POP Montréal is a unique and artistically vibrant North American festival. It's also huge. The five-day celebration of music, art, film and culture begins on Wednesday, September 25, and features 200-plus shows at more than 20 different venues in Montréal's hip Mile End neighborhood. Which means that just about every one of the amazing events planned for this year's iteration is concentrated within a 10-minute walk. Think Winooski's Waking Windows festival on steroids.
Launched in 2002 by founders Daniel Seligman, Noelle Sorbara and Peter Rowan, POP was initially seen as a reaction and alternative to big industry events such as South by Southwest in Austin and Canadian Music Week in Toronto, which Seligman experienced as the tour manager for the Montréal band Stars.
"The vibe at those kinds of shows was so heavy on the industry side, nothing really felt organic or natural," Seligman said in an interview with Seven Days last year. "I think a big part of why we started POP was to get away from that and to showcase the incredible underground scene in Montréal."
Two decades later, that mission remains. This year's lineup features a bold mix of international talent, well-known stars, up-and-coming artists, and, as always, some of the best fresh Canadian talent. From gospel folk singer Iris DeMent to Parisian new-wave icon Edith Nylon to Canadian singer-songwriter Feist, the talent on display is truly staggering.
Then there are side events such as Film POP, Art POP, Kids POP, Puces POP and POP Symposium — the last of which includes talks on such topics as "Do I Need a Lawyer? Free Legal Clinic for Musicians" and "Maximize Your Earnings: The Importance of Accurate Metadata." Especially for a first-time attendee, it's hard to know where to begin.
Never fear! Your friendly neighborhood music editor is here to ease the uninitiated into the incredible world of POP Montréal. So dig out your passport and read on for a day-by-day primer on the fun to be had in the musical metropolis to our north.
Traditionally more chill than the rest of the festival, day one offers plenty of homegrown shows and oodles of workshops. But the opening party is not to be missed. Presented by the new streaming app HELIOS, the free show features a performance from rapper and producer Arabian Prince, aka Professor X, a founding member of hip-hop legends N.W.A. who has also appeared on records with industrial metal band Ministry.
Where: MDP sur De Gaspé, 5705 avenue de Gaspé
Philadelphia band the Spirit of the Beehive mix post-punk deconstructionism with samples and elements of dream pop to create an almost futuristic take on indie rock. Fresh off releasing its latest record, You'll Have to Lose Something, on Saddle Creek, the band is high on my list of can't-miss shows at POP Montréal, especially considering that its current tour doesn't stop anywhere in the Green Mountains. Brazilian American artist Samira Winter also performs.
Where: Les Foufounes Électriques, 87 rue Sainte-Catherine Est
Also on Wednesday: Other highlights include Iris Dement and Portuguese Canadian singer-songwriter Nico Paulo at Théâtre Rialto.
JUNO Award-nominated Basia Bulat's music perches precariously on the line between DIY indie folk and R&B-flavored soul. She dropped her first album, Oh, My Darling, on Rough Trade Records in 2007, not long after moving from her native London, Ont., to Montréal. Americans might not realize how big Bulat is across the border, so it's best to secure tickets in advance.
Where: Rialto Rooftop stage, 5723 avenue du Parc
It would be cruel to make me pick the top performance I've ever witnessed at Waking Windows. The annual indie-rock fest in Winooski has had some legendary shows in its decade of existence. But Montréal psych-rockers Atsuko Chiba, who last played the Vermont fest in 2019, just might have been the best. They tore up the stage at the Monkey House with their propulsive, post-punk/prog synthesis. I wouldn't pass up the chance to see them on their home turf, especially when they're on the bill with Toronto math rockers Luge, Atlanta groove merchants CDSM and Montréal indie-pop outfit Night Lunch.
Where: l'Escogriffe Bar Spectacle, 4461 rue Saint-Denis
Also on Thursday: Montréal hip-hop crew Nomadic Massive celebrate their 20th anniversary by headlining a giant block party at MDP sur De Gaspé.
Though POP has featured Vermont bands over the years, the closest we have to a local rep this year is Portland, Maine, singer-songwriter Geneviève Beaudoin, aka Dead Gowns. Freelance music writer Jordan Adams reviewed the latest Dead Gowns record How last December, dubbing Beaudoin a "charismatic protagonist" whose writing "balances empathetic observations about the world she inhabits with introspective musings on her inner life." She joins Sainte-Thérèse quintet Céréales Dauphin, a band channeling '70s Québécois pop rock; Montréal bassist and songwriter Cedric Noel; and Canadian Togolese singer Fyore.
Where: L'Hémisphère Gauche, 221 rue Beaubien Est
New Orleans producer Mannie Fresh is a legendarily gifted DJ and hitmaker, known for his work with Cash Money Records. He's crafted tunes for rappers Lil Wayne, Juvenile and the Notorious B.I.G. — and released his own music with collaborators such as Birdman, Lil Jon and Rick Ross. In a dream pairing, Fresh shares the bill with Los Angeles DJ and rapper Egyptian Lover, who's been rocking turntables and an 808 since 1979. They're joined by Toronto rapper Sydanie and epically weird Flint, Mich., hip-hop outfit THOT SQUAD.
Where: Piccolo Rialto, 5723 avenue du Parc
Also on Friday: Omar and Cedric: If This Ever Gets Weird, a documentary following the friendship of the Mars Volta founders Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala, plays at Cinéma Moderne.
Two of Montréal's most legendary bands are celebrating the 20th anniversaries of their respective landmark records. The Dears released their indie-rock opus No Cities Left in 2004, a lush record full of grandeur and searing rock. That same year, STARS dropped their timeless LP Set Yourself on Fire, featuring the breakthrough hit "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead." One of the marquee events of POP Montréal, it'll be a night of looking back in appreciation on some of the city's finest exports.
Where: Théâtre Rialto, 5723 avenue du Parc
What trip is complete without a little mystery? In one of the most intriguing prospects on the POP bill, Arizona indie-rock band Calexico play an intimate house show to raise funds for the festival. True sonic chameleons, the Grammy Award-nominated duo typically graces much bigger festival stages, such as those at Coachella, Bonnaroo and Glastonbury. What gives the show a sense of mystery, you wonder? No one knows where it will be! Well, I assume the band does. But for fans, they'll have to wait until the day of the secret-ish show to find out.
Where: Remains to be seen!
Also on Saturday: Population II, J.R.C.G., Bonnie Trash and Poolgirl at Quai des brumes.
Most of the big shows wrap up by Saturday night, but Sunday still has plenty to offer. For the early risers, Canadian singer-songwriter Patrick Watson performs a morning set that's free for families with kids — and holds a meet and greet to boot. Before Watson takes the stage, the David Suzuki Foundation presents a three-part educational program titled Série Nature, focusing on the flora and fauna around Lake Champlain and soapstone carving with professional Inuit artists. It's a wholesome way to close out five days of music — assuming you made it through the whole fest!
Where: MDP sur De Gaspé, 5705 avenue de Gaspé
Also on Sunday: "Don't Yell. Stand-Up Comedy Shows in Non-Comedy Places" at Fabergé.