----- Hot Yoga? Not Tonight, Got Ms.Monae in the House -----

Probably the first and only concert review I'd do here since I'm digressing away from my design subjects. At least I have creative pictures to show and tell:

star trek

creepy cult like performances

 jame bond-esque graphics

 signature hair + tie

 band were outfitted with same loafers

 hair-fro fell down (intense)

Photos by: obviously me. *insert smiley face with tongue sticking out*

They announced cameras are prohibited but being sandwiched between a couple of press photographers (who wore a pass around their necks) at the very front of the stage helped camouflage my own DLSR and I flashed away discreetly to my own enjoyment. 

Review: There are only two genre of music that really, with a capital R, gets me tripping on a dance floor: 90's R&B/Hip Hop and old-school funk & soul. I don't think I remember dancing and being hypnotized by a performer since—I really don't remember! Provided that we were in a small venue and not a major sports arena, it enhanced the intimacy of the experience. Right up front of the stage, everyone danced and sweated to her R&B, old-school, funk and soul.  Everybody left with a fixed smile. Janelle Monae as a performer is bewitching, intense and caffeinated. If there is a Janelle Monae brand of coffee, order me a venti because whatever she has in her, definitely energized the crowd. Her voice is so captivating even as she was running around, jumping, laying on the floor, crawling, twirling, James Brown-ing, Michael Jackson-ing, her voice held up high. Ladies and gents, I present you: live singing and dancing. ( I think Jackson and Brown died and now lives in her.)

Design perspective: Like Lady Gaga, she has a good "brand" meaning from her styled hair, her style outfits, her styled band to the motion graphics shown behind, she packaged herself very cleverly and creatively.  This is Janelle before she became the Janelle Monae: 

She was no where near her current image (Lauryn Hill, is that you?) Negative comments such as "gimmicky", "fake", "phony" flung from left and right. Call her what they like, she could be all-show, but she has the crafts to tell. I think it is a brilliant image she holds. Not only does her voice resonate, her entire performance is completed with the retro, old-school, vintage, androgynous, James Brown era vibe. As people buy into Prince, Lady Gaga, Madonna, even Britney, they are accepting and purchasing their packaged experience, so haters whatchasaying?

 signature attire

 old school film countdown graphics

 retro graphics

her orchestra were outfitted to the same twirls design

----- Food Truck Post! -----

The city's unofficial food truck propagator, Grumman 87 also known as the 'taco truck', organized a foodie event to be held on the first Friday of the Summer months at the Olympic Stadium. Our city still has a law banning street food due to a politician in the 70s who felt it would cause visual pollution—while true but old fashion thinking. So instead, they are only allowed to sell food at a disclosed area or at events. The ratio of people and food trucks resulted in sold out menus and long lineups; however this is a great start and perhaps a convincing one to persuade the city to abolish the law. 

----- Le Village Des Neiges! -----

Yes, Canadians do live in igloos! Case: the Snow Village. It looked kind of like in Star War's Empire Strike Back when they introduce Luke Skywalker at his aunt & uncle's place in Tatooine; little spherical huts.

My first time at the event, wish i went earlier when it began. The weather is warmer, so the village is melting. Night time is probably the best time to go due to the festive lighting effects and glows; daytime they'll just be a lot of dirt and unforeseen doggie poopie. The village features a hotel, restaurant and bar. Most furniture is built by ice, obviously the mattress is still a mattress. The chairs have animal skin covers so the bums don't stick—i wonder if anyone attempted to lick the ice? eek. The main purpose of the trip was of course, food! Le Foire Alimentaire is an outdoor "food court". Satay Brothers & Grunman 87 were one of the several featured places. Yum!

Translation: Luge! In the middle of Place Des Arts. Sigh, I love you mtl.
Nuite Blanche this coming weekend, looking forward to these perks!
Where else can you roast marshmallows in the public space? Then luge?

----- Fairs -----

I attended both Puces Pop and Souk@SAT, and both were equally exhilarating and fun. I didn't make any large purchases or a cornucopia of jewelery. One wooden pencil holder and a bracelet were enough to satisfy my design tooth (I will try to uploads pictures of them). The venues are as unique as the many handmade offered. Puces Pop has been housed in a church basement, nostalgic as my elementary school's auditorium: chipped paint and mint-green walls; fits the feel of the market and the artists. Meanwhile, over at the Souk, the SAT is now two floors and is architecturally modern and pretty. Concrete walls and floors fill the space with a copious amount of windows to share. The decor is more updated and minimalist, so are the vendors. There were a few repeated vendors at both fairs but it was understandable. The following are a few artists/designers that I remember from the business cards I picked up:

Besotted
Blisscraftandbrazen
Lafirme
Heidi Barkun
Gordie Ishizuka
June Designs
Oyeloria by Josephine

(cheated: picture from previous Puces Pop.)



chair by lafirme: loving the bookmark inspiration.

It is also a weekend for another addition of Puce Pops, which is an association with the Pop Montreal crew who organizes music festivals and promotes and celebrates undiscovered music. Which goes the same with Puce Pops, a promotion of local artisans and designers. Began in 2004, the event now goes on five times a year, things from handmade jewelery to ceramic mugs to vintage/restored items are offered. CHECK THEM OUT. Event ends December 11!

----- What's that Sound? -----

BIG BANG that is.

From November to January 22nd, 2012, Museum of Fine Arts of Montreal is hosting the Big Bang exhibition (for free). What comes to mind when you think of the Big Bang? Loud sound. Explosion. New discovery. A beginning. Answers from some the artists were filmed and shown at the show. One answer impressed me went something along the words of: Big Bang, as we know, is the theory of a massive imploding, literally groundbreaking discovery, marking the origin of the Universe; thus fragments of the Universe were created, bringing us into life, like the way these local artists/designers/creators have given, and continuously doing so, to the city with their artistic talent. The works were amazing and inspiring but nothing takes your breath away as much as the big room of white walls, filled with an explosion of black ink created by the never disappointing talented showcase of artists represented by En Masse.
Photography isn't allowed, I didn't know. Oops.

Source

----- Models Really Do Eat! -----

What's happening in Montreal? This week was started with the Fashion and Design Festival, aka, Festival Mode et Design on McGill College. Every year around the end of summer, the city closes off this strip of downtown whose streetscape I'm particularly fond of. (McGill College is a strange little street that stretches from the entrance of the McGill University Campus to the enigmatic Ville Marie structure that houses a nightclub, office space, and a mall that people forget it exists.) I find its wide sidewalks, trees, water fountain and occasional outdoor photography exhibitions quite adoring; plus, is it just me, but I like to purposely walk up and down this street during hot summer days because of the wind-tunnel like breeze that penetrate the area.

I'm not a big fan of this festival, but in Montreal, it's always a pleasure to see the people coming together for an event. This year seems more elaborated and bigger, which is good progression because I feel this event always starts off sad (like our Montreal Fashion Week). Basically, the festival celebrates fashion by welcoming nice outdoor runways, with copious DJs planted around the shopping district; allowing giantesque-long-legs women to come out of hiding; and helping Montrealers realize Montrealers really do dress well.

With my DLSR in hand, I tried to fulfill my fantasy of being a backstage fashion photographer/fashion blogger/fashion headhunter and took pictures of the models or merely tall, pretty people who were mistaken for models because, really, during this, you'll notice any tall person or thing.

One venti model please, with non-fat milk.

Do all models smoke? Like do all chefs smoke? Like do all artists smoke? Why so common?

Next round of models for the next showing.

I love their style. And shoes.