Hey, hi; it's me, Dawn McSweeney. I've been writing FTB’s Shows This Week for a while now, but feeling a bit disconnected. See, I didn't have a sense of direction for the gig, and a fair amount of content simply trickled down for me to cover.

No more y'all!!! I'm here, it's me, the shit we cover from here on out will be stuff that piques my interest from the folks and places I really do enjoy (or wanna check out). I'll also be including workshops and stuff, 'cuz knowledge is power, and sharing resources is important.

The first time I experienced Bar Le RItz PDB was this past summer; I left the woods where I now live to attend a friend’s birthday party. The venue is one big room, when you walk in you’ve arrived…it’s a place that just is, and so I felt comfortable to just be as well.

We're expanding, streamling, focusing. Embracing our DIY ethos and selves, we're giving the spotlight to the indie venues that deserve your business, the local artists worth your attention, the icons you might not know are your neighbours.

Around the corner from the festival quarters is Cafe Cleopatra. It’s a classic Montreal establishment. No shenanigans happen here. Nothing but tasteful performance art occurs beyond the flashing neon lights.

It’s been a year, y’all. We shook off the collective nightmare of lockdown, put on our dancing shoes, and partied. Bars, theatre, concerts, comedy, art, all the stuff that keeps the lights on in our city and our souls returned from the forced hiatus.