McSweeney’s List (8 October 2025)
“It's all about vibes,” I said. “You want to keep your vibes high, and stay in high vibe company.”
“What does that even mean?” my daughter asked, and it was a fair question. She’s multilingual, but doesn't speak a lick of wuwu, and I'd just gone full wuwu.
How to explain vibes to non-vibes people was trickier than expected, and I'm not sure how I did, so here's my chance to clarify. No no, don't run away, Dear Non-Vibes Reader, I promise there will be no need for confessions, nor supernatural belief, no miracles, and definitely no hard and fast rules set in actual stone. (The Bible really likes a heavy handed metaphor, eh?)
Are you aware of vibes at all? When you walk into a room of people, can you feel the emotional temperature of the room? If you've ever joined a party and sensed that you just missed an argument, or that one is brewing under the surface, you understand vibes. If someone tells you that everything is awesome, but you can't shake the feeling that they're lying, you're picking up on vibes. I would describe them as the energetic charge of the moment, or the combination of people. They belie the unsaid parts -- which are usually the most important things, so it's weird that we intentionally leave them out, but social proprietary, aversion to conflict, fa-la-la, let's just grin and bear it.
We do vibe checks when we meet someone in person for the first time. You can have a wonderful rapport with someone online for instance, but once you're in the same room with them, their company doesn't sit quite right. Something about being near them makes you sad, or angry, or itchy. For whatever reason, your body is telling you something -- either about their tendencies or trajectory, maybe something as simple as this won't work -- and you’d be wise to listen.
On the other hand, if you've ever met a group of strangers and gravitated to one person like kismet, that's also vibes. And maybe you thought it was weird: the way you didn't know anything but their name, but you knew you guys would be fast friends. Something shifted in your energy when it hit their energy, and it was a chocolate meets peanut butter burst of flavor. Maybe you catch that another chick is also watching the happenings, analyzing like she's investigating a mystery; you can see the backstories writing themselves in her head as she fleshes out the character before her -- while you are also fleshing out with your own adaptation -- and you just have to say hey Julie, we’re friends now. Yes, that's niche, but also, is it? It's fundamentally how we make our friends, after all. That's why you still speak to that one person from that shitty job you had for five minutes ten years ago and not the whole office.
Now, are you guys connecting on high vibes, or low vibes? Are you your best self when you're with them? There's a difference between the friend you go on spiritual retreat with, and the one you go on benders with. You have friends you go to to complain and lament, those who will feed the fire of your anger, and those who are solution based, who will remind you that these are all just clouds across the sky that is you, and that stooping will not improve your mood. Both have their moments, but spending too much time with a negative friend will leave you feeling like you smoked too many cigarettes. And maybe you really did: certain vibes encourage self destructive behavior, and certain vibes get you out in the fresh air with the sunrise.
A couple of weeks ago, I made a commitment to hang out with my High Vibes Bestie. I’d overbooked my weekend, and truthfully, I was in no mood for any more social. But I'd promised, and while she would've taken it in stride if I'd cancelled, I also knew that I'd feel better after seeing her. Not thinking straight, I got off at the wrong metro stop; forgetting that I'm terrible with geography, I thought I took a shortcut of a turn, but got myself lost. She called, assured me that if I couldn't make it, it would be ok; that she could walk towards me, and we could meet in the middle. I told her I was losing my shit, and she said she understood. Less than an hour in her company, and my shoulders had melted away from my ears, and all my feelings were validated. We talked about how valuable our presence is in each other's lives, and I left floating. It was like a massage for my brain and heart.
She’s recently cut out a mutual friend, because of vibes. “When I met him almost ten years ago, I was so insecure. I didn't know what I was doing, or where I was going,“ she told me. “Our relationship was good enough for me then. We connected at my lowest point, and all these years later, he's still there.” While growing apart is natural, right now she's in full bloom, and he’s complaining that flowers are blocking out his light. Their common ground has vanished, and each time they've tried to connect lately, she leaves feeling lower than she was when she arrived.
And I've been that friend. Years ago I hung out with an old friend who had grown into her own while I was still treading water, and I could feel us trying to shout at each other across the fresh expanse between us. To be accurate, we spoke softly. It was as though we were trying to coax our previous connection out of hiding. I didn't understand at the time, but I knew it was sad. Hell, it's still sad, but I get it now. We remain distant friends and still love each other (congratulating one another when appropriate, peeking in on each other's online lives), we’ll never be as close as we were in our 20s, and that's ok. We met when we were in progress, and we’ve since established ourselves as adults very different than we were then.
Still unclear on the frequencies? Think of low vibes as fried foods and all you can drink beer. Sure, it might be fun at the moment, but you're likely to struggle to get back to neutral. High vibes can be intimidating: can I keep up? Am I a fake night owl if I’m waking up with the birds more these days? High vibes are healthy eating and thoughtful conversation. When high vibes people aren't where they want to be, they don't lament, they change their choices. When low vibes people don't get things they want easily, -- whether they deserve them or not -- they blame everything except themselves, and do not change. Low vibes is gossiping about someone's tragedy, high vibes is talking about how to help.
Blacking out and going home with a stranger is most assuredly low-vibe. If you wake up the next day and blame the bartender's heavy hand instead of your own choices, you haven't just dipped your toe in the low vibes, you're veritably swimming in them.
As we step into autumn, the season of smaller social gatherings and more vibe selection than random encounters, let's bring awareness to our frequencies, Dear Reader. Being honest about our own vibes will offer insight about what we're attracting into our lives. Being aware of the vibes around us, well, that's how we make great or questionable connections; and while messy connections seem fun for the plot in the short term, let me assure you that the high vibes options make for lovely long storylines, and impressive character arcs. Tune in.
TONIGHT!
Directed and scored by Kid Koala and based on his graphic novel, Space Cadet is a poignant animated feature with original songs by Karen O, and Digable Planets’ Mariana “Ladybug Mecca” Vieira.
Based on acclaimed Canadian musician Kid Koala’s award-winning graphic novel of the same name, Space Cadet is a dialogue-free animated film that portrays the tender story of a young girl, Celeste, and the first-generation Guardianbot she loves.
Celeste is in an astronaut academy and, while her mom is in space, Robot takes care of her. They form a familial bond. When Celeste grows older and is able to go on her own adventure, she leaves Robot behind. As we see Celeste find samples of life on the planet she’s on, and the joy she gets in outer space, Robot is struggling with loneliness. He revisits all of his memories with Celeste, but his technical systems begin to shut down.
Kid Koala scored the film, which also includes original songs by Karen O and Digable Planets’ Mariana “Ladybug” Vieira.
Beautifully animated by a fully Canadian team with 2D designs from Toronto-based animator and illustrator Lillian Chan and 3D modelling from Montreal’s Gilles Renault (How to Train Your Dragon), Space Cadet is a story for the whole family.
It’s a film about discovery and memories, loneliness and connections, anchored by a smart, independent girl obsessed with outer space. And the music? Out of this world.
WHAT: Kid Koala Space Cadet Animated Feature
WHERE: Théâtre Maisonneuve, 105 Rue St. Catherine St. W., Montreal, H2X 1Z8
WHEN: Wednesday, October 8 @ 630 PM
METRO: Place des Arts (Orange) & Saint Laurent (Green)
DETAILS: Nouveau Cinema
TECHNICALLY, IT'S A FIRE-BREATHING FEMALE MONSTER WITH A LION’S HEAD, GOAT’S BODY, AND SERPENT’S TAIL
At Chimera, guests get a chance to read their own works of poetry and/or fiction to a supportive and encouraging audience!
Everyone is welcome. No reservations or tickets.
Sign up the night of the event to read, or just come to support and enjoy!
5 minute time limit.
Spooky stories and poetry for the Halloween season are encouraged, but not mandatory!
Phoenix Books is open and waiting for you to find some treasures for your bookshelves.
Hosted by Mel of Phoenix Curiosities.
WHAT: Chimera Open Mic
WHERE: Phoenix Books, 5924 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, H4A 1X7
WHEN: Thursday, October 9 @ 7 PM
METRO: Vendôme (Orange)
DETAILS: Facebook
SPOOKY SHOPPING
Phoenix Books will be hosting 2 special spooky and magical guests. Come and check out some beautifully handmade gifts, spooky and cute for the Halloween season!
Pink Fairy Crochet: Crochet hats, bouquets and more!
Phoenix Curiosities: Jewelry, stickers, greeting cards and more!
WHAT: Enchanted Halloween Pop-Up at Phoenix Books
WHERE: Phoenix Books, 5924 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, H4A 1X7
WHEN: Saturday, October 11, from 12 PM to 5 PM
METRO: Vendôme (Orange)
DETAILS: Facebook
THE MOUNTAIN IS BOO-TIFUL THIS TIME OF YEAR
Montreal like you’ve never experienced it before…
Haunted Montreal’s Haunted Mountain is a spooky, lantern-lit Ghost Walk up the slopes of Mount Royal. Beginning in Montreal’s Plateau neighborhood. The ramble visits various haunted sites on the mountain, including several locations where ghosts have actually been spotted.
A theatrical guide (a professional actor and storyteller) will regale guests with ghost stories, mysteries and legends about Mount Royal, including haunted hospitals, abandoned castles, cemeteries teeming with undead spirits, and all sorts of paranormal activities on the mountain. Visitors will learn about the place of Mount Royal in Montreal’s history and lore, including the legend of the cross, the ghost of Esplanade Street, the child-victims of the Alan Memorial Institute’s brainwashing experiments, and the tragic tale of Jack McLean and the Haunted Funicular.
Guests will also visit Simon McTavish’s forgotten tomb, recently disturbed by archaeologists digging into the mountain where his earthly remains lie. The angry fur baron’s ghost is known to terrify people – by tobogganing at high speeds down the slopes of the mountain – in his own coffin!
Haunted Mountain aims to satisfy a taste for local history, spine-tingling ghost stories and an unforgettable ramble on the slopes of Mount Royal! Sturdy shoes and a flashlight are recommended. The Haunted Mountain Ghost Walk begins at Place Fletcher's Field. Guests are advised to wear sturdy walking shoes and to bring a flashlight and a camera. The tour is approximately 90 minutes and finishes at the top of Peel Street and Pine Avenue.
WHAT: Haunted Mountain
WHERE: Fletcher’s Field, 3724 Parc Ave., Montreal, H2X 2J1
WHEN: Saturday, October 11 @ 830 PM
METRO: Mont-Royal (Orange)
TICKETS: Eventbrite
CHEAP, IN A GOOD WAY
Cheap Laughs is back, revamped and reinvented! We kept the same digs: Rustik Pub in NDG, where the vibes are homey, the drinks are dangerously cheap, and West Side folks can have a good time without passing through metro turnstiles. It's also one of those rare times where you can lure your downtown friends to your end of town, because the good times will be rolling!
Dawn McSweeney (hey, that's me!) hosts a seriously stacked lineup featuring Flo Penicaud, Collin Ryan, Julie Santini, TJ Hazelden, Zak Kik, Chris Venditto, and Lawrence Corber.
Frankly, I may have gone overboard, because that's way too many funny people in one place. You'd have to hate laughter to miss this one.
The show is next week, but tickets are hot and ready right now!
WHAT: Cheap Laughs
WHERE: Rustik Pub, 5617 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, H4A 2Z3
WHEN: Thursday, October 16, Doors @ 730 PM, Show @ 8 PM
METRO: Vendôme (Orange)
TICKETS: Eventbrite
World’s Smallest Comedy Night has so many cool things happening, so here are their events this week in order!
What Do You Know? Like, Seriously…
Tonight! Come to Hurley's for Trivia Night, and get bonus laughter! Enjoy delicious pub fare, and get ready to show off your trivia skills. Grab your team, and enjoy this night of comedy, friendly competition, and great company!
This edition is hosted by Zak Kik!
WHAT: Trivia Night at Hurley's
WHERE: Hurley's Irish Pub, 1225 Crescent St., Montreal, H3G 2B1
WHEN: Every Wednesday @ 8 PM
METRO: Lucien l'Allier (Orange) & Guy-Concordia (Green)
RSVP: Eventbrite
Classic Coke
Beat the Monday Blues with WSC’s OG offering, The World's Smallest Comedy Night!
Enjoy a showcase of the best comedians in the city, hot up-and-comers, national and international touring comics, and surprises!
Hosted by Vance Michel.
WHAT: The World's Smallest Comedy Night
WHERE: Hurley's Irish Pub, 1225 Crescent St., Montreal, H3G 2B1
WHEN: Every Monday, Doors @ 7 PM, Show @ 8 PM
METRO: Lucien l'Allier (Orange) & Guy-Concordia (Green)
TICKETS: Eventbrite
Dirty Monday
The Monday Night Dirty Mic is the place to be! Hosted by Vance Michel, every show is an unpredictable and unique experience as a hilarious collection of comedians from newbs to pros take the stage. See the best before anyone else, and catch seasoned locals doing their freshest funnies!
Comics: show-up, sign-up
WHAT: Monday Night Dirty Mic
WHERE: Hurley's Irish Pub, 1225 Crescent St., Montreal, H3G 2B1
WHEN: Every Monday, Sign-up @ 10 PM, Show @ 1030 PM
METRO: Lucien l'Allier (Orange) & Guy-Concordia (Green)
DETAILS: Facebook
McSweeney’s List drops every Wednesday with the best events, workshops, and more, each week in Montreal!
