Shows so good they’ll jolt you out of hibernation

Well another year is over for the Taverne Tour, which ended last weekend, and by all accounts it ran smooth as silk and was easily the most attended edition so far. My hat is off to all of the organizers, bands and punters who stuffed the local satellite venues orbiting around the St-Denis/Mont-Royal intersection.

For once I have no festivals to report this week but there is plenty happening around town to get you off of your February hibernation couch.

Friday: One of the best punk rock nights in the city goes down every time the Punk Police lug their dusty vinyl up the stairs of North Star. If you haven’t checked this night out yet and love the punk rock, you have to make this scene. 3908 St-Laurent, 10 p.m., price unlisted

For a night of good ol’ metal and punk, you should be marching down to Katacombes for Dizastra, Bats in the Belfry, Gutser and Jesus Horse. 1635 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $10

L’Esco has got a good one for the stoned and drooling shoegazers when they host King Buffalo with local warriors Mountain Dust. If this seems like your jam, skip on down to Saturday’s show announcement at la Sotterenea. 4461 St-Denis, 8:30 p.m., $15/$17

On the flippity flop, you can catch the traditional folk and country pickins of the Devil Makes Three with Bucky Harris at Corona. 2490 Notre-Dame W., 8 p.m., $50

Saturday: Alrighty, if you dug the King Buffalo show and want to keep your space jams rocking (and gently nodding), you should be swinging by la Sotterenea for the Dead Meadow/Six Organs of Admittance-like jams of Population II with budz with budz Blood Skin Atopic. 4848 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $7

If you want to get into some solid DIY community action, as hosted by stand-up peeps, you can try and find out where the Rocket Science Room is and check out the synth pop of T-dot performing rock group Zinnia with In Hock. Better get your secret decoder ring out for this one. Secret location, 8 p.m., $10

For a great night of experimental music at the awesome Brasserie Beaubien, you can check out the duo of Tamara Filyavich and Alexandre St-Onge going under the moniker Paraphonique with Cob and the space doom of Cosmonaute. 73 Beaubien E., 9 p.m., $10

Many times I have looked back and wondered what truly majestic rock moves I have witnessed. Probably one of my faves would be when the guitarist of White Cowbell Oklahoma put a slide on his dick and played the solo for “Free Bird.” Yessiree, still burned into the memory banks. If you have never witnessed the rawk spectacle that is White Cowbell Oklahoma, you can see their huge show in the comfy confines of Turbo Haüs, with opener Bad Uncle. This is an early show, so you have been warned. 2040 St-Denis, 11 p.m., $12/$15

Wednesday: Turbo Haüs are on fire this week with members of the Blue Man Group shedding the blue goop and going under the name of Tinnitus while playing metal covers all night. This should prove to be just swell. This is Turbo Haus, so it ends early — got it?! 2040 St-Denis, 8 p.m., $10

If you made the Devil Makes Three gig on Friday and want to keep the twang in yer head ringing, you should make it down to Casa for Li’l Andy and El Coyote. 4873 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $15.65

Finally, if you want to make a difference as well as get a sloppy grin plastered on your face, head to l’Esco to catch a benefit gig for Camp Unist’ot’en with Random Recipe, Gigi French and Cou Coupé. 4461 St-Denis, 8 p.m., by donation

Current Obsession: Black Sabbath, Paranoid

jonathan.cummins@gmail.com