The top 5 things to do in Montreal: April 10 to 20
Yes, it’s the end of term. And yes, exams are on their way. It’s about time you got out of that cubicle in the library, and stretched out your mind and muscles.
1. THE OPTIC/SONIC EXPERIENCE
Video Phase | April 12, 8 p.m. | $2.30
Video Phase is an experimental mix of video and audio, combining the traditional and futuristic: cymbals and clocks, xylophones and horn-covered bicycles.
Composer Julien-Robert and percussionist Julien Compagne also rely on multimedia.
“We create the music and the visuals together,” says Julien-Robert, who is in charge of images and electronics. “One cannot be separated from the other.”
Find out more about Video Phase.
Watch a sneak peak.
2. BUST A MOVE
Le Bal du Dimanche | April 13, 2-3:30 p.m. | Free
Bring out your dancin’ shoes and stop by the Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme at Place des Arts on Sunday for a free Brazilian-themed lesson choreographed by Chantal Dauphinais to the beats of her house band.
What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon than learning to samba with a complete stranger?
Find out more about Le Bal du Dimanche.
3. THE CONCORDIA CONNECTION
Soliloquies 18.2 Launch | April 15, 7 p.m.| Free
Concordia’s literary journal launches issues 18 and 18.2 at Le Caigibi with a night of readings from seasoned and emerging writers.
New this year: the Flash Fiction Contest. For the past two terms, the editors sent out biweekly writing prompts across Twitter and Facebook, and featured the best one on their website. Now, Soliloquies is announcing the overall Flash Fiction Contest winner, who will also appear in the print journal.
Find out more about the Soliloquies 18.2 Launch.
4. TOTALLY RANDOM AND TOTALLY AWESOME
Audiotopie – Nuages | Free
Stop here if you have an iPhone. If not, keep scrolling.
Nuages is a geolocalized sound walk that changes audio tracks based on information from a real-time meteorological database. These days, with the weather we’re having, it’s sure to hit every note — snow, rain and sunshine.
To join, all you need to do is download the app. The walk starts outside of the Champs-de-Mars metro station, and lasts approximately 40 to 60 minutes.
Find out more about Audiotopie – Nuages.
5. LAST CHANCE
Christian Marclay’s The Clock | April 19, 11 a.m. to April 20, 6 p.m. | $10 (students), $14 (regular admission)
Think about how many times you have checked your watch or smartphone today, wondering whether you are going to be late or not. Now, think of all the instances time appears onscreen in films and on television — it’s a lot.
Christian Marclay and his assistants gathered thousands of clips from every possible source and era, then spent three years editing the shots down to a 24-hour loop where every minute is represented by different images.
Impossible? You’re going to have to binge-watch time to find out. Entrance is on a first-come, first-served basis.
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About the author
Andy Fidel is a Montreal-based freelance journalist, photographer and writer with dreams of living on a submarine. She enjoys metro rides, writer's block and cold instant coffee.