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News for June 17th, 2015
City councillors are pushing for a stronger stance on Quebec's proposed anti-tobacco legislation.
According to the Montreal Gazette, eight councillors, including NDG-Cote-des-Neiges' Marvin Rotrand and Lachine's Claude Dauphin, are asking not only to increase cigarette prices- but also to ban them in playgrounds, beaches, and athletic fields.
Quebec's proposed legislation would ban smoking and vaping in various places such as inside vehicles with minors under 16 years old, in between apartment buildings, and outside terraces of bars and restaurants.
Anti-smoking lobbyist Dr. Geneviève Bois says these new ideas can help eventually discourage Quebeckers from buying tobacco, while adding an extra stream of revenue to the provincial government with the increase.
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A new law has been proposed to increase the severity of the penalties for drunk drivers who take or injure lives on the roads.
According to the Toronto Sun, Justice Minister Peter Mackay presented the proposed bill, called the dangerous and impaired driving act, on Tuesday.
A mandatory minimum 6 year sentence has been proposed in the new bill for cases involving death, instead of the current 1 000 dollar fine, and the maximum penalties for driving while impaired will be doubled.
Impaired driving is reportedly the number one cause of criminal death in Canada.
The legalization procedures won't begin until the elections this fall.
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Republican businessman and television personality Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the American presidential election Tuesday morning.
According to the Washington Post, Trump made his declaration in a disorganized 1700 word speech which he delivered to a few hundred tourists who he had given free merchandise to.
Trump is in ninth place in the Washington Post’s polls, and it is becoming more and more likely that he will participate in the first presidential debate taking place in Cleveland August 6th.
Engone Endong on Champions of the Local Scene: 5pm
Tonight at 5pm on a special edition of Champions of the Local Scene, we are pleased to have an interview with producer-beatmaker-scientist of sound Engone Endong! June 18th will mark the release of Engone Endong's new album #OKENG, which will be the first release on new Montreal label Unlog (listen to Unlog's label profile from Champs last week!)
#OKENG is an inspiring beat tape infused with african beats, produced by Engone Endong, drawing influence from his Hip-Hop beginnings in Libreville, Gabon. Engone moved to Montreal in 2005 and has been active in both live performances and in the studio- tune in tonight to hear more! In the meantime, here's the backstory behind #OKENG:
"Influenced by African Tradition, Japanese Shinto and futuristic sounds, #OKENG, meaning “SWORD” in his mother tongue Fang, is also an initiatic journey into the African Culture through samples from Mvett , Highlife, Bwiti and Afrobeat. This project is an expression of his Inner Self through a cartooned dimension created by Tonton Essono Le Manifik depicting the transformation from an african past to an enlightened future."
Check out the first single Atarega and tune in tonight at 5pm, with Sugarface Nene of Beat the World as your host!
June 17th, 2015
Hosted by: Catlin Spencer
Stories by: Tom Matukala, Saturn de Los Angeles, Patricia Petit-Liang
Produced by: Emeline Vidal
FRINGE 2015: In Search of Mrs. Pirandello astounds
In Search of Mrs. Pirandello is an enthralling and vivid play that boasts an ingenious script, a cast of superb actors and a refreshingly original thesis.
- June 16th (Tuesday) at 7:00 pm
- June 18th (Thursday) at 7:00 pm
- June 19th (Friday) at 7:00 pm
- June 20th (Saturday) at 1:00 pm
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Marilla Steuter-Martin is part of CJLO’s Official Fringe Team covering the sights and sounds from the 2015 St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival.
You can follow her on Twitter @MKSteuterMartin
Towanda on Fear of Music: Tues @ 4pm
Montreal-based rock 'n' roll femme power trio Towanda came by CJLO's Oven Studio recently to record a session (one that we could hear clear across the courtyard!) We are excited to debut this session on Fear of Music tomorrow (Tuesdays @ 4pm) and to have Towanda back in the studio for an interview! Towanda will be playing CJLO Fringe Tunes (Friday, June 19) at Parc Des Ameriques in The Montreal Fringe Festival, a co-presentation between CJLO and Fringe! Towanda will start the day at 4pm, and will be followed by a solid line-up of No Aloha, Heathers, Kurvi Tasch, Archery Guild, Fragile Feet. Tune in at 4pm tomorrow to hear the latest audio goods- baked fresh in the Oven and get pumped for Friday!
FRINGE 2015: Shy Shy in SPACE! Is out of this world
It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that cosmic swing!
Shy Shy in SPACE! is science fiction jazz fantasy brought to life by the talented Shy Shy Schullie, Erick Francois and legendary burlesque artist Lady Josephine. Written and directed by Patrick Charron, Shy Shy in Space is a musical of galactic proportions!
In the play, Shy Shy is sent to space by NASA to perform a televised jazz event! This is all done to challenge the Russian government, who sent opera baritone Boris Grosbrasnik into space to perform not too long before them. The story takes Shy Shy across the galaxy and has an unexpected twist as Shy Shy finds herself in a campy, Barbarella-inspired turn of events.
A multimedia spectacle, Shy Shy Schullie mesmerized audience members with her sultry lounge-y take on well-known songs like The Final Countdown, Mister Lonely, Blue Moon and The Age of Aquarius.
The videos of the stars and far away galaxies playing in the background enchanted me and the rest of the audience, immersing us into director Patrick Charron’s atomic 1960’s dream. Benoit McDuff (who was in charge of video and sound) cleverly blended in vintage black and white videos from the 1960s into the show. The cheesy cereal ads and footage of John F. Kennedy were delightful to the eyes and really helped set the show’s retro-futuristic atmosphere in place.
The musical talent was provided by mechanical hepcats Zachary Scholes on keyboard, Dominic Caterina on guitar, Patrick Latreille on bass, Sebastian Balk-Forcione on drums, and Josh Fuhrman who blew us all away with his amazing saxophone solos. All of the musicians performed every piece perfectly and with great expertise.
Because of the way the speakers were placed at the venue, every note they played resonated with me. The show wouldn’t have been the same if it wasn’t for the stellar musical abilities of the “automata quintet” and I think that they deserve nothing but praise for their performance.
Shy Shy Schullie stole the show with her beautiful singing voice. Her voice is capable of being both powerful, yet delicate and she was able to convey subtle emotions into every musical number. When she sang, it felt like she meant every single word that she was singing and the audience was completely captivated by her haunting voice. She also succeeded in portraying an extremely loveable character, who kept a warm and hopeful disposition when facing the cold, mechanical atmosphere of space.
There really isn’t enough that I can say about Shy Shy’s performance. She never broke character and was able to perform with an astounding level of passion and skill that any singer or actor could ever hope to attain. Shy Shy Schullie truly is a star!
Erick Francois (as Boris Grosbrasnik) and Lady Josephine (as Queen Vendella) both had considerably smaller roles than Shy Shy, but were able to shine during their performances. As both of their characters were introduced to the piece, the show loosened up and became a lot sillier.
Lady Josephine remained both sensual and menacing during her performance and danced around Shy Shy like a graceful (but hungry) praying mantis.
Erick Francois dawned a shiny silver spacesuit reminiscent of something from a science fiction b-movie. He played the perfect hero with his bold, macho demeanor and impressed us all with his fantastic singing voice.
If you like science fiction or just want to enjoy a night of amazing music, then Shy Shy in SPACE! Is the one Fringe show you absolutely can’t miss!
Shy Shy in SPACE! is performed at Petit Campus until Sunday, June 21st! You can buy tickets online here, or at the door.
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Patricia Petit Liang is part of CJLO’s Official Fringe Team covering the sights and sounds from the 2015 St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival.
She also hosts Fatal Attraction every Sunday morning from 11am – 12pm, only on 1690AM in Montreal and online at CJLO.com. Follow her show Tumblr, at @fatalattraction1690am
FRINGE 2015: Doggy Dans Gravel
June 12th. Friday night. Still soaking wet from the pouring rain outside. I speed through the streets to arrive at the doors of La Chapelle in sight.
7:37. Great. I’m already late for the premiere performance of Doggy dans gravel (aka Doggy). I try to mumble some sort of excuse to the lady at the door. She signals me to stop making a scene and just enter the room.
I hurry. I sit on the stairs right next to the theatre benches as quietly as I can be...
And guess what? Doggy definitely grew to became one of the best shows I have seen this year overall. Let me explain why.
Produced by Théâtre Kata, this play is helmed by Olivier Arteau-Gauthier, a young twenty-something man who is both credited as playwright and director.
The play is unbearably loud, provocatively unsubtle, over the top vulgar, a rigmarole of carefully thought out sceneries, choreographies, vibrant images, gorgeous colours, opera singing. The list goes on.
Actually, the list never seems to stop. Olivier’s artistic background is quite impressive – ranging from dancing to Belarus theatre studies – and he puts them all into good use.
But this isn’t Théâtre Kata and Olivier’s first collaborative project together as a Troupe. Their last production was in 2014, called Le Monstre. That play earned them a pair of awards from the Centre des Auteurs Dramatiques (CEAD), a local francophone drama and performing arts school, for Most Promising Author and Best Francophone Play, including a couple of Frankie awards from the 2014 Montreal Fringe Festival.
And if you’re into Montreal’s local performing arts scene, Olivier Arteau-Gauthier is who you should keep an eye out for.
In Doggy, his work and text are supported by a team of dedicated actors, who bring energy, vitality and strength to a text already pulsating with all those things. Without forgetting the team of Théâtre Kata and Vincent Roy on the eclectic soundtrack.
And the show ends. Just like that. The actors invite the audience for a two-for-one special at the bar Le Jockey on St-Zotique.
After the show, Olivier had his broom in hand as we helped the actors and production crew clean up the room. I felt terrible asking Olivier for a few minutes on the side to speak to me. Here's what we talked about, as always, translated into English from the original French-language interview.
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Frantz: Why is everything so over the top in your show? The dance movements are heavy. The images are in your face. The text is so crude.
Olivier: I like to see my theater as kinetic. I’m all about movement and physically. Those are the things I take from my training.
Frantz: From the way you describe your text in your promotional tracks to your interviews, you give the impression that it’s all quite obscure and inaccessible, when you’re play (and even yourself) are quite the opposite. Why is that?
Olivier: That’s simply to give seriousness (sérieux) and gravitas to what I do. I don’t want people coming in discrediting all the hardwork that is put into this play, or any of my plays from the get go. I want them to give it a fair and honest intellectual appreciation despite its integration of “pop” and “pop” aspects.
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Doggy dans gravel is a French-language play happening at La Chapelle Theatre, located 3700 Saint Dominique, until June 21th.
Learn more on this play by visiting their Fringe Festival Page here. Also, don’t miss the other Théâtre Kata’s other production, Le Monstre, happening at ZOOFEST.
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Frantz-Patrice Séïde Cameau is part of CJLO’s Official Fringe Team covering the sights and sounds from the 2015 St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival.
You can contact Frantz by via email: lobster.mtl@gmail.com
Photo credit: Pierre Castera
News for June 15th 2015
By Tom Matukala
The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) completed moving of all their facilities to the new super-hospital in NDG, according to the Montreal Gazette
This was the super hospital's third and final transfer, and has been touted to be the largest hospital relocation in Canadian history.
Sunday's move took over two hours to manage, and was reported to be as successful as the first two major moves last month.
The site of the former Montreal General Hospital downtown will continue to be used as a trauma centre, with new psychiatric, short stay and emergency units.
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By Saturn De Los Angeles
The Quebec Superior Court will explore whether it will approve the compensation fund for victims of the 2013 Lac Megantic rail disaster.
In a report by CTV News, the court will hear both sides of the argument on whether to support the 432-million dollar fund - which is a class-action lawsuit launched by a consumer protection group against 25 companies alleged to have been responsible for the disaster.
If the fund goes through, all of the companies will be released from legal liability. On the other hand, the families of the victims will have to wait before Montreal Maine and Atlantic railway will be able to pay back.
The hearings, led by superior Court Justice Gaetan Dumas, will take place this week.
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By Patricia Petit Liang
Philae, the first spacecraft to have ever landed on a comet, has made contact with earth after going into hibernation since November 2014
According to BBC News, the European Space Agency’s comet Lander’s solar power battery had died after being away from the sun for so long.
Now that ITS battery has been recharged, scientists are waiting for it to collect more information on the components of comets.
June 15th 2015
Hosted by Danny Aubry
Stories written by Tom Matukala + Saturn De Los Angeles + Patricia Petit Liang
Produced by Saturn De Los Angeles
Beyond the Black Rainbow talks to Light Fires about their Fringe show: Monday @ 4pm
On a special edition of Beyond the Black Rainbow, Julie chats w/ Regina of Light Fires about their one-woman cabaret Fringe festival show "Do I Have to Do Everything My Fucking Self?" playing at Montreal Improv Theatre. Regina is the alterego of Toronto musician/ playwright Reg Vermue of Gentleman Reg, The Hidden Cameras, and Light Fires. This show features "comedy and high kicks for days; Interspersed with songs from Regina's band Light Fires. Most women know what they want. Regina knows what you want. You already need her and you haven’t even met her yet."
The #fringebuzz is in- this show is laugh-out loud hilarious with music that will make you want to lunge from your seats to join the aerobics party! Tune in Monday at 4pm to go behind the scenes with Regina...
Do I Have to Do Everything My Fucking Self plays only twice more in Montreal, so don't miss out!
Tuesday: 9:30pm
Thursday: 6:45pm
at Montreal Improv Theatre (3697 Saint-Laurent)
Photo: Alejandro Santiago
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