Last Tuesday at Club Soda, Montreal five-piece Mobile opened for Matthew Good, in town for his In a Coma tour. Mobile played seven songs within a short 30 minute set, after first act Ladies and Gentlemen left the stage.
In terms of the audience, which was made up of both young teens and 20 to 30 year olds, it was rather disappointing that the entire second floor balcony was closed. The venue was filled to only half of its capacity, which is over 500.
The crowd made it quite obvious that they were there to see Matt Good and not the openers. But previous Chom L’Esprit competition winners Mobile did their best to put on a performance that allowed the audience to hear their music, a mix of indie and pop rock with catchy riffs and an upbeat tempo. Mobile also illustrated their versatility by slowing the pace with more melodic songs.
The band members were more active amongst themselves than with the crowd itself, demonstrating a sense of band camaraderie. The guitarists danced to the music and singer Mat Joly constantly walked around the stage, exchanging looks with the musicians.
While interesting effects with the keyboards added layers to their basic rock formula, the track that got the most attention was latest single, “Montreal Calling”. Addressing the crowd in French, Joly introduced this harder rock track by stating how much they had missed Montreal after their temporary move to Toronto to record their album, which drew cheers from the crowd.
As a whole, Mobile have radio-friendly songs inspired by indie rock, but with more pop and alternative influences. As an opening act, Mobile seemed very aware they were openers, projecting the attitude of an indifferent rock star, playing just to “get things over with”. But Mobile undeniably have a lot of potential with their solid material, the right look, and stage presence. All they need is to become more comfortable with audience interaction. This comes with experience, but from the looks of it, Mobile will surely be given the chance for that and a lot more.
