It's always your turn to sing in Crowd Karaoke. This made-in-Montreal recurring event organized by Sherwin Tijia moves to your living room with a Zoom stream. No need to mute - everyone is asked to turn up the volume to the max. This is part of the This is Not a Fringe programming, an alternative online fest to replace the beloved, cancelled 2020 Fringe. Visit the Fringe on Facebook for more daily activities, until June 21. Crowd Karaoke starts Saturday, 8pm
Every June, Montrealers celebrate Irish auteur James Joyce and his very long book, Ulysses, which chronicles a summer day in the life of Leopold Bloom. The Bloomsday community kicks with this year's festivities with a Bloomsday concert online, with writers, singers, storytellers paying tribute to Joyce. Tune in Saturday, 2 to 4pm. For more events and to stream them, visit Bloomsday here.
The 24-hour True Storytelling Festival is for anyone who enjoys a good, true yarn. Hosts in different cities will present stories throughout the day, starting in Toronto, moving to Montreal, Brooklyn, Fort Lauderdale, Amsterdam and beyond. The initiative also raises money for local charities. The stories start Saturday at 8pm.
The talented young people in Black Theatre Workshop's Artist Mentorship Program present their work in a virtual showcase, Friday at 3pm. (By the way, the Artist Mentorship Program is part of the Great Canadian Giving Challenge this month. If you can donate by end of June, you push the Program closer to winning a plum $20,000 bonus!)
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts reopened last weekend, allowing patrons to get a glimpse at Egyptian Mummies: Exploring Ancient Lives. Six mummies have their lives set out in great detail, including a middle-aged chantress named Tamut. There are a great deal of safety measures, and you do have to buy your timed ticket (or reserve your spot if you are a member) in advance. Masks are recommended. No other shows or galleries will be open, but considering this exhibit has been very popular, you'll get your money's worth. Until June 28.
I'd really like to give Chef Ricardo's Super Cool Burger a go - but I'll need to make sure I've got cheese curds and potato chips for this extra decadent recipe.
How about a lunch break concert? Elizabeth Simpson plays second horn in the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa. She performs Friday at noon on YouTube.
Montreal indie singer-songwriter Lydia Képinski serenades fans from her balcony, just in time for an apéritif! Friday, 4:30pm, as part of the Microfestival Belle Gueule.
Relive May 21, 2017, when Metallica hit the stage for a sold-out crowd in Columbus, Ohio. Tune in here, Friday at 7pm.
Montreal rockers Wolf Parade stream a 2016 concert here Friday at 4pm.
The graduates of the photography program at Dawson College cap off their three years of study with a virtual vernissage, until Friday at 10pm. Congrats, grads!
We all want to know how we can fight for racial equality and a more inclusive and just Canada. A Bell Media special called Change & Action: Racism in Canada will feature conversations with a variety of Canadians, like author Desmond Cole and the founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto, Sandy Hudson. Marci Ien and my favourite gossip queen Lainey Lui are among the hosts. Saturday, 8pm on CTV.
Spike Lee’s latest opus is being called his most ambitious film yet, and the most important film of 2020. In Da 5 Bloods, four African American army veterans return to Vietnam, both to find the remains of their former leader as well as a small fortune in gold. It starts streaming Friday on Netflix.
This weekend, Montreal would have hosted the Formula 1 Grand Prix. Whether you love the parties or the race, or hate the noise and waste, you can always indulge in a movie about fast cars: there's 2019's Oscar winner Ford v Ferrari, and 2013's Rush about real life racers. Or for laughs: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and for the kids, Pixar's Cars. Champagne is optional, but recommended!
While we're noshing on popcorn, how about diving into movie about giants of the deep? We were saddened to hear the humpback whale that delighted us did not survive her trip home. But you can learn about whales and enjoy filmes like 2002's indie darling Whale Rider, or Disney's hopeful and funny Big Miracle, or the chilling Chris Hemsworth Moby Dick take, In the Heart of the Sea.
The Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals, which tracked the humpback whale's progress, has a website called Whales Online with a lot of helpful and interesting information about the 13 species of whales that live in the St Lawrence, where to observe them and a short course on how to safely avoid them if you're kayaking on canoeing.
Catch up on some great Canadian movies like Bon Cop, Bad Cop or The Trotsky, with a 20-movie list here. Or delve into the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Greatest American Films Of All Time. The full list, which you can print or save, includes classics like Singin' In The Rain, Jaws, Vertigo, Wizard of Oz, Schnidler’s List, Gone with the Wind, M*A*S*H, and older films like Duck Soup, City Lights and All About Eve.
Last chance for Hump! Advice columnist and relationships guru Dan Savage has moved the 15th edition of his Hump Film Festival online. Instead of bunking down at Cinéma l'amour, enjoy this year's edition of quirky, wild and always eye-opening home videos when it streams online for the final time on Friday.