9 great Montreal shows that aren't sold out, including the horror event of the month

I’m starting to sound redundant with my constant reminders about shows that are sold da fug out but this week repeats the fairly new Montreal trend. Instead of blithering on about the unseasonal weather over the weekend, I will just start things off with the shows that are sold out — because God forbid you show up to the venues looking like an ass clown. If you were hoping to cross your arms and sway to the post rock fretboard tapping loops of Russian Circles with Rezn at Fairmount then guess what? (duh duh duh) Sold out! Finally death metal legends and a band that has played Montreal about 27 times, Cannibal Corpse, are pulling into town yet again with the heavy duty support of Dark Funeral and Immolation at MTelus, so I guess you can just saunter down….. oops, (duh duh duh) sold out.

Hopefully I saved some of you rascally rabbits a fruitless journey on the metro, but do yourself a favour and start getting into the swing of buying tickets before the show as things are hardly cooling down on the selling out front. In fact, if you want to squeeze into the “heavy” show of the week, better scoot on down to Monday’s announcement and get that credit card primed, as it’s sure to sell out before the band can even find parking on St-Denis.

Friday: Me? I love my punk rock and if it’s proto-punk or first wave NYC punk, I’m all over that shit like white on rice. A night that seems almost tailor-made for me is happening at le Ritz when they combine two punk rock films focusing on proto-punk and first wave, Nightclubbing: The Birth of Punk Rock in NYC and the short film Sid: The Final Curtain. Yes!!! Making it even radder is that the cover band trend continues with a show after the films that include Dangereens paying tribute to the New York Dolls, the Tina Trons paying tribute to Blondie, Devo and the B52’a, Taxi Girls (praying they got their name from the the Real Kids’ numbah) paying tribute to Ramones, Gun Club and (gulp) Nikki and the Corvettes (!!!) and Marlena Moore paying tribute to the Undertones and Buzzcocks. If that wasn’t enough, the crime-fighting DJ duo Punk Police will keep things spinning in-between bands and movies and serving it up fast and loose until last call. And they told me rock ‘n’ roll was dead in Montreal — ha, I say. Ha! 179 Jean-Talon W., 7 p.m., movies and show, $27.13, show $21.23

Continuing their three night hold over on Casa local wizards of musical fuckery Crabe hit their second night stride of their stint at Casa and have brought along their pals Hubert Lenoir and Kaya Hoax. If you have not seen this duo, woven from majik, you need to stop pulling the pud to Netflix and get down to this. 4871 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $15/$20

Saturday: Crabe finally put the boot in at Casa after three completely distinct sets over the course of three consecutive nights. Helping them cap it off is Phil Console and N Nao. 4871 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $15/$20

Remember two years ago when punk shows dared not charge more than $5 at the door? If you said no, you’re a poseur. The third installment of Search for the Sun gets underway at Sala and along with the hefty door charge you can punk out to Electric Chair, Poison Ruin, Hotline TNT, Ultrarat, Faze (maybe Montreal’s best current punk band?), Blemish and Nada. Punk rock at Sala is always killer so crush those cans in the parking lot and aim your Chuck Taylors up Sala’s stairs. 4848 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $37.02

Normally I would’ve given the title of hardest working band of the week to the Tina Trons, but Crabe beat ’em by a nose. Fresh from their condensed set at le Ritz on Friday, the Tina Trons — everybody’s fave new wavers — will let it all hang out at Barfly with two sets of razor sharp new wave, power pop and post-punk. 4062A St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $5 suggested admission

If you wouldn’t mind getting out of the city and getting the most out of the foliage and mild weather while you still can, take the drive down to the Thirsty Boot and catch Plants and Animals in a cozy small setting. The drive alone will be like a moving oil painting, so uh, also take acid — it’s totally cool. 25 Chemin Bolton Pass (West Bolton, Quebec), 7 p.m., $29

Monday: Okay, if you automatically skipped down to the Monday announcements from my intro, you’re definitely going to want to buy tickets right fucking now for da Peg’s decibel blasters Ken Mode, who will blow yer puny brain to bits from close range at Turbo Haüs. You know Da Turb is tiny and Ken Mode are mighty so the combo will be lethal. If you need another push to grab tix in advance and ensure you don’t sit on a fence, Frail Body and the Great Sabatini-associated band Cell Press will be blasting pure ballast. Hurry up, get the tickets now. Because before you know it, it will be (duh duh duh) SOLD OUT!!! 2040 St-Denis, 7:30 p.m., $23.54

My fave show of the week and probably of the month is happening at la Tulipe, where Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin will help celebrate the 45th anniversary of Dario Argento’s chilling horror masterpiece Suspiria. Simonetti and his current crop of Goblins will perform a live score alongside a screening of the film, followed by a Goblin greatest hits set that will have me saucer eyed and drooling. Best of all, at least for old crusty fux like me, this is a seated show!!!! Get tickets now or forever stuff yer gobs. Adding to the pure awesomeness, this is all happening at la Tulipe. Halloween forever! 4530 Papineau, 8 p.m., $62.50 for main floor/ $52.50 for balcony

Tuesday: Finally, Tool offshoot Puscifer is playing l’Olympia with openers Night Club. 1004 Ste-Catherine E., 8 p.m., $81

Current Obsession: Elvis Presley, The Sun Years

Elvis Presley, The Sun Years

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