Features

Montréal's 10th annual ComicCon ended on Sunday after a three-day celebration of geek culture. This being my first Comic-Con, I wasn't really sure of what to expect, but I was still pleasantly surprised. I attended a variety of events, but I'm going to talk about the two I enjoyed the most: BattleCOM and the DreakHacks Gaming Zone.

When trying to get a record label off the ground, patience really is a virtue.

That’s the belief at least of Julien Manaud, co-founder of local independent label Lisbon Lux Records, which has made a name for itself in Montreal for the past five years, serving up some of the best in electronic pop in both of Canada’s official languages.

Patience is such a hallmark for Manaud that albums delivered by the label’s artists require months of preparation for choreographing their launch to ensure maximum exposure. Quite a few album release dates have been pushed back to achieve this goal.

Contemporary dance is a language that most people don’t realize they can speak. It can be uncomfortable to watch strangers use their bodies in unfamiliar ways to communicate ideas and stories, and the result is a certain degree of reluctance to seek out contemporary dance as a form of entertainment. If this sounds familiar to you, then I encourage you to expand your horizons and attend Non.Sense. It was a powerful exploration of emotional connections and the concept of creating and understanding tension. It is an ideal piece to see whether you are only entering the sphere of movement art or if you are a seasoned dancer or choreographer.

What the Hell Happened to My Patio Furniture?! is improviser and storyteller Joshua Budman’s first Fringe show! After years of performing improv and volunteering at the festival, Budman created a hilarious and incredibly charming one-person show about the real life disappearance of his patio furniture from his 16th floor apartment.

The 30^th edition of the Francofolies de Montréal festival—now called the Francos de Montréal—is upon us. From June 8^th to June 17^th, the Quartier des Spectacles will be filled with the cream of the crop of Quebec’s Francophone music scene and artists from the international Francophonie. As an Anglophone, puzzlement may be the reaction to most if not all of the acts on the bill at this year’s Francos. Have no fear though, because CJLO has got you covered on the most worthwhile shows to catch during the festival. The best part? All the below recommendations are free to see!

Paupière (Friday, June 8 @ 8 PM, corner of de Maisonneuve and Clark)

Montreal’s Fringe Fest has officially begun! Now is the perfect time to pick up the program and start planning which shows you want to see. But sometimes, the short descriptions of shows can be vague. When in doubt, there’s Fringe-For-All, a chance for media and spectators to get a short preview of each show. Artists are given two minutes of stage time to do whatever they want. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a scene from their show, but it’s an opportunity to introduce the themes, the overall plot or the characters. At the one-minute mark, the lights will flicker to give a warning. If the artists go beyond two-minutes, the sound will cut and the lights will go out.

The month of May is upon us. Japanese music nerds all across Canada rejoice: another edition of Next Music from Tokyo is coming!

Next Music from Tokyo (NMFT) is a series of DIY tours showcasing relatively unknown bands from all over Japan (despite its name) organized and funded entirely by anesthesiologist, music aficionado, and all-around good guy Steven Tanaka. It’s been running since 2010, and the last edition, volume 11, was in October 2017.