Fall concert scene heats up north of the border
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Russian-born New York City-based singer-pianist Regina Spektor brings her distinctive, classical-influenced piano and impressive vocals to Metropolis on Sept. 17, in support of her compelling new album, "Far." SUBMITTED PHOTO |
Toolbox
By TOM HUNTINGTON Arts Correspondent - Published: August 28, 2009
Some of the most intriguing artists in pop and rock will be heating up the fall concert season in Montreal, providing Vermont music lovers with plenty of reasons to make the nominal drive north. Here's a look at 10 shows that will likely be worth the trip (all ticket prices are Canadian dollars):
Saturday, Sept. 5: The Killers and Wolfmother – Originally scheduled to take place at Jacques Cartier Pier, this potent double-bill was recently relocated to the Bell Centre.
The Killers, which the All Music Guide calls "the champions of retro new wave," have quickly risen to the forefront of the pop scene since forming in 2002. Australian hard-rock band Wolfmother will likely preview material from its highly anticipated new album, "Cosmic Egg," scheduled for release on Oct. 13.
Bell Centre, 8 p.m. $52.50, $44.50 (all ages). Tickets: 1-877-668-8269 or www.geg.ca.
Wednesday, Sept. 16: Kings of Leon – The hard-rocking Tennessee foursome has finally blown up stateside after years of mostly European lovin' – evidenced by a sold-out Madison Square Garden show last January. Scottish group Glasvegas opens the show.
Bell Centre, 7:30 p.m. $56, $41 (all ages). Tickets: 1-877-668-8269 or www.geg.ca.
Thursday, Sept. 17: Regina Spektor – The Russian-born New York City-based singer-pianist, 29, brings her distinctive, classical-influenced piano and impressive vocals back to Montreal in support of her compelling new album, "Far." The disc is a follow-up to her 2006 breakthrough album, "Begin to Hope."
Not to be missed is opener Little Joy, a highly enjoyable new "tropical pop" group featuring Fabrizio Moretti of the Strokes, sultry singer Binki Shapiro (Fab's girlfriend) and Rodrigo Amarante of Brazilian indie-rock band Los Hermanos. The group's intoxicating and all-too-short and sweet self-titled CD – which Rolling Stone called "one of the most pleasant surprises of 2008" – is filled with "songs that conjure mid-20th-century pop with Jamaican, Hawaiian and bossa nova flavors."
Metropolis, 8 p.m. $25 advance, $26.50 day of show (all ages; general admission). Tickets: 1-866-908-9090 or ww1.ticketpro.ca.
Saturday, Sept. 19: Sean Kingston – The 19-year-old Miami-born, Jamaica-bred pop-reggae crooner became a household name with his 2007 hit single, "Beautiful Girls." A follow-up, "Tomorrow," is scheduled for release on Sept. 22.
Metropolis, 8 p.m. $35 advance, $37.50 at door (all ages). Tickets: 1-866-908-9090 or ww1.ticketpro.ca.
Saturday, Sept. 26: Moby – His now-classic 1999 smash album, "Play," made him a pop sensation. But Moby's latest disc, the entirely homemade and more melancholy "Wait for Me," is his "most unified and understated album" to date, according to the AMG.
Metropolis, 8 p.m. $35 advance, $37.50 day of show (all ages). Tickets: 1-866-908-9090 or ww1.ticketpro.ca.
Sept. 30-Oct. 4: Pop Montreal – The eighth annual festival features everyone from Yo La Tengo (Friday, Oct. 2, at Club Soda), and Butthole Surfers (Thursday, Oct. 1, at Olympia) to Os Mutantes (Saturday, Oct. 3, at Le National) and Fever Ray (Thursday, Oct. 1, at Metropolis). Info: www.popmontreal.com.
Monday, Oct. 5: The Mars Volta – The Grammy-winning prog-rock powerhouse returns to Montreal in support of its new album, "Octahedron," released in June. Formed by standout '90s emo-punk band At the Drive-In founders Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, the Mars Volta is known for its "adrenalized forays into art-house punk and acid-fried prog-rock psychedelia," according to Rolling Stone.
Metropolis, 8 p.m. $35 (all ages). Tickets: 1-866-908-9090 or ww1.ticketpro.ca. Tickets on sale today at noon.
Thursday, Oct. 8: Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions – A notoriously reclusive Californian who is best known as the singer for '90s dream-pop standouts Mazzy Starr, Sandoval visits Montreal a week after the release of the Warm Inventions album, "Through the Devil Softly."
Le National, 8:30 p.m. $23 advance, $25 at door (all ages). Tickets: 1-800-678-5440 or www.admission.com.
Friday, Oct. 16: Metric – The electro-pop quartet featuring front-woman Emily Haines plays two nights at Metropolis (Oct. 17 is sold out) in support of its supercharged new CD, "Fantasies." Lauded Montreal indie-rockers The Stills open both shows.
Metropolis, 8 p.m. Metropolis, p.m. $27.50 advance, $30 day of show. Tickets: 1-866-908-9090 or ww1.ticketpro.ca.
Saturday, Oct. 24: Thievery Corporation – Chill-out champions and one of the hottest underground groups around, the Washington, D.C.-based trip-hop powerhouse – masterminded by DJ and production duo Rob Garza and Eric Hilton — brings its lauded live show and down-tempo dub revolution back to Metropolis.
Metropolis, 8 p.m. $45 (all ages). Tickets: 1-866-908-9090 or ww1.ticketpro.ca.
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