Montreal's Blue Skies Turn Black Celebrates Ten Years with North of America, Rockets Red Glare, the Besnard Lakes

BY Jason SchreursPublished Jan 6, 2010

One of Montreal's premier independent show promoters will be celebrating its tenth anniversary in style from February 25 to 27. Blue Skies Turn Black, which began promoting shows in Montreal in 2000 and has since become somewhat of a gig-throwing institution, will be presenting a three-night party/showcase featuring a host of DJs and bands, such as the Besnard Lakes, Shapes and Sizes, Land of Talk and Thundrah, as well as the reformation of two longtime BSTB-promoted bands, Toronto's Rockets Red Glare and Halifax's North of America (pictured).

All shows will take place at Montreal's Il Motore at 179 Jean-Talon Ouest and band line-ups will soon be posted at the BSTB website. Both North of America and Rockets Red Glare initially disbanded in 2003. And while North of America did play a pair of reunion shows last year, it marks the first Rockets Red Glare show in ages.

Blues Skies Turn Black was started by Meyer Billurcu and Brian Neuman ten years ago to promote up-and-coming bands in the Montreal scene. In the past few years, BSTB has become one of the most prominent independent music promoters in the city, putting on shows for the likes of Animal Collective, Kool Keith, the Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse, CocoRosie, TV on the Radio, Les Savy Fav, Iron and Wine, and many more.

The company has also released records on its label, including vinyl from the aforementioned Rockets Red Glare, Dirty Tricks and Kiss Me Deadly. The label plans to release a ten-year anniversary split seven-inch with Montreal indie/experimental bands Black Feelings and Grand Trine that will be made available for the first time at the three-night live showcase.

Also appearing at the tenth anniversary party are Tonstartssbandht, Snailhouse, Adam and the Amethysts (with guest Becky Foon), and, according to a press release, "the list is growing everyday." Also, "secret performances will not be announced until the day-of," which sounds damn intriguing to us.

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