NEW: GREG LAKE IN MONTREAL • TOP TEN LIST OF 2011 • THE MUSICAL BOX AT THE BELL CENTER • TERRA INCOGNITA 8 • NEW YOUTUBE VIDEOS
February 3, 2012
The Flower Kings back in action!
Iconic progressive, symphonic rock band The Flower Kings announced today that they are back in action after a 5-year hiatus with a new album and a European tour planned for September 2012.
The Flower Kings was formed in 1995 in Sweden by guitarist, singer and composer Roine Stolt . The current lineup includes Roine Stolt on guitars, Jonas Reingold on bass, Tomas Bodin on keyboards, Hasse Froberg on guitars and vocals, and newcomer Felix Lehrmann, a 26 year-old drumming prodigy from Germany.
The band began recording a new album at Sweden’s Varispeed studios on January 23. The music is being recorded in classic 1970s style, with all musicians performing live in a room through vintage ’70s tube recording equipment and Neve consoles. The plan is to release the new album through InsideOut Music (Century Media/EMI). According to the press release, the yet-to-be-named album has an epic 23-minute centerpiece and is in classic Flower Kings style – complete with all the dreamy melodic and cinematic elements that fans have come to love over the years.
The Flower Kings intends to embark on a headlining European tour in September, but will perform its first official reunion gig at the Sweden Rock Festival in June 2012.
source: progressiverockcentral.com, Feb. 2, 2012.
January 31, 2012
Mastodon, Opeth and Ghost at the Metropolis
Heavy metal bands Mastodon and Opeth will co-headline the upcoming North-American "Heritage Hunter" tour and will stop on Friday, April 6, 2012 at the Metropolis (59 Ste-Catherine Street West, Montreal). Swedish band Ghost will be the opening act.
The two titans of prog-metal will be on tour together for the first time, supporting their recently released albums The Hunter and Heritage. A monumental show people will talk about for years to come!
The show will begin at 8:00 PM (door at 6;30 PM), tickets will be available starting February 3 and will cost $41.75 to $52.15, available through Evenko and at the Metropolis boxoffice.
January 27, 2012
Greg Lake presents "Songs of a Lifetime"
at the Gesù
FMPM and Get It Promotions are proud to announce the return of legendary guitarist and singer-songwriter GREG LAKE to Montreal for two intimate performances on Thursday April 12 and Friday April 13, 2012 at the Gesù (1200, De Bleury, Montreal • 514-861-4378) by one of the greatest voices and musical minds of a generation. After a highly successful tour with Keith Emerson in 2010 during which they sold-out Place des Arts in Montreal, GREG LAKE is performing "Songs of a Lifetime", an autobiographical musical journey in song and story. Included in the set-list are many of the best known songs he composed while creating progressive rock super groups Emerson, Lake and Palmer and King Crimson, stories about LAKE’s personal life and career, as well as question & answer opportunities to interact with the audience.
GREG LAKE will take fans on a journey through the rock legend’s life and times in such a way that they feel as if they are part of the journey. The carefully selected song list will also feature works by other artists that have influenced LAKE’s musical career. Unique personal recollections of such greats as Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley and members of The Beatles are skillfully woven throughout the show. The timeless music of a generation combined with LAKE’s dialogue and audience interaction promises to create moments of high impact from humor to drama in the intimate 400-seat Gesù amphitheater.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity for a close-up encounter with one of the progressive rock world’s most renowned musicians and outstanding voices!
TICKETS: Reserved seats for both shows on sale right now at the Gesù box office (514-861-4036) or at Admission (1-855-790-1245 or www.admission.com).
Regular tickets are $59.50 + taxes & fees. VIP tickets are $95 + taxes & fees (front rows + meet & greet & laminated pass) available exclusively at www.progquebec.com.
January 25, 2012
Comfortably Numb at l'Astral
Back by popular demand, Comfortably Numb - Canada's Pink Floyd Show will be back in Montreal on Saturday, February 11 2012, at L'Astral (305 Ste-Catherine Street West • 514 288-8882).
Their latest show, entitled Pigs, Wishes and Moons 2012 Tour, will be a re-creation of Pink Floyd's Legendary 1975 concert at the Boston Garden! This is an all ages, general admission show.
Here are the winners of the contest, thanks to Comfortably Numb for providing this awesome prize!
Étienne Mathieu de St-Hubert
Paul-Émile Caron de Boucherville
Jean-Guy Renaud de Montréal
François Plante de Terrebonne
et Mélanie Beaupré de Pont Rouge
Congratulations to the 5 winners who will each receive a pair of tickets to the L'Astral show!
Tickets are $40, available through Ticketmaster, and at the L'Astral boxoffice, but ProgMontreal readers benefit from a special $34.50 Ticketmaster promo rate ! Just enter the promo code progrock and save!
January 22, 2012
Afterglow - A World of Genesis tribute at Calistoga Grill
Don't miss the inaugural performance of the Genesis tribute band Afterglow - A World of Genesis on Saturday, March 3 2012 at the Calistoga Grill (Plaza Pointe-Claire, corner of Donegani & Maywood • 514-630-7577). Acoustic guitarist Paul Belley will be the opening act.
A brand new tribute band with a top notch team of musicians including Réjean Arsenault on acoustic and electric lead guitars, vocals, Nicolas Beaudoin on acoustic and electronic drums, Francois Fournier om taurus pedals, bass and rhythm guitars, vocals, Michel Sergi on lead vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, bass pedals and keyboard wizard Sébastien Cloutier on keys and acoustic guitar! Their setlist will include all the great prog rock standards of the 70s as well as a few off the beaten track surprises and even a few hits from individual Genesis members' solo carreers.
Afterglow's performance will begin a bit after 9:00 PM and admission is $15.
January 22, 2012
Arapacis album launch at Bistro de Paris!
Montreal Prog/goth rock band AraPacis will officially launch their latest album, entitled Netherworld, on Saturday, February 25, 2012 at the Bistro de Paris (4536 Saint-Denis, Montreal • 514-845-5564). The band Triple-S will be the opening act.
AraPacis' latest album was completed in late November 2011 and has been released on the Ravenheart Music label.
The show will begin at 9:00 PM and admission is free!
January 22, 2012
Tramp of the Century on tour
Montreal's Supertramp tribute band Tramp of the Century will perform on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at the Calistoga Grill (Plaza Pointe-Claire, corner of Donegani & Maywood • 514-630-7577) and also on Saturday, March 9, 2012 at the Resto Bar Réal Massé in 1001 boul. de Montarville, Boucherville • 450-641-1236).
At last, 15 years after the departure of Roger Hodgson from the legendary group that conquered Quebec in the 70's, Tramp of the Century promises to enthrall the diehard fan as well as the simple amateur with their tribute to Supertramp. By the intense rendition of Supertramp's unforgettable music, the fans will rediscover the richness and brilliance of the classic Hodgson and Davies material. Focused on the main era of the two singers/songwriters, the repertoire includes songs from the legendary Crime of the Century in 1974 to Famous Last Words, the last opus of the original formation: Hide in your Shell, School, Dreamer, Fool's Ouverture, Give a Little Bit, Rudy are only a few of the hits that the fans will witness in one of their concerts. Tramp of the Century unites 6 seasoned musicians under the direction of Roger Leclerc. They are dedicated in delivering Supertramp's music in all its authenticity and in sharing their passion for the sound of Supertramp.
January 14, 2012
California Guitar Trio and Montreal Guitar Trio
A formidable duo of Guitar trios comprized of CGT and MG3, will hit the stage of L'Astral (305 Ste-Catherine West, Montreal • 514-288-8882) on Wednesday, April 11, 2012 !
The California Guitar Trio, better known as CGT, is a band of three highly skilled guitar players founded in 1991. Paul Richards of Salt Lake City, Utah, Bert Lams of Brussels, Belgium, and Hideyo Moriya of Tokyo, Japan first met in England at one of Robert Fripp's Guitar Craft Courses in 1987. After completing several of these intensive courses, the three toured worldwide with Fripp's League of Crafty Guitarists. They continued working together in Los Angeles, founding The California Guitar Trio in 1991, and to this day, have released over 14 albums and toured extensively throughout the world!
The Montréal Guitar Trio, better known as MG3, came together in 1998, when Glenn Lévesque, Marc Morin et Sébastien Dufour met on the Université de Montréal campus. Within a year, they were releasing their first effort, Meninas, on the Atma label. Showcasing the technical mastery of MG3, the album boasted an eclectic program comprised of compositions by Egberto Gismondi, Astor Piazzolla and Ennio Morricone. On follow-ups Garam Masala (2002) and MG3 (2006), the three musicians carried on with the same genre-mixing approach. Their eponymous release contained an interesting rendition of Morricone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly paired with traditional folk song Reel Matawa. The MG3 released their fourth album in 2011.
The show will begin at 8:00 PM and tickets are $30.58, available through Ticketmaster and at the L'Astral boxoffice.
January 14, 2012
Three Friends' Quebec tour
Three Friends will be back in Quebec next fall for a tour throughout the province and will stop in Montreal on Sunday, October 7, 2012 at the théâtre Outremont (1248 Bernard West, Montreal • 514-495-9944).
Three Friends is composed of two original members of the band Gentle Giant: Gary Green on guitars and vocals, and Malcom Mortimer on drums, accompanied by Roger Carey on bass and vocals, Malcolm Sanctuary on keyboards and Mick Wilson (ex 10cc) on lead vocals. The band will revisit all of the greatest Gentle Giant classics from the albums Three Friends, Acquiring the Taste, Octopus,
Free Hand, In a Glass House, The Power and the Glory and more.
The band will also be at the Centre culturel de Beloeil on Wednesday, October 3, at the Théâtre Hector Charland in L'Assomption on Thursday, October 4, at the Palais Montcalm in Quebec city on Friday, October 5, at the Salle Desjardins-Telus in Rimouski on Saturday, October 6.
Tickets for all these shows will be available soon, stay tuned on this page for ticket info.
January 8, 2012
Supergroup Les Vikings plays The Wall
Quebec's best best known musicians are uniting together for a benefit concert and will perform the prog rock classic The Wall by Pink Floyd in its entirety! Les Vikings is composed of an all-star cast comprized of Martin Deschamps, Marie-Denise Pelletier, Hugo Lapointe, Alexandre Désilets, Marc Déry, Bruno Pelletier, Eva Avila, Martin Giroux, Stéphanie Bédard, Richard Petit, Bilal Butt, Michel Bruno and Blacky, accompanied by the Pierre Dupuy School choir.
The concert will be held on Tuesday, February 28 2012 at Le National (1220 Ste-Catherine East) and funds will go to the Fonds Jason helping young adults suffering from cancer. This concert will also mark the release of the worldwide release of EMI's discovery 7-disk Boxset of Pink Floyd's The Wall.
The show will begin at 8:00 PM and tickets are $29.95, available through Admission and at Le National boxoffice.
November 4, 2011
Gigantour hits Montreal!
The eighth edition of the heavy metal extravaganza Gigantour will be at the Bell Center on Friday, February 3 2012 and will feature headlining acts Megadeth and Motörhead, accompanied by Volbeat and Lacuna Coil. Tickets will be $73/$68/$63, available through Evenko and at the Bell Center boxoffice at 514-790-2525. Doors will open at 5:30 PM and the show will begin at 6:30 PM.
November 4, 2011
Roger Waters bring The Wall back to Montreal
Back by popular demand, evenko and Live Nation are thrilled to present Roger Waters' The Wall at the Bell Center on Tuesday, June 26, 2012.
Roger Waters, the co-founder and principal songwriter of the archetypal progressive band Pink Floyd, has announced the return of the historic production of The Wall to North America in 2012. His aural and visual masterpiece of alienation and transformation will be performed in-its-entirety featuring a full band and state-of-the-art production. The Wall live has played more than 120 shows around the world for more than 1.6 million fans making it one of the most successful tours of 2010 and 2011.
The 2012 tour will begin on May 1st in Houston, Texas making a 36 show trek throughout North America, including several outdoor stadium performances with state of the art modifications transforming the arena production into magnificent outdoor events. “Thirty years ago when I wrote The Wall, I was a frightened young man,” Waters recalls. “In the intervening years it occurred to me that maybe the story of my fear and loss with its concomitant inevitable residue of ridicule, shame and punishment, provides an allegory for broader concerns: Nationalism, racism, sexism, religion, whatever! All these issues and ‘isms are driven by the same fears that drove my young life.
The Wall remains one of the most influential albums in the history of recorded music with a profound effect on pop culture, resonating with multiple generations of music fans. Prior to 2010, The Wall show was simply too large to contemplate a tour, but new arenas and advances in touring technology have solved that dilemma. Waters has updated the look and feel of the show to ensure it matches the astonishing theatrical extravaganza that The Wall’s live incarnation became so legendary for - thus allowing yet another generation to be inspired by the grandeur of the breathtaking visual and aural spectacle.
The 1980 original production of the The Wall had been performed live-in-its-entirety just 29 times during Pink Floyd’s 1980 tour in support of the album and once in Berlin in celebration of the fall of the Berlin wall. During the New York stop, the New York Post declared, “When Roger Waters finished building The Wall in its entirety, at Madison Square Garden, it was just another brick on what was the best arena concert I've ever been to. Period.”
In addition to Roger Waters (lead vocals, bass), The Wall live touring ensemble includes: Snowy White (Guitar), Dave Kilminster (Guitar), GE Smith (Guitar & Bass), Jon Carin (Keyboards), Harry Waters (Hammond Organ), Graham Broad (Drums), Robbie Wyckoff (Vocals), Jon Joyce, Pat Lennon, Mark Lennon and Kipp Lennon (Backing Vocals).
Along with his Montreal date on June 26, Roger will present The Wall on two additional dates in Canada: June 23 in Toronto at the Rogers Centre and June 25 in Ottawa at the Scotiabank Place. Roger Waters performed two sold out concerts of The Wall at the Bell Center on October 19 and 20, 2010.
Tickets for the show are $68/$88/$142/$267, available on Monday, November 14 through Evenko and at the Bell Center boxoffice at 514-790-2525.
December 30, 2011
Marillion in Montreal
Marillion's 2012 North American tour will make a few stops in Canada! The British proggers will be back to their old stomping grounds in Montreal when they will play once again at the Olympia (1004 St-Catherine Est Montreal • 514-845-3524) on Tuesday, June 19, 2012.
After the resounding success of their two Marillion Conventions right here, the band will be back in Montreal to play some of their new material as well as many classics and fan favorites! Currently in the studio, creating their 17th studio album, the band will unveil their latest collection in mid 2012 as they hit the stage of the Olympia.
The band will also be at L'Impérial in Quebec City on Monday, June 18 2012 and at The Opera House in Toronto on Wednesday, June 20 2012. Tickets for the Montreal show are $58.90, available through Admission.
November 4, 2011
Symphony X at Metropolis
A long-time Montreal favorite, New Jersey's Symphony X will be at the Metropolis (59 Ste-Catherine Street East, Montreal • 514-844-3500) on Sunday, February 5 2012, accompanied by Iced Earth and Warbringer.
The show will begin at 7:00 PM and tickets are $35.10/$39.49, available through Ticketmaster and at the Metropolis boxoffice.
January 8, 2012
Convention Terra Incognita 8:
The Tangent, Beardfish and IZZ!
The 8th edition of the Terra Incognita Convention will be held in Quebec City at the Centre d'art La Chapelle ( 620, ave. Plante, Quebec City • 418-622-1611) on Saturday, May 19 and Sunday May 20 2012 and features so far two amazing headliners: British art rock band The Tangent on Saturday and Swedish progressive rock band Beardfish on Sunday. Also announced, the american band IZZ on Saturday. The rest of the lineup will be announced soon!
Both headliners will be visiting Canada for the first time. Andy Tillson's amazing project The Tangent which also features Theo Travis, Dan Mash, Luke Machin & Tony Latham, will be presenting new music from their latest album COMM, as well as many classics! Beardfish features Rikard Sjöblom on vocals and keyboards, David Zackrisson on guitars, Magnus Östgren on drums and Robert Hansen on bass. The band is happy to be part once again of Terra Incognita's lineup, after their unfortunate cancellation last year!
Tickets are available right now at $83 per day from the Centre d'art La Chapelle boxoffice or through Billetech.com.
For general information on the event, contact terraincognitamag@hotmail.com
or visit http://terraincognitaprog.weebly.com/
November 26, 2011
Premier Ciel in Laval
Harmonium tribute band Premier Ciel will be in L'Assomption on Thursday, February 16, 2012 at the Théâtre Hector Charland (225, boulevard de L'Ange-Gardien, L'Assomption • 450-589-9198) for an all-out show!
Seven musicians share the pleasure of playing the music of Harmonium. Proud to be the only official tribute authorized by Serge Fiori himself, the band invites you to celebrate one of the most achieved masterpieces of Québécois music.
The band is composed of Mathieu Grégoire on lead vocals, guitars and flute, Sébastien Cloutier on guitars and vocals, Richard Lanthier on bass, moog Taurus and vocals, Michel Dubeau on wind instruments, Julie Valois on vocals, Fender Rhodes, keyboards and accordion, Guillaume Marchand on keyboards and vocals and Bob St-Laurent on drums, guitar, mandolin and vocals.
Tickets for the L'Assomption show are $30 /$37, available through Admission or at the Théâtre Hector-Charland boxoffice. The show will begin at 8:00 PM.
October 14, 2011
Martin Levac back in Montreal
After a very busy summer with Dance Into The Light at the Cabaret du Capitole and a few days' vacation, Martin Levac has a very busy fall season ahead, and just announced two dates at the Lion d'Or in Montreal with his Visible Jazz Touch of Genesis project early next year!
Here are the upcoming show dates for the next few months:
Dance Into The Light
Sat. February 11 2012 - Centre des Arts Juliette-Lassonde St-Hyacinthe, QC
Thu. February 23 2012 - Théâtre Palace Arvida, Saguenay, QC
Fri. March 9 2012 - Rose Theatre, Brampton, ON
June 21 2012 to September 2 2012 - Cabaret du Capitole de Québec, QC
A Visible Jazz Touch of Genesis
Thu. March 1st 2012 - Cabaret du Lion d'Or, Montréal
Fri. March 2 2012 - Cabaret du Lion d'Or, Montréal
Ticket information for all of these shows is on Martin's website in the Calendar page.
Get Martin's new CD, A Visible Jazz Touch of Genesis at www.martinlevac.com or at the Capitole de Québec.
January 24, 2012
UK's NIGHT AFTER NIGHT 2012
UPDATE: Sold out!
FMPM is most honored to present the long awaited reunion of progressive rock super-group UK, Friday, May 11 2012 at the Gesù (1200 de Bleury, Montréal • 514-861-4378), featuring three of the world’s most accomplished musicians: keyboardist/violinist maestro Eddie Jobson (Curved Air, Roxy Music, Frank Zappa), world-renowned bassist/vocalist John Wetton (King Crimson, Asia), and American powerhouse drummer Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck).
Formed in England in 1977, the band UK took the progressive rock scene by storm with two of the most highly regarded studio albums of all times: the self-titled UK (1977) and Danger Money (1978). This was followed by their swansong live record Night After Night (1979) featuring tracks from their farewell tour.
Finally reunited after 33 years, the original UK trio of JOBSON, WETTON and BOZZIO are offering progressive rock fans a once in a lifetime opportunity to see this legendary supergroup perform live as part of their “NIGHT AFTER NIGHT 2012” world tour.
Join us for a special evening of the ultimate in ‘70s progressive rock with UK !
TICKETS: This event is officially sold out!
December 18, 2011
The Musical Box brings back the Lamb show
Legendary Montreal Genesis tribute band The Musical Box will present The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway live in 2011/2012! They will hit the Bell Center in Montreal on Friday, May 18, 2012 and tickets are on sale right now for $59/$69 through Evenko. The show will begin at 8:00 PM.
The lamb returns! In the second half of 2011 The Musical Box are going out again to present the legendary Genesis show for The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. It will be pure Lamb show, that is, just like Genesis used to play it in 1974 and 1975. The Musical Box have last played this show in Europe in early 2006. We cannot say much about the line-up of the band, but major surprises are unlikely. The tour begins in the United States in autumn 2011 and continues in Europe during the winter.
