Turbo Haüs

Montreal music venue shake-up

One venue is moving across town, one is holding a benefit to keep the lights on and another is celebrating an anniversary + all the great gigs this weekend.

hammerthumbBig news this week, including a last weekend for a venue that has provided a stage for the best of indie, punk, metal and more, as well as a 21st anniversary for a bar that has been doing the same. Most importantly is a benefit night that demands your duckets for a person who could be described as the sweetest in the scene. Scroll down to Saturday and dig deep people.

Thursday: Fans of the Swans will want to make it down to see Gira’s right-hand man Thor & Friends at la Vitrola, with Jon Porras and Gregg Kowalski. 4602 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $13/$10 advance

In case you missed me jazzing in the print issue of Cult MTL this month, I can’t recommend enough the Flying Lotus in 3D show at MTelus. This tour has had people reduced to puddles after having every sense rattled. Opening is Seven Davis Jr. and PBDY. 59 Ste-Catherine E., 8 p.m., $35.50-$41

Friday: The beautiful people at CJLO are helping launch the Health issue of The Link at Casa and to help out with the launch is the dronetastic Aim Low with Slight and Blessed. 4873 St-Laurent, panel discussion 8:30 p.m., music 9 p.m., $7 or PWYC

If you know it’s got the Analogue Addiction stamp of approval, you know it’s gonna be a great gig, so don’t miss the promoters’ next show at l’Esco, featuring Loic April, Look Sacre and Zouz. Best of all, I will be DJing all night, you lucky bastards. 4461 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $12

Turbo Haüs
Turbo Haüs

If you’ve been keeping up with the social media hub bub you may already be hip to the fact that the current digs for Turbo Haüs 2.0 is indeed closing its doors this week but will be going out with a bang before opening the doors to Turbo Haüs 3.0 in a Plateau location that possesses a lot of live music history. If you want to get soused with Sergio this week, you will definitely want to make it down to the Turbo Times II gig with the last show for local grind kings Hashed Out with incredible locals the Great Sabatini, Yautja, Pyyhon, Concealed Blade and Tuni. 5011 Notre-Dame W., 11 p.m., $13/$10 advance

Those of you who are just looking for a straight-up metal show for their Friday night, you should swing by Katacombes to check out Atrophy, Canceric, Speed Terror and Torturer. 1635 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $25/$20 advance

If you who like your riffs served up with a heaping amount of fuzz and psych know-how, you can check out All Them Witches with King Buffalo and Mountain Dust at Théâtre Fairmount. 5240 Parc, 9 p.m., $25.50/$21.50 advance

Or catch the shimmering punk rock of Priors and Bleu Nuit at Brasserie Beaubien. 73 Beaubien E., 10 p.m., $10

Saturday: If you know anything at all about the local live music scene, you know who the people are that remain all heart and just want to provide a stage for up and coming bands to get a start while asking for nothing in return. One of those golden people is Annie, who has manned the Brasserie Beaubien bar since you were in short pants. Annie has been unable to sling the Tremblays at B.B. for the past little while due to some health concerns and could use some $ to keep the lights on. If you give a fuck at all about the local music scene, please show up to her benefit at Brasserie Beaubien featuring her best budz Silver Dapple, Support/Surface, Sun Brimmer, T.I.H.Y.R.M. and much more. Do it!!! 73 Beaubien E., time and price unlisted

You will definitely want to show up for the last official show at Turbo Haüs 2.0 and the last Montreal show for metal/punk legends Trap Them, who are currently on their last tour before putting the nail in it. Opening is Call the Void. This will get messy! 5011 Notre-Dame W., 9 p.m., sold out

For those about to post-rock we salute you! You may want to drag your back patches and coke bottle glasses to le National to check out Do Make Say Think with Joni Void. As jaded as I am, even I have to admit this will be killer. 1220 Ste-Catherine E., 8 p.m., $25/$20 advance

Speaking of killer, one of Canada’s best live bands of all time — the Sadies — will be putting the Gretsch twang into Sala with Motherhood. If you have never seen these geniuses before, just go and thank me later. 4848 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $25/$20 advance

Anybody who knows me knows my favourite watering hole is Barfly, and if it isn’t yours, you’re probably a dick. Come by and help celebrate Barfly’s 21st year of getting people shit-hammered with Megalosonics, Skeleton Club and more. Don’t forget to tip or Gwendolyn will take the bat off the hook. You have been warned. 4062 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., price unlisted

Easily one of the most fun nights you could ask for is Jonathan Toubin’s Night Train Soul Clap event. Watching a room full of people shake it to some serious soul deep cuts years ago at Green Room was nothing short of incredible. Still not convinced? Pale Lips are warming up the dancefloor for ya. This shindig all goes down at le Ritz. 179 Jean-Talon W., 9 p.m., $10/$8 advance

If you like a heaping amount of power in your pop, you will want to make it down to Bistro de Paris to catch Dead Messenger with Mad Ones and my pals Half Measures. 4536 St-Denis, 10 p.m., price unlisted

Current Obsession: Television, Marquee Moon
jonathan.cummins@gmail.com