This Montreal gang solves problems for touring bands

Bad Lunch is a house in Pointe St-Charles that’s slowly becoming a music hotspot in the southwest. But while there is a space inside for intimate shows, it’s not primarily a venue for live music. The house’s residents — Michael Langiewicz, Adam Langiewicz and Amelia Robitaille — are providing extremely cheap accommodations, food, showers, parking and wifi for touring musicians. There’s also a recording studio for bands from Montreal and beyond.

“Early last year, we were looking for a place to live where Adam and Michael could record and play music freely,” Robitaille explains. ” When we hosted our friends Shyy and Chastity during Osheaga, we realized we could make an immediate difference in the lives of touring bands by making their Montreal stop a more enjoyable, safe and comfortable experience.

“When we first viewed the house, the outside was covered in chalk,” she adds. “For some reason, the phrase ‘I love you Mom, even when you make BAD LUNCH’ stood out to us. While it may seem a little odd, those words really stuck and the house name was basically decided for us.”

The trio didn’t set out to start a public studio (which offers recording, editing and mixing, sound design and post-production audio) and an Air BnB for musicians, but their love of the Montreal music scene moved them to do it. In particular, they credit locals like Noah Bick (Passovah Productions) and David Mitchell (Stack Your Roster and Confluence) as well as the “community-oriented ethos and values” of venues like the Silent Barn (NYC) and Montreal’s la Plante with inspiring them to open their doors.

“We only officially launched a month ago, and we’ve already hosted a bunch of bands and had an overwhelming amount of interest and support towards the project, which we’re incredibly excited about. We’re currently working on a few exciting projects and can’t wait to share them with the community.” ■

For more info about the accommodations, shows and the studio, check out the Bad Lunch website.