FOXTROTT shields ep

It was one of those satisfying nights where you decide to check out some art/music/dance etc. with no expectations and let the night unfold.  One recent night led me to Notre Dame des Quilles, a bar equipped with two mini-bowling alleys, to take in the sounds of FOXTROTT.

Walking in with not even a vague idea of what I was going to hear, the night began with a listening of the Shields EP to the packed bar.  With the opening electronic strains, beats and vaguely reminiscent of Tori Amos vocals, I was instantly hooked and floored at the same time.

 

After listening to the EP's three songs, FOXTROTT took to the alleys and gave us a stripped down acoustic rendition of the album.  Minimal percussion, a keyboard and two french horns interpreted the songs we had just heard in a new, amazing and re-imagined light.  I was TOTALLY STOKED.  And one bonus song later, it was over, as quickly as it had begun. 

Totally satisfying. I would like some more please.

Insta Post

End of summer is nigh!
I share some summer moments from my Instagram, you can click the button on the right if you want to follow the feed!

Delicious yellow watermelon from Les Jardins d'Ambroisie. Public installation at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

An army of Risk.  Skinning/canning tomatoes!

Woodwork and black lines at Hotel Herman.  A swim in the Lachine Canal.

Redpath Silos x Allez-Up

Not too long ago I got to peek at a transformation taking place in the sud-ouest.  The historic Redpath Silos are birthing to the newest incarnation of the Allez-Up climbing gym in a mere few weeks.

The new facility is the white addition which measures about 55 feet in height is nestled in between the four silos.

 Walls by Walltopia taking shape in the dark

The skeleton of the lead wall (which is nearing completion), the gym's come a long way since 2x4s...

 On top of the roof! A look at the Nordelec, Allez-Up's former location

 Oh man, and the view!  An awesome vantage point of the downtown skyline.

 Looking up close at the massive PBW tag, can I even call it a tag? It's huge!

Looking out from inside on top of the silos

Want some more? Can't get enough? Here's a video by François Lebeau about the transformation.

Les Silos Allez UP from Allez Up on Vimeo.

Gabriel Dawe: Plexus

Mixed media artist Gabriel Dawe was in Montreal to install the latest of his ongoing Plexus series.  The mesmerizing spectrum of colour was commissioned for a promo for Marie-Pierre Arthur's "Fil de soie"- (a thread of silk, but the wordplay is a bit better in French.)

I checked out the installation in progress just before its completion for the evening vernissage and video shoot.  It is amazing to see in person!

 

It starts with some thread

It gets passed back and forth

 

A close up of the mingling of thread

 

The hooks are not closed, nor permanent, alluding to the temporal nature of the installation

 

Making rainbows

Perspective

A small group of images shot around town with a little bit of perspective.

L'estacade du Pont Champlain is low bridge that runs parallel to the Champlain.  Bike riding good times that takes you from Nuns Island to the Voie Maritime to l'ile du Seigneur.

A string of lights at Alexandraplatz

Shabana walking out to the edge; on top of the Redpath Silos

Setting sun on Boulevard Taschereau

Work It: Moving Images

Other than eating salad all the time, I have occupied my time by providing wardrobe to some moving pictures.  It's been good times, but busy times hence the (slight?) neglect of this blog.  Here's some images to make up for it; many of them are from my Instagram feed, feel free to follow (click to your right) if you fancy what you see!

If a cube truck that kind of looks like a moving truck parks on your street for a many days in a row, they are most likely part of a film production.  I've spotted this cube on my street with some crows on it, and took it as a non-ominous sign.

Instagram pics of director Eduardo Menz's customized macbook.  Digging through the drawers of costume rentals.

On set at a call center.  This project was shot on film (awesome!), which is becoming more of a rarity.

More instagram of the crew looking on to our young actors on bikes for the first day of another shoot.  Our script supervisor is all geared up.

Arts & crafts! Customizing bike bells as parting gifts to our young actors.

 The lovely ladies of la regie.  A set dog cozies up in sandbags after a long day.

More kids! On this project I had to protect the young actor from the breaking of a (real) glass of milk.  Slippers, socks, ace bandages, raincoat, plastic poncho, protective eyegear! Check! Check! Check!

Super sloooooow motion! 240 frames per second!  The multiples of pyjamas I had made for the milk explosion. Check!

Veggie Basket

Hi! Sorry it's been a little crazy with movie making madness and posting has slipped a bit.  But we are back today with a lovely image of my veggie basket.  This summer is the first time I'm ordering an organic veggie basket from the farm Les Jardins d'Ambroisie. 
This is basket number three and is actually not the entirety of the produce, as the rest was making it's way into a giant muthafucking salad!

See that funny looking ball with leaves on the left? It's called a kohlrabi cabbage or choux-rave in français for those who want to know.  I've never seen this mystery veg before and can't wait to figure out what to do with it.  If you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know!

Oh and I'm so stoked that there's kale!