10 great gigs in Montreal this week

Believe it or not there isn’t a festival happening in town this week, nada one, but there are still a few rad giggers on the concert calendar. Not only are there tributes to two of punk rock’s finest to ever burst out of New Jersey, a freak-folk freak-out and some snotty punk rock and stomping metal, but it’s also the Black Friday edition of Record Store Day in most of the city’s wax shacks.

Although not as exhaustive as the real-deal Record Store Day in April, there are some seriously amazing titles coming out that will only be available on vinyl tomorrow. On my check list are extremely limited releases from Alex Chilton, Cheap Trick, Devo and Gun Club. Get down to your brick and mortar rekkid store and get them while they’re hot off the presses. To scope the titles available tomorrow, you can click here.

Adding to the low number of gigs this week is the fact that there are a bunch of sick shows that are already sold out. If you don’t have tickets for She Past Away, Pallissade, Leif Vollebekk, Rebbecca Foon, Alex Henry Foster and Manila Grey or Waterboy, yer fugged.

Thursday: There is no choice but to show up to Turbo Haüs tonight for the fuzzy warble punk of Novellas with the Castagne’s and the Rejectors. 2040 St-Denis, 8 p.m., $10

If you dig the downer strum of Townes Van Zandt, you will want to aim yer tear into yer beer with singer/songwriter Amigo the Devil with heavy as fug support from former Chelsea Wolfe collaborator King Dude and Twin Temple at Café Campus. Also a tip of the cap for shows happening on the reg at Café Campus now — I always loved seeing shows in that room. 57 Prince-Arthur E., 8 p.m., $25.50

Friday: For a night of skronking around and mind-expanding experimental fuckery, you will want to point your myopic Utne Reader-subscriber ass to Casa for Jason Sharp, Sharif Sehanaoui and Jerusalem in My Heart’s Radwan Ghazi Moumneh, with openers Enters. 4873 St-Laurent, 9:30 p.m., $10/$13

Down at Turbo Haüs, Capable! are hosting a benefit to help offset the recording costs of their fourth EP. Before Capable!’s headlining set, you can dive into the punk power of Bon Vivant, l’Affaire Pelican and Brand New Lungs. 2040 St-Denis, 8 p.m., $10

Saturday: You know it’s a slow week when I’m bumping cover-band shows but this gig features a tribute to two of New Jersey’s finest and dare I say maybe two of the best punk bands of all time. Show up at Katacombes while you still can and catch the Raymonds (Ramones, duh) and Hungry Ones (the Misfits). 1635 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $10

For some punk/rock with some seriously catchy riffs, you can bow down to the Dirty Nil, who make a return to town at Petit Campus with Dear God. 57 Prince-Arthur E., 8:30 p.m., $21.75

Those of you who dig the motoric groove of Can and Neu! will want to show some support for locals Room Control at Casa with Mr. Hawk, Mercy Flight and Martin Saint in a solo setting. 4873 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $10

Anyone who recognizes that there’s a fine line between stupid and clever should bring yer tired Spinal Tap quotes to Turbo Haüs for the the quirky literate pop of Po Lazarus with Technicolor Dreamers. 2040 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $12

Tuesday: Remember when everybody was freaking out about freak folk? In case you missed it, it was actually terrible as it was just a bunch of Lower East Side trust fund brats with dreadlocks smoking cloves and reading their teenage diary entries at CBGBs just before it turned into a clothing store. The one man from the scene who’s still able to get the hair on the back of yer neck at attention is Devendra Banhart, who gets the Hammer bump this week when he plays at Olympia with Black Belt Eagle Scout. Does anybody remember his first Montreal gig at Sala many moons ago? Twas stellar!! 1004 Ste-Catherine E., 8 p.m., $54

Wednesday: For those of you who are sick of metal bands pushing envelopes and just want some tried and true thrash just like mama used to make, get to Corona for In Flames with Red and the decidedly non-metal monikered Arrival of Autumn (yeesh!!!). 2490 Notre-Dame W., 7:30 p.m., $42

Current Obsession: Renegade: The Lives and Tales of Mark E. Smith (book)

jonathan.cummins@gmail.com