6 heavy Montreal shows you need to see in June

June is finally upon us, and along with a great slate of heavy shows coming to Montreal this month, that means that the greatest fest in our burg, Suoni Per Il Popolo, will blot out much of this month’s concert calendar.

This fest has always been bursting with heart, and the real feather in the cap is its potential for discovery. Hanging out in and around Casa del Popolo, you can see everything from free jazz to poetry to artist talks that are sure to surprise as well as illuminate. For their noisiest night of the month, head down to the last announcement in this column.

June 6

Things start off with a bang just as this month’s Cult MTL ish’s ink is barely dry. Serious heavy groove metallists Clutch bubble the bongs and get the heads nodding at MTELUS. Opening up the night of riffs is Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown and Nate Bergman. 59 Ste-Catherine E., 8 p.m. (doors 6:30 p.m.), $32.25/$62.25/$83/$96

June 7

Clutch starting things off for the month of June is no slouch, but those of you who like a bit more bludgeoning in your metal riffage will want to make tracks down to Théâtre Fairmount when the mighty Full of Hell join forces with meme all-stars Harm’s Way. The sweat act is taken up by Kruelty, Jarhead Fertilizer and Clique. This could be the pit of the summer. 5240 Parc, 6 p.m. (doors 5 p.m.), $35.83, all ages

June 18

If you are a myopic, knapsacked young gent who writes code and frequents guitar pedal forums, Ol’ Johnson hasn’t forgotten about ya. You will want to be crossing your arms as This Will Destroy You sets their phasers on “liquify” at Bar le Ritz, with fellow gear nerds Jesse Beaman and (ahem) Death As It Shook You. Next month I’ll teach you how to talk to a real, live girl. 179 Jean-Talon W., 8:30 p.m. (doors 7:30 p.m.), $36.09

June 28

If you’ve been digging the scene coming out of the darker recesses of the U.K. recently (one that hopes you’ve never heard the Cows), you will be astonished by the “original” sounds of Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, who will get noisy at Bar le Ritz with Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol. On Behalf of all of us who get paid by the word, we salute you Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs… oh yes we do, uh, yep. 179 Jean-Talon W., 8:30 p.m. (doors 7:30 p.m.), $36.09

If you go to only one show at Suoni Per Il Popolo this year, better make it this one. Remember when everybody in Montreal was hanging out at Friendship Cove and you couldn’t swing a cat without hitting a noise artist with a collapsable table? Well expect to see those former screamers (who have sadly put down their Fischer Price baby monitors) at the Wolf Eyes gig at la Sotternea with fellow noiseniks Raven Chacon, EarthBall and Tension Nurse. Tylenol and ear plugs will be served up at the bar. 4848 St-Laurent (basement), 9 p.m., $26.06

June 30

If you want to surf up a metallic wave of reverb with some serious go-go boots then you will want to check out the twangy Fenderized tunes of the Surfrajettes at Bar le Ritz. These ladies better bring their A-game, though, because the wild man Bloodshot Bill is the opener and he was absolutely lethal for his Cornwall Pizza 7” launch last month. 179 Jean-Talon W., 8 p.m. (doors 7 p.m.), $30.97

Current Obsession: Robyn Hitchcock, I Often Dream of Trains

I Often Dream of Trains by Robyn Hitchcock

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