Wish Upon Everest: Wishes Come True…
The Montrealing.com team is proudly presenting a fundraising evening to benefit the Make-A-Wish® foundation with the help of Saro Chichmanian.
When I first heard about the group of volunteers who climbed to base camp Everest for Make-A-Wish®, I was speechless. These people had so much courage and had taken on such a big project. I was even more surprised when I realized that I knew one of the volunteers through some common friends. Saro Chichmanian will be presenting pictures from his adventure and sharing his experience with us.
Alongside Saro, Kim Tremblay, a wish coordinator from the Make-A-Wish foundation will be present to tell us about this wonderful team of angels who have made it their mission to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Finally, Chahe Tanachian, director of Armenological studies will also be there to explain the mental and spiritual aspects of pilgrimages (what pushes someone to do it?).
If that wasn’t enough to catch your attention until now, hold on tight! There will be live performances from Roads (yes!! this is another chance to see them live)!
Last but not least, and thanks to our sponsors, you will have the chance to win many prizes.
All proceeds collected at this event will benefit the Make-A-Wish® foundation. It really is for a great cause and we ask all your encouragement in helping us make this night successful and being part of the granting of wishes…
Tickets are 15$ pre-sale and 20$ at the door. Places are limited so hurry!
Call Tamar at (514)892-0363
If you can not attend and still want to contribute, please visit http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=611561&LangPref=en-CA. You will be able to donate directly on Saro Chichmanian’s page.
Thank you all so much!
Look for the event on facebook!
The House of Jazz – A feast for all your senses
As the name might give it away, the House of Jazz is all about the sophisticated side of jazz, down to the last detail. From the moment you walk in, you will notice the meticulous New Orleans’ interior decoration covering every square inch of the room.
The tables are placed in an auditorium-style arrangement, converging towards the stage as the focal point of the restaurant. I highly suggest you grab a seat facing towards the stage, because as beautiful as the music sounds, half the excitement is watching some of the most talented artists play this intricate music with such ease.
With daily performances, it’s no wonder their clients stick around for many hours at a time. The Taurrey Butle Trio, a band I had the pleasure of watching, blew my mind. As a musician, I’ve always had the utmost admiration for jazz performers for it is the hardest style of music to play. I couldn’t take my eyes off the pianist’s fingers, which seemed to be moving at a speed of a thousand miles an hour.
These men share a chemistry that is reflected in their music; they play as if they’re the only ones in the room. The pianist raced his fingers up and down the keys with agility, the bassist held up some of the best tempo I’ve ever head, and the drummer jammed away like only someone with ADHD can.
Aside from the music, The House of Jazz serves an array of dishes you can easily enjoy while watching the show. I highly suggest ordering the plate of ribs if you don’t mind getting your fingers dirty.
Montreal’s lucky to be home of such an authentic jazz establishment, with amazing toe-taping beats and a service reflecting the New Orleans hospitality.
Montreal Clubbers To Welcome Two New Spots… On The Same Week-End!
For those of you who aren’t in the know, both CLUB ELEMENT and MUZIQUE NIGHTCLUB will be opening their doors during the weekend of October 9th! Let’s take a closer look at what both spots are aiming to deliver:
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CLUB ELEMENT
www.elementclub.ca
66 Blvd. Industriel
Saint-Eustache, QC
Straight from their Facebook group:
Venez découvrir un tout nouveau club sur la rive-nord. Un concept venant directement des plus beaux clubs de Las Vegas. Un concept rejoingnant les 4 éléments soit: air, eau, feu et terre.
OUVERT: Jeudi, Vendredi, Samedi
Right, so it’s technically not IN Montreal, but it’s in its “environs“. Not much else has been revealed as of yet: no pictures, no videos, no flyers. Their head resident DJ is DJ TaG. From what I’ve been told, ELEMENT is as far in distance & time as downtown is for Laval nightlife fiends. No traffic, simply two highways and you’re there! The official opening is on October 8th, a Thursday night, and because one of my homies is actually part of the ownership, I will no doubt be there for support!
•••
MUZIQUE NIGHTCLUB
(no website as of yet)
3718 St-Laurent Blvd.
Montreal, QC
Straight from their Facebook group (2):
Tucked away in the upper part of Montreal’s nightlife corridor, Muzique Nightclub eagerly awaits its revival of the St. Laurent night scene. Muzique features 2 rooms where a collaboration of Montreal’s best DJ’s spin a collection of Modern Urban, Electro, House and Rock, where it is finally once again possible to enjoy phenomenal music in a relaxed and elegant atmosphere. Unparalleled service and an eclectic ambiance combine to make your weekly escape a unique experience every time. Warmer nights will feature a rooftop terrace where guests can truly unwind and have fun, all the while enjoying the one club that aims to provide the essentials: good music, a more mature clientele, and most of all a place where you can truly enjoy yourself. On October 9th, Muzique invites you to attend our GRAND OPENING. Come participate in the reshaping of the nightclub experience… Remember, its about you and its about the sound. 21+ Dress to impress
Their description is pretty self-explanatory, and quite frankly, their concept is surprisingly seductive. There is no denying that their sleek logo design (seen on the above flyer) and its matching contemporary nightclub name, Muzique, make for a very powerful first impression. Yet, there is something even more impressive tucked away in their Facebook groups (one for Fridays, one for Saturdays). If you look through their Pictures section hoping to find snapshots of the exterior or interior design, you are instead presented with a clever and effective series of concept flyers (13 to be exact) which work in favor of solidifying their aspiration as an up-and-coming nightclub that is all about the music.
Here are just a few of my favorites, but I encourage you all to head over to their Photo Gallery to look at all of them:
As for DJs, the FB group lists DJ Payce & DJ Zoo in the Main Room, and DJ Kidd & DJ Goldenchild in V.I.P. Room, but here is a recent status update by Payce which also lists Keith Dean…
If I had to make a suggestion, I would strongly recommend that they get in touch with DJ Special K… Either way, as a music aficionado, I am sold on the concept and will definitely be checking Muzique out when the time comes.
What Makes Montreal City So Great?
As I was gathering my excitement after agreeing to write for this website, I started thinking about the different subjects I could address. The one subject that I had to start with was Montreal city itself: what is Montreal? Why do we love Montreal? What makes Montreal so great? I started messaging friends and asking them their opinions and interests about Montreal. Here is a gathering of all the answers I received.
First and foremost, the best answer I got was: “Montreal is great simply because we have you living here…” Ok, ok, so it wasn’t the best answer!
Our Diversity
Some said they loved Montreal because it’s the home of the infamous HABS! Others said they love it because of the poutine and the beautiful women. One thing almost everyone mentioned was that Montreal was great because of its multiculturalism and diversity. One said: “Montreal is a cultural melting pot where different cultures coexist together to give it its uniqueness”. Sure, it’s officially a bilingual city, but it is most probable that when you go to the bank, the teller will be able to answer you in Greek. When you go to the garage, the mechanic will probably be Armenian. If you need a taxi, the driver will probably be Arab. When you call to get some construction done around the house, the person who answers will probably be Italian.
The Food & Culture
Someone commented: “Wherever I’ve been in the world, I always wanted to get back to Montreal to finally EAT! You can eat your way around the world just by staying in Montreal.” Whatever type of food you are craving for, you will definitely find it here! Thai, Chinese, Lebanese, Italian, Armenian, Haitian, Afghan, Indian, Greek…something to satisfy everyone’s taste buds. We all come from different places and backgrounds and we have different beliefs and cultures. One striking importance is that we are tolerant of each other and are open to new ideas, and to our advantage, we learn about different cultures without having to travel.
Our Lifestyle and Nightlife
Now how about the night life we have? HELLOOOOO! Do they not come from abroad to enjoy the night life of Montreal? Do we not hear it all the time that our night life rocks? People partying until 3 AM, running around on the streets, rain or shine, winter or summer. And how about the dozen or so restaurants that are open late so we can go fill up our breadbaskets after all that drinking? Montrealers do not sleep before 5-6 AM on weekends. In the mood for jazz? We have relaxing jazz bars. You want to sing? How about a karaoke bar? You just want to hang out with friends? How about a shisha lounge or a bar to frequent?
It is also important to mention the numerous events and festivals that we have. Just to name a few: Montreal International Jazz Festival, Montreal World Film Festival, Francofolies, Vues d’Afriques and Montreal Fireworks Festival.
The Beauty
Onto the beauty of Montreal, one of my favorite places is the Old Port. I can go there for hours every day and not get bored of just walking around and sitting near the water. So many different activities and terraces to enjoy. It is always full of people and music. Also, how wonderful is the view from the top of Mount Royal and how relaxing is it to lie down on the hill after a barbeque at Beaver Lake? Just picture it; long romantic walks, watching the sun rise from the top of the mountain, taking a break from a busy life, reminiscing with friends…
Social and Political Aspects
An important point that was brought up is our freedom. Our voices can be echoed throughout the world, not just Montreal, with the amount of power we have here as individuals.
Other important facts that we can not forget are our free healthcare system and our amazing education system. We can all agree that both are cheaper than in the States and it is very easy for students to get financial help from the government. As a matter of fact, you can get financial help for any type of personal or professional project. In Montreal, where there’s a will, there is always a way!
One person said: “sure we pay a lot of taxes, sure people screw with our tax money and yes people who shouldn’t be on welfare keep getting it, but on the other hand we can all agree that those who really need help also get it.” We have shelters and many different wonderful organizations that help the ones in need, making sure that people are not starving or sleeping on the streets.
International Recognition
Finally, as someone mentioned: “Give these few words to anyone on the planet with a half brain and they will say hey that’s Montreal! St-Catherine street, Crescent, Peel pub, the Old Port, hot sesame bagels 24 hours a day, poutine, smoked meat, the Jazz fest, and last but not least… hockey!”
So yes we have a ton of pot holes on the streets and sure we pay a lot of taxes, but for all the amazing points brought up here…Montreal is great nonetheless and it’s our home!
Jay-Z Coming To Montreal After More Than 10 Years!
Back in 1998, Jay-Z released his third album, Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life, which received immense support from the fans and also spawned the biggest hit of his career at the time, Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem). The North American Hard Knock Life Tour followed in the next year, with Jigga headlining alongside label mate DMX, who at the time had gained much commercial success as well. On March 11 1999, Montreal was one of the cities which received the headliners and Montrealer fans were given the chance to throw the Roc for the first time in front of their idol and one of rap’s first greats since the 2Pac/Biggie era.
10 years and 7 successful albums later, Jay-Z is now the predominant figure in the rap industry, and at the young age of 38, also one of the music industry most successful entrepreneurs. If that wasn’t enough, on September 14th 2009 (two days ago), he released his 11th studio album, The Blueprint³, officially completing his Blueprint trilogy and ironing out any details about his position as the greatest in the game today, period. To promote his recent release, Jigga will kick off a supporting tour on October 9th, and visit 20 North American cities. Luckily for us, Montreal’s Bell Center was announced as one of the venues and tickets have already gone on sale. If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, you can do so RIGHT HERE.
On October 30th, The Roc will be in the building!
Vote For Your Favourite Montreal Canadiens Journalist
It’s finally time to vote for your favourite (or non-favourite) Montreal Canadiens journalist(s), based on the four characteristics we had discussed before. Basically, this is how it’s going to work: below, you have the four lists of journalists based on credibility, knowledge, like-ability and shit disturbor factor. Pick the five journalists whom you think deserve said characteristics. Once we have a high enough number of votes, we’ll publicize the results for everyone to see and discuss. Enough jibber-jabber, time to vote!
Loading ... Loading ... Loading ... Loading ...Saint-Paul will become a pedestrian street!
Fresh off the press! Rue Saint-Paul in Old Montreal will become a pedestrian street this July! Yep! Terraces, street acts, and candies and lollipops shall abound this summer!
Saint-Paul is of course THE tourist trap of Montreal (ok, maybe #2 after Club Super Sexe on Sainte-Catherine which has indebted so many visiting American students who are not yet 21 years old). But I’ll be the first to come clean, Saint-Paul/Place Jacques-Cartier is the first place I take any out-of-towner (unless it’s an American student 
who is not yet 21) to show them how awesome Montreal is.
Of course, the whole issue has a huge political undertone, with Montreal Mayor Gérald “too nice to rule a city” Tremblay having opposed the project, and leader of the opposition/mayor of the Ville-Marie borough Benoît “people don’t really like me” Labonté deciding to implement in anyways. To be fair, the whole thing was initially Mayor Tremblay’s idea, but he backed out because the Old Montreal businessmen were opposed to the idea. Mayor Tremblay, unsurprisingly, didn’t want to insist…
Political considerations aside, I think this is pretty good news for Montreal. Anyone who has worked/lived/passed by the Village in the summertime will tell you that, quite frankly, it’s an awesome place to be. Plus, Rue Saint-Paul’s cobbled streets and Europeanish buildings make it, in some regards, a more obvious and cozy choice than the Village which, let’s face it, has a staggering number of porn shops.
PRO: Pedestrian streets rock.
CON: Say goodbye to some prime parking spots
PRO: All those cars on a tight street like Saint-Paul kinda make it lose its charm anyways
CON: hmm, looks like I’m out of CONs..
PRO: When Les Deux Pierrots closes at 3, we can just move the party outside!
CON: oh, just thought of one. The few people actually living on Saint-Paul probably don’t want a bunch of drunk people singing Paul Piché at 3:01AM (though honestly, if I lived there, I’d definitely join in)
PRO: More pedestrians = more people who will marvel at the hilarious “I COME FROM CANADA EH” t-shirts that are showcased in 95% of the stores on Saint-Paul
CON: Damn it! One more.. The pedestrian street experience just won’t be all it can be as Montreal STILL has no street hotdog vendors.. (Note to self: look into why Montreal still has no hotdog vendors)
PRO: Opens up a whole new option for guys who nervously notice on their first date that you can only walk around Place-Jacques Cartier for so long..
CON: Aha, one more! Will probably invite a whole bunch of people engaging in unfortunate public displays of affection on an otherwise charming street.
Uh-oh… final CON: the project in itself should cost about 20,000$. I predict we will be entertained with a whole new only-in-Montreal-and-possibly-Sicily scandal a few months later, where we’ll find out that we ended up spending $47 million to close off a street and put a few chairs and tables outside..
So, Montrealers, what do you think?
Le Tour De l’Ile de Montréal
If you live in Montreal and haven’t done this at least once, you are definitely missing out on something very unique. It is not in every city where the streets are closed for a full day so that thousands of people of all ages ride around the city on their bikes. The tour, organized by Vélo Québec, will be held on Sunday June 7 and is a perfect opportunity to get to know your city as the trajectory pretty much takes you everywhere. The path varies between 40 and 50 km and has several sponsored rest areas with free food and drinks, although you should still bring a lunch because let’s just say that whatever they offer is kind of ‘bite-size’ especially for a full day of biking.
The registration fee is minimal (about 20$ for adults) and is worth every penny. The truth is you can probably do the same tour on your own for free, as the trajectory is pretty much a mish-mash of various bike paths, but nothing can be compared to riding along thousands of people, including families, couple, the people who are really into it (you know, the ones with their tights and shit) and of course, my favorites: the weirdos.
You might have noticed from some of my other posts that I am immensely intrigued by weirdos. Well The Tour de l’ile is like a specialty store for weirdos, covering the complete biking sector. These people are probably very normal individuals during the day, but when they get on their bikes, that’s when they transform into bicycle-freaks. A Lot of them are testing bikes they have made in their garage. It’s as if they are unsatisfied with the conventional bicycle design that seems just fine to me. Correct me if I’m wrong but the bicycle is the most common mode of transport in the world, with billions of them being used on a daily basis, and they seem to work just fine! But no. There are some people out there who think that is should be redesigned and end up with some things that look stupid, but not as stupid as the people on them, who typically look extremely proud and uncomfortable at the same time: very entertaining .
The Tour de l’Ile is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and they will be celebrating it with shows and concerts. The Cirque du Soleil is also celebrating their 25th anniversary, so look for some interesting free shows. The weekend has several bike tours, including the Tour la Nuit and the metropolitan challenge, which is a competitive version of the tour.
You can visit the Vélo Québec website for more info. Montrealing will be doing a recap of all 3 of the events. If you are interseted in reporting one of them, do not hesitate to contact us.
Are The Habs Improving?
Do you think the Montreal Canadiens are improving their game lately? Has Carey Price finally stopped popping bottles at the clubs and bringing women home? Was it wise to throw Carbonneau out?
Loading ...The Pope Blesses Montreal Canadiens Fans
On a tour in Florida, the Pope took a couple of days off to visit the coast for some sightseeing. He was cruising along the beach in the Pope-mobile when there was a frantic commotion just off shore. A helpless man, wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey, was struggling frantically to free himself from the jaws of a 25-foot shark.
As the Pope watched, horrified, a speedboat came racing up with three men wearing Montreal Canadiens jerseys aboard. One quickly fired a harpoon into the shark’s side. The other two reached out and pulled the bleeding, semiconscious Leafs fan from the water. Then using baseball bats, the three heroes in red beat the shark to death and hauled it into the boat.
Immediately, the Pope shouted and summoned them to the beach. “I give you my blessing for your brave actions,” he told them. “I heard that there was some bitter hatred between Leafs and Habs fans, but now I have seen with my own eyes that this is not the truth.”
As the Pope drove off, the harpooner asked his buddies: “Who was that?”
“It was the Pope,” one replied. “He is in direct contact with God and has access to all of God’s wisdom.”
“Well,” the harpooner said, “he may have access to God’s wisdom, but he doesn’t know shit about shark fishing… how’s the bait holding up?”