CITY MESS - Friday January 25th at Studio 300

by alanah

Indyish’s 11th Monthly Mess brings together indie artists and indie urbanists to reflect on our experience of the city. The music, spoken word, film and images presented are all inspired by the artists’ urban experience and, with this unique show, Indyish explores the ways in which art can create collective meaning and contribute to building a sense of place.

This month’s lineup will feature performances by musicians Charlotte Cornfield and Geoff Faribault, who kick off the evening with songs that skip through familiar streets, Lake of Stew, an all-acoustic string band with an urban bent, and spoken word by Simon Schlesinger as well as Alison Louder, who led the public outcy against the Parc Avenue name change.

On screen, from Williamsburg NYC, Indyish will present Up on the Roof, by Creative Arson, a documentary that captures the clash between an old world tradition of raising pigeons on rooftops and the forces of gentrification sweepeng the neighbourhood and local filmmaker Martin Reich / *Safe Solvent has built his name by exploring the play of light in the darker corners of Montreal and will contribute an 8mm film shot in Cote des Neiges cemetary. An exhibit of photographs by urban explorers *Safe Solvent and Controleman will allow rarely-seen glimpses of the city, from the guts of the sewer system to a breathraking view from the roof or the abandoned Dow Brewery.

Finally, in Pecha Kucha style presentations, urban planner Joel Thibert will present a radical vision for Place d’Armes (created for Design Montreal’s Imaginez Votre Place d’Armes series) and AJ Kandy, author of the Save Griffintown blog, will propose a creative New Urbanist alternative to the Griffintown Redevelopment. Griffintown’s hundred-year-old history, foremost in many Montrealers’ thoughts since the release of the massive “Village Griffintown” plans this winter, will also be featured in a showing of the United Steelworkers of Montreal’s music video Émile Bertrand, created by Urban Handed Works.

Studio 300 in Old Montreal is a perfect, custom art venue to host artists and audience with a passion for the city. Beer is provided exclusively by our partners at McAuslan, and we’ll have other treats as well behind the Studio’s 360 degree bar. DJ Afrokats will keep the crowds dancing on spot til the wee hours.

The show is hosted by local actors, improvisors and non-sequiturs, Dan Jeannotte and Christine Ghawi and prizes are offered by the band Nightwood to those who know their local lore.

January 25th 2008. Doors at 8; show starts at 9pm