JUNE 27^thREVIEW: A BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY

Photo credit: Jérôme Suard.
For the complete photo album: Nightlife.ca

This past Sunday came as close as ever to how we really love ‘em: sizzling with ultraviolet heat, manly man muscles, women who wear clothes as skimpy as jewelry, and music that put smiles on all our faces. A troop of picnickers also showed up, and if they brought kids, well, those kids grew up a little bit last Sunday with all the eye-candy that was floating around. Any way you look at it, the grassy knolls off The Calder were covered with blankets, food, and the free booze that the food covets!

At the STM stages, a cackle of guys convulsed intensely to a back-breaking breakcore session, a spectacle that culminated in exactly one extra-excitable and well-meaning person breaking into a move we like to call “sizzling bacon on the grass”, or maybe just “sizzling bacon on grass”. But the energy was palpable, and the performances memorable. Thanks to Joël Aimé for his impromptu pauses, to Synthamesk for his intensity, and to Chainsawtooth for their crazy imaginations that led to the rainbow-ification of a brand-new car.

If that all sounds a bit too frenetic for a Piknic, it’s worth noting that for the main stage the vibe was decidedly more uplifting and festive. To quote Deee-Lite, the groove really was in the heart under The Calder, and it was ably kept pumping by the likes of Fu Anko and Greg Pidc**k – who finally told us what those two missing letters were in his name. But since this is a family-oriented newsletter, we’re sad to report that we can’t repeat them here.

There is a certain generation of house producer who likes to think that his music brings him and his followers closer to God, and headliner Green Velvet, who appeared on stage cloaked from head to toe in white, is definitely in that category. We’re normally suspicious of such undertakings – unless it’s Paul Kalkbrenner – but the day was hot, the mood of the crowd was mostly naked and sweaty, and so we all hopped along the Chicago veteran’s train to Heavensville. Afterward, La La Land brought us back down to Earth, and most people began to get dressed again as the sun set and the day cooled.

Valerie G.
Adaptation by Dimitri N.

THIS WEEK: JULY 4th PIKNIC

In town for his first-ever Montreal appearance, Krafty Kuts gets ready to belt out some big beats – a premiere not to be missed! Can’t wait? Check out this mix here.

Max Moebius and Yankat are also onboard to make sure the day gets off to a good start to a day that will move from fidget-house – not be mistaken with midget or gadget house - to ever-dependable electro-breakbeats.

We’re just as excited for the STM Stage, presented in collaboration with Bade à part, which this week features the up-and-coming Montreal collective Eresys! Featuring among its ranks the likes of Fu Ancko (who palyed last week), Kressel (who played the MUTEK @ Piknic), Mono-Poly (who opened the 2009 Igloofest) and many other independent multi-media artists. This Sunday, we’re expecting LeBoucher, Mono-poly, Kasteniede and Sequential Factory to get the ground shakin’. Here, while you wait, watch this documentary on Eresys.

LINE-UP IN DETAIL

14h00: Mat_Moebius (CA)
17h00: Yankat (CA)
19h30: Krafty Kuts (GB)

STM STAGE

ERESYS
15h00: Sequential Factory (CA)
16h00: LeBoucher (CA)
17h00: Kasteniede (CA)
18h00: Mono-Poly (CA)

JULY CALENDAR

This year at Piknic, the month that stands out as unmissable is none other than July – which is convenient because it begins this week! Don’t miss us! We keep track of every face at Piknic and we know when you’re not there. Also, we’re being forced into hibernation the week of July 11^th, so feel free to make other plans that day, but as a result we expect to see you for three consecutive weeks after that. Imagine the face your mother makes when you don’t visit – that’s how you make us feel when you don’t show up on Sundays!

July 11th: PIKNIC BREAK

July 18th: AT JARDINS DES FLORALIES (secondary site, see directions)
Bassnectar, Dig-iT-al, Vilify & Construct, Intoccabile

July 25th: AUX JARDINS DES FLORALIES secondary site, see directions)
Nôze, Zombie Disco Squad, dDamage, Claire

July 31th: PIKNIC @ OSHEAGA 1*
Mary-Anne Hobbs, Lazer Sword, Roska, Hovatron, E.S.L.

August 1st: PIKNIC @ OSHEAGA 2*
Round Table Knights, Major Lazer, Lunice, FancyFhreek, Mossa

(* Piknic @ OSHEAGA is not a regular Piknic event. Access is only given to OSHEAGA ticket of passes holders. To buy, click here. )

REVIEW OF THE PIKNIC @ VANCOUVER*

* Due to some translation complications, we are unable to present this text to you in English, please excuse us!

« Vancouverophile » de nature, il fut naturel pour moi de m’enrôler lorsqu’est venu le temps de désigner un volontaire pour représenter le Piknic en terres « colombie-britanniennes » suite à l’invitation du Festival francophone de Vancouver. Moi, moi, moi!

Une belle aventure! C’est l’histoire d’un gars qui prend le taxi pour se rendre à l’aéroport puis, une fois rendu, se tâte la poche arrière pour découvrir que son portefeuille est resté à la maison, qui retourne à la maison, et qui retourne à l’aéroport, qui paye le taxi le plus cher de sa vie, puis qui réussi à rater son avion parce que monsieur est juste 25 minutes en avance pour un vol national. En tout cas.

Mais cette petite étourderie n’allait pas gâcher mon périple de 36 heures à Vancouver. Deux heures, un bagel Timatin et une pénalité monétaire plus tard, me voilà en route… euh en vol pour l’ouest canadien.

Qu’il faisait bon de renouer avec l’esprit du voyageur, l’ambiance des aéroports et … le magasinage d’une voiture de location! Enfin.

Faisant mon smatt au volant d’une Smart, ma monture galope pour rattraper le décalage horaire décalé. Destination : le mythique Stanley Park où le Malkin Bowl m’attend fourbi d’une horde de bénévoles francophones motivés. Y’a pas de doute, ils sont prêts!

N’ayant aucune assignation spécifique dans la production, j’entrevois d’un bon œil mon expérience en tant que vrai « pikniqueur »! Je m’installe dans l’herbe, sous un soleil radieux, je contemple la scène, je relaxe. Breuvage de micro-brasserie en main, le délicieux tech-house de Dafluke en sourdine, je scrute la verdure et l’arrivée timide des premiers badauds suivant les coups de 17h.

L’ambiance n’est pas sans me rappeler les premiers balbutiements de notre événement. Lentement, mais sûrement l’événement prend son envol, les gens pique-niquent, placotent, dodelinent. Les enfants badinent.

Armé de sa pop électronique imprégnée d’échantillonnages et autres sonorités triturées, Orange Orange se donne corps et âme, et tente de ravigoter cette foule quelque peu timorée à la perspective de se déhancher. Inutile de s’inquiéter, on la sent, elle est latente. Vous savez, cette fébrilité propre aux festivités de la Saint-Jean-Baptiste qui s’accentue avec la tombée de la nuit, pendant que les néo-pikniqueurs arrivaient par centaines pour atteindre le millier!

Puis, ce qui devait arriver arriva. Un mouvement de masse s’est opéré vers l’avant de la scène dès les premières secousses sonores des FM Radio Gods, entraînant une onde de choc dansante qui s’est répercutée jusqu’en fin de soirée. Leur dynamisme a maintenu la contagieuse cadence jusqu’à ce que le flambeau soit passé à Dafluke pour un set techno par moment corrosif. La soirée s’est achevée sur des notes plus légères mais très festives ponctuées d’animations débridées de la part de notre duo orangé!

À voir les sourires bien déployés des organisateurs que j’ai croisé alors que je m’apprêtais à quitter, je me doutais bien qu’ils étaient déjà à projeter la suite dans une année!

Sur ce, je suis allé me coucher en rêvant à mon retour!

Nick C.

PHOTOMATON YOU!

So far, we’ve collected more than 1000 photos via some 500 participants, and they alternate between really sexy, really embarrassing, and rather tasteful in that vernissage and white-wine kind of way. This is the power of the Photomaton de Matonvu, a friendly robot booth we’ve invented (okay, Matonvu did… but we take credit too!) and named the PHOTMATONVU. Our friendly photo-taking robot box has been onsite for a few weeks now. For the non-rocket scientists among you, the concept is simple: people can take a free photo, and the robot part of the box will even print out a copy for you. But your picture will also be collected for posterity online at www.matonvu.ca.

Keep your thinking caps on! The Photomatonvu won’t always be found in the same place, so you may have to go looking for it.

Cheese!

Q's TOP FIVE

Tiefschwartz: Chocolate
DOP: Watergate 06
Foxes in fiction: Swung from the branches
Wolf Parade: Expo 86
The Roots: How I got over

HAPPY CANADA DAY AND SEE ON SUNDAY!
EKIP PIKNIC