2007 Infringement Festival Artists
Video • Spoken Word • Visual Arts • Workshop • Theatre • Music
Video
Rag Doll
Mili Pradhan
This experimental short video explores passive/active power play through use of exaggerated POV shots, camera angles, vocal noise, and edited footage featuring a woman giving the filmmaker a haircut.
Spoken Word
Infringement Spoken Word Show
Featuring Paula Belina, Cassandra Witteman, Kim Ange and others.
Venue: Le Parc des Princes, 5293 Parc Avenue
Dates: June 19
Time: 9pm
Visual Arts
Origami by Nikki
Nikki Smith
Since childhood, Nikki has always enjoyed paper. Spending her time in Montreal doing quiet shifts in sleazy dives on St. Laurent, she got to turn the bills in the cash register into a wardrobe of folded shirts and matching boots. Then she moved on to bigger and better things making paper balls out of six and sometimes 30 pieces of paper. She doesn't use glue.
Venue: CTRL Lab, 3634 St. Laurent
Date: June 21 through 24, vernissage June 22
Workshop
Block Traffic
A historical and hands-on workshop for political image making and disseminating with Paula Belina.
Liberate the Marvelous
An improv, surrealist games and clowning workshop by Paula Belina
Theatre
The Blind Date
Carlo DiMarco
A humorous story of a blind man and a young sighted woman who fall in love through touch. A convergence of two worlds, using brail as their cupid, to find a new meaning for beauty. A new work from revolutionary blind educator Carlo DiMarco.
Venue: CTRL Lab, 3634 St. Laurent
Dates and times: June 21 at 8:30pm, June 22 at 8pm and June 23 at 9:30pm
Car Stories
Optative Theatrical Laboratories
Montreal’s longest-running theatre experiment is back, and it’s “the most fun you’ll have in the backseat of a car.” Experience it if you dare.
www.optative.net/carstories
Venue: Starts at Bifteck, 3702 St. Laurent
Dates: June 22, June 23
Don’t Let the Sun Come Up on Me: Dracula in a Time of Climate Change
The Blacklist Committee for Unsafe Theatre
Vampires are rarely confronted with the question of their own mortality. But with rivers rising, ice caps melting, and blood becoming ever more toxic, Dracula is faced with an important dilemma. If the humans he feeds on go extinct, what happens to vampires?† A play about bloodsucking, existential torment, and the end of the world. blacklistcommittee.wordpress.com/
Venue: CTRL Lab, 3634 St. Laurent
Dates and times: June 21 at 8pm, June 22 at 8:30pm, June 23 at 9pm
Lady J
Mischief Theatre
A priest, policeman and politician stumble out of a bar…In the back alleys of the Foufounes and the dark corners of your conscience, madness, mayhem and megalomania ensue. Scoundrels answer the eternal question: "what do we do with the body?"
Venue: Foufounes Electriques, 87 St-Catherine East
Dates and times: June 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th, 9pm
$9, no latecomers, 18+ (Please bring photo ID)
Lot Lizards
Stephen Shellenberger and Kim Ange
Lot Lizards takes place at a truck stop in a lean-to. Two down-and-out prostitutes coexist despite the harshest of situations; a story of misguided triumph over a dangerous and lonely world. Tim and Norm cling to one another, and although it is not a conventional relationship, these two have learned through their own broken lives to accept love on their terms, not ours. After all, if a flower can somehow grow through a crack in the pavement, perhaps love can survive in Tim and Norm’s lean-to. A respected filmmaker, writer, and director, Shellenberger has incorporated digital media into the play, for a stunning and original effect.
Venue: CTRL Lab, 3634 St. Laurent
Date: June 22
Time: 9pm
Love (of Christ) Letters
Gail Golden/Dramatic Solutions
A staged reading of emails between a liberal Jewish woman from Buffalo and a conservative Christian man from Tampa—anti-Semitism, homophobia, and racism in Disney World!
http://gailgolden.biz/
Venue: CTRL Lab, 3634 St. Laurent
Dates: June 23
Time: 5pm and 10pm
Reclaim the Main – A Culture-Jamming Extravaganza
Optative Theatrical Laboratories
Theatre activism at its best! OTL teams up with other local activists to rid the Main of Billboard Trucks and other corporate spam! Daily workshops and theatre actions against the abuse of the national historic site that is the Main…
Venue: The streets of Montreal
Dates: We’re not telling you, but it’s between June 14 and 24
Time: Anarchist standard time
Ashtray Heart
A three-piece lesbian rock band.
www.myspace.com/ashtrayheart1234
Venue: Barfly, 4062 St. Laurent
Date: June 16
Louis-AndrÈ Bourque (in French)
Singer-songwriter Louis-AndrÈ Bourque is originally from Beauce but moved to Montreal several years ago. He’s played in bars, cafÈs, metro stations, and busked on sidewalks. His sound is inspired by early music halls, and his lyrics paint portraits and tell biting, melancholy, and often self-deprecating stories. During the Infringement Festival, Louis-AndrÈ Bourque will accompany himself on guitar, while JerÙme HÈbert will join him on double bass with Pierre-Olivier Ouellet on accordion.
Venue: Double Dose, 3425 St. Denis
Date: June 15
CÈdric (in French)
Born 26 years ago, CÈdric quickly took to writing, thinking he couldn’t do worse than what they were forcing him to read in school. Many years later, he takes up the guitar, sings Renaud songs, and discovers hidden talents. “I don’t play too badly, and I do have some lyrics I could use,” he tells himself. “What the heck! Let’s have fun!” So he put theory into practice and has fun performing songs that relate his personal experience in our very strange world.
Venue: Double Dose, 3425 St. Denis
Date: June 18
Chariot of Shame
Long-time friends reunited in 2002 after individual stints abroad. What started as a drunken jam evolved into nonsensical, no-nonsense rock n’ roll. Chariot of Shame was born loud, energetic, angry, and heavy, and not without its own brand of humour. The band delivers pure, unpretentious, good-time rock for the 21st Century. Leave your inhibitions at home, stop taking yourself so seriously, and hop aboard the Chariot of Shame.
www.myspace.com/chariotofshame
Venue: Barfly, 4062 St. Laurent
Date: June 14
Francine Christie (in French)
Francine Christie wasn’t born yesterday. She’s lived through many experiences that she shares through her profoundly human, touching, and eloquent songs. Her music is like a breath of fresh air, and she uses her talents to help train other budding singer-songwriters. A fierce independent, Francine has never sacrificed her art. Each of her shows leaves audiences moved by compassion, humanity, and tenderness.
Venue: Double Dose, 3425 St. Denis
Date: June 24
Marie Delaval (in French)
Marie Delaval’s show combines original compositions and covers from French songs that have inspired her throughout the years. In fact, this summer, she is planning a tribute to French songstress Anne Sylvestre. Herself a native of France, Marie began singing in Paris. Once she moved to Quebec, she participated in numerous festivals, poetry nights, and benefit concerts. She leaves her mark on a captive audience with the scent of French song. Her upcoming shows will include HÈlËne Boissinot on cello and Carl Lepage on piano.
Venue: Double Dose, 3425 St. Denis
Date: June 19
Claudia Gilbert (in French)
Claudia Gilbert and her musicians present a show that combines humour and depth. Their world lies somewhere between original music and lyrics, sometimes immersed in jazz, other times flavoured with a hint of French pop. Claudia is accompanied by Jean-Philippe Gilbert on guitar, Marc-AndrÈ Landry on double bass, Jocelyn Fortier on piano, Maxime Drouin on drums, and Pierre-Olivier Ouellet on accordion.
Venue: Double Dose, 3425 St. Denis
Date: June 15
Normand GrÈgoire (in French)
Time doesn’t exist for singer-songwriter Normand GrÈgoire. If his career path seems a bit random, his journey is nevertheless on the straight and narrow. Anchored in a blues and jazz tradition, his music goes beyond trends. His playful lyrics explore the human condition, its highs and lows, all with a tongue lodged firmly in cheek. Normand accompanies himself on guitar for a show that’s played worldwide, performing some Gershwin, FerrÈ, Weill and Dylan in his own jazz-folk-blues-swing style.
Venue: Double Dose, 3425 St. Denis
Date: June 20
Francis Halin (in French)
Francis Halin sings the poets. He’s been active in songwriting and poetry circles for many years. He performs his own songs, but is especially renowned for his sung version of the Roland GiguËre poem, “¿ l’ombre de ma vie,” as well as poems by Gaston Miron, RenÈ Char, and Tristan Tzara, among others. For several months, his song “Amuse nos ‚mes” and “¿ l’ombre de ma vie” have been fixtures on Bande ‡ part, Espace musique, and Radio-Canada.
www.myspace.com/francishalin
Venue: Double Dose, 3425 St. Denis
Dates: June 14, June 22
Jean-Hugues Labrecque (in French)
Having followed a particularly unusual artistic path, Jean-Hugues Labrecque actually has a Management degree from Montreal’s HEC. His musical training came thanks to his father, folk singer Jacques Labrecque. It’s only in 1999, following a career as a financial analyst, that Jean-Hugues marks his return to the music world with protest songs that loudly proclaim the things he couldn’t say in those stuffy offices, home of the “crooks in suits.” With the help of generous and talented collaborators, Jean-Hugues wrote, produced and released three albums through Studio 7e† ciel de Charlevoix.††
Venue: Double Dose, 3425 St. Denis
Date: June 21
Claire LafreniËre (in French)
With her repertoire of Quebec songs from 1900 to 1930, Claire LafreniËre sings the hits of the “La Bolduc” era and its social, economic, and cultural conditions. Her arrangements are mostly true to that era, but sometimes flirt with rap, reggae, folk, and blues. Claire accompanies herself on street organ and has a band.
www.clairelafreniere.com
Venue: Double Dose, 3425 St. Denis
Date: June 23
Richard Lahmy
Original, socially conscious songs performed in a folk-rock, world beat, latino style, accompanied by various alternative musicians. Richard tries to follow in the tradition of the great poetic masters like Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley and Boris Vian. As long as there is war, hunger, and injustice, there will be voices like his to cry out. He writes songs of protest, but also songs about the fleeting moments of life, unrequited love, and lost faith, while hoping for the inevitable miracle.
Venue: Barfly, 4062 St. Laurent
Date: June 21
Landriault et Monique Paquin (in French)
In 2006, these two singer-songwriters decide to become a duo. The merger of their contrasting worlds creates distinct songs that talk about daily life, hope and struggle, strength and weakness. They have performed a lot in the last year, and their songs will appear in a forthcoming album.
Venue: Double Dose, 3425 St. Denis
Dates: June 14, June 24
Isabelle LarrivÈe (in French)
For a few years now, Isabelle LarrivÈe has performed her songs in Montreal, Quebec, France, and Morocco. Her poetic, anecdotal lyrics are constantly trying to enhance their own meaning through music. Her influences are drawn from many sources: the French song, Latin and Moroccan rhythms, with a dash of jazz. Isabelle is accompanied on piano and clarinet by Isabelle Vadeboncoeur, with RenÈ de Montigny on saxophone, flute and melodica.
Venue: Double Dose, 3425 St. Denis
Date: June 18
Les 4 pianos (in French)
Originally Maryse Letarte’s brainchild, “Les 4 pianos” features four singer-songwriter-pianists, including Maryse, Julie Salvador, Yves Marchand, Manuel Gasse. It’s the meeting of four worlds, four keyboards, four talents, and eight hands.
www.myspace.com/maryseletarte
www.juliesalvador.com
www.audiograme.com/?artiste=80
www.myspace.com/manuelgasse
Venue: SoirÈe QuÈbecPop, Double Dose, 3425 St. Denis
Date: June 17
Lost Astronauts
The Montreal-based indie-pop band puts on a special show called “Lost in Space.” Bring your phasers and antennae.
www.myspace.com/lostastronauts
Venue: Barfly, 4062 St. Laurent
Date: June 21
MichaelMichael featuring the Admiral
MichaelMichael was formed twenty years ago when their mothers forced them to play together. This will be their first show. Music is provided by guitar and Game Boy, featuring the Admiral on drums.
Venue: Barfly, 4062 St. Laurent
Date: June 14
Oklahoma Bomb Squad
Aggressive, emotional, and self-reliant, Oklahoma Bomb Squad has spent most of its time fighting the evils of corporate pop. The Toronto-based band epitomizes the concept of the underdog that refuses to lie down and die. They'll NEVER make us stop.
www.myspace.com/okahomabombsquad
Venue: Barfly, 4062 St. Laurent
Date: June 16
Paper Street
Formed around a mantra of “drink a few beers, and rock the fuck out,” Paper Street combines a wide array of influences to create a unique sound that is rooted heavily in balls-to-the-wall blues rock. Hailing from small towns in the prairies and the Maritimes, one can feel the raw power an off-the-radar upbringing gives to their music. Now well rooted in Montreal, the group has let the city tame their edge into a style that rocks, rolls, grooves a little, and reaches out to grab you by the shirt and whisper dirty things in your ear.
www.paperstreet.ca
Venue: Barfly, 4062 St. Laurent
Date: June 18
FrÈdÈric Pelletier (in French)
Born: 1981. Age 15: first drum kit. Age 16: second drum kit, first guitar. Age 22: writes first song. Age 23: first harmonica. Age 24: second guitar. Man! I really hate writing these bios…Too much pressure…I’ll never make it! I don’t want people to hate it. So I’ll just skip ahead: my first album is currently in music stores and goes by the name of “Skizofred-Zizicentrisme.”
Venue: Double Dose, 3425 St. Denis
Date: June 22
Jean-Marie Pelletier (in French)
Hailing from VallÈe de La MatapÈdia, this singer-songwriter likes to share an experience with his audience. Alone with his guitar, Jean-Marie is a natural-born storyteller, affectionately telling tales of people and places. A fervent fan of Leclerc, Vigneault, and Desjardins, his lyrics are dynamic, incisive, stripped down, and eloquent.
Venue: Double Dose, 3425 St. Denis
Date: June 19
Max Ricard (in French)
Max Ricard began writing songs when he was 15 years old. He learned to play guitar at age 21 and started composing from then on. He bought a computer and started experimenting with recording to release his first solo album called “episode(s).” In 2006, he sends his album to independent radio stations and makes it in CIBL’s Top 10. For the festival, he plans an acoustic show.
Venue: Double Dose, 3425 St. Denis
Date: June 23
Jimmy Rouleau (in French)
An accomplished songwriter, Jimmy has accompanied several independent musicians in the last decade. Now a director and composer, he hovers between studio and theatre contracts. In what promises to be a very intimate show, he will perform classics by Zachary Richard, Kevin Parent, Cat Stevens, Jack Johnson, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Daniel Lanois, and even some of his own songs.
Venue: Double-Dose, 3425 St. Denis
Date: June 21
The RoundSquare
The RoundSquare counts 5 bandmates including Krystel Boucher (vox), Karine Tremblay (guitar), SÈbastien Savoie (guitar), StÈphane Leclerc (bass) and Louis-Philippe Dufour (drums). Their music combines punk, rock and alternative stylings, and their influences range from The Cranberries, to Evanescence, Bad Religion, U2, Coldplay, and Smashing Pumpkins.
www.myspace.com/theroundsquaremusic
The Sofisticators
Sofisticators will thrash you with their shameless onslaught of broken beats, electronic noise, and grungy guitar.†FIST WITH US!!!
www.myspace.com/sofisticators
Soma
Soma is no mediocre sound. They ride the distortion like rodeo masters standing on stampeding wild horses. Good luck seeing them fly off because they are tight on their sound saddle.
www.myspace.com/somarocks
Venue: Barfly, 4062 St. Laurent
Date: June 14
Starchy
Starchy (a.k.a. D'Arcy Philip Gray) has been performing electro worldwide for more than 10 years. In previous (other) lives, he was also found at Juilliard, with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, working alongside David Tudor, and as a McGill professor. The “Starchy” project combines raunchy feedback circuitry with beats in a speaker-ripping, table-core romp. Much has been written about him, most notably: “…listening to his dice-and-slice collage works, you imagine that somewhere Thurston Moore is plotting to start a cassette label centered solely around Starchy.”
Venue: Barfly, 4062 St. Laurent
Date: June 19
tentet/octet reactionary ensemble
A loose composition/free improvisational music collective from Buffalo, NY, performing a score to a video piece that will, in turn, have a live reaction to the music, thus creating an inter-media feedback loop.
www.myspace.com/tentetoctet
Venue: Barfly, 4062 St. Laurent
Date: June 18