Pop Montreal – Inevitably Explosive Bubbles of Plastic Madness!

How’s that for a title? Smashing, isn’t it? Not only does it capture the vibe of fun and folly that is Pop Montreal, but it cleverly alludes to Andy Warhol’s multi-media creations which were greatly inspired by music (and are being exhibited at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts as we speak – editor’s note: and make sure to check back for next month’s EA as SteveK will be speaking of the mentioned exhibit).

Pop Montreal proves that music plays a central role in our daily lives. It acts as a mysterious motivating force. One minute, you’re sitting on your couch, staring into space, when all of a sudden the sound of a favourite song propels you into motion. The next thing you know, you’ve flung your bag of Doritos to the floor, ripped off the homely scrunchie, and are wildly jerking your arms and legs around the apartment. Fess up, people! I know I’m not the only one who does this. After all, if it wasn’t for Pop Montreal, you would cozy up indoors on a cold October night. But Pop Montreal kicks off and thousands of people willingly log out of Facebook, and give up their lives for five days to run their sorry frozen legs from venue to venue – just to hear some music. Weird, huh? Ok, enough with the preamble, let’s pop right to it. (I warn those unable to stomach atrocious puns to stop reading immediately!)

It’s undisputable that Montreal is a hub of culture and the arts. With world-class bands like Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, and Islands, not to mention the legendary Leonard Cohen and Oscar Peterson – and how could we forget the chest-thumping Lady Celine?- there’s something about our lovely city that sparks creativity and unites people to come together and bring their ideas to life. The POP Montreal International Music Festival is the perfect example of a community of people collaborating hand in hand to create a space for independent musicians, artists, and film makers to share their passion projects with the world. Hundreds of bands, dozens of venues, sweaty crowds, creative geniuses (many of them self-proclaimed) – all this madness stuffed into five days of hurrying and scurrying, mingling and jiving, drinking and… – you get the idea!

Naturally, CONFRONT Magazine couldn’t miss the opportunity to spotlight the lucky seventh year of Pop Montreal, so armed with my characteristic exuberance, and an open mind, I hit the streets to find out what Pop Montreal craziness was all about, finding it difficult to keep my ego in check while sporting the pompous title “Special Correspondent”.