Good bands set to bring the heat as the summer winds down
By Jessica Romera, Copy editor.
Summer in Montreal and concerts go together like peanut butter and jelly. From Kendrick Lamar’s explosive headlining performance at Osheaga, to Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s stellar set at Theatre Fairmount, Montreal hosted some of the best names in the biz. But just because the warm months are starting to wind down, this doesn’t mean the fall won’t hold a ton of hot shows, especially with fests like POP Montreal and Psychfest just around the corner. With so many great acts rolling into our fair city, here are some of the ones I’m most looking forward to, in chronological order.
Modest Mouse
Catapulting into indie stardom in the ‘90s, Modest Mouse took an eight-year hiatus after releasing a string of top-notch records like 2000’s The Moon And Antarctica and their last record, 2007’s We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank. If you turned on the radio, or watched any episode of The O.C ever (they were one of Seth Cohen’s favourite bands), you were bound to hear Isaac Brock’s unmistakably jutting vocals. Modest Mouse have been touring steadily and killing it with their latest album Strangers To Ourselves. Even if you aren’t a fan of their new material (which you should be anyway with singles like “Lampshades On Fire” and “The Ground Walks, With Time In A Box”), their Metropolis show will most likely include classics like “Dashboard,” “Float On” and “Paper Thin Walls,” that will trigger all kinds of nostalgia-fueled karaoke moments. Modest Mouse will be performing at Metropolis on Sept. 8. Tickets cost $47.
Will Butler
The Arcade Fire multi-talented multi-instrumentalist released his debut solo album, Policy, earlier in 2015. With singles dripping out of every pore, like the Southern-gospel-inspired “Son Of God,” to catchy retro ditty “Anna,” Butler is setting himself apart from his brother and bandmates as a strong solo artist. If you’ve ever seen him on stage, you know that Butler’s unbridled energy is contagious, a perfect pairing for the spacious, yet intimate setting of his upcoming show as part of the POP Montreal festival. Will Butler will be performing at the Rialto Theatre on Sept. 18. Tickets cost $25.
Chance The Rapper
If, like me, you were beyond bummed about Chance’s last minute 2014 Osheaga cancellation, then you were stoked when the Chicago rapper announced an upcoming appearance at Olympia. Chance will more than likely perform bangers “Cocoa Butter Kisses” and “Favorite Song” off his 2013 release Acid Rap, but my inner six-year-old is hoping to hear his cover of the Arthur theme song. Chance The Rapper will be performing at Olympia Theatre on Oct. 21. Tickets cost $38.50.
James Bay
More like James BAE, am I right?! But really, this guy is seriously talented. He played to a jam-packed Corona Theatre back in April, and then made us swoon with his performance at Osheaga over the summer. With his latest album The Calm And The Chaos and massive hit “Hold Back The River” earning the singer-songwriter some well-deserved international attention, it’s no wonder the folk-rocker from across the pond sold out his upcoming appearance at Metropolis in a matter of mere hours. James Bay will be performing at Metropolis on Nov. 17. The show is sold out, sorry.
X Ambassadors
If you were lucky enough to catch the New York-based group on the Sunday at Osheaga, then you know X Ambassadors are more than just those dudes playing “Renegades” in the Jeep commercial. Admittedly I didn’t really know much of their music, but I’m glad my sister dragged me along to their set because now I’m over-the-moon-excited for their show at Olympia. FYI, they were originally playing at Corona Theatre, but got bumped up to the larger venue. X Ambassadors will be performing at Olympia on Nov. 29. Tickets cost $24.50.
Some honourable mentions because there are just way too many good shows this fall:
-Albert Hammond, Jr. Sept. 19 at La Sala Rossa
-Fidlar Sept. 22 at Fairmount Theatre
-Bahamas Nov. 25 at Corona Theatre
-Leon Bridges Oct. 22 at Corona Theatre
-Shakey Graves Nov. 9 at Corona Theatre
-The Weeknd Nov. 24 at The Bell Centre
