Swervedriver

Shoegaze gods descend on one of Montreal’s smallest venues

PLUS An incredible metal double bill, an actual evil elf (?) and more killer gigs this week.

Holy fug, this week is just straight-up awesome for great shows. There are some sweet benefits that could really use your help, an incredible metal double bill that will piss off most True Cvlt rivet heads, an evil elf and one of my favourite bands of the ’90s, a booking that has me pinching myself as it was only confirmed a couple of days ago and it’s happening in a venue that could be the smallest room the band has played since the late ’80s. Freak out!!!

Thursday: There are a couple of benefits for some great local hardcore fests happening tonight, the first being the new kids on the block I Can’t Believe It’s Not Paris, featuring the electra dance of Dregqueen, the post-punk of Broken Column and the debut of Taylor Hoodlum’s new jammer Mickey Dagger at la Vitrola. 4602 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $10/PWYC/NOTAFLOF

Another benefit you should be going to is for the family of Nicholas Gibbs, the 23-year-old who was fatally shot by Montreal police in 2018. This is happening at la Sotterenea with Gashrat, Vitex, a reading by Alex Moskos and DJs. 4848 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., by donation

Friday: If you’re a curmudgeonly fucker and think there hasn’t been a good rock band since the end of the ’70s, you would be partially right and will definitely want to be at Katacombes for a tribute to Motörhead with Iron Fist. Opening is a tribute to the greatest bruddahs from Queens — the Ramones — care of the Raymonds. 1635 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $10

Anyone who was at the sold out Lucifer show at Turbo Haüs last Tuesday will want to keep your proto metal/heavy psych riffage rolling with Graveyard and the overhyped Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats at Théâtre Corona. Definitely don’t miss Graveyard if you’re digging the rivers of sludge that are currently bubbling up from underground metal. 2490 Notre-Dame W., 7 p.m., $40

On a completely different but equally amazing tip as Graveyard, the duo Buke and Gase — who make their own stringed instruments and use polyrhythms to tell their story — are playing Casa. Their 2010 jammer Riposte remains a favourite. 4873 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $12/$15

For something that just goes great with numerous Jager shots, live karaoke experience Urockaoke is going down at Turbo Haüs. As an added benefit, you can watch me DJ the punk rawk on the bar side as Sergio screams at me. Win/win. 2040 St-Denis, 8 p.m., $10

Saturday: For a night of exquisite psych-pop, head down to Barfly for Eryn Temple. 4062A St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $5

The second benefit for a hardcore festival is raising funds for A Varning From Montreal, a festival that has earned an international reputation with a ton of international bands yet still remains in a room with a small capacity (Katacombes). You can help out this great fest at their homebase while getting your punk on to Endform (who also are launching their record Global Holocaust), the d beat of Sights of War and Illicit. 1635 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $10

Swervedriver

Sunday: This is easily my big pick of the week and as of this writing there are miraculously still tickets left. Just confirmed mere days ago, the almighty shoegaze gods Swervedriver will liquefy the cozy confines of Turbo Haüs with strong support from Sick Things. This may be the only time a full-fledged tour bus will try and squeeze into Turbo’s tiny back parking lot. 2040 St-Denis, 7 p.m., $20

If you missed the days of Suuns already, fear not as the band’s frontman Ben Shemie is banging out of the gate and will be blowing minds at Sala with opener Emilie Payeur. 4848 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $5.75

For a night of sheer fun, check out Aussie duo the Gooch Palms with the skate punk of Hood Rats and Dishpit at l’Esco. 4461 St-Denis, 8 p.m., $10/PWYC

For something that is just straight-up funny a fuck, you can check out the human elf himself: Motriis plays Petit Campus with openers Braveren. Expect to see a lot of poseurs who were at The Cradle of Filth show on Saturday. 57 Prince-Arthur E. p.m., $24/$28

Wednesday: The Swervedriver show on Sunday has me tickled pink but my extremely close second big pick would be the killer double bill of Baroness and Deafheaven at Théâtre Corona. Truthfully I don’t dig Baroness’s new line-up as much as their blow doors Red/Blue era but they can still teach most other so-called progressive metal bands a thing or two. Also contrary to the True Cvlt keyboard tappers on metal forums that are pissed as fuck at “hipster metal,” Deafheaven’s blaster Sunbather remains one of my all-time favourite metal albums — so take that, Internet metal warriors!!! 2490 Notre-Dame W., 7:30 p.m., $39.50

Current Obsession: Robert Fripp, Under Heavy Manners

jonathan.cummins@gmail.com