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For the past two decades, the end of July and the beginning of August in Montreal have become synonymous with the city’s annual music festival Osheaga. Having grown up in Montreal, Osheaga was in many ways the (musical) green light at the end of the dock - the pinnacle of good music -whatever that means- in the eyes of a much younger version of myself. While I still went this year, perhaps it was not with the same level of enthusiasm and eagerness my former-self once felt. The festival, which has taken a life of its own, often overshadows other events happening in the city. For one weekend, and whether you like it or not, Osheaga takes over the city, attracting what seems to be a growing crowd each year. 

There are a multitude of first-world problems that concertgoers face every month. It could be that you forgot your good-quality earplugs, or maybe you were even slightly inconvenienced by having to dump out your water bottle before entering the venue. But, probably the most frustrating of all: when two shows you’ve been anticipating for months end up falling on the same date. But sometimes, by pure luck, you can end up seeing those two shows pair together into one, which is exactly what happened on Friday at the Fairmount Theatre when Cola and Snooper performed on the same bill, after both of Cola’s opening bands, Shunk and Yves Jarvis, had cancelled.

From the moment I arrived at the nineteenth edition of Shazamfest, there was not a minute that passed without something exciting or, at the very least, interesting happening. As I approached the main site, following the decorated path from the car park, the Eastern Township fusion dance troupe Tribal Roses had just gotten underway. Led by Catherine De Sève, the troupe mixes eastern dance and western electronic music. It was punctuated with flamboyant costumes and a fair amount of audience participation, which at Shazamfest culminated in one big mass dance-a-thon to close out the show. 

*Reader discretion is advised for the films mentioned in this article* 

The Fantasia Film Festival is back at Concordia University’s Hall Building and surrounding area for the 28th edition, which runs from July 18th - August 4th. The premier genre film festival gives the excuse to beat the heat and grab a seat for a film that will surely entertain. Before we get to our top film picks curated by us, Remi and Danny of At The Movies, here are some things to look forward to at this year's edition.