Saluting one of the best bars in Montreal

There is a whole ass-load of shows going down this week but the one gigger happening over the weekend that I’m really chuffed about is Barfly’s birthday celebration.

Owner Antman will blow out 23 candles on his smoked meat cake and I would just like to spill a bit of bandwidth here to congratulate him and his staff past and present on over two decades well served. I have never been shy telling anybody who will listen that Barfly is one of the best watering holes in the world. A great staff of real-deal music fans man the taps and, for reasons that truly boggle the mind, the tiny bar always sounds great despite a fairly humble P.A. system and a mixing board that is being run by a bartender in-between pours. They still manage to provide a free stage to an eclectic list of bands and have absolutely zero pretension. God love the Barfly and much thanks to Antman and staff for putting up with my drunken spiels from my barstool perch about how much I hate the Cro Mags being played at ear-shattering volumes!!! For their weekend birthday plans, slide down to Friday and Saturday’s announcement.

Friday: Turbo Haüs starts off their weekend with two hardcore bands from Pittsburg: Rat Nip and Heavy Discipline get the circle pit started while I get behind the wheels of steel on the bar side. What can I say? I’m shameless. 2040 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $10

Montreal electronic duo Pelada launch their new rekkid Movimiento Para Cambio with their buds Dregqueen, Backxwash and Honeydrip at la Vitrola. 4602 St-Laurent, 9:30 p.m., $10/$15

Barfly starts off its two-night birthday celebrations with a real rager that should collapse in a drunken heap by last call. You can catch the power pop kerrang of Dead Messenger with Ian Blurton’s (C’mon, Public Animal, Bionic) Future Now completely laying waste and the Enchanters taking up the sweat-act slot and getting everybody lubed. This will surely be a great gig for the ages, but get there early if you want to squeeze in. 4062A St-Laurent, 10 p.m., price not listed

Saturday: The Barfly birthday celebrations continue with Fast Food Fairies (new version of Speed Fairies?), Barfly stalwarts Ashtray Heart and the Pop Sicles. If you’re doing the whole b-day weekend, don’t be shocked to see the exact same people as Friday night at Barf. 4062A St-Laurent, 9 p.m., price not listed

For a night of heavy, sludgy rock, make it down to Turbo Haüs to catch the downtuned dirge of Buffalo Theory with Tunguska Mammoth and Dawning Rage. 2040 St-Denis, 7:30 p.m., $10/$15

The beautiful losers at Analogue Addiction have picked up stakes from their regular haunt l’Esco and planted them at the absolutely swell swill bar Brasserie Beaubien. Saturday night finds them hosting NYC’s Weeping Icon playing footsies under the table with Heathers, while the always dynamic and punctual band the Pretzels open up the night. 73 Beaubien E., 9 p.m., $10

Fans of goth are gonna be extra gloomy come Sunday as the popular goth dance night Nevermore will be bidding their adieu at Katacombes after 10 years of dutiful service. You can kiss it all goodbye with your ever-faithful DJ duo Mr. Black and Faith and a special live performance by band Hotel Noir. None more black. 1635 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., free

Monday: If I got a nickel every time I called Sam Shalabi a stud-muffin in this column, I would be eating a Snickers bar right now. Surely Shalabi has been poring over every word of this column for years now and must have a resulting self-image that is better than Steven Seagal. If you want to see this truly talented composer and performer conduct some of Montreal’s best musicians, you can catch Land of Kush at Sala with Nadah El Shazly. 4848 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $20/$25

For a night of decidedly heavy metal/rock, you could do a lot worse than making your way down to l’Esco to catch Demolition Derby with support from noisey noiseniks Tu/Lips. 4461 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $10

Tuesday: Although Halloween is behind us, it’s still prime time to catch the falsetto shrill-thrill of King Diamond when he hits vocal notes only dogs can hear with the heavy as ballast support of Uncle Acid and the Dead Beats and Idle Hands at Mtelus. 59 Ste-Catherine E., 7 p.m., $41

Current Obsession: The Pop Group, Y

jonathan.cummins@gmail.com