Baroness shows to see in April

4 Montreal shows you need to see this week

Live music is back with a vengeance in Montreal this month.

As of this writing, I am still reeling from the absolutely action-packed first weekend of April.

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis at Place des Arts. Photos by Susan Moss

Right out of the gate, there was either sold out or nearly sold out shows for the sublime Low, the fire and brimstone of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, the rag-tag nu psych of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, the teeth-gnashing from hardcore giants Circle Jerks and 7 Seconds and finally the dark drone power of Sunn O)))’s Stephen O’Malley. At the shows I was able to squeeze into over the weekend, people were perhaps in the best mood I have ever seen in a room with our natural urge of human communion running free. And the best part is April just keeps on giving, a topic I will hip you L-sevens about in a wee bit.

Here’s the rub though: Although COVID restrictions are loosened up for gigs as we enter the sixth wave and learn to live with the pandemic, we are hardly out of the woods yet. Touring bands and local bands started making their presence known and were breathing new life into our hallowed halls at the end of March. Unfortunately COVID dealt another crushing blow to two small venues that were tearing at the seams with music-starved punters. This of course has resulted in some cancellations while the venue staff get well again so they can keep serving you up suds.

So listen up, Poindexter: Again, we are LIVING with COVID now, so if you feel like you are experiencing some symptoms, even in the slightest, don’t be a complete turd burglar and risk infecting others who are already a bit trepidatious about being shoulder to shoulder with people in a venue. There will be plenty of shows coming up, so if you suspect you might have symptoms, do the right thing and give it a pass for now. Also, stay in school and don’t do drugs, kids!

Now that I’ve waved my finger at you poor puds, here are my big picks for April that you’ll definitely want to put your masks on for. 

April 9 

Pedal nerds and other fans of myopic eyewear and backpacks will definitely want to squeeze the ear plugs in when Mogwai liquify the fillings in your teeth at Théâtre Corona. 2490 Notre-Dame W., 8 p.m., from $44

April 10

Sure, many of you are clambering to get to Turbo Haüs to see the mighty duo from No Fun City, the Pack A.D., and certainly there are enough of you who are willing to take a chance on middle band Strange Breed, but the real Guac in this rock ’n’ roll burrito is openers and local stud muffins the Sick Things. Get there early for these local riff slingers. 2040 St-Denis, 8 p.m., $12/$17

April 14

For whatever reason, I spend a lot of time explaining to pedestrian music listeners (probs waiting for Osheaga) that this is not a metal column, so I won’t push the fact and tell you about Judas Priest and the almighty local answer to Priest and Nwobhm, Metalian, who are both playing this month. But I will tell all of you heshers who were grippin’ tix for Baroness back in February that you can now redeem ’em at the makeup show at le Ritz. 179 Jean-Talon W., 8 p.m., $84

For people who just think guitars are for landlords, lawyers, uncles and other shiddy people, you can get your danger on sans guilt with NYC’s anarcho-fuelled electronic mayhem of Blu Anxxiety, with the equally crucial Mickey Dagger. Openers are Ilusion, at l’Hemisphere Gauche. It’s a youthOfNausea joint, so you know it’s rad. 221 Beaubien E., 9 p.m.

Current Obsession: The Ruts, “The Crack”

This column originally appeared in the April issue of Cult MTL.


See previous editions of Hammer of the Mods here.