPy, Jesuslesfilles and DJ Bonnes Manières keeping things spinning. 4234 St-Laurent, 9:30 p.m., $14

Friday: Just on the cusp of POP Montreal is the return of Montreal Psych Fest, which will start on Friday night and trip balls throughout the weekend. On Friday you can catch Constellation Night Club, Cocobeurree, Pachyderm and the Backhomes at la Vitrola. 4602 St-Laurent, 10 p.m., $15

For a night of street punk and Oi you can catch Jenny Woo, Out of Order, Scab Coma and Drunken Dru at the perfect swilling joint, Barfly. 4062 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $10

Saturday: Montreal Psych Fest proves there is no fat around the middle when they host Holy Cobras, the Knows, the High Dials, les Marinellis and Red Mass at la Vitrola. 4602 St-Laurent, 9:30 p.m., $15

For a night of meat and potatoes hardcore, you can catch Halifax’s Grump with Bearmace and Perverted Justice at l’Esco. 4467 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $5

For a night of old school rawk and other delights, you can catch Fokyoushima, the blues punk of Ashtray Heart and Mikrob at Barfly. 4062 St-Laurent, 9 p.m.

If you are a fan of post punk and darkened hypnotism you can catch Portland’s the Bellicose Minds with Crimson Scarlet and the always-incredible Dekoder at Katacombes. 1635 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $10

Sunday: The two big picks of the week oddly enough both fall on Sunday, so choose wisely, psychonauts. First up is the return of instru-metalists Russian Circles, who will loop, dive and careen at Cabaret du Mile End with the post-metal groove of the Atlas Moth (!). 5240 Parc, 9 p.m., $18/$20

Not bad huh?! If not for the fact that one of God’s favourite bands and o.g. psych warlords Hawkwind is playing at Il Motore  (now called Bar le Ritz PDB). I don’t know what state the mid-reno venue is currently in but Nik Turner’s Hawkwind is sure to make anything still standing turn to rubble. Keeping the bong o’ bubblin’ for the night is Witch Mountain and the old school doom of Cauchemare. 179 Jean-Talon W., 8 p.m., $20

Oddly enough, with the ultimate psych band in town, Montreal Psych Fest will turn off the lights at l’Esco with the Auras, UUBBUURRUU and Rain Parade’s Matt Pucci putting the fest to bed. 4467 St-Denis, 10 p.m., $10

Wednesday: POP Montreal gets ready to wind up for the pitch on their first night with the colossal sounds of Big Brave at l’Esco. 4467 St-Denis 

POP will also host the return of legendary twanger Kid Congo Powers (the Gun Club, the Cramps) with his Pink Monkey Birds at Divan Orange. Stacking the bill is an extremely rare appearance from local fuck-ups Nutsak and Year of Glad. 4234 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $10/$12

Anybody who went to Russian Circles is definitely going to want to head down to Petit Campus to catch the decibel-blasting gloom of Windhand with All Them Witches, the Great Sabatini and Mountain Dust. This is guaranteed to be awesome. 57 Prince-Arthur E., 8 p.m., $13/$15

Eeyowza, fans of all things heavy surely have reasons to rejoice when the crescent city legends Crowbar slay Foufounes with their heavy friends Havok, Revocation, Armed for the Apocalypse and local riff worshipers Dopethrone. Windhand and Crowbar on the same night? Choose wisely, hesher warriors. 87 Ste-Catherine E., 7:30 p.m., $25

 

Current obsession: Slint, Spiderland

jonathan.cummins@gmail.com