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Dunlevy: Martha Wainwright inaugurates Ursa with a music fest this weekend

Patrick Watson, Brad Barr and Arcade Fire's Richard Reed Parry are among the performers at the festival in Mile End

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Martha Wainwright was gearing up for a sound check Wednesday afternoon — not for herself, or rather not only for herself but for the 16 or more other music acts that will tag-team their way through the weekend at her intimate new Mile End venue Ursa.

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“I’m going to be banging on drums, playing bass and all the other instruments, doing the line check for everybody,” she said.

Introducing Ursa Micro, a fly by the seat of your — or her — pants event, very much in the spirit of the woman behind it.

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“I booked all the bands myself, which was fun,” Wainwright said. “It’s been a lot of work but kind of great. People have been really generous with their time and support.”

Things kick off Friday at 5 p.m. with kid-friendly folk act Sin and Swoon, followed by Paperbeatscissors at 6 and Wainwright at 7, then neo-classical pianist Martin Lizotte and DJ Zac DeCamp. But that schedule is more of a guideline than a rigid template.

“I’m sure the times are not going to be so precise and there are going to be some hiccups,” Wainwright said. “But we’re going to have beer, wine, tacos and pizzas, and things to keep people entertained.”

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She was working on a notable last-minute addition to the programming, local hero Patrick Watson.

Saturday’s performers include bluegrass acts Notre-Dame-de-Grass and Lake of Stew, rising chanteuse Beyries, spoken-word artist Cat Kidd, plus Brad Barr of the Barr Brothers.

Sunday boasts Éloi Painchaud, Toronto’s Charlotte Cornfield, Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry, Little Scream and a mysterious “surprise guest.”

“I don’t know how curated it is,” Wainwright said. “It’s sort of me just asking people if they would come play. Obviously, a lot of francophone musicians were really busy because of St-Jean.

“I really wanted Éloi to play — he does traditional music and it’s fun to tip our hats to the holiday. Earlier in the day, I wanted things that are fun for the whole family, so Notre-Dame-de-Grass and Lake of Stew will be playing unplugged on Saturday, and you’ll see kids running around to bluegrass. That’s how I imagined it.”

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Tickets cost $20 for Friday and $25 per day for Saturday and Sunday, or $50 for a weekend pass; children under 12 get in free.

Martha Wainwright tickles the ivories in Ursa, the cultural venue she has opened in Montreal’s Mile End, on May 23, 2019. She is all set to play host to a music festival this weekend with something for most, if not all, musical tastes.
Martha Wainwright tickles the ivories in Ursa, the cultural venue she has opened in Montreal’s Mile End, on May 23, 2019. She is all set to play host to a music festival this weekend with something for most, if not all, musical tastes. Photo by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette

It’s all part of the very soft, intermittent opening events for Ursa, the café-resto-showbar and community arts space that Wainwright inaugurated last month with a secret, invite-only fundraising soirée with her brother Rufus.

There will be scattered soirées at the venue throughout the summer — “human rights gatherings, one-off concerts, book readings, record launches” — up until POP Montreal in September, after which she hopes to open Ursa full time.

Ursa’s upstairs neighbours (and Wainwright’s new tenants) POP Montreal have been integral in getting the festival off the ground, she noted.

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“I would not have the guts to do any of this if it weren’t for them helping me get permits and setting up tickets online, making posters. They’re holding my hand through it all.”

She has also received assistance from a tight community of cousins and friends. Wainwright, meanwhile, has been working around the clock, and reminding herself to breathe.

“Sometimes I get stressed out,” she said. “I’m up at night thinking, ‘Oh my god, what am I going to serve? What happens if no one shows up? Or if too many people show up?’ I keep telling myself to enjoy the process. We’re not making any money, so just have some fun.”

She is passing on that philosophy to those in her midst.

Patrick Watson performs at Leonard Cohen tribute concert at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Monday, Nov. 6, 2017. He’ll be performing at Martha Wainwright’s Ursa Micro music festival this weekend. (Photo courtesy of Evenko)
Patrick Watson performs at Leonard Cohen tribute concert at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Monday, Nov. 6, 2017. He’ll be performing at Martha Wainwright’s Ursa Micro music festival this weekend. (Photo courtesy of Evenko) Photo by Michel Couvrette

“When people are coming in and helping out or working on lists, they have to feel like they want to do it. When I’m asking people to poster or make food in the kitchen, it has to be in the context of, ‘Are we having a good time?’ That’s what I hope will emanate from us, that people in the space will feel that and want to join in.”

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Visitors stopping by this week to purchase advance tickets for the festival have been surprised to find Wainwright greeting them, amid preparations in full swing.

“There’s a mess of papers and furniture everywhere,” she said. “People are like, ‘Oh I love it. There’s no design, it’s not specific.’ It’s really sort of whatever it is.”

Late Wednesday afternoon, Wainwright called me from a cab with an update. Watson was confirmed for Friday evening. What time?

“I don’t know. I can’t tell you. Let’s say either 8 or 10? Whenever he wants.”

Martha Wainwright’s Ursa Micro festival runs Friday to Sunday at her new venue Ursa, 5589 Ave. du Parc. Tickets cost $20/$25 per day or $50 for a weekend pass. For information, visit facebook.com/ursamtl or eventbrite.ca

tdunlevy@postmedia.com

twitter.com/TChaDunlevy

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