Mon dieu! In a whirlwind of sweat, hair, and soul, days three (Oct. 5) and four (Oct. 6) of Pop Montreal brought us back to a time when holiness and raunchiness were accepted as two sides of the human condition. Punk priestess Patti Smith packed a 19th-century church, while Montreal metal miracles Priestess preached a hardcore gospel perhaps less cerebral, but far more wet. Sunset Rubdown and Black Mountain climbed into sexy '70s darkness, reminding us that good music never fails to inspire change, lust, and head banging -- our necks are still blissfully sore. On day five (Oct. 7), thunderstorms didn't drown out the pulse of the festival's last hours, as headliners the National and Hot Hot Heat brought out a healthy crowd. But as the raindrops misted the streets, we tapped into our inner joie-de-vivre resources for this last Pop Montreal hurrah.

How do you get two thousand music fans into church? Have Patti Smith as your preacher. Old hippies and young punks were among the enraptured crowd that filled Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste Friday evening (Oct. 5) to see punk's so-called poet laureate perform with her band -- guitarists Lenny Kaye and Jackson Smith, drummer Jay Dee Daugherty, and bassist Tony Shanahan. With her slim frame wrapped in jeans, a t-shirt, and a blazer, the 60-year-old icon strode onto the stage, smiled gracefully, and launched into a pretty, folksy rendition of the Beatles' "Within You Without You," which she covers on her latest studio effort, Twelve.

"When you've seen beyond yourself, then you may find, peace of mind is waiting there," she crooned. Eyes closed, hair long, arms outstretched, she commanded the cheering audience with the song's uplifting lyrics and her own larger-than-life presence. Moving from sweet to rough, she pulled out a paperback for a reading of late poet Allen Ginsberg's "Footnote to Howl."

She played a little guitar, and rocked a clarinet solo during a jazzy cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Are You Experienced." Still, ranging from chill-inducing whisper to rich, androgynous growl, Smith's pipes are the most powerful instruments of all. "This is a little song I wrote in 1974 about going to CBGB to listen to [Television's] Tom Verlaine play guitar," she announced, hugging herself like a lovesick teen for the poignant, bluesy ballad "We Three."

The party really started when she performed classics such as the passionate "Because the Night." "Dancing Barefoot" had fans dancing in the aisles, flailing their bodies like mad. As she tied her blazer around her waist and twirled around, it was clear why Patti and her message of empowerment still resonate with generations.

Priestess / Photo by Richmond Lam

Racing into dirty dive Bar St-Laurent II, beards and beer ruled onstage and off at this sold-out cock-rock love fest. Lars Ulrich look-a-likes were spotted strutting around alongside scenesters and a few random winos, but when friendly neighborhood metalheads Priestess took the stage, all eyes were on them. Chugging oversized bottles of Molson Canadian, long hair flying everywhere, this '70s-influenced heavy rock'n'roll foursome roared into "Horrifying Your Father," a brand new riff-heavy song that sounds like Black Sabbath mud wrestling with Megadeth.

"Yeeaaaahhh!" the audience screamed, standing on chairs and speakers, pumping their fists in the air. Grinning like a schoolboy, frontman Mikey Heppner didn't speak much, save for the occasional, "Aw, yeeeaaahhh, man!. As with hits from their debut album, Hello Master, Heppner's melodic wails made even their more hardcore stuff (like show closer "Time to Escape") listenable. The catchy chorus of "Talk to Her" had the chicks in the crowd singing along, while the familiar riffs of their very first single, "Lay Down," saw everyone headbanging in unison like one big, happy family. Best of all was "No Real Pain," featuring a sweaty seizure of a drum solo by Vince Nudo that set the crowd on fire. "C'est malade!" hollered a voice from the audience (Translation: "Siiiick!") Now, that's preaching to the converted.

Sunset Rubdown's Spencer Krug / Photo by Richmond Lam

Holier-than-thou audience attitude overshadowed cinematic soundscapes Saturday night (Oct. 6) at the dark Théâtre National. Lots of vintage purses, ironic sweater sets and oversized spectacles skeptically regarded Montreal's Sunset Rubdown. The arty-experimental pop quartet opened with the clangy, otherwordly "Shut Up I Am Dreaming of Places Where Lovers Have Wings." Stage left: band founder Spencer Krug on keys, guitar, and his distinctive, wavering vocals. Stage right: whispery lady-about-town Camilla Wynne Ingr (also of Pony Up!) on glockenspiel, keys, and percussion. She sings, too. When the too-cool-for-school kids got rowdy, Ms. Ingr tried to soothe them with a sexy, "shhhhhh." It didn't work.

Black Mountain's Amber Webber / Photo by Richmond Lam

Next to grace the dimly lit stage were Jagjaguwar labelmates Black Mountain. Vancouver's metal-influenced psychedelic rockers opened with the dark, slow, groove-laden tearjerker "Night Walks" followed by "Stormy High" and "Wucan." Eyes closed, Amber Webber sang with a sultry, gospel-like passion and sipped red wine. Bearded frontman Stephen McBean strummed away on guitar, channeling both Velvet Underground and Black Sabbath. So hauntingly hypnotic were the band's '70s-style epic soundscapes, they sometimes overshadowed the band.

Certainly, minimal audience interaction can be enigmatic and effective -- provided the audience can somehow connect to the performers. So dark was the room, though, that when we managed to catch a glimpse of the band, their hair covered their eyes; when they brushed the hair aside, their eyes were closed. But when Black Mountain step into the light, fans never hesitate to climb with them all the way to the top.

The National's Matt Berninger / Photo by Richmond Lam

A quick stop at Théâtre Nationale on Sunday (Oct. 7) to see indie rockers the National was well worth it. Framed by a backdrop of spaghetti-like sequin strands, the Brooklyn-based quintet treated fans to hits from their current LP, Boxer. Live, these guys are incredibly tight and vocalist Matt Berninger's warm baritone is astounding, the crowd licked it up. "Mistaken for Strangers," for instance, garnered joyous yells from the peanut gallery.

Down the street at Hot Hot Heat, the Vancouver-based popsters were in fine form at Club Soda. Curly-haired, tight-trousered frontman Steve Bays danced feverishly, plunked away on his white synthesizer, and worked the small-but-appreciative crowd into a frenzy. Screaming girls jumped around to the catchy, bouncy radio hit "Middle of Nowhere" and the synth-heavy, new-wave-y "My Best Fiend" from new studio album Happiness Ltd.. But, of course, the crowd went wild for angular dance floor hit "Bandages" from the band's punky, '80s-tinged debut Make Up the Breakdown, followed by the achy, mid-tempo "Elevator."

Hot Hot Heat's Steve Bays / Photo Richmond Lam

Although Hot Hot Heat's sound has smoothed into more polished, radio-friendly territory, their frantic-but-controlled performances of old songs like the urgent "Talk to Me, Dance With Me" and "Naked in the City Again" prove they still own their youthful, sexy rawness. San Francisco-bred guitarist Luke Paquin busted out some rock-star moves, often turning to face drummer Paul Hawley -- whose tennis-style headband was sweat-soaked just a few songs in. Visually, white speakers and gear created a 1950s retro effect. A locker-room style hanging light bulb swung around like a barometer of audience hysteria. While the band has an affinity with Montreal -- former guitarist Dante DeCaro lives here and is a member of Wolf Parade -- the upbeat, poppy encore, "Goodnight, Goodnight," reminded us why kids worldwide melt for Hot Hot Heat: these guys have as much fun as their fans!

Kill the Lights / Photo by Richmond Lam

Well after 1:00 A.M., a late-night gig by local post-punkers Kill the Lights brought Pop Montreal's final survivors out to Petit Campus. Frontman Alexander Hackett and vocalist/keyboardist Stephanie Hanna sang their hearts out for the last men -- and women -- standing. Select members from opening band the Dudes and Hot Hot Heat nursed their beers as Kill the Lights killed it on "Dirty Love" and the wistful, Joy Division-infused "Skinny White Girls." While the earnest fivesome continues to hone their live showmanship, KTL are on to something solid -- the rapid-fire pounding of drummer Yann Geoffroy certainly proved that.

And so, on this rainy October night, the sixth edition of Pop Montreal took its final bow. Merci Montreal... et bonsoir! SIMONA RABINOVITCH / PHOTOS BY RICHMOND LAM