Taverne Tour: Inside Montreal’s Coolest Winter Music Festival

Inside Montreal's Coolest Multi-Venue Winter Music Festival

Find refuge from the cold at Taverne Tour with artists like KROY, Billy Woods, The Sadies, CHANDRA, and more.

by Stephan Boissonneault

Published on January 23, 2025

Winters in Montreal can be rough on the city’s music community – especially when the temperature drops close to the subarctic, our unbearable wet wind chills take hold, and the ground becomes caked in black ice and melancholy. Bands go into hibernation and fans stay indoors, and even with the odd live show that does happen in January, it’s usually a fight to get people to make an appearance. Why drink overpriced beer in the local haunt when after leaving, your eyebrows, nose hairs, and mustache hairs freeze together? It’s a tough sell for many.

But since 2016, thanks to the good people at Mothland, Montreal’s music scene has always had a period of reinvigoration—a period when the spring bulbs suddenly start to bloom and a deluge of local and international talent sweeps through the city. We are of course speaking of Taverne Tour, the beloved live music pub crawl throughout the Plateau and Mile End that always brings a full spectrum of musical talent in mid-February. So much so that attendees might wish true body cloning wasn’t only reserved for science fiction, because it’s impossible to see every show. Sacrifices and choices must be made.

Last year we were able to witness acts like Jon Spencer, Deli Girls, ALL HANDS_MAKE LIGHT, Family Man, Sweeping Promises, Suuns, PyPy, and more. For the latest installment, Taverne Tour has dug up the legendary Detroit garage punks, The Gories, and is also bringing back the Canadian country icons, The Sadies, and the underground New York new wave queen CHANDRA.

But of course, there’s much more. So pull out your official Taverne Tour flask and let’s dive into this three-day beast.

Kaya Hoax

On Thursday at Casa Del Popolo we have some weirdo hip-hop with the high energy of Kaya Hoax, whose debut Baby Gear has been shaking the local scene to its core. Opening that show is Boutique Feelings, the brand new solo project of Atsuko Chiba’s vocalist/guitarist/synth player, Karim Lakhdar, and the local beatmaker duo, Strange Froots. If you’re looking for more of an indie alternative night, there are lots to choose from. We have the darker sounds of Ribbon Skirt (FKA Love Language) and indie punks Poolgirl setting the stage for Kentucky art rockers Wombo over at Sala Rossa.

That same night over on Saint-Denis Street at L’Escogriffe, we have The Hornbook album release show of the anti-folk rock n’ roll troubadour, Gus Englehorn. Opening that show is the alt-indie-pop newcomers Gondola, and the East Coast avant-rock stooges Motherhood. We’d also be remiss not to bring up Sam Jr. and Paige Barlow at Le Verre Bouteille, The Wesleys in the Sotterenea basement, and the Sheenah Koh / APACALDA show at Quai De Brumes.

On Friday there is absolutely too much good music to see. We have more illustrious and freaky hip-hop courtesy of Billy Woods, Fraud Perry, and Quinton Barnes within the walls of Le Belmont—all sponsored by RANGE. The delightfully unexpected collaboration between prog maestros Population II and frog punks Mulch, dubbed Mulchulation II, is also debuting live at L’Escogriffe.

Fireball Kid and Ura Star

There’s also a huge artsy hyper-pop show with RANGE favourites Ura Star & Fireball Kid, Franki, Los3r, and Public Appeal over at O Patro Vys. The Sadies, who need no introduction, are playing at Sala Rossa, but local blue country group Bluebird is opening. We then have the punkest punk show the festival could possibly offer with Pressure Pin, No Waves, and Speed Massacre. Regardless of where you end up, make sure to end the night with the DJ vinyl soul clap stylings of Jonathan Toubin’s New York Night Train over at Le Ministère.

Keeping with the trend of an overload of viciously good music, on Saturday, kick things off with the other RANGE-sponsored indie hip-hop show, featuring Camille Poliquin aka KROY, who is one half of Milk & Bone, and electro hyper-pop artist BéLi at Casa Del Popolo. Montreal post-punk favourites La Sécurité will be crushing it next to CHANDRA and Private Lives over at Le Ministère – or you could elect to get super heavy with Sunforger, Autre Part, and the return of Boar God at O Patro Vys. Then we have one of the dirtiest garage punk shows of the year with The Gories, The Retail Simps, and The Subletters.

To end everything off, hit up the free pizza party (show up early to get a slice) hosted by the moody Cincinnati post-punks, The Drin, and DJ Punk Police. Regardless of how you choose to experience the festival’s latest jam-packed slate of programming, there are certainly enough excellent options that you’ll come to realize braving the cold won’t be such a bad idea after all.