If Montreal’s alternative scene has a beating heart, it’s pumping loud from Foufounes Électriques. Since 1983, this cavernous, multi-level venue has been the undisputed HQ for punk, goth, metal, new wave, and whatever else lurks in the underground. The name—loosely translating to “electric buttocks”—sets the tone, but it’s the history that gives it weight. This is where Nirvana, Green Day, and The Misfits played long before they were stadium acts, and where art once dripped from the walls—literally—during its legendary “Peinture en Direct” live painting sessions.
With a sprawling dance floor, a steady lineup of shows, and some of the cheapest pitchers in town, Foufs isn’t just a bar—it’s a cultural landmark. The graffiti-splattered walls, the industrial bones, the weird sci-fi-meets-dive-bar aesthetic—it all adds up to one of the last true alt bastions in the city. Whether you’re here to mosh, drink, or just take in the scene, Foufs doesn’t judge. It just keeps going.
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