Montreal live show picks for December, 2018

Saturday, December 1 – Playboi Carti at MTelus

After his free set at Mural Fest this summer, the reigning kind of mumble rap returns to Montreal for this headlining show at MTelus in support of his new album, Die Lit. Tickets are available here.

Monday, December 3 – John Grant at Theatre Fairmount

Sardonic queer singer-songwriter John Grant has been crafting his brand of darkly tragicomic synth-pop for years, and his latest, Love is Magic, shows him expanding his sound in a number of directions with still maintaining his often stark emotional honesty. Two Medicine opens. Tickets are available here.

Tuesday, December 4 – Cult Leader at Turbo Haus

Utah’s Cult Leader are a unique voice in hardcore these days, oscillating between Nick Cave-style melancholic dirges and bursts of blistering hardcore, hitting all quadrants of the black jean jacket-wearing world. They top an all-around strong bill at Turbo Haus that includes the post-rock of Brooklyn’s Primitive Weapons, and the breakneck hardcore of Sweden’s Godmother. Tickets are available here.

Thursday, December 6 – Jennifer Castle at Bar le Ritz PDB

Toronto’s Jennifer Castle plays the sort of intimate indie/ folk-rock that’s perfectly matched for this time of year. Her latest album, the striking Angels of Death, is full of sparse and emotional songs about grief and mortality, so be sure to pack some Kleenex along. Isla Craig opens. Tickets are available here.

Thursday, December 6 – Parquet Courts at Corona Theatre

Parquet Courts is a band that refuses to be pigeonholed — their early records owed a great debt to the hazy and verbose delivery of The Velvet Underground, but they’ve since expanded in a decidedly funky (!) direction on their latest LP, Wide Awake! Montreal’s Pottery open. Tickets are available here. You can read our in-depth interview with Parquet Courts vocalist / guitarist A. Savage here.

Friday, December 7 – Cancer Bats and Flatliners at Club Soda

Cancer Bats and The Flatliners are two bands that definitely know how to throw a party, so this co-headlining show at Club Soda should be a solid double-header of energetic metal and punk rock, respectively. London’s Heart Attack Kids open. Tickets are available here, and we’re currently running a giveaway on our Facebook page for a pair of tickets to the show – you can try your luck here.

Friday, December 7 – Ghost at Place Bell

Mysterious, theatrical Swedish rockers Ghost have officially made it to the upper-echelons of the rock world with their current arena tour in support of 2018’s Prequelle LP. The band may have more in common with pop-metal purveyors like The Darkness these days than their disturbing visuals would suggest, but by all accounts they put on a killer live show. Tickets are available here.

Saturday, December 8 – The Sick Things at Turbo Haus

Montreal’s The Sick Things have been working hard to keep the spirit of hooky, 70’s-inspired power-pop alive, and have quickly become one of the best live bands in the city along the way. They’ll pack out the cozy confines of the newly relocated Turbo Haus along with locals Mardi Noir and Cobrateens. Tickets are available here. Check out our interview with Sick Things guitarist / vocalist Cam Turin here.

Saturday, December 8 – Ryley Walker at L’Esco

Illinois singer-songwriter Ryley Walker is known for mid-paced, guitar-heavy indie-rock that slots in nicely with old Ryan Adams records, but his latest, The Lillywhite Sessions, is a real curveball — a cover album of a “lost” Dave Matthews Band album, that was deemed too dark for release and has since made the rounds with DMB fanatics over the years. This may be the only time you’ll see a hacky sack in the Ritz. Tickets are available here, or if you want to splurge to see the actual Dave Matthews Band play the same night at Centre Bell, you can grab tickets here.

Saturday, December 8 – The Internet at MTelus

With various members releasing their own solo albums over the years, LA R&B / hip hop outfit The Internet have finally regrouped for Hive Mind, their first LP since 2015’s Grammy-nominated Ego Death. This marks the band’s first headlining Montreal show in three years, following their opening slot on The Gorillaz tour back in October. Moonchild opens. Tickets are available here.

Monday, December 10 – BillyBio at Piranha Bar

Biohazard guitarist Billy Graziadei unleashed his BillyBio project last month, and it’s filled with the mix of political / personal hardcore that Biohazard and fellow NYHC vets Sick of it All have been perfecting for decades now. Expect tracks from the newly released Billybio album, some classic Biohazard cuts, and of course, plenty of Billy’s patented spin kicks. Thy Will Be Done, Scarfold, and Junkowl open. Tickets are available here.

Sunday, December 16 and Monday, December 17 – Krakwatson at MTelus

After reforming for the FME Festival earlier this summer, the Patrick Watson and Karkwa project returns for this pair of shows at MTelus. Both shows are sold-out for now, but keep your eyes peeled for any last-minute tickets, as this rare collaboration between two of Montreal’s most exciting acts might suddenly go back into hibernation for another handful of years. Our interview with Patrick Watson and his band for 2015’s Love Songs for Robots LP is here.

Tuesday, December 18 – Jorja Smith at MTelus

British UK R&B singer Jorja Smith is just 21-years-old and has already shot to the top of the charts with her collaborations with Drake and Stormzy, along with solo tracks like “Blue Lights,” and “Teenage Fantasy.” She returns to Montreal in support of her debut full length, 2018’s Lost & Found. Tickets are available here.

Friday, December 21 and Saturday, December 22 – Rufus and Martha Wainwright at MTelus

Ring in the holiday season with Rufus Wainwright and Martha Wainwright’s Noel Nights show, which the duo have performed across North America over the years. These two Montreal shows also feature performances from Patrick Watson, Safia Nolin, Ariane Moffatt, Elisapie, Tire le coyote, and more. Tickets are available here.