We all know the story - on an epic journey home after fighting in the Trojan War, one of the challenges Ulysses had to overcome was the threat posed by the Sirens, three enchanting women whose singing was known to distract sailors into wrecking their ships on the rocky shore of their island. This myth is also behind the title of choreographer Dominique Porte's latest work, Ulysse, nous et les sirènes.

The first time I saw the Coal Choir was a rather mysterious experience. The show was at Eastern Bloc, and when it was about to begin the audience was led from the main space along a winding hallway into a small back room, where the members of the choir stood, framed by candlelight, branches, and various found objects. The whole moment was otherworldly. Yesterday, I relived some of that experience when I went to see a rehearsal of Olivia: A Folk Opera, Coal Choir's latest, and last, production.

Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal has been on something of a story ballet kick in recent years. But the company isn't doing story ballets the way you would expect - with lavish productions of Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, or Giselle. Instead, Les Grands is filling their repertoire with avant-garde re-imaginings of classic tales. First, in 2001, there was Kim Brandstrup's The Queen of Spades. In 2003 the company commissioned Belgian choreographer Stijn Celis to create a new version of Cinderella for its dancers. In 2004 they staged Jean-Christophe Maillot's Romeo and Juliet, and the next year came Kader Belarbi's La Bête et la Belle. Maillot's R & J was restaged in 2006, and is being performed again this year throughout October. Which doesn't necessarily surprise me, but it is, at least for me, disappointing.

Was this confetti part of Osheaga art? Well, not technically, but gawd wasn't it pretty?

Well, Osheaga is finished, and there were some crazy things to see at the weekend-long festival. Josh Ritter fell to his knees and howled on stage, Chris Martin skipped, frolicked, and who knows what else throughout Coldplay's set, and Alice Glass collapsed to the stage and remained there, unmoving, for - let's be honest - about a third of Crystal Castles' stage time. But don't be fooled into thinking that the only entertainment was on stage. It ain't called the Osheaga Music and Arts Festival for nothing, friends. There was a lot of art at Osheaga, and it was pretty great. Herewith, a rundown in case you missed it.

The Australian musician Xavier Rudd played Metropolis last night, the latest stop on a North American tour to promote Dark Shades of Blue, released last year. Rudd, who is know for his activism as well as for the songs he writes, is a multi-instrumentalist wonder; he plays his shows seated behind a huge array of different instruments and seemingly plays all of them at once. Midnight Poutine was able to sit down with Rudd for a few brief moments yesterday and talk about his latest album and life on the road.

What with the Jazz Festival taking over the area for the past couple weeks, it's likely that you've taken the train to Place des Arts recently and spent some time walking the streets around the station. But even though the festival is packing its bags, there's no reason to say goodbye to this part of the city until next July. Herewith, a walking tour of the neighbourhood, in the hopes of getting you a little more acquainted with things even when the outdoor stages and eateries disappear.

Serena Ryder is playing live at the Apple Store (1321 rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest) this Monday evening at 6:30, and Midnight Poutine wants you, dear readers, to be there. Ryder, a singer/songwriter known for her powerful vocal chords, is getting ready for a North American tour behind her latest album, is it o.k., and she's kicking things off here in the 514.

Choreographers swim-suit up for Piss in the Pool's 5th anniversary bash.

Well, it's official: summer is here! Temperatures are on the rise, the skies are blue, and Montreal's streets are filled with happy-looking people taking advantage of the huge array of Fringe Festival shows. If all this sunshine and happiness is making you want to hit the nearest swimming pool - and stat - then readers, do I have the event for you!

Fans of Montreal-based band Flotilla have been looking forward to a new album from the group for a while. But it was worth the wait - One Hundred Words for Water is finally out. And after album launches in Ottawa and Toronto, the band is back to celebrate the release with a hometown crowd tonight at O Patro Vys (356 Mont-Royal Est).

The third edition of the Festival TransAmeriques, Montreal's celebration of contemporary dance and theatre, started on May 20th. That day, I found myself poring over a copy the festival schedule, madly circling events, tallying ticket prices, and trying to figure out a way to squeeze as many shows as possible into the next three weeks of my life. If you're like me, you've probably been happily jumping from show to show for the past couple weeks. And if you haven't, then worry not, there's still time! The FTA may be speeding into its final week, but there's still tons of dance and theatre to take in. In the spirit of catching it before it's too late, a quick guide to some highlights of FTA week three.