Local bands rule the Montreal concert scene this week

Lately I’ve been bursting the bandwidth trying to squeeze in all the shows that have been cramming Montreal punters into hallowed halls since the bars opened up again. With more shows happening weekly than ever before, the underground music scene has responded with more and more shows selling out then ever before but…uh, this week is definitely playing possum. 

With all of the bigwig promoters and touring bands slowing down, this week is all about the local dives and the local bands that populate them. For more touring band shows, check back here next week, but if it’s been ages since you frequented the small- or mid-sized rooms in the city and checked out a solid bill of locals, then this week is waiting with open arms. 

Friday: Punk rock will never die, and proving that are next-gen punx Capable!, who’ll be putting sweat on the walls of Da Turb with l’Affaire Pelican and the cutey patootie/furious tantrum sounds of Boring Girls. 2040 St-Denis, 8 p.m., $10

If the punk rawk thang ain’t yer bag, you can march on down to the mighty, mighty l’Esco to check out the dreampoppy shoegaze of Spicer Lovejoy with Anguilles and Feel or Avoid. Another bonus is to stick around after the show and get your dance party started on one of the best dancefloors in town. 4461 St-Denis, 8:30 p.m., $15/PWYC

Fhang is a somewhat new rad duo on the block that features some scene stalwarts that have been gracing our local stages for a spell. Tonight they’re right in the middle of their three-night stint at Casa (I’m beginning to see a local trend here). If you dig your ’80’s beatz guided by Krautrock propulsion, you will want to set your coordinates for Casa, where Tamayuge will open. Their jams on YouTube were the boss-hoss, so you don’t want to miss this. 4871 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $12.63

Saturday: What do you mean you missed the Fhang gig at Casa last night? Poseur!!! You can redeem yourself on Saturday as Fhang cap off their Casa shows with special guest Erika Angell. 4871 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $12.63

How many of you kids are down with the soul punk explosion? Y’know, the children of MC5 like Zen Guerrilla and the Bellrays? Well if you love the screech and scream of Wilson Pickett mixed in with your speed, you’ll want to make it down to God’s favourite watering, Barfly, to catch the mighty Equator from T dot. Headed up by the main man from Shikasta and the Mercy Now, Russ Fernandez, this is guaranteed to be a major rager. My power pop band the Low Sixes are going to open up the night, so come on by and bring me all of your cocaine. Fer reelz though, I don’t like cocaine, I just love the way it smells. 4062A St-Laurent, 9:30 p.m., $10

I fuggin’ love that Turbo Haüs’s is putting on absolutely free shows. It’s true that shows are getting completely ludicrous with pricing, and this financial relief care of Sergio & co. is a genius idea. I love dem Turb kids despite the fact that they host emo nights. (Uh, in case you were wondering “emo” is short for “emotional music.” Yep.) On Saturday, you can check out Kennedy, Funeral Flowers (I can only pray this band is made up of pouty teens) and Slow Drain. If that wasn’t enough, Da Turb is featuring a disco dance party after the gig, and guess what? It’s free too!!! (The catch is their coat check charge is $2,600.) 2040 St-Denis, 8 p.m., free!!!

Wednesday: If you like your sludgey wudgey with a good dose of freaky deaky, you will definitely want to let the ooze pour out slowly at Casa for Oslo’s avant garde duo Moe. Making this a gig not to missed is local duo Some Became Hollow Tubes (terrible band name, utterly adorable people), made up of members from gy!be and thisquietarmy. Opening up this night of shoulder-patched-blazer-heaviosity is the doom ambient sounds of Hellenica. Warning: pipe-smoking at Casa is still frowned upon and illegal, so don’t get any wise ideas, Poindexter. However, chin-stroking is still strongly encouraged, as long as it’s your own chin. 4871 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $13/$15

Thursday: Alrighty, I have made it almost to the end of the week and am saving my big pick of the week for last. If you’re digging the heavy, heavy psych of Hawkwind, Umma Gumma-era Pink Floyd or Tab-era Monster Magnet, you will want to make it down to Da Turb to catch the rad jams of Philly’s Ecstatic Vision. Making this extra rad are locals Hazehound, who bring the stoner doom of a young Electric Wizard, and opening is the pride of Sherbrooke, Occult Witches, whose blues-fueled noodling will make it absolutely necessary to make the early door time here. Creepy Crawl!!! 2040 St-Denis, 8 p.m., $13/$15

Current Obsession: Low, Trust

---

For more Montreal music coverage, please visit the Music section.