Gig Pick: Venus Furs at Bar Robo — 05.29.19

Montreal’s Venus Furs will hit the Bar Robo stage on Wednesday night for one of this week’s must-see rock shows. Led by the frenetic guitar playing of frontman/lyricist Paul Kasner, Venus Furs have been rising rapidly in the Montreal alt-rock scene, where they have recently opened for The Horrors, The Twilight Sad, and Acid Dad. With two singles released over the last few months, Venus Furs is now gearing up for their full album release. Although the record is expected in early 2020, the album has been completed for some time, and fans will soon be able to see the band’s first music video for “Guards in the Garden”.

Venus Furs’ latest single, “Chaos and Confusion” premiered in January on Toronto’s Indie88 and evokes the moodier psych-rock of The Brian Jonestown Massacre and TV On The Radio. Kasner notes that the single originated from a hypnotic guitar riff and soon evolved into a dark tale of a rigged poker game in which the dealer repeatedly takes advantage of the card players.

Wednesday’s Bar Robo performance marks the launch of Venus Furs’ Ontario tour, which will see the three-piece (rounded out by drummer Walid Mounzer and bassist Paul Hannouche) play shows in Ottawa, Sudbury, North Bay, and Guelph over the next week. Be sure to arrive early to catch local indie-rockers Paragon Cause, whose upcoming new album was produced by Sune Rose Wagner of The Raveonettes.

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Venus Furs and Paragon Cause play Bar Robo (692 Somerset St W) on Wednesday, May 29 at 9pm. Tickets cost $10 at the door.