For five days in September, the city rocks out and sings along to the music of POP Montréal, encompassing indie rock, electro, hip hop, punk, classic R&B and new music that defies genre let alone “pop” – plus films, talks, kids activities, star-studded basketball and more. From September 21 to 25 the POP tradition continues in its 15th year as venues big and small welcome over 350 artists, from The Kills to John Cale.
Event
The 15th edition of POP Montréal , September 21 to 25, 2016, with performances and events from daytime to late-night.
What you’re getting into
With show venues city-wide and strong connections to many of Montréal’s music scenes, POP Montréal doubles as a great way to see both major sites and lesser-known parts of the city – from a church on Rachel Street to Mile End’s Ukrainian Federation and Rialto Theatre to downtown’s Métropolis and Musée d’art contemporain.
The proceedings
Some shows sell out fast, so get your tickets well ahead of time. Or take advantage of POP’s pass options: go for the full-festival deal with the Super Pass or one-night POP-hopper pass. Add POP’s Tourist Package and get some pretty sweet store and restaurant discounts plus a tour of the Mile-Ex neighbourhood.
What to bring
POP Montréal may be a large-scale festival but because it’s not concentrated in one venue, festival goers have the freedom to eat, drink and party wherever the moment leads them. Go where you want. Do what you want. Wear what you want. And if you want to show hop like a pro and feel the wind in your hair like a guitar hero, go by bike or BIXI.
What not to bring
POP Montréal doesn’t cater to one music genre or age group – as such, music snobbery can be left at the door (though feel free to brag about that time you saw Patti Smith, The National and Half Japanese all in one year at POP, sure.) Most venues are bars or concert halls, so the usual rules of no outside booze or professional video and audio recording equipment apply.
Stand-out shows
Even with full roster of buzz-worthy bands and eclectic emerging artists, POP Montréal has never cast aside history, honouring influential greats with shows that prove new music’s roots run deep. Among the famed artists at POP this year: Velvet Underground founding member and solo luminary John Cale; French synth-funk genius Wally Badarou; iconic filmmaker John Waters; electronic music pioneer Annette Peacock; experimental punk band Psychic TV led by Genesis P-Orridge; and indie-before-indie-was-a-pop-thing, Canadian singer-songwriter Hayden on his 20th Anniversary Celebration of “Everything I Long For.”
Don’t miss experimental saxophonist Colin Stetson’s SORROW – A Reimagining of Gorecki’s 3rd Symphony, French-Lebanese trumpet player and composer Ibrahim Maalouf, the enduring rock of The Kills, enchanting singer-songwriter Angel Olsen, avant pianist Jean-Michel Blais, Hyperdub electro head Kode-9, Brazilian singer-songwriter Rodrigo Amarante, the profound harmonies of Eskimeaux, immersive world travels with Esmerine, indie-pop punks Diet Cig, the black metal mayhem of Wolves in the Throne Room, L.A. garage rockers Allah-Las, the strange power of beloved Montréal band Groenland. Whether you’ve already figured out what shows you’re going to, take a listen to mixtapes of this year’s POP artists.
Can’t stop, won’t stop late-night scene: The swanky basement of the Rialto Theatre becomes POP’s after-midnight show venue, a place where fans and musicians alike let loose. This year, see one-of-a-kind sets by L.A. rockers HEALTH, Ninja Tune artists FOG, electronic experimenters Holy F*ck with a new album, the pop-art music of The Seth Bogart Show, fierce Montréal duo She-Devils, the Miami bass beats of 69 Boyz, Uniiqu3 and more.
Outside the music
Along with all the great music comes a diversity of festival programming – much of it free – in the curated form of Art POP exhibitions (including the work of sculptor and musician Seth Bogart), music-focused Film POP screenings and talks, POP Symposium discussions and workshops, Kids POP children’s activities and concerts, the catwalks of Fashion POP, a Record Fair, enticing and uniques wares at the Puces POP art and craft fair, and the celebrity players of Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler’s POP vs Jock basketball game.
With even more show and event announcements on the way, POP Montréal remains a city-wide entertainment experience not to be missed.
Up next: Meet a Montrealer: Street artists MissMe, Zek One and Dodo_ose
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