The big bad gigs of the week

See it, hear it, believe it. These are the best heavy shows in Montreal over the next week.

facebookI was one of the thousands that gathered under darkened skies downtown last Tuesday and braved rain showers to bask in the glow of Weird Al Yankovic. I am indeed a fan but I can’t stand these giant events when I end up just watching a video screen but I’ll be damned if my curmudgeon veneer didn’t wash off with the intermittent rain. I wasn’t the only one who was plastered with a giant grin as Weird Al dusted off chestnuts like “White and Nerdy,” “Fat,” “Smells Like Nirvana” and other novelty gems.

The multimedia display kept things chugging along nicely as the master did costume changes to accompany each song. As much as Weird Al likes to poke fun at popular culture duds, he’s just as guilty as using self-deprecating humour to take the piss out of himself. Every single television-generated Weird Al punch line was collected on the giant screens between his songs and his lounge versions of “Like a Surgeon” and “Eat It” (his “Stairway to Heaven”).

For those of you who beat the traffic and missed the encore, you really missed out on “Yoda,” as the five-minute scat singing before joining the chorus was goosebump-inducing.

Judging by the mass cross section of people, oddly including a crazy amount of oogles and crusty punks, this was testimony to this man’s lasting power.

Here’s the gigs, Poindexter:

Friday: Crosss return to town once again with New Fries and Phern at le Ritz. 179 Jean-Talon W., 9 p.m., $8/$10

For a night with a little more sonic experimentation and general fuckery, head down to la Passe to catch sets by Jeremi Roy, Tamara Filyavich, teen hunk Sam Shalabi and Nadah El Shasly. 1214 de la Montagne, 8 p.m., PWYC

My big pick of the week starts tonight at the almighty Turbo Haus with the grind power of Great Sabatini/Fuck the Facts combo Greber with Anthesis, Sabatini off shoot Angles and Fight Face. This is going to hit heavier than a mittful of nickels so better buckle up. While your there also grip the new Greber jammer “Kiln Hardened Paalms” which comes out today. 5011 Notre-Dame W., 9 p.m., $10

Saturday: La Vitrola is going to be the place to be catching Crash Course in Science, Techniques Berlin and Litige. 4602 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $10/$12

For a night of minimal dark synth, Hémisphère Gauche is the place to swoon to the sounds of the Marquis, Brusque Twins, Toronto’s Poster Boy and Telephone Maison. 221 Beaubien E., 9 p.m.

At the best bar in the city — Barfly — you can catch two duos going head to head when the swampy blues of Toronto’s Catl goes to toe to toe with fellow duo the Castagnes. 4062 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $7

Tuesday: For a night of gleaming power pop you can catch Radioactivity with Laureate, Dead Poet Society and Beat Awfuls at Casa. 4873 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $8

Wednesday: Finally you can catch Maica Mia off shoot Caro Diaro with Alcrete at Casa. 4873 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $6
 
Current Obsession: Viletones, A Taste of Honey

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