A show for every personality type!

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What if the perfect gift isn’t found in a store, but on the marquee of a concert hall? The Quartier des Spectacles is a hotbed of the performing arts all winter, and the sheer variety of different shows will let you pick out the ideal gift for anyone you know.

Here are some ideas for pleasing someone special, no matter what their taste.

Travel nuts

Some people love nothing more than a change of scenery – they’re sure to enjoy the movies offer during the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, from January 23 to 28 at UQÀAM. Or they might appreciate an evening with a superb ambassador for West African culture, guitarist Vieux Farka Touré, who will perform at Club Soda on February 22. Lastly, anyone who’s got a little bit of Spain in their heart will want to see the queen of flamenco, Eva Yerbabuena, at Théâtre Maisonneuve on February 28.

Party animals

Some concerts also happen to be great parties! Montreal’s own Papagroove know how to get a room hopping with their soul and jazz-inflected Afro-funk. They’ll launch their third album, The Hunt, at L’Astral on February 24. The Random Recipe hip-hop collective no longer needs any introduction. The crew will host an exciting night of music at Club Soda on March 1, where they’ll unveil their third album. Both concerts are part of the Montréal en lumière festival.

Comedy geeks

After being named Stand Up Comedian of the Year in 2016 at the Just for Laughs Festival, Sebastian Maniscalco returns to Montreal with his new tour, Stay Hungry. The upfront theme reflects the hard work needed to arrive at this point in his career, as well as Maniscalco's new role as a dad and the work ethic his own father instilled in him. Ring in 2018 by catching this native Chicagoan shine on stage!

The jaded

Surprise them – there’s always something new to discover! Temporel is a show that defies categorization. It’s an allegorical piece in which a man lives through the different stages of life in disarray, and it’s sure to be a technical and poetic achievement thanks to the creative duo of Michel Lemieux-Victor Pilon and Shana Caroll, with Patrick Léonard of the modern circus collective Les 7 doigts.

Another reflection on life and death: at the invitation of the Grands Ballets, the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg performs Requiem, a ballet based on requiems by poet Anna Akhmatova and by Mozart, from February 21 to 25 at Place des Arts.

Nostalgic boomers

If you know someone who loves Genesis, it’s going to be a good year: starting January 4 The Musical Box recreates the band’s legendary “Black Show” from 1974. Were you there? Then, in February, Steve Hackett returns to Montreal with more goodies for Genesis fans. Not only will he mark the 40^th anniversary of his first solo album, Please Don’t Touch!, the English guitarist will revisit favourites from Genesis as well as GTR and his solo work old and new.

Die-hard rockers

It’s always a thrill to catch the big sound of British stars Muse on stage, and Uprising delivers a faithful reproduction of the experience. The trio of passionate, versatile musicians will perform their soaring tribute to one of the hottest modern-rock bands at the Katacombes on January 6. You’ll have to wait until April 14 to catch Papa Roach at the MTelus. The California band will be touring in support of its most recent album, Crooked Teeth, which came out last May.