The 28th Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville revs up on Thursday and keeps on kicking till Sunday with performances by a wide range of local and international music innovators, experimenters and avant garde-ists.

Thursday May 17th.

~ Phil Minton and his Feral Choir , a group of 50 local amateur and non singers take the stage at the Cinéma Laurier at 8pm.

~ At 10pm at the Colisée A John Zorn accompanied by Joey Barton, Trevor Dunn, John Medeski and Ken Wollesen will be presenting Nova Express, a transposition of William S. Burroughs’ cut-up techniques to the world of Jazz.~ Mary Halvorson Quintet with Jonathan Finlayson, Stephen Crump, John Irabagon and Ches Smith bring their twisted rhythmic sound to the stage at the Colisée B at 12:15am
~ Maikotron Unit(Michel Cote, Pierre Cote and Michel Lambert) join trumpet player Stephen Hayes at Cinéma Laurier at 1pm on Friday. Michel Cote’s ardvaark-like hand made wind instrument of mis-matched mouth pieces, keys, and slides ins at the core of the  Maikotron Unit is a must see.

Friday May 18th
~ Jean Pierre Gauthier and Mirko Sabatini will use non-traditional instruments to create a soundscape that will accompany projections of 2 cyclists engaged in a chase in their presentation of Le Temps Qu’il Faut Perdre at Colisée B at 5pm.
~ Joe Morris, Mike Pride and Jamie Saft perform The Spanish Donkey at Cinéma Laurier at 8pm.
~ John Zorn takes the stage for a second time at 10pm at Colisée A, presenting The Concealed with Joey Barton, Trevor Dunn, Mark Feldman, Erik Friedlander, John Medeski, and Ken Wollesen, a mystically inspired lyrical composition performed in  duos trios, quartets, etc…  that will conjure up the spirit of the legendary Masada Marathons.
~ Victoriaville native viola player Jean René will present Le Blastographe, a concert of his compositions with  with Nicholas Caloia , Pierre Tanguay and Joshua Zubot at Colisée B to close Friday Night at 12:15am.

Saturday May 19th has six shows throughout the day and evening to keep your ears and eyes occupied in sound appreciation.

~ Canadian Bassist Miles Perkin’s Quartet starts the day off with creative jazz At 1pm at Cinéma Laurier he is joined by Tom Arthurs, Benoit Delbecq, and Thom Gossage.

~ Extended Techiques abound when The 10 Montréal-based members of Ensemble SuperMusique colonizes the stage of the Colisée A at 3pm, performing 5 new works by Jean Derome, Joane Hetu, Danielle Palardy Roger, Alexandre St-Onge, and Martin Tetrault
~Poetry and electronic music are on the menu at 10 pm at the Colisée B. Montreal Base Minimal Electronic composer VROMB (Hugo Girard) will be joined by guitarist Michel Meunier to create scapes for the poems of Lucien Francoeur – this show is not to be missed, it is going to expand your mind – guaranteed.
~ Bill Laswell, Raoul Bjorkenheim, and Morgan Blixt present “Blixt” at Cinéma Laurier at 8pm for a meeting of forces in dub-hardcore, noise-fusion and avant-prog!
~ Wadada Leo Smith has created a compressed version of the 5-hour work “Ten Summers of Freedom” a cycle of compositions about the American cilvil Rights Movement that stunned the Jazz World last year. The Trumpet player will be joined by his Golden Quintet: Pheeroan Aklaff, Anthony Davis, Susie Ibarra, John Lindberg,and Jesse Gilbert.
~ Copernicus will command the stage of  Colisée B at 12:15am where he will wield words  into an all consuming  vortex pierced with shrill screams, accompanied by pre-recorded rock infused improvisation.
Sunday May 20th
~ Montreal post-rock meets chaber music ensemble Esmerine will take the Stage at Cinéma Laurier at 1pm with new visual work by Clea Minaker on screen for an audio-visual experience that will be equally sweet on your sunday afternoon eyes and ears.

~ Saxophonist/ Luminary of the improv. jazz scene in the US,  brilliant creative mind and generous soul Matana Roberts is presenting  the first chapter of her Coin Coin Project: Gens De Couleurs Libre: a powerful and highly emotive mix of storytelling, performative theatre, and conceptual scoring about Afro American History. She will be joined by Thierry Amar, Fred Bazil, Xarah dion, Ellwood Epps, Lisa Gamble, Gitanjali Jain, David Payant, David Ryshpan, Jason Sharp, and Joshua Zubot. 3pm at the Colisée A.   It’s a definite, life-altering, beyond powerful performance.
~ Sylvain Pohu and Pierre Alexandre Tremblay, 2 of the founding members of [iks] will use electricity and electronics to create a sound that sits on the junction of rock and electroacoustic at the Colisee B at 5pm.
~ Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra will bring their mix of tra-la-la opuses  to the Cinéma Laurier at 8pm, performing new works and songs from their vast back-catalogue.
~ Three Stalwart master improvisers of the Jazz Scene: Muhal Richards Abrams, George Lewis and Roscoe Mitchell will close  the Festival At 10pm at the Colisée A.
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For those who aren’t able to make the Trip to VICTO this Weekend – there are many shows happening in the city as well.

On Thursday May 17th skewed Conceptual inspirational improviser Composer vocal stylist, overtly multi talented artist, pioneer of the D-I-Y Outsider art world,  R. Steevie Moore is shaking up Il Motore with the self delusional songs of Chicago-based Thrill Jockey Recording artist Bobby Conn and Local Streamer Jeff Barbara