Bloody Underrated
Hoppin' around Montreal's arts scene since 2010!
Stolen From the Radio: 02/20
I recently started producing a radio show on CJLO (1690AM) called Edge of the City. It’s on every Monday from Noon to 2PM. You know what’s great about having access to a college radio station? I get to raid their library. Know what that means? It means that every Monday, I’m going to grab 3 random albums from the station, listen to them, and feature the best one here. Enjoy!
My hands were looking for punk rock this week, apparently. When I randomly raided the CJLO library this week, I came upon a few punk rock acts, one of which was a clear stand-out. The band is question was The Lucky Ones, who have just put out their second album, Heartbreak, Hangovers & Punk Rock.
Coming out of Southern Ontario, the Lucky Ones are proving once again that Canada knows punk rock. This record reeks of good times and hard alcohol, in the best of ways. It’s a high-energy, high-passion album, and it merits many listens. If you’re in need of a new punk album and you’re not sure where to look, this is where you should go. Click here to hop on over to the band’s Facebook page, where you can have a proper listen.
Cheers!
-Al
The McGill Savoy Society presents: The Gondoliers
The McGill Savoy Society has taken on Gilbert and Sullivan this February, mounting their interpretation of The Gondoliers. I don’t have a huge amount to say about it, because I’m simply not a big G&S fan. But they made this very visually appealing. The costuming was spectacular, very period (18th century Europe, I do believe) and perfectly ornate. Likewise, the set was a pleasure to look at – it was nicely painted, and it moved well. There was a change in the intermission, from a dock-side view to a castle view, and it worked perfectly with the flow of the play. Overall, it all felt very fancy shmancy.
However, I can’t really say that I was a big fan of the acting. The singing was, for the most part, quite solid, which was key in a musical. The acting, however, was wanting for more. I understand this is a musical, but the times that sat between songs really needed a better flow. There was a range of limited acting and serious overacting. I would not say that it was all bad by any means, but I feel there was clear work to be done.
Overall, it was indeed an enjoyable experience. The orchestra played very well, there was very slight tuning issues here and there, but if you don’t happen to have perfect pitch it really wasn’t noticeable. So yeah, I’m not a G&S fan, but this was a fine shot at The Gondoliers. Well done, Savoy Society, for making a hoity-toity operetta enjoyable.
-Matt
Les Abeilles @ Prospero
Last Thursday night at Théâtre Prospero, I was ushered into a tiny room in a dark basement, and into a dreamlike world of mystery and horror. Based on the Japanese novel of the same name, Les Abeilles is a creepy tale about a nameless woman whose cousin disappears after she helps him find a room at the residence she herself stayed in while she was a studying at the local university. The residence is run by a lonely and disabled old man who seems to develop unhealthy obsessions with his billets. Once the woman puts her cousin in this strange, quiet, wheelchair-bound man’s care, she never sees him again. The whole play has an intense and surreal quality to it, from the nameless characters, to the bizarre sound, lighting and makeup effects: the residence director’s deformities were nothing short of stomach-churning. For such a simple storyline, producer and actress Izabel Kerr did an amazing job infusing Les Abeilles with subtleties which added significant depth to the play, such as unmistakable sexual tension between the woman and her cousin, and artistic elements from Kerr’s own native culture. The eerie feel which ran like an undercurrent throughout this show left me feeling shuddery and nervous long after I had left the theatre. If you feel like getting spooked, I highly recommend spending a night at Théâtre Prospero, where Les Abeilles will be running till March 3.
-Vic
In Limbo @ Tangente
In Limbo is a research project under the artistic direction of Lynda Gaudreau and Companie De Brune. Lynda has worked in collaboration with Tangente for six years. She sought out and mentored two young artists, providing them with insight, opportunities and resources to investigate their curiosities in dance. The artists, Marie Claire-Forté and Julie Favreau, chose to present their findings, thus creating the double bill presentation of In Limbo.
It was explained to the crowd by Tangente artistic director Stéphane Labbé that this evening, we were not audience members, but rather witnesses to a choreographic research in progress. From this perspective it is difficult to write a “review,” but I can let you know what attending In Limbo can offer.
Rooms by Marie Claire-Forté
©2011 image tirée d'une captation vidéo d'Yvo Dimchev | Marie Claire Forté
Marie Claire-Forté shows the conclusions of her research in a self-solo form. The theme of her exploration is space or ‘rooms,’ specifically the performance theatre. She offers us disconnected propositions, choreographic ideas that she seems to have meditated upon, clarified and dug into rather than expanding upon and complicating.
Here’s what happens on stage: Claire-Forté wears an extremely baggy tan-ish colored sweater and wide legged black dress pants. The initial proposition is her, simply circling one wrist to the varying rhythm and intensity of the soundtrack. What we hear is her the playback of her voice describing various locations, recorded at the sites. This continued for quite a long time.
Following this, she embarks on a sort of discovery and play with her surrounding, not unlike the first step in creating a site-specific dance piece. She breaks this exploration with a movement sequence, which was very primary in its structure, working with one action at a time, and pausing between every motion. She then pairs movements to phrases that she speaks out loud, building a relationship between the two actions and playing with the vocabulary she has created.
Her last proposition was to stand on the edge of the risers and shake powerfully, vibrating the chairs and spectators. Again, she maintains this state for a shockingly long time, which was not only physically demanding for her, but also demanding of the crowd with whom she was making eye contact. It was a strong idea, well executed.
Antonel by Julie Favreau
©2011 Julie Favreau | David Albert-Toth
Julie Favreau explains before hand that she is a visual artist, and that she works primarily with photo, video and sculpture. Her work is a solo interpreted by David Albert-Toth, playing the role of ‘Antonel’. The stage is set with props, or more appropriately, interactive sculptures. The colouring and treatment of the objects creates a cohesive, stylized environment. There is a weather-beaten wooden table, a crumpled piece of paper, a tall wooden post, white sculptures reminiscent of bones, etc. The work is a step further from the gallery for Favreau, who has experience creating immersive installations. Her photography insight is also evident throughout the piece as tableaus are formed and morphed through the performer’s actions.
Albert-Toth, dressed in black, walks among the objects, interacting with them in a decidedly internal and thoughtful manner. He is very calm and pensive, slowly moving set pieces and himself about the room. The work is peaceful and becomes a little hypnotic with its steady, consistent pace. Favreau refers to ritual as one of her intentions, and this comes through.
One striking image is created when Albert-Toth covers himself in a large black cloth, and crawls under it across the floor, slowly changing its shape and sometimes stopping to let a hand or head peek out from under the fabric. At another moment, he is holding one end of wooden post, as tall as he is, and spinning around. These curious actions, like wearing a piece of paper like a glove, are intriguing and come with a sense of importance, simply via their execution. The creation of the character, Antonel, with his rituals and this environment to contain them, was successful.
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If you are intrigued by this production, get your money’s worth and go to the Friday night show, which will be followed by a talk-back with the artists. Tangente does this often, and I think it would prove to be a particularly vibrant discussion given the nature of these works.
In Limbo is presented by Tangente and is playing at Monument National February 16th - 18th at 8:30pm and the 19that 4pm. Both pieces are about 30 minutes long with a short intermission between them. As per usual, tickets are $20 regular, with different discounts for students, seniors, groups, children and performing artists.
-Allison
GUEST COMIC! “Happy Valentine’s Day”
I had a love-themed comic lined up already for this week, but my good buddy Alexandra Côté surprised me with this Valentine that was just too good to pass up. Thanks Alex! <3
-Vic
