MONTREAL - Ten years, minus one. It’s the answer to the imaginary Jeopardy question, “How long has Pop Montreal been around?”

To put it in perspective, that’s long enough for the creative director of the best music fest in town to go from being a “young and naïve” dude with big ideas and an affinity for late nights to a responsible father who gets up at 6 a.m. with his 1-year-old daughter.

“It’s weird now,” Dan Seligman said. “I’m all domesticated. I don’t go out anymore. It’s hard to gauge what’s happening in the city in terms of shows. People seem excited, tickets are selling well. The press is coming out. I think this is going to be a great edition. (But) I don’t know how much stamina I’ll have to be going out five nights in a row until four in the morning.”

We’ll leave that to the next crop of young kids. But don’t let Seligman’s jaded confessions fool you. Pop Montreal is in no danger of losing its edge. Au contraire. In its 9th edition (Wednesday through Oct. 3), the fest is more vibrant than ever. Scroll through the list of 350 or so bands performing at some 50 venues of all types, all around town, and you won’t recognize half of them (or more – a guarantee of underground cool).

But do a little research and your curiosity is sure to be piqued.

You’ll be struck by the wild eclecticism of both genres and eras represented. From legendary composer-arranger-

producer Van Dyke Parks to Romanian Gypsy orchestra Mahala Rai Banda, Montreal’s reunited ’80s punk act the Asexuals, funky soul siren Macy Gray, avant-rockers Deerhoof, French-Argentinian electro-tango crew Gotan Project, cultish Canadian performance

artist/poet/singer Mary Margaret O’Hara, and Lady Gaga’s pals Semi-Precious Weapons and DJ Lady Starlight.

The common thread?

“None of them are the hip band of the moment,” Seligman said. “The only one we have this year is (Mercury Prize-winning British buzz-band) the xx.”

So how in the heck does one hip band out of 350 make for hippest fest around? Ah, now you are beginning to understand the beauty of Pop Montreal. The secret of this festival is that it’s not about any one headliner, masses-attracting outdoor show or what the mainstream music industry and media have decreed the next big thing.

“Obviously, there are up-and-coming bands that have buzz (at the fest),” Seligman said. “That’s important, too. But the most important thing for us is to have a nice mix.”

Pop Montreal is a communal musical bonding experience that takes place in a multitude of venues all over the city, all at once, over a five-night period. It’s a cumulative, intuitive, fragmented firing of synapses in the collective psyche of music fans who have given themselves over to the idea of being taken on a trip.

“I think people trust us,” Seligman said.

Enough to maybe check out Mahala Rai Banda, Wednesday night at Cabaret Mile End; or Montreal indie-rockers the Dears, who will be performing their unreleased new album in its entirety, in the first of three nights at first-time Pop venue Mission Santa Cruz, aka the Portuguese church (the “party church,” as I like to call it) at the corner of St. Urbain and Rachel. That is, if you’re not catching the Hellbound Hepcats at the intimate Divan Orange, or Tu Fawning (American folk/soul/electro act – I just Googled it) over at La Sala Rossa.

At 2 a.m., if you’re still going, you can head over to Espace Réunion, a fancy loft space in the no man’s land between Mile End and Park Ex, to catch Montreal dance-rock act We Are Wolves.

Thursday finds Montreal franco-rockers Karkwa, fresh off their surprise win of the Polaris Prize for best Canadian album, at Metropolis; while the aforementioned Van Dyke Parks holds it down at charming Outremont hall Ukrainian Federation; veteran Japanese punk-pop girl-band Shonen Knife plays Cabaret Mile End; a handful of local acts, headlined by synth-pop crew Silly Kissers, perform at the renovated and concert-conducive Rialto Theatre; and, in the early evening, Brazilian indie act Holger holds court at St. Laurent Blvd. clothing shop Preloved.

And so on. Other fest notables include: rejuvenated R&B elder Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens; golden-voiced Montreal country gal Katie Moore; Canadian rocker Carole Pope (of Rough Trade); Dutch electronica producer Mount Kimbie; German electro-hardcore band Atari Teenage Riot; New York Afrobeat ensemble Budos Band; post-punk icons Swans; and baritone-voiced, gay New Orleans bounce rapper Big Freedia and the Divas.

“We’re getting close to the excitement we envision in our heads!” Seligman writes, in this year’s festival program.

“The longer you do the festival, the more you realize what it’s about,” he said, when asked just what that excitement consists of. “The festival is fun time. You can’t take it too seriously. Why are we doing this? To create a festive environment. It’s a ton of work, it’s frustrating and stressful, it’s a sacrifice you make. The objective is to see people running around to shows, to a barbecue at the Nottman house, the after-parties. There is this vibe that people experience collectively when they come together and go to shows together and experience this whole event, even though it’s broken up and spread out (across the city).”

Despite its success, the festival is still defending its turf on Montreal’s cultural landscape. Its indie promotion tactics (i.e. postering) have led to an estimated $12,000 in fines over the past several years, according to Seligman.

And Project Noise, the city’s recent crackdown on volume levels in bars, could have a detrimental affect on an event so intricately connected to the city’s music scene at a ground level.

Pop executive producer Hilary Leftick addresses the issue in the festival program, encouraging fest-goers to “support your cultural community and let politicians and bureaucrats know that we need more than just box cinemas and entertainment centres for our pleasure and happiness. All culture is important.”

The festival is not in immediate danger, Seligman explained; but he and Leftick prefer to take a proactive approach to ensure that it stays that way.

“It’s definitely an anxiety,” he said. “It’s something we’re really concerned about. Our festival is about being integrated into the community and the culture of the city. That’s why people love it. It’s about walking up and down the streets of the Plateau, going into small bars, cultural centres and churches, and being part of the city itself. Hopefully there’s a way to balance the views of the residents of these neighbourhoods and the needs of the cultural community.

“The thing is, the neighbourhood wouldn’t have as much cachet, people wouldn’t be moving here, if it wasn’t for the artists, the bars and cafés. If you really want peace and quiet, do you move to Duluth and St. Laurent? It doesn’t make sense to me.”

But one gets the impression that it would take more than fines to stop the irrepressible extravaganza that is Pop Montreal. In its 9th year, the fest is bigger and better than ever. Now-familiar branches such as Film Pop, Art Pop, art and crafts fair Puces Pop, LitPop, the afternoon Pop Symposium (with artists such as Van Dyke Parks, Mahala Rai Banda and Big Freedia Bounce giving talks) and Kids Pop making it a multi-faceted affair that has woven its way into Montreal life.

As amazing as this year’s lineup is, Seligman finds it hard not to look ahead.

“We’re already starting to think about the 10th edition,” he said. “Obviously, it will be a significant anniversary. I’m proud to have been a part of it since the beginning. We’ve created something that is pretty much sustainable, that is an important part of the music scene in Montreal, and has hopefully put a mark on the festival circuit in North America.”

Pop Montreal takes place Wednesday through Oct. 3, at venues all over town.