There are two seasons in Montreal: Winter and construction, or so goes the decades-old adage uttered by so many bitter locals. Save for its all-too-short summer, the city can often feel like a harsh and even inhospitable place to live. Given that its human residents often feel beaten down by[Read More…]
Articles by Sophie Brzozowski
‘Collector’ is just fine
“Plugged in, something’s wrong,” sings Disq frontman Isaac DeBroux-Slone on “D19,” the fourth track off of the alt-indie band’s debut album Collector. Against the backdrop of a trebly acoustic rhythm guitar, DeBroux-Slone’s aching vocals sound wistful as he sings of a brief but torrid affair with a faulty D19 microphone.[Read More…]
POP Montreal spotlights local talent
This year, POP Montreal International Music Festival turned 18. Born in the Mile End, the festival had humble beginnings showcasing then-unknown acts Broken Social Scene and Stars. Now, the festival has grown to include over 300 acts, extending its commitment to championing independent arts across the seas: This year saw[Read More…]
Social media: The scrapbook of our time
Being a naturally private person, I have never felt social media came easily to me. I’ve often found myself sympathizing with those who criticize my generation for our tendency to overshare online, not because I see it as symptomatic of narcissism, but simply because I don’t share the same impulse.[Read More…]
‘Chastity Belt’ is a plaintive meditation on growing up
Since their 2013 debut album, No Regerts, Chastity Belt have been celebrating girlhood in all its irreverence. Borrowing heavily from rrriot-girl predecessors like Sleater-Kinney, the band have toed the line between bold and brazen for most of their career, each of their songs flecked with mischief and bursting with righteous,[Read More…]
Home Theatre Productions is a welcome addition to the Montreal theatre community
Title of Show, Home Theatre Productions’ inaugural project, debuted on Sept. 12 at the Mainline Theatre. Those in attendance on opening night saw the intimate space packed with friends of the cast and crew, members of the community, and theatre fans alike, leaving nary an empty seat. The excitement in[Read More…]
Wisdom for the youth
Get involved and discover your interests Leanne Young, Photo Editor The first year of university is undoubtedly a busy time for students, but it is not just about getting your degree: It is also the best time to explore new interests and develop life long relationships. While you should not[Read More…]
The best of Roy Juno is yet to come
From a band that seems so effortlessly cool, one might expect a certain degree of aloofness from the members of Boston-based dream rock project Roy Juno. Seated around a plastic table in a dusty canvas tent, however, all four members were positively glowing with pride following their Aug. 2 performance[Read More…]
Overlooked at Osheaga: Four acts you shouldn’t miss
With big acts such as Tame Impala and Kaytranada gracing the Osheaga main stages, it is easy to overlook the lesser-known artists who are playing the afternoon slots. All the while, this year’s lineup boasts a breadth of up-and-coming artists covering diverse genres and styles, and it would be remiss[Read More…]
She the People is a hilarious beacon of hope
When wielded just so, humour can be a powerful tool: Few understand this sentiment better than Carly Heffernan, the director of comedy club Second City’s boundary-pushing production She the People, does. Having enjoyed a successful four-month run in Toronto in 2018, Second City’s all-female show will make its Montreal premiere[Read More…]
Ronny Chieng thinks we should all just relax
Internationally-acclaimed comedian Ronny Chieng has some advice for university students: He thinks we all should learn to go with the flow. “I don’t think people teach kids how to deal with uncertainty,” Chieng said in an interview-turned-counselling-session with The McGill Tribune. “You’ll see for yourself […] When you graduate, you’ll[Read More…]
Spotlight: “The Nasty Show” at Just for Laughs
Just for Laughs’ annual Nasty Show will return to the MTELUS Theatre from July 17 to 27, with a full bill of raunchy, envelope-pushing, and hilarious acts. The McGill Tribune compiled some highlights-to-be from the upcoming show. Bonnie McFarlane Gabe Nisker, Features Editor Bonnie McFarlane knows that nut allergies are[Read More…]
Anti-reading week reading list
Two months into the semester, reading for pleasure seems like a long-forgotten pastime. To some, the thought of willingly digesting more information feels like a cruel joke, but we here in the Art & Entertainment section are firm believers in intellectual procrastination. Here are some books you can read to[Read More…]
‘Tip of the Sphere’ is a little bit magical
Singer-songwriter Cass McCombs has always been a compelling storyteller and Tip of the Sphere, his latest work, might just be his magnum opus. The album, released on Feb. 8, is a whirlwind of fantastical world-building, deft lyricism, and cathartic melodies. The songs are a subtle departure from the spare, folksy[Read More…]
Beyond the shelves
Sandwiched between the crowded, cubicled floors of the McLennan library complex lies a trove of meticulously-catalogued treasures. McGill’s Rare and Special Collections, on McLennan’s oft-bypassed fourth floor, is positively teeming with peculiar artifacts; for instance, McGill boasts the largest collection of books about Abraham Lincoln in all of Canada, not to mention the 2,714 books and journals from the 19th to 20th century about puppet theatre, belonging to McGill’s much revered Rosalynde Stearn Puppet Collection.
The best and worst of 2018
Best Albums: 1. Be the Cowboy, Mitski Sad indie kids have traded their beanies for cowboy hats, wallowing in perhaps the most beautiful auditory manifestation of sadness to ever have graced the radio waves. Hive Mind, The Internet 2. Hive Mind, The Internet This summer, the Internet brought the[Read More…]
‘Mid90s’ tugs at familiar heartstrings
“I think it’s really dope that times are changing,” a grinning Jonah Hill said in an interview with the hosts of New York City-based radio show The Breakfast Club. In lieu of introducing himself, the 34-year-old actor-turned-director launched into a monologue about how exciting it is that counter-culture-centred media outlets[Read More…]
‘Festival du Nouveau Cinema’ showcases films from around the world
The 47th edition of Festival du Nouveau Cinéma (FNC) ran Oct. 3-14, gracing Montreal’s silver screens with an eclectic program of films ranging from festival-circuit fare to micro-budget Quebecois features. The McGill Tribune team was there in full force.
Tolerate thy neighbour
I don’t consider myself to be a selfish or ignorant person. I take some pride in keeping up to date with current events, because I think it’s important to know what’s going on around me. I’m even prouder of the fact that I know most everything there is to know[Read More…]
The optics of gun violence in Canada
Living in Canada, I’ve never thought of guns as a particularly divisive issue. As far back as I can remember having an opinion, my politics on the subject have mostly aligned with those of most of my country’s citizens, and I’ve always been thankful for this. But lately, I’ve been[Read More…]
The Now Now marks the end of an era
The Now Now dropped on June 29, a little over a year after the 2017 release of Humanz—a genre-defying, guest star-studded smorgasbord of an album. The Now Now features only three musical cameos, choosing instead to privilege Damon Albarn’s voice, revealing an interiority previously unexplored on Gorillaz albums. In “Fire Flies,”[Read More…]
‘Blood Relations’ is a haunting portrait of social isolation
Sharon Pollock’s award-winning play Blood Relations, currently showing at Moyse Hall, was directed by Professor Sean Carney and produced by the McGill Department of English. The story is a bone chilling, pulse-quickening, and thought-provoking examination of one of the most notorious cause célèbres in history. Set in 1902, Blood Relations takes place[Read More…]
‘American Utopia’ insists that everything will be ok
American Utopia might be David Byrne’s first solo record in 14 years, but the former Talking Heads frontman has been hard at work on an eclectic mix of side projects since the 2004 release of his last album, Grown Backwards. Perhaps the most intriguing of his ventures is the launch of[Read More…]
TNC’s ‘Autobiography of Red’ is enchantingly poignant
Adapted by writer/director Phoebe Fregoli (a fourth-year Concordia student studying women’s studies and creative writing) from the Anne Carson novel-in-verse by the same name, Tuesday Night Café Theatre’s production of Autobiography of Red is a Greek myth transposed to mid-20th century rural southern Ontario. According to ancient legend, the play’s protagonist,[Read More…]
Cinema Politica shines light on the margins
Cinema Politica is a nonprofit network that collects and screens independent documentary films. Its weekly screenings embody the network’s slogan, “screening truth to power,” with films that show solidarity with oppressed voices who often go unheard in mainstream media. The McGill Tribune looks at two of their most recent films, examining stories[Read More…]
In celebration of ugly dancing
I would have loved nothing more than to see Lorde murder her Grammys performance on Jan. 28, and it broke my heart that she didn’t get to. After an exhausting six or so months of scandal, I had just about lost all faith in the entertainment industry. I was ready[Read More…]
Lesbians Who Tech are what’s missing from the industry
Unless you are a very specific type of person (white, straight, and male), the tech industry is a frustrating place to work. The fact that one of the world’s fastest growing, most influential fields is so overwhelmingly male is concerning, because the growth and evolution of so many other related[Read More…]
Urban art in Montreal: Somewhere between starving and sellout
”Integrity” is a word that I have always had trouble defining. It seems to imply something more virtuous than plain old honesty, but equally as earnest. When coupled with the word ”artistic,” it becomes even more ambiguous. It was an awfully ambitious endeavor, then, to try and define integrity within[Read More…]
Nonfiction November—The Tribune’s favourite reads
Short of listening to a podcast, or reading a long article start-to-finish, reading nonfiction literature remains the best way of feeling like an intelligent, contemporary being. As finals season begins to rear its ugly head, and long days turn into longer nights spent in McLennan, pleasure reading can feel like[Read More…]
McGill’s first all black play tackles injustice with poetry without mincing words
“I was missin’ something,” begins Munyaradzi Guramatunhu’s note, introducing her rendition of the play for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuf in Tuesday Night Cafe Theatre’s (TNC) black and white program. “Something so important, something that ought to exist.” Though the words were adapted from the play’s[Read More…]
A Glimpse Into The Other World dismantles colonial impulses with confounding visuals
Kushapetshekan / Kosapitcikan—A Glimpse Into The Other World, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts’ (MMFA) newest installation, would be easy to miss were it not for the strange and otherworldly sounds emanating from the dark room at the far end of the museum’s permanent collection of contemporary art. Whether intentional or[Read More…]
Pop Rhetoric: OKNOTOK is not what rock and roll needs right now
For all their talk about being so vehemently anti-capitalist, and–by proxy–true to their art, Radiohead loves a good gimmick. It was around this time last year, for example, just days before the release of their first album in seven years, that the British rock band effectively erased themselves from the[Read More…]
A roundtable discussion on the Girls finale
HBO’s Girls aired for the last time on April 16. The series finale, titled “Latching” which garnered a wide array of reactions from film and TV critics, featured main character Hannah Horvath (Lena Dunham) in the early stages of motherhood, assisted by her best friend Marnie Michaels (Allison Williams). In[Read More…]
TNC’s ‘Stop Kiss’ is a familiar yet enchanting love story
Stop Kiss—written by Diana Son and directed by Alex Levesque—takes place, like so many other plays, in the West Village of Manhattan. It is there, amid the ubiquitous brownstones and manicured greenery, that Callie (Maha Nagaria), lives by herself, working as a traffic news reporter. Meanwhile, just a couple subway[Read More…]
‘How to Murder Your Life’ paints unapologetic portrait of addiction
One can only imagine the relief felt at the Simon and Schuster offices the day Cat Marnell announced she had finished her book. Conspicuously titled How To Murder Your Life, the work in question had cost the company three years and a $500,000 advance—most of which Marnell had reportedly spent[Read More…]
‘(Sm)all Good Things’ blends humour and street art
Whether it’s due to genuine humility or intentionally contrived coziness, the Station 16 gallery feels approachable. Sandwiched between an Irish pub and a stylish hair salon on Boulevard Saint-Laurent and Rue Milton, the gallery specializes in graffiti and street-art inspired exhibits, making it the perfect location to house Eric Clement’s[Read More…]
Charlestown Burlesque dazzles audiences at the Wiggle Room
For audience members who were veteran spectators within the burlesque community or regulars at the Wiggle Room, the Charlestown Burlesque, which premiered on Feb. 3, began as expected. After a brief but charming overture of ragtime piano, manager Frenchie Jones sauntered onstage—wearing nothing but undergarments and a top hat—to explain[Read More…]
Book Review: “3 or 4 Years an Indian”
The introductory blurb on the back of 3 or 4 Years an Indian describes author Cindy Styles as being “a new author born by obligation.” Of all Styles’ titles—musician, healer, McGill alumna—the only one that she has ever been denied was the one she is owed: Membership to the Qalipu Mi’kmaq[Read More…]
Julie Favreau: Navigating personal space
Although she was born and raised in a small suburb outside of Quebec City, curators, critics, and fans cannot help but proudly introduce Julie Favreau as “one of Montreal’s very own.” Since graduating from Concordia in 2012, the 35-year-old artist has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including[Read More…]