Maisons de la culture! Free (and, créele o no, good) shows!
Sure, this city is known for its festivals, its cultural vibrancy. There’s theatre, music, dance, gallery exhibitions — so much happening year-round. But some of the best deals in town are free, and going down at the Maisons de la culture (though their online searching interface leaves much to be desired!). There are some great shows, and often all you need to do is pick up a laissez-passer a few days before the event — and if you’re lazy (like me), often you can get last-minute seating at the door (no, jokers, the seats are not at the door, but the tickets are). Did I mention most of these shows are free? My grandma would be proud.
That’s what I did yesterday, I went up to the Maison de la culture Ahuntsic-Cartierville to see a show by a group of quatre gars québécois playing tango (the works of the great Astor Piazzolla, plus many of their own compositions). They’re QueTango. Cellist, bassist, guitarist and drummer. The show was packed (mostly with seniors, since this was an afternoon show) and the sound was excellent, it was very intimate because I was only a few rows back. I have to say that the old ladies next to me were saying “moé j’n'aime pas ça, la musique moderne!” after some of the pieces, but I really enjoyed them. I especially liked the more “tango” moments (versus their more “jazz” moments), their rhythms and the bass player, who was fun to watch thumping his hand against the back or side of his double bass, then trying to whip his hand back in position to play the next note!
This is a better site for seeing what’s on (all over the city, though not the MdC shows). But you have to pay for most of these things, sorry… I just noticed that Noche Flamenca (de España) is doing a series of shows at Kola Note from November 24 to December 4. (to my Berkeley friends, they’ll be at Zellerbach Hall on February 19-20) I have to admit that when I saw this, I just snached a ticket for myself for the opening night. But, ouch…$40 tickets…who do they think they are, Céline Dion? We can regularly see good or great flamenco for less dinero, so they’d better be spectacular!