Welcome back. After a short hiatus, The Main is back in full force and ready, more than ever before, to serve up stories that Montreal needs to read. We’re a digital magazine. We’re a curatorial platform. We’re a local collective. As part of our new mission, The Main will be driven by a specific editorial theme…
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One Montreal Family’s Quest to Bring Neon Back
In a converted, two-story factory workshop, the Atelier Neon Family logo hangs high above a work table. Classical music from a boombox radio fills the room as morning sunshine beams in. The strange glow of neon seems almost eerie in the day but doesn’t suffer for beauty or artistry. Company founder and family patriarch, Gérald…
Read MoreThomas Vernis: Meet the Real ‘Tommy’ Behind Montreal’s Beloved New Tommy Café
When Desjardins asked The Main to find a local professional whose work would be inspirational to aspiring entrepreneurs, we were happy to help. In keeping with their desire to inspire and support young people in realizing their own passion projects, we sought to tell the story of a self-made local businessperson who’s taken a creative approach to building their own business, picking…
Read MoreLook Vibrant: Adding a Dose of High Energy to Montreal’s Music Scene
This article was originally written for Le Dépanneur magazine: a new Montreal publication dedicated to showcasing local creatives of all sorts. Read the full feature in their 1st edition, to be released October 2015. —“You sure you don’t want a cookie?” The two halves of Montreal-based duo Look Vibrant, Justin Lazarus and Matthew Murphy, sit side…
Read MoreThese Breathtaking Photos Give You the Best Views from Montreal’s Benches
With every bench comes a view, and the support needed to truly sit back and appreciate it. Inspired by the various Montreal benches he encounters every day and the breathtaking views they give us, staff photographer Kalden Dhatsenpa decided to document a series of benches that offer the city’s best perspectives. Take look at some of Montreal’s most spectacular scenes, from…
Read MoreAlexandraplatz: How to Turn a Montreal Warehouse into a Treasured Neighbourhood Bar
On a long, hot summer day, the clanging sounds of a train ricochet across garage doors and metal-sided buildings, filling the space between the integrated warehouses on the north end of l’Esplanade. It’s 4:50 p.m., and by no coincidence, the trickling in of bicycles, of transit-takers, of neighbourhood friends and fringe folk begins. Ten minutes to…
Read MoreJohn Jacob Magistery: a Powerful New Voice in Montreal’s Indie-Folk Scene
“I feel like we deserve to be here, for sure,” says Johnny Griffin as he squints at me from across the large picnic table, sun in his eyes, “I just didn’t expect us to play this year.” The rest of John Jacob Magistery laugh or nod in agreement, knowing full well that while they are labelled ‘up-and-coming,’…
Read MoreRebicycle: Revolutionizing the Vintage Bicycle Market in Montreal
Unlike many bicycle manufacturers, Rebicycle’s workshop was set up with the customer in mind. From one work station to the next, they walk you through the process: take an old bicycle frame, strip the parts, wash it down, and then move it to the work bench where the transformation begins. Rather than select from stock choices, you can fully…
Read MoreInterview: Seoul on Sound, Images, and Vulnerability
Surprisingly minimalist yet ultimately affective, Seoul are a dream-pop band on the rise. Recently signed to Last Gang Records, the enigmatic Montreal-based trio are set to release their debut LP, I Become A Shade on June 9th. We had the chance to chat with Julian, Dexter, and Nigel—responding together as a unit—before the release. “Everything we…
Read MoreInterview: Yardlets Are Here to Tell You to Shut Up and Have a Good Time
Yardlets have a partnership that would make most other musicians jealous. A power-duo of sorts and friends since forever ago, Sam Goldberg Jr. (of Broken Social Scene) and Jeff Edwards both live by the same set of principles: create what you want when you want to, and have fun doing it. While this may be…
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