The king of shock-rock returns to Montreal

Though the holidaze are in the rear-view, January traditionally continues to be low-key when it comes to shows. With the deep freeze in our bones, credit card bills piling in after Xmas and major tours avoiding our frozen tundra, the pickins are slim this week. Things should remain a little slow until February, when we traditionally get cabin fever and just resign ourselves to living in sub-zero climes. There are still some killer shows happening this week, though, including the return of the shining king of shock-rock tonight.

Thursday: Of course there are bands whose laissez faire ‘tude on stage work for them but when a band shows just a smidgen of acknowledgment that they’re actually entertaining a room, I get downright giddy. True, I love Kiss, so take this with a block of salt but icy detachment and that cooler than thou vibe really chafes my taint. As far as rocking the fug out of room and still remaining dangerous after all of these years Montreal ex-pat Corpusse is a cut above. Whenever the big man with gravity-defying follicles comes to town, I will always trumpet his mighty return. If you’re sick of shiddy poli-sci duders/dudettes swishing around on a stage with v-neck sweaters you will want to make it down to Casa and check out this giant. Opening up is the experimental metal duo Sengende and Delorca. Yeppers, this is the big pick of the week. 4873 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $10

Friday: Those fun lovin’ vipers behind the Pretzels will be bringing the racket to Quai des Brumes with the equally enthralling Backxwash and Syngja. 4481 St-Denis, 9:30 p.m., $10

If you missed surf combo the Men in Gray Suits on New Year’s Eve at Turbo Haüs, you can get another chance to dive into their reverby twang at l’Esco, where they’ll be backed by the equally surftastic Grand Kahuna. 4461 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $10

Saturday: All you kids of a certain age who remember the glory days of the Jailhouse will want to point your penny loafers in the direction of Turbo Haüs for the man himself, Domenic Castelli, who will be manning the wheels of steel for a strictly ska dance party. 2040 St-Denis, 8 p.m., absolutely free

Tuesday: Finally, if you’re looking for some good ol’ punk that brims with Hot Snakes-style downstroked superiority, look no further than the triple guitar attack of Barrasso with Pkew Pkew Pkew and the scissor-kicking rock majesty of the Lookout at the lovely watering hole l’Esco. 4461 St-Denis, 8:30 p.m., $16

Current Obsession: The Kinks, Arthur (Or The Decline and Fall of the British Empire) deluxe edition

jonathan.cummins@gmail.com