2002 Mimis: secrets, missiles, and cheese
It's the fifth year for the Mimi awards, the Montreal International Music Initiative (or Montreal Independent Music Industry, if you like) supporting local music and musicians, as they've aptly put it, "in all their linguistic complexity and fragmented stylistic sub-genres."
A minnow among the bigger fish galas of the Junos, and its patent counterpart, the ADISQ funded and organized Felix awards, it's nice to see an awards ceremony that don't take itself quite so seriously.
Public ballots available in the weeklies or on the Mimi Web page decide winners in this annual competition set up to honor the best in the "underground" music scene (though the term becomes ever more vague as smaller labels and independent productions become better organized and elbow in on the money).
Although Mimis are given out for best album, single, videoclip, and so on, they also branch out into more imaginative areas in categories like Best Kept Secret, ICBM (the act most likely to go ballistic), Urban Folk, and one I especially like, Rockfort: "a strong cheese name for a loud rock category".
Nice also to see the Mimis fatten up a little each year, with a variety of events leading up to the MiMi gala, including a benefit for the Montreal community radio station CIBL on Friday, March 1, and a post Mimi cool-down at SAT on Sunday. Here's a run-down for Friday and Saturday:
Save CIBL!
March 1, 8 p.m.
Medley, 1170 Saint-Denis
$12 in advance, $15 at the door
Mega benefit concert in aid of one of Montreal’s largest community radio stations CIBL 101.5 FM, featuring: Raoul Duguay et Laizenzymes, Passion, Les Chiens, WD-40, Chasse Galerie, Landriault, Fredric Gary Comeau, Marie-Claude Lamoureux, Kulcha Connection, Les Georges Leningrad, Sunny Deloop, Raoul et les Raoulettes, and guests.
The Envelope
March 1st , 11 p.m.
Foufounes électriques (87, Ste-Catherine Est), $10
Electronica night featuring Jetone, Dead Beat, Mitchell Akiyama and Ghislain Poirier.
Le FOiN – Record Expo
(La FOire du disque iNdépendant et concerts gratuits - Record fair and live concerts)
Saturday March 2, 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Foufounes électriques (87, Ste-Catherine Est), Free Admission
The FOiN will "Spotlight the inner workings and behind the scenes contributors of the Quebec independent music industry." Performances by Ordures ioniques, The Sainte Catherines, Floating Widget, La Cage de Bruits, and Volume 10 while meeting with artists, record labels, and industry professionals.
MiMi Gala 2002
March 3, 8 p.m.
Spectrum, $15
Musical performances and awards handed out in 21 different categories in the Quebec music scenes. Gala emceed by Pascal Angelo Fioramore and Gus Van Go.
* The Mimi Gala will be broadcast simultaneously on BANDEAPART.FM
Post Gala Party
March 3, 11 p.m.
S.A.T. 305, Ste-Catherine West
Due to popular demand, winners, participants, and guests will be travelling from the Spectrum to la S.A.T to celebrate in a relaxed atmosphere, complete with guest DJ’s. Here’s a chance for all parties to let down their hair, post gala, and have a drink and chat in celebration.
Photos: The Dears (middle), Les Jardiniers (bottom)
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