Two of music’s biggest and most loved bands, Arcade Fire and The Strokes are squaring off on the basketball court in a bid to raise money for charity.
Before you complain that Arcade Fire have an unfair advantage with their immense touring line-up versus the five-man Strokes, never fear, it’s in actual fact a fair match.
Consequence of Sound reports that the Canadian group’s frontman Win Butler will return to his native country’s POP Montreal festival for the music event’s second annual POP vs Jock charity basketball match.
Strokes bassist Nikolai Fraiture will be joining Butler on Team Pop, alongside Freaks and Geeks actor Martin Starr and pro-baller Luke Bonner.
The event, held in conjunction with the four-day music festival was launched by non-profit Montreal youth charity, J Sports Club, who offers sports and education programs to local kids and teenagers.
The game is set for a September 22 at McGill University in the Canadian city, on the second-last night of the music festival and will feature some awesome halftime entertainment from acts from the bill; including fellow Arcade Fire lass – Butler’s wife Régine Chassagne, luminary DJ Kid Koala and Talking Head David Byrne.
Byrne and Arcade Fire’s Win Butler aren’t just starring courtside either, organisers of POP Montreal announced an exclusive key-note discussion between the two musicians to be held earlier the same day where the two will discuss Bryne’s new book, How Music Works, “in the context of their own personal and professional experiences as musicians and music lovers,” according to a press release.
Byrne is also topping this year’s lineup, debuting his new collaborative album with St. Vincent, Love This Giant (one of our most highly anticipated albums of the year), in the live setting.
Speaking of highly anticipated, The Strokes are apparently already hard at work on their fifth studio album. The news came after guitarist Albert Hammond Jr’s dad let slip that his son had spoken about recording sessions in the band’s native New York.
“I don’t think they’ll go in a wildly different direction,” said Hammond Sr of the new material. “Obviously the songs will be different, but I think The Strokes are The Strokes; they always will be The Strokes.”
Be sure to check out the goofy footage of last year’s POP vs Jock charity basketball game up top at the banner.
