The Bulletin: Nostalgic cinema, listening parties, tipping culture, and a lot of Negronis [Issue #95]

The Bulletin is a collection of what's happened, what’s happening, and what’s to come in and around Montreal.

The Main

September 19, 2024- Read time: 10 min

Daily life in Montreal’s Chinatown, 1966. | Photograph: Les Archives de la Ville de Montréal

Ah, the last gasp of summer. Guess we spoke a little too soon last week. And the week before that. Maybe in the weeks to come. Who knows? We're not meteorologists here.

You're here because you want to have fun, damn it, and that's what we'll help you do. This weekend not only promises a lot of interesting films to watch and museum exhibitions to see, but a slew of oddities in the news, from AI-augmented healthcare to downtown block parties and DJs test driving their sets in an intimate listening session. Perhaps a bit hodge podge, a little choose-your-own-adventure, but that's sometimes what makes a weekend more interesting.

But before you read on:

Have a drink with us 🥃

We’re closing out Negroni Week at Bar Bello this Sunday, September 22! The party starts at 4 PM and goes till late. Featuring $2 cicchetti, a hands-on Negroni workshop, and more surprises.

👉 Come celebrate with us and meet the team. 👈

Activities, parties, points of interest, art exhibitions, you name it: These are the weekend events you don't want to miss.

Thursday

Tickets for @sugarsammyk's shows on September 19, 20, 21, and 22 at Salle Pierre-Mercure are selling out, grab 'em while you can.
@festivalsherif arrives for the first time in @vieuxportmtl to celebrate smokehouse eats and country culture.

Friday

@semainemodemtl celebrates the best of what's happening in the fashion communities in Montreal and Quebec.
@mtlmarathon features race distances for runners of all performance levels, from families to seasoned athletes: 42.2 km, 21.1 km, 10 km, 5 km and 1 km.
❗Not this Friday but the next (Sept 27), the label When We Dip XYZ is hosting a showcase in collaboration with art gallery Le Livart who has just opened a 300 people capacity venue with a renowned 'Void' sound system. It'll be Meera's first time in North America. Use the code Themain20 to get a 20% discount at checkout here.

Saturday

@lebicar is setting up a pop-up shop at @boutique.verdunluv on @promenadewellington to sell exclusive prints & merch from Sept 21 to 29.
A new edition of Sweet Spot, a series from @osmo_x_marusan, arrives to present music from artists who would like to see how people react during attentive listening in real time.
@bbamgallery presents the exclusive Canadian film premiere of BOOM, an in-depth documentary about THE SONICS, one of the most influential garage rock bands of the 1960s.
Go see Visibly Iroquoian, an installation by interdisciplinary performing artist @_aloft_, before it ends at the @canadiancentreforarchitecture.

Sunday

@stimulant0 will be at @lefrigovert for a 'prose or poetry' open mic, creating a place to read some new work and see what people think. Test it out.
The @sat_montreal hosts a “block party” at Place de la Paix, with a BBQ, a skate competition, prizes, creative workshops, and DJ sets.
@osmconcerts and @nezetseguin will honour the 200th birthday of Anton Bruckner with a vibrant tribute as part of the Legendary Figures series.
@cinemadumusee marks @concordiauniversity's 50th anniversary with a screening of The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz.
J.A. DeSève Cinema is marking the 30th anniversary of the Canadian animated TV show “ReBoot” with the premiere screening of “ReBoot ReWind”, a documentary series covering how the show was made.

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BTS at @parapluie.mtl. | Photograph: Scott Usheroff / @cravingcurator

WHAT TO EAT & DRINK IN AND AROUND MONTREAL

Scope the latest restaurant openings, recommendations on where to eat, plus new menus, old classics, and everything in between.

An ethos beyond food

Pavilion, the latest third floor project for the SAT downtown, stays true to its cultural ethos: Creating space where food, creativity, music, and community can intersect. It’s a social club that's more open, more relaxed, and not just about dining. (The Main)

On Sept 22, @bistrolafranquette hosts their pals @weirdera.ca, serving hits from their latest food issue with wine pairings by @filidonos_tatianna from the @grand.ordinaire portfolio. $60 buys you a copy of the mag and a 3 course feast.
After leaving the Village, @passecomposemtl returns with a fresh new look starting September 21st at @heritaj_montreal, a French-Indian restaurant in Old Montreal.
@negroniroom will celebrate its one year anniversary with $10 namesake cocktails on Sept 26.
@chezvictoire has announced a special Mexican BBQ event for Oct 6 from noon to 4 p.m. and it's only $25 for a ticket beforehand.
On September 29, @copilote.mtl is hosting @ratafiamontreal for a 5-course collaborative menu with wine pairings.
@cafechezteta's announced has announced a 4th anniversary celebration by transforming the café into a Lebanese BBQ paradise on Sept 29.
Mark your calendars: @vinodiscobar is throwing a family party featuring all their resident DJs on Sept 21—free entry before midnight.
@poincarechinatown is celebrating its 5th anniversary on Sept 21 by bringing beers out of the cellar, serving Dolphin-inspired cocktails, and more.
On Friday, September 20 exclusively, @parapluie.mtl will be serving up a special lunch session: A 3-course set menu at $55 per person.
@cremy.patisserie is back in the donut game, delivering to local drop-off points two Saturdays a month. Details on their account.
Every Wednesday, @pubjelly is slinging free martinis with every plate of a half-dozen oysters.
@campomtl will host @chefjoaodias for its 8th anniversary on Sept 20 for a special (and notably 'unpretentious') $65 menu, +$37 for wine.
@jiaodimsumbar is hosting its annual anniversary brunch with complimentary welcome cocktails by @greygoose on Sept 22.
@lamartinique's Gourmande Festival has returned for its 17th edition with cooking workshops, guests chefs, mixology competitions and more.
@bastidsbbq, a travelling BBQ/dance party featuring @skratchbastid & friends, is arriving in Montreal on Sept 28 next weekend; grab tix while you can.
For @negroniweek, bars like @thecoldroommtl, @barbisoubisou and @barbellomtl feature special Negronis to help raise money for @slowfood_international.
@canadasbest100's 10th Anniversary dinner place will take place at @restaurant_toque, featuring a collaborative menu with @alorestaurant, @montrealplaza, and @parcelles.austin on Sept 25—a $424 price tag, however.

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Here, you'll find a weekly round-up of the latest local news, from entertainment to current affairs and more.

Fairway to Heaven ⛳

On Monday, September 23, Old Montreal’s pub de force, Wolf & Workman, will host the second annual ‘Power of the Ball’ Gala for the GOAL Initiatives Foundation: "Fairway to Heaven"—a 1970s golf-themed dress-up party (period attire is “highly recommended”). (The Main)

A shake up for the service industry

Quebec tabled a bill on Thursday that would regulate how merchants determine suggested tips, forcing businesses to calculate them based on the price before tax. On a restaurant bill of $100, for instance, suggested tips would be calculated as a percentage of $100, not the after-tax total of $114.98. (CTV News)

A holy storm of sound

The free-spirited Montreal composer/guitarist Tim Brady wants to round up another 99 guitarists to join up with him for the world première of his latest work, La Grande Accélération: Symphony #12, March 1 at St. Joseph’s Oratory. (Montreal Gazette)

Gaining new grounds in Montreal

After a hotly contested byelection, the Bloc Québécois clinched LaSalle-Émard-Verdun, a longtime Liberal seat in Montreal. The overnight defeat of the Liberals, who've largely held the riding throughout history, was the talk of Parliament Hill this week. (CTV News)

"You miss the crazy here"

When Terry DiMonte bolted from Montreal for B.C. he vowed he would never return to live in his hometown again. Now? “It all started simply enough with: ‘Geez, I’d love a bagel or some Chalet Bar-B-Q chicken.’ Then it all came down to missing everything.” (Montreal Gazette)

Slash and burn

While the Quebec government is cutting funding to assist people in taking French courses, it's launching an ad campaign about Quebecers' collective responsibility to protect and promote the language. (CBC Montreal)

Empty seats, broken hearts

The performing arts community has never really recovered from the pandemic, a new study points out. Attendance observed in 2023, all disciplines combined, is 19% below the 2018 level. The proportion of Quebecers who say they do not attend any shows is also on the rise. (Le Devoir)

"C’était la cohue."

La Presse writer visits Royalmount so you don’t have to: After having walked 5000 steps inside, their family needed a drink to recover from the experience, the teenagers loved it, and the writer would only go back for the cinema. (La Presse)

Not to replace humans, but support them

Urgences-santé and Airudi, a Quebec company specializing in the design of AI solutions, announced Thursday a partnership that aims to optimize pre-hospital care through artificial intelligence. (Montreal Gazette)