Cindy's Montreal Fringe Assessment

So the Montreal Fringe Fest has came and went, the beginning for most of a cross Canada tour. A mniority end up all the way to Vancouver by summer's end, others inbetween cities and realising that they know each other from the excess partying done in Montreal.
Montreal is known to be the party Fringe, with events like 13th hour, zombie parties (where you end up looking like one after partying till 4 in the morning), drag races (see photos on Flickr, cindylopez, to understand) and burlesque madnesss. Anyway, this was my 11th fringe, 3rd as a photographer, it was a had one for me as prior to Fringe I was covering at work for someone who had a heart condition (5-6 days/wk for 2 mths) + side effects from meds (more covering)X working on massive photo project + shooting for university paper X the additional computer work = massive wrists blowout.
On night one of the Fringe I felt it in both wrists (yes, both), pain holding my camera (no fun). I'm a photographer and this is not a good thing. By the halfway point I cried after shooting a show and was scared of what may happen, photo is what I do and known to do. Without it, I'm just a nobody.
It got me out of work but not Fringe.
So, these are the happenings of the 2008 Montreal Fringe.
On night one I was solicided into going back to this performer's place (twice). This was night one, NO! Usually it takes 3-4 days until you get to know whoever you meet in what city, don't you know Fringe ettiquette?
Besides, was a shorty. You got to be over 6 ft tall to go on this ride.
Known cliques: the posse of the tall one man shows, they're weird, they're tall, they hang with each other, like awkward girraffes who is now compensating later in life because of their height.
The 3rd show divas: companies who enter the 3rd show can either sink or swim, hard to live up to the 1st 2 shows, also attitude is of "who are you" when you've been hanging with them the last 2 fringe. A couple actually told me that they miss hanging and chatting with a tall one man show who the first 2 fringes was super out there and available.
Well, me too.
Shows That I heard about in Vancouver and was lucky to see them in Montreal: The Cody Rivers show presents Stick to Glue. I met them on a visit to Vancouver and didn't bother seeing their show. Man, I'm glad I did.
Best use of Space: Hanging by a Branch, this show was on the Mountain. I needed the fresh air after a mid afternoon bender and felt good watching a trapeeze act and storytelling on a Sunday (where the tam tams is going on at the same time). More to the Mountain element.
Still rocking: Die Roten Punkte. The show's a lot tighter, the songs sticking into my head, ROCK BANG!
There's a show about what?: Peg-Ass-us. It's an entertaining look at the art of pegging. See photos.
Coolest company: the guys from Weeping Spoon (there show was Greed), partyed it up, made me a bracelet, we ran to shows, helped me when my wrists gave out. Awesome guys, see you in Toronto.
I watched 25 shows, I'm going to narrow it down to 10 (no favorites, no paticular order).
1)the cody rivers show presents stick to glue.



that's it. No, no, here are the other 9.

2)The Sputniks
3)Die Roten Punkte-Super Musikant
4)First Hand Woman
5)Greed
6)Identity Crisis
7)Hondomania
8)Boom
9)Spectacle pour Emporter
10)Blastback Babyzap

Honerable mentions: Peg-Ass-us, Arguement with a Dolphin, Barry Smith's baby book.

I'm so going to get hate mail on Facebook.