The soundtrack to my teenage years was TV's premiere teen soap, The OC. The music in the show, with songs from Death Cab for Cuties and Phantom Planet, was like a fifth castmate to Seth, Summer, Ryan and Marissa, pals growing up in a California suburb. Those tunes are the inspiration for Friday's California: 2000s OC Dance Party, 10pm at Foufounes Electriques.
Reboot your love life with a weekend trip to the Salon de l'amour et séduction at Place Bonaventure. Our own Dr Laurie Betito is giving a series of seminars on rekindling lust throughout the weekend, and there will be various demonstrations and exhibitors on display.
Elsewhere on the Salon circuit, the Montreal International Auto Show starts at Palais des congres, open every day until January 28.
Squeeze the kids into their snowsuits, because the family-focused outdoor Fête des neiges starts this weekend at Parc Jean-Drapeau. A new feature this year allows you to pay extra to reserve your spot at the doglsledding, zip line, and the ice slides. There will be an ice ship, axe throwing, and giant foosball, and various performers by entertainers throughout. This is the first of four weekends. Check it out Saturday from 10am to 8pm and Sunday, 10am to 5pm.
And for the adults who want to squeeze into snowsuits, there's the annual outdoor dance party, Igloofest. This year's edition kicked off Thursday at the Old Port with blazing hot local artist Kaytranada. On Friday night, DJs HondeyDrip, Medasin and Petit Biscuit play the Sapporo stage.
Want to peer into your future? Local puppeteer and dramaturge Jesse Stong has gotten into live tarot card reading, and he has a show Friday night at cozy Mile End eatery Le Cagibi.
Lower down on the Main, there is a one-hour improvisational show I Think We’re Lost, a wherein two characters embark on an adventure in the wilderness over the course of 60 minutes. An American Sign language interpreter will be there for the hard of hearing. Friday, 10pm at Montreal Improv, Espace A. And dancers and people who love dance will be checking out two shows at Bouge d'ici at the MainLine Theatre. On Friday, there's the experimental platform So You Think That Was Dance?, and the Cabaret special on Saturday.
The 11th and final edition of the MAI's Eclectik 2018 begins with a live show and gallery exhibit this weekend. The theme is Âgés et déjantés, and the artists, all from different disciplines and diverse backgrounds, are over the age of 55.
On Sunday at 11am, I will be hosting the Sunday @ the Segal panel for 'Master Harold'... and the Boys, a Shaw Festival production starting its run in Montreal. South African writer Athold Fugard's simple yet dark story about race relations takes place over the course of a rainy afternoon. Hally is a white teen who has practically been raised by two black men working for his parents. When he learns about a bad piece of news, he takes it out on Sam and Willie, betraying his upbringing and true feelings, with devastating consequences. The Sunday panel has free coffee and pastries to boot - hope to see you there!
And Friday night, the folks at Candyass Cabaret are putting on a Time Machine Cabaret. Dancers like Roxie Hardon, Mary Sisuei and Lili Lolipop will strut their stuff through the decades, while the audience will be invited onstage for games throughout. 1230 St Laurent, 10pm.
And a year after the March for Women here and in DC and countless other cities and towns, Montrealers will reunite at the Esplanade Place-des-Arts on Saturday at 11am to protest for women's equality and rights. With the arrival of #MeToo and #EtMaintenant, this conversation is more important than ever.