This Weekend in Montreal - Afrobeats, Preemptive Holiday Shopping, Shaolin Dance
FANMI SE FANMI
Hosted by Jahnice, FANMI SE FANMI features roots Wes'li Band, klezmer hip hop with Socalled and all-girl tam tams with Maloukaï at St. James Church on Ste. Catherine tonight. Free admission.
Friday Nocturne
The Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art proposes an evening with Papagroove's brand of syrupy Afrofunk live, tonight, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is only $10 and includes access to museum exhibits. Bar on location. First come, first served as places are limited.
Annual Gem and Mineral Show
The ultimate chic-on-a-budget destination, as long as you compare and contrast exhibitor offerings before buying. Some of the best gem jewelry prices I've ever seen in these parts are at these type of annual gatherings but once again, you have to look carefully. Also, if your loved one likes gemstones and/or making their own jewelry, then you're likely to find the perfect gift. Fossils, jewelry-making supplies, sculptures and other types of artwork will also be for sale. At Place Bonaventure through Sunday.
Sutra
There's only a few tickets left for the Sunday finale dance performance starring 17 young Buddhist warrior monks trained at the Shaolin Temple established in 495 C.E. on Mount Song, in the Henan Province of China.
Watch a clip of Sutra.
Watch a clip of a Shaolin Kung Fu demonstration.
Clothing Blowouts Galore
Find the perfect brand name Christmas gift at bargain basement prices. Point Zero is up to 70% off (women's, men's, children), all Bedo stores in Montreal are selling inventory at 50% off through the weekend, the easygoing look of Mimi & Coco will be on sale, and Ponyride is slashing prices on mid- to high-end designer apparel and accessories.
National Pet Show
Birds, dogs, bunnies and more, at the Olympic Stadium all weekend.
Concerts This Weekend
Mixhell, Think About Life, Simian Mobile Disco Derek Trucks Band and more, this weekend in Montreal.
Maybes ...
Cinemania
Unlike like certain French film festivals in this town that don't go out of their way to make the movies they showcase more accessible -- if it's truly a budget thing, then fine, I understand; otherwise, what a shame you underestimate how many anglos with so so French as well as tourists in need of an on-screen language booster would love to watch the flicks you play, they might even pick up a few new words -- Cinemania subtitles some of the best French cinema to run the international festival circuit over the last year or so.
Coup de Coeur Festival
Gypsy Sound System, Pierre Lapointe with only a piano and more are playing the French music fest this weekend. Website in French only.
For more options, consult your Guide to Montreal in November. It's chock-full of affordable events, family-friendly activities and other stuff to keep you and yours properly occupied.
Wordless Wednesday
Photo © Evelyn Reid
Montreal Christmas 2009: Better Baking, Tiny Tim Auditions and More
Peter Mcdiarmid / Getty Images
Love it, loathe it, you can't avoid it!
Well, that's not entirely true, but should you choose to ignore holiday exit strategies and join the sheeple in celebrating that commercially-imposed stress fest Montreal's delightful Christmas season, then consider the following holiday-related things to do in the next couple of weeks.
In Christmas cooking news, Westmount's quaint culinary bookstore, Appetite for Books, is preparing the masses for holiday baking with a little help from cookbook author/baker Marcy Goldman on Saturday, November 14. Admission is $40 and includes a a baking demo of "completely doable" recipes, a copy of Marcy's latest book, The New Best of Betterbaking.com, and of course, freshly baked samples. Call (514) 369-2002 to reserve a spot.
Meanwhile, theatre company Geordie Productions is calling all aspiring actors ages 7 to 11 who would relish the chance to play Tiny Tim in their upcoming family play based on the classic Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol, running December 4 through December 18. The role is open to all races and gender, no acting experience is required and there won't be any rehearsals so time commitment is relatively low. Selected participants will be simply asked to arrive one hour prior to their assigned performance. All applicants need to do is submit a recent head-to-toe photo and a short letter describing what the best gift they've ever received or given someone was and why. Geordie Productions is selecting up to 26 applicants based on letter creativity and enthusiasm as well as applicants' physical size and time availability. Please send submissions to auditions@geordie.ca or by mail to Geordie Productions, 4001 Berri, Suite #103, Montreal, Qc, H2L 4H2. Application deadline is November 20th. Selected Tiny Tims will be announced November 25.
And for more Christmas-themed fun in the city, happening now through January, keep clicking.
Montreal Events in November
This Weekend in Montreal - Halloween, World Vegan Day, Fall Back
Fall Back
It's time.
Celebrate Halloween
Still no costume? Nowhere to go?
Observe World Vegan Day on Sunday
And if you attempt the vegan experiment for a day -- I tried for a week, failed miserably -- then consider dropping by Aux Vivres for support, attempt some vegan recipes at home, appreciate vegan wear signed Barilà, or check out Sunday's World Vegan Day Fashion Show at La Tulipe. And for active vegans still unaware, I hate to burst your bubbles, but Orange Julep is off limits.
Image + Nation
Canada's largest LGBTA film fest wraps up this weekend with a Sundance award-winning body-dumping family road trip feature, Drool. Other highlights include the holiday-appropriate Zombies of Mass Destruction and John Hurt is Quentin Crisp, an Englishman in New York.
Protest Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Law
Uganda may successfully pass a bill criminalizing homosexuality. If said bill becomes law, punishment for "acts between same-sex couples" will range from life in prison to the death sentence. Demonstration starts on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Berri Square.
Vote!
From who wants your vote to where to vote to what to bring with you to vote this Sunday, November 1st, your Guide to Montreal Municipal Elections has it covered. And with all three mayoral candidates allegedly neck-to-neck, your voice will count more than ever in determining the future of Montreal.
Chinese Garden Lanterns
Last call to experience a Montreal Botanical Garden tradition 17 years strong. Worth a go even if you've seen prior editions: new lanterns are designed here, then produced in Montreal's sister city, Shanghai using traditional methods. On every day from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and same price as admission to the Botanical Garden. Running through Sunday.
Watch Free Animated Films
Either online or on the big screen, courtesy of the National Film Board. Animated film festival runs through Saturday.
Maybes ...
Dance for Jean Leloup
And if he likes your Youtube-posted moves above all others choreographed to his single Old Lady Wolf, then you'll win two tickets to one of his concerts and be awarded the mysterious "Grand Prize of Victory."
Breast Cancer Compensation in Quebec
Were you, or someone you know diagnosed with breast cancer and referred for radiotherapy only to wait more than 12 weeks to begin radiation treatment? If so, and you were referred between October 13, 1997 and March 26, 2009, then you may be eligible for compensation ranging from $350 to $1,000.
Renew Public Transit Student Card ASAP
Usually you'd have until Saturday, October 31st to renew your public transit student card in Montreal but this year, the deadline is extended until November 15, 2009. If you're eligible (e.g., ages 12 to 25 and studying in a recognized educational institution) but forget to apply/renew in time, you'll have to pay full fare until next fall. No exceptions.
Your guide to Montreal in October still has a few more activity suggestions and timely recommendations before it dries up. Stay tuned for your November Guide, a soon-to-be-updated resource packed with everything you need to know to enjoy the next month in Montreal to the fullest.
Wordless Wednesday
Photo © Evelyn Reid
Montreal November Music Events Are Up!
A busy, busy month for music, November is packed with 17 of the city's best acts -- Orange Orange, Malajube, Le Matos, etc. -- playing M for Montreal and another 60 shows are planned with French music fest Coup de Coeur, including tunes by Jipé Dalpé, Gypsy Sound System and Pierre Lapointe onstage with only his piano.
Other fine bets involve the delightful boys of Skinny Puppy (hopefully) cheering up fans with some older samplings (perhaps a few light tracks), the Montreal Symphony Orchestra pares down to four, proposing Schubert's string quartet Death and the Maiden, Lady Gaga tells it like it is and Peaches claims she upped the ante by toning it down. And there's pages more in your Guide to Montreal Music Events in November.
By the way, more shows will be added through Sunday, so check back soon!
This Weekend in Montreal - Slacklines, Designers, Fruit Flies
Montreal International Adventure Film Festival
Films, conferences, and more, don't miss a talk with slackline goof Timmy O'Neill followed by a screening of extreme climbing in The Sharp End.
Image + Nation
A few LGBTA film fest picks for the weekend include forbidden love in a Muslim world with I Can't Think Straight, the musical woes of a fag hag in Fruit Fly, and best bet of the weekend goes to the traveling twins of Donne-moi la main.
Braderie de mode québécoise
Save 50% to 80% on designer labels signed Barilà, Andy Thê-Anh, Christian Chenail and more. This weekend only. Or visit a few sample sales.
International Tourism and Travel Show
Plan your next holiday with 100 countries highlighted throughout the weekend. Folk dances, music, costumes, conferences, arts and crafts, cinema, and surprise activities on location.
Salon Ma Maison
The Complexe Desjardins will be covered with home and renovation exhibitors all weekend. Free admission. Information in French only.
Quebec Storytelling Festival
It's a tale-telling wrap with a Storytelling Swap starring Mike Burns at Hurley's, one of Montreal's favorite Irish pubs. And if you've always wanted to tell a tall tale yourself, this would be the night to go: everyone is welcome onstage.
Concerts This Weekend
La Roux, Thievery Corporation, Shout Out Out Out Out and virtuoso Erno Kallai are performing through the weekend. Details and clips here.
Chinese Garden Lanterns
Time is running out to experience a Montreal Botanical Garden tradition 17 years strong. This year's theme centers on Chinese astronomy. Worth a go even if you've seen prior editions: new lanterns are designed here, then produced in Montreal's sister city, Shanghai using traditional methods. On every day from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and same price as admission to the Botanical Garden. Running through November 1st. Warning: it gets crowded.
Are You Buying Into These Trends?
Ladies, are these spring/summer trends spotted at Montreal Fashion Week doing it for you?
Maybes ...
Consider Getting the Swine Flu Vaccine
Free shots of the H1N1 vaccine are supposed to be available in Quebec as of Monday but it's not yet clear when and where. The priority is on immunizing higher risk groups, including pregnant women, children, heart patients, the obese, and health care workers. Details on when and where you can get vaccinated will be available here.
Find a Halloween Costume
There's a costume shop for every taste and price in Montreal.
For a more exhaustive list of events, consult your Guide to Montreal in October, wth details of what's happening in the city, from festivals to museum exhibits, kid-friendly fun and money-saving finds.
Speechless Thursday
Wordless Wednesday
Photo © Evelyn Reid