MUTEK 10 - Friday Night / NOCTURNE 3

Starting the night very late, we wandered around for about half an hour in a desperate search of decent food before hitting up any events. The options were looking glum ($1 hot dogs?) right up until we were about to give up. At the northern edge of Montreal's Chinatown, just past the arch, we finally found a place open 'till midnight: Fung Shing (Chinese). If you find yourself in the same situation, be sure to check it out. I wouldn't call it a "late night" spot, since midnight isn't late to me, but it certainly was a great find. Food was yummy, priced right, and portioned large (we half considered taking a doggie bag back to Metropolis with us). I had wonton soup and "beef with ginger & pineapple," my girlfriend had the "chinese filet mingon with black pepper sauce," which turned out to be kind of a chinese beef stroganov, sans noodles. By the time we finished stuffing ourselves, it was almost midnight, so we decided to pass over Play and head straight to Metropolis for Nocturne 3.

When we arrived, Jahcoozie was doing something awful in the main room, so we made a b-line for the "Savoy" side room, which sported a more techno-friendly lineup. This room was amazing! Ok, well, not totally amazing. There were some really obnoxious things about it. But the music was on par with some of the best things I heard in Detroit. Speaking of which, the first track I heard Adam Marshall play as I stepped in the room was one I had just heard for the first time at Old Miami in Detroit, being played by Damian Lazarus & Jamie Jones. Awesome track, and I'm still not sure what it is, but considering Marshall was playing live, I'll assume it's one of his.

Ok, now for the bad bits. Perhaps Mutek had not expected the volume of people that turned out to the Savoy room over the main room, but they way they had it set up was a bit retarded. The entrance was at the top of a flight of stairs, but the room was so crowded, you had to wait in a line inside the venue to get to the room. Guess what, the bathrooms were outside of that room. So if you had to go, then you would be waiting another 20 minutes in line again (at peak time), just to get back into the music room. The room itself was very large, but still packed to the gills, and suffered from almost no ventilation. A few fans would have been nice. Also, the room was tiered, with a sunken area towards the stage reached by a few steps. However since the room was so very dark, these steps could easily be overlooked, resulting in some clumsiness (and potential injury). Personally I was a bit flustered at the absense of any guidance for stage photographers. I had no clue where I was allowed and where I was not. I only found out by taking a chance and then either getting yanked out by a mysterious man in black (who had no bage of any kind), or having nothing happen.

Adam Marshall's excellent set was over much too quickly, but the two sets that followed from Ernesto Ferreyra and Mike Shannon were equally as stunning, so I didn't feel too bad. This was my first time hearing any of these three artists in person, and I was thouroughly impressed by all. Usually when in a new setting, it takes me a bit of time to get comfortable enough to let loose and dance, but these guys had me going from the get go.
Shannon closed out Metropolis just a bit after 3am. Will post some videos in the future, but right now I have to hit the hey so I can wake up in time for The Mole at Piknic tomorrow!