McSweeney’s List (29 July 2026)
Growing up, we believe the world we will come of age in is the world we see before us. As a child in the 80s, I couldn't wait to grow up and have big hair and bright colours. Cyndi Lauper was my style icon. I wanted a Swatch watch, a crop top, skin tight acid wash jeans.
By the time I was in my teens – the often maligned phase that is simultaneously what pop culture reflects and markets to – things had changed drastically. It was Kate Moss, jewel tones, straight, greasy looking hair. Toast of New York was the lipstick colour, warm, universal, and brown. It suited me better than the bright pinks and neon fuschia lip colours that dominated the 80s, and thus my aspirations, but it was markedly less fun. In a way though, less fun was perfect for the time. Everything was dark, gritty, real to the point of its own satire, in hindsight. Smiling was uncool…unless you were already cool, in which case very little could bring you down.
We kept the hierarchies and cliques intact. We didn't have Emo or Goth yet; though some kids did have weird obsessions with vampires, they didn't dress like them. Some metalheads and grunge kids were reaching for the darkness more, and wearing more eyeliner than others, but we didn't have spiky platform boots. (They existed, you’d see them on punks downtown, but they certainly didn't hit my suburban high school.)
Nostalgia is booming business, and at my big age, I totally get it. The newest thing is nostalgia for a time that came before you were even alive. Now, I say newest because it's now prevalent enough that people are talking about it. When I was a teenager, I wished I was in the 1960s, and the kids who liked vampires wished they were born before electricity. The movie Midnight in Paris is literally about this, proving that even this isn't new, just repackaged. But now it's not just some weird kid doing it, it's a vibe.
It's the reason mullets, 80s glasses, and colour block windbreakers are cool again; why Dad sneakers with pulled up socks and colourful button ups is a look. By the mid 90s, we would've rather died than rock those things. But looking back from here, the 80s were simpler while the aesthetics were more complex. Everything was big, bold, and not to be taken too seriously, and in our perpetually serious consistently greige current day, it's understandable why we would gravitate towards that.
It's no surprise that we crave the neon, analog days when you could only be reached by a telephone stuck to a wall. No emails, no texts, when you made a plan to meet someone, somewhere, you met them. If one of you was running late, the other decided how long to wait before giving up, but there was no heads up, no changing plans once they were in progress. It made the world feel smaller in a cozy way. Likewise, the 24 hour news cycle didn't exist, and the news that was reported lacked opinion: this thing happened today, this person said this, this vote is coming up. It was unheard of at the time to have any clue how a news anchor voted, because they were there to deliver the facts, not soapbox about their opinions.
Sure, we knew less about the world at large, but we were intimately aware of what was happening in our neighborhoods. We knew our neighbors; they were the cameras watching the kids when parents couldn't see them with their own eyes. We had more control and potential for impact on the small circles that we inhabited, and I'm not at all sure that knowing about the whole world in real time as we do now does anything more than leave us feeling impotent. Yes, a terrible thing happened on the other side of the world today (whichever day you read this, that will be unfortunately true). But what can you do about it other than feel sad, or angry? Maybe you’ll start a petition, organize a protest, but change on the global scale is hard, and the process often takes generations. When the world was smaller, the problems were actionable: this corner is dangerous for pedestrians, let's get a stop light installed, or a local robbery was caught on camera, and you might genuinely recognize the guy's car. They were local problems that could be solved by local people.
Analog life had fewer jet setting photos – and the only ways to see those photos was to sit down and have someone show you their photo album, or set up the projector for slides. Both came with a running commentary about what you were looking at, as “captions” weren't a thing. Only patient people you cared about would ever see those pictures. But there were a million unphotographed moments each day. You climbed a tree and admired the view, but it was yours alone. You would tell someone about the climb, show them the scrapes on your knee, and maybe you'd go climb something together. Kids did in fact run off with their friends, and come back when the streetlights turned on, and those full days of adventure provided the stories you would tell.
Turn of the century nostalgia is also popular, because even though no one who was there remembers ultra low rider jeans with much fondness, there was a vibe. Y2K hadn't killed us, finances were booming, and the internet was popular, but still niche. You didn't need the net to live, it was more of a fun thing to play with. Social media was in its nascent stages, but not everyone had a MySpace. Like any good party, the people who were there had a great time, and the people who weren't there, were fine with it. It must've been about 2010 when I first heard of someone not getting a job because the interviewer thought it was sketchy they didn't have socials. It was a quick lesson on how social media became ingrained, and a reminder that the people looking you up are sometimes spying, and not trying to be friends.
As we catch ourselves now, staring at various glowing boxes for days at a time, never out of reach from friends or responsibilities, it's easy to yearn for simplicity. It feels normal to long for a time when your friends were people you knew, and not strangers with enough mutual friends that you add them. (Who are these people?! Why are we fake friends? If I meet them at an event, is it weird to say oh, yeah, we’re totally Facebook friends!) That craving for connection – to people, soil, tangible media – feels more human than most of the things going on in the world right now. If you're reading an actual book, you won't be interrupted by a notification about the faltering politics in some random country, and if you're talking to your friend over coffee, you're less likely to misinterpret tone, while more likely to tell them the whole “too long to type” version of your life right now.
There's no way to go back; no way to do things over and move forward with better choices, to erase our collective trauma, or pretend this mess isn't ours. But we can embrace the things that have held humanity together throughout time. Dive headfirst into your personal style, whether it's big 80s hair, or the steampunk era that never was, or Jetsons outfits for the future we didn't get. Remember that the internet is only a slice of reality; stop fighting with bots, and go have conversations with people. Embrace the tangible things, because they fade so quickly; smell the flowers, have the picnic, stand in the rain. Cherish the people in your life, and honour them by spending time with them in person, listening with your full attention, and telling them how much they mean to you. Take pictures without posing for them, because the best photos to look back on are the blurry ones where you're laughing too hard to focus, and the trees are smudgey because you're on a road trip and want to remember the trip, not the view.
We can't go back, but we can create something beautiful now. Consider the things you will miss 20 years from now – because people change and move away, and your favorite restaurant can close overnight, and your knees will not always be so juicy and nimble. Remember that one day, you’ll be nostalgic for this moment.
GROW WITH US: Call for Writers
If you are obsessed with Montreal's music, dance, or visual art scenes, we want to give you the platform, and the tools, to write about it. 🎨✨
Forget The Box(.ca) is Montreal's most devoted online arts magazine, covering and amplifying ground level, underground, and marginalized art. We are the main project of Forget The Box Media, a federally incorporated not-for-profit organization. 🏛️
We are looking for people who are passionate about Montreal's arts community! Whether you're a seasoned journalist, an aspiring critic, or an artist who wants to pivot to writing, we provide the support to help you shape your ideas, alongside a dedicated platform to get your work published and read by the local community. 🫂
As we expand our coverage, we're looking to recruit writers interested in three vital sectors: music 🎸 everything from DIY loft shows and underground releases to local indie labels pushing boundaries; dance 💃 everything from street and contemporary, to experimental movement that defines Montreal's physical spaces; and visual art 🖼️ highlighting the indie galleries, street art, and artist-run centres that make up our city's creative ecosystem.
Forget The Box(.ca) offers writers:
💰 Honorariums
🧠 Writing Workshops
👥 One-on-one mentorship
🎟️ Access to local art events
📣 A Platform
🤝 Community
🚀 Open doors to larger publications
You don't need a big portfolio to start. If you have thoughts on local music, dance, or visual art, and want to spotlight some of the great work of local artists, reach out to us! 👋
📷 First photo: Provided by @growvemtl at @turbo_haus
📷 Second photo: Provided by @wafdcreations, taken by @susanmossphotography, featuring performers Rémy Saminadin, Nindy Banks, and Marie-Reine Kabasha
📷 Third photo: Provided by @wip.works, featuring work by @alexis1million
How to Apply: 📬
To get started, send an email to our Editor-in-Chief, Candice Ann, at candice@forgetthebox.ca. Tell us a bit about yourself, why you want to cover the scene, and any relevant experience you might have (experience is not required). 📩
FREESTYLE
Every LeCypherX show is totally unique, pushing the boundaries of the future of hip-hop. This live band creates uninterrupted sets on the fly, all while keeping the dancefloor moving and the imagination racing. With every performance, instrumental and vocal virtuosity of the highest degree are on display, from blazing guitar solos to epic freestyle raps.
LeCypherX features some of the city’s most sought-after musicians and vocalists. They have held down residencies at the Montreal Jazz Festival’s after-hours party series since 2015.
Stage experience and familiarity with the repertoire, aesthetics, and genre stylistics of hip-hop are assumed for participation in the jam.
$7 cash before 9 PM, and for students
$11 cash after 9 PM, and for non-students
$14 + tax + fees if paid by card
🎤 Darkus Millon
🎤 Katie Clarke
🎤 TBC
🥁 Harvey Drumz [ guest ]
🎸 Farley Beats
🎹 Housefly
🎸 Ariel Posen [ guest ]
🎺 Guillaume Carpentier
🎧 Odiophyl
WHAT: #LeCypher #398 - Live Hip-Hop Thursdays
WHERE: O Patro Vys, 356 Mont-Royal Ave. E., Montreal, H2T 2G4
WHEN: Every Thursday, 8 PM
METRO: Mont-Royal (Orange)
TICKETS: LePointDeVente
FIGHTING FOR FUN
Need a wrestling fix? Pit Fight Wrestling’s got your hookup.
Musical guest Nothing Serious will be on deck, adding tunes to what promises to be a smashing good time!
20$ in advance
25$ at the door
18+
WHAT: PFW presents Pleasure for Pain
WHERE: Piranha Bar (Mezzanine), 680 St. Catherine St. W., Montreal, H3B 1C2
WHEN: Thursday, July 30, Doors @ 7 PM, Show @ 8 PM
METRO: McGill (Green)
TICKETS: ThePointOfSale
PUNK IT UP
It's an international lineup of punktastic hardcore!
Catch Minnesota’s Menstrual Tramps, New York’s The War Lovers, and Montreal’s own Armistix, all just a metro ride away!
Flyer by Kevin Jay!
WHAT: Menstrual Tramps - The War Lovers - Armistix
WHERE: Turbo Haüs, 2040 St. Denis St., Montreal, H2X 3K7
WHEN: Friday, July 31 @ 7 PM
METRO: Sherbrooke (Orange)
DETAILS: Facebook
FLUORESCENT VIBES
DJ & dancefloor, inspired by: John Summit, Anyma, Tiësto, Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta, Calvin Harris, Fisher, Dom Dolla and many more.
Dress code: fluo!
7$ first wave tickets
(Additional tickets are released the same day at a randomly chosen time. There is also the possibility of buying at the door, without guarantee.)
WHAT: Electro Night - Fluo Theme
WHERE: Café Campus, 57 Prince Arthur St. E., Montreal, H2X 1B4
WHEN: Sunday, August 2 @ 930
METRO: Sherbrooke (Orange)
TICKETS: LePointDeVente
NEW PODCAST ALERT
Is It Cuz We Black? is a new podcast from multidisciplinary artist and spiritual practitioner, Zoë Flowers, and playwright, director, and producer, Veronica Manning. The concept is simple: new takes on old Black films.
They’re kicking off their first show with the iconic film, Mahogany. Mahogany was released in 1975. It stars Diana Ross as Tracy Chambers, Billie Dee Williams as her love interest Brian, Anthony Perkins as Sean the troubled photographer, and Jean-Pierre Aumont as Christian Rosetti as her "benefactor."
Check it out now!
WORLD’S SMALLEST COMEDY FESTIVAL #4
In a city known around the world for comedy, one of Montreal’s most enduring grassroots comedy success stories started with something pretty simple: a microphone, a corner of an Irish pub, and a few comedians who just kept showing up. You know it now as World's Smallest Comedy Night.
Every August, for eight nights, a corner of Hurley’s Irish Pub becomes home to one of Montreal’s most eclectic comedy festivals. Stand-up. Trivia. Music. Crowd work. Crafting. Wrestling. Surprise guests. New comics. Comedy veterans. Somehow, it all makes sense.
The annual World’s Smallest Comedy Festival returns for its fourth edition August 10 - 17, with 16 shows over seven days. This year offers up a who’s who of Montreal comedy, with both established and new producers putting on funny shows for every taste.
The good times all go down at Hurley’s. Check the listings and get all your tickets here!
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 Vance Michel.
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!
This edition is hosted by Vance Michel.
WHAT: 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
