Show picks of the week (March 13 – 19)

While the city descends into a wash of green beer for Saint Patrick’s Day this weekend, there are thankfully some alternatives for those of us adverse to parades and public urination. Check out our top picks of this coming week’s shows below.

Friday, March 13

Oi! St Paddy’s Weekend with Slapshot, 45 Adapters, Get the Shot, and more at Katacombes

The 3rd annual street punk festival kicks off tonight with the return of Boston hardcore legends Slapshot, playing their first Montreal show since 1987. If the video below from a recent show (in Moscow!) is any indication, Choke and company haven’t lost any of their bite in the nearly 30 years since they’ve played here. Rounding out the bill are NY’s 45 Adapters, Quebec’s Get the Shot, as well as locals True North Strong and Strong As One. 8:00pm, $20, 1635 Boul. Saint-Laurent.

The Penske File with Laureate, Lost Love and Of Man and Ale at Petit Campus

Recent Stomp Records signees The Penske File take a trek up the 401 to team up with a set of great locals for this instalment of “Les Soirées Stomp,” including Laureate, Lost Love and Of Man and Ale. This is a solid mixed bill featuring some of this city’s best melodic punk bands, with Laureate in particular keeping the flame of the early 00’s emo sound alive and well. Expect a lot of drunken high-fives at this one. 8:00pm, $8, 57 Prince-Arthur Est. 

Saturday, March 14

Oi! St Paddy’s Weekend with Komintern Sect, The Prowlers, Union Made, and more at Katacombes

With Friday’s lineup concentrated more on hardcore, Oi and street punk take the spotlight tonight, with a rare appearance by the early 80’s French Oi band Komintern Sect. This also marks the final show for Montreal’s Union Made, whose roots in this city’s punk and hardcore scene date way back, with 3/4 of the band members putting time in the long-running skinhead band Street Troopers. Also on the bill are Montreal’s The Prowlers, Ottawa’s Outrigger and Cowansville punks Justice Civile. 8:00pm, $20, 1635 Boul. Saint-Laurent. 

Taking Back Sunday with letlive and The Menzingers at Metropolis

Long Island emo vets Taking Back Sunday are out in support of the deluxe vinyl box set for last year’s Happiness Is LP, including support from post-hardcore act letlive, and the great melodic punk of The Menzingers. We recently spoke with Taking Back Sunday vocalist Adam Lazzara for our podcast, which you can check out here. If their recent setlists are any indication, expect to hear a bit from all eras of the band’s catalogue, dating back to the Tell All Your Friends era. 7:00pm, $37, 59 Sainte-Catherine Est. 

Montreal Rocks 5th Anniversary with The Damn Truth, Elephant Stone and more at Theatre Fairmount

CHOM FM’s “Montreal Rocks” show celebrates its 5th anniversary with an impressive array of local talent, including the straight ahead RN’R of The Damn Truth, the heady psychedelic Elephant Stone, the synth-pop of Diamond Bones, the gruff rock of Seb Black, and the dance punk of We Are Monroe. With proceeds benefiting the Shriners Hospitals For Children, this one is a no-brainer, and will also offer the chance to scope out the newly renovated Theatre Fairmount (the former Cabaret Mile End). 8:00pm, $10 / $15, 5240 Avenue du Parc. 

Thursday, March 19

Restorations with Black Love and tEMPLETON at Casa del Popolo

Philadelphia’s Restorations refuse to be pigeonholed, transitioning flawlessly from hardcore to catchy Americana, to the noisier, more expansive sound of last year’s LP3. Opening this one are the great post-hardcore of Montreal’s Black Love, and tEMPLETON, featuring ex-members of a slew of Montreal punk bands including The Sainte-Catherines and Rollerstarter. 9:00pm, $12/$15, 4873 Boulevard Saint-Laurent.