10 Montreal parties to set your clock to

Essential dance parties and rap shows on Labour Day Weekend and beyond.

shineHey there, cool cat, and welcome back to another scholastic session in the partyin’est little city in the north.

If you haven’t yet picked up a copy of this month’s free, physical issue of Cult MTL, our annual Student Survival Guide, you’re missing out on recommendations for everything 514 (even 438), by all of your favourite culture reporters, so get on that.

This week, I’ll take the opportunity to point you toward a few late-season festival events taking place in the coming weeks.

Curated by M for Montreal (another fest which takes place in November, incidentally), the OUMF series of free, outdoor shows takes place next Thursday, Sept. 10,  through Saturday the 12th. On the hip hop tip, Montreal’s best bagel, SoCalled, headlines night one. Throughout the remainder of the weekend, no less than Grandmaster Flash — you read that right — and TO’s BadBadNotGood close the St-Denis stage, but note that local heat Dead Obies, Eman&VLooper, Ragers, Wasiu and many more are also scheduled, so check the event site for set dates and times, and expect to see me waving them around like I just don’t care, even though I do, all next weekend.

Following that, POP Montreal takes over the entire world…well, okay, most of downtown, the Plateau and Mile Ex, anyways…from Wednesday through Sunday. Next week I’ll get a little more up-close-and-personal about it, but heads take note: Sept. 18 at Club Soda, venerable NYC indie hip hop legends Cannibal Ox make their first Montreal appearance in 14 years, joined by the equally exalted Jean Grae, Houston upcomer Lyric Michelle and Montreal’s Wasiu (who incidentally dropped an his MTLiens EP today which you can cop here. Go get that ticket and don’t miss this little slice of history being made.

Later in the month, out in Laval, MRCY fest marks a second year with a grab bag of cool talents including A$AP Ferg, Mac Miller and Angel Haze reppin’ for beats and rhymes on a decidedly back-to-school friendly bill. Alabama Shakes headline, too, and while far from the boom bap, they are defintely dope.

Here’s what’s up this weekend.

Triple Piknic Électronik: Whether you are new in town or old-hat to this outdoor dance party, you’ll be pleased to know that with the great weather forecasted, you can head to Parc Jean Drapeau Saturday, Sunday and Monday this week, and shake-shake-shake it to world-class electronic music, featuring international headliners as well as a local heat. Details are available on the Piknic website, but if you’ve been meaning to get out and dance, this is your chance.

Friday: J.Cole is at the Bell Centre tonight, postponed from July, with guests Bas, Omen and Cozz. Note that Big Sean and YG & Jeremih are no longer performing. 1909 Avenue des Canadiens de Montréal, 7 p.m., $58.25/$95.25 plus tax and services charges

At Divan Orange, End of the Weak continues its week-long world final championship event calendar with the national finals, where Clay, Aspect Mendoza, Urbn Logix, Chachalcolik and the mighty Scynikal — haven’t typed that name is way too long — square off to see who moves on to Sunday’s finals at le Belmont. 2014 champ Slege Lee and EOW co-founder Big Zoo assist on the judges panel and France’s Phases Cachée round out the bill with a performance. 4483 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $10

Saturday: It’s a Coup de Grace at TRH-Bar with J.u.D., Ragers, Billy Eff le Chef, Truwayz and James Junt. 3699 St-Laurent, 10 p.m., $5

And at Bleury Bar à Vinyle, Poirier gets his Lionel Richie on All Night Long on some bass, afrohouse, reggae and dancehall. 2109 Bleury, $4 before midnight/$7 after

Sunday: The aforementioned EOW 2015 World Finale goes down at le Belmont. Who will take the global glory? Find out in real time and grab a reduced rate advance ticket here. 4483 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $10 advance/$20 door

Wednesday: Oh, just Diplo, having a Mad Decent House Party, with guests Thomas H. Shaydakiss and A-Rock, at Soubois. No big. 1106 de Maisonneuve W., $20, very limited capacity

 

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