Category: Music

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Concert Reviews Music

Concert Review: The Killers at the Bell Centre

The Killers murdered their performance in Montreal

Downtown, the streets flooded with fans of all ages. From Gen X to Gen Z, the crowd rushed into the stadium in anticipation of the intoxicating performance they were about to see.

The Killers opened their show with none other than Johnny Marr, an English singer and songwriter who was previously lead guitarist of the ’80s rock band The Smiths. Brandon Flowers, lead singer of The Killers, has previously cited that he was heavily influenced by The Smiths and was thrilled to have Johnny join them on tour. 

Marr started off his act with songs such as “Spirit Power and Soul” and “All These Days” from his newly released album Fever Dream Pts. 1-4. His performance consisted of a great mix between classic British rock and an electronic vibe which kept the crowd roaring for more.

After bantering with the audience about what song he should play next, Marr decided on two classics from The Smiths; “How Soon Is Now?” and “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” creating a nostalgic experience for the older demographic. 

After a lengthy intermission, The Killers warmed up their crowd with “My Own Soul’s Warning” from their 2020 album Imploding the Mirage, which was accompanied by the breathtaking art from their album cover splashed across the big screens in the background.

Two albums, four years, and no tours, The Killers expressed their excitement and gratitude to their audience. “It’s been four long years,” Flowers stated to the crowd. 

Flowers was all smiles throughout the entire show, laughing and chatting with his band members and those in the front rows. His energy was infectious. 

Although the group stuck to hits from their new albums, they broke up the rock and roll with a heartfelt rendition of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” which brought tears to many. Definitely a performance I will never forget.

They ended their setlist with “All These Things That I’ve Done” from their 2004 album Hot Fuss. Their performance was exhilarating. The band was able to unite the audience through their music, having the crowd scream lyrics back at them. 

Finally, after 10 minutes of cheering and stomping, the band jumped back on stage to treat the audience to an extra performance with Johnny Marr before ending the show with a seven-minute version of “Mr. Brightside” which was the perfect way to wrap up the night. 

Graphic by James Fay

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Music Student Life Videos

ChatCordia: What Are Students Listening to?

The Concordian’s Music editor Guillaume Laberge and Video editor Jordan Tsering, asked students about their go-to songs that get them through the year.

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Music

What’s it really like taking the ‘Ye’ class at Concordia?

A deep look behind the scenes at Concordia’s new course dedicated to Kanye West

It’s late March 2022 and while browsing through electives on MyConcordia, the last thing you expect to find is a whole class dedicated to one of hip hop’s most controversial figures, Kanye West. 

We’ve seen the Twitter frenzy and we’ve seen the Hypebeast article. Three weeks into the semester, you and around 200 other students are cramming into room 110 in the Hall building’s auditorium every Thursday to listen to what professor Yassin ‘Narcy’ Alsalman has in store.

“Honestly, anybody can come to the lectures.” said human relations student Alfred Umasao. “The professor doesn’t really care if you’re not in his class.”

If you’re curious about the nature of the course, look no further than the course outline to get a hint of what it’s like. The syllabus is presented in a PowerPoint format with artistic pictures and font, sequenced in typical Kanye creativity. 

“The purpose of this class is for you not only to appreciate Ye for his work, his vision and his addition to culture, but to also build a critical thinking of public domain, ownership, self-actualization, the world and more importantly, a realistic lens on celebrity, industry, media, community and power. Nobody’s Perfect. Why is Ye so influential?” reads the first page of the PowerPoint.

Umasao, who’s been to all classes so far, has nothing short of praise for the topics discussed so far. 

“It’s less of a Kanye-based class but more of an intrusive self-reflection where you’re on your own and have to think about who you are as a person. One of our assignments for example is ‘What made you disconnect as a five year old’ and like ‘How would you reconnect with him/her.’”

One of Alsalman’s ways of getting his students to feel comfortable in this environment is to play some chill Kanye beats before the lecture begins. Finance student Alissya Ghader describes the first day of class as entering a jam packed concert. 

“The teacher somehow managed to put us all at ease from the second we walked into the first class by blasting some Kanye beats until everyone got settled in which gave me the same feeling as entering the doors of a concert venue.”

Professor Alsalman interacts with his students in a way in which they can feel comfortable expressing themselves. Ghader says that the professor even opted for some Gen Z relatable humor. She also echoes Umasao’s previous comments about how immersive the class is. 

“He said that he’d like for us to not only see this as a “Kanye Class” but more like a venue for exploring contemporary issues especially within the rap industry and how Ye was able to make something out of himself by overcoming it all,” Ghader said.

One of the course’s assignments, called ”Kaneyetive Dissonance,” calls on students to examine a controversial moment in the rapper’s history and to explain critically why Kanye is or was problematic, whether the incident was racialized and whether or not the rapper was right or wrong.

The course has also faced some criticism for its apparent “meme” approach to the subject of Hip Hop and whether or not it should be taken seriously as a university program. 

That being said, the class does come with a hefty bill. Jenna Wilson, a Concordia student who works at the bookstore, says that the two books Alsalman’s students must buy for the course aren’t cheap and were at one point in back order. The course pack, written by Alsalman himself, costs $99.25. There’s also a smaller book called “Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” bringing the total to around $130 for the course.

Another student who preferred to remain anonymous told The Concordian that he still has mixed feelings for the course.

“I found it quite mixed, honestly… I’m not really sure of the whole point of the class. In some ways I feel like everybody there is just a Kanye fanboy/girl and that people don’t take it seriously.” 

Graphic by Joey Bruce

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Concert Reviews Music

Concert Review: Tayc at Place Bell and Le Salon Richmond 1861

Everybody boards the afro-love plane!

Fear not, the one who appeased all of our bad heartbreaks over the past couple of years with his melancholic lyrics and high-tempo beats has finally come to Montreal to spread the “afro love” sound. 

Indeed, 26-year-old French Cameroonian artist Tayc performed at Place Bell on Saturday, Sept. 24.

Tayc saw his international success grow recently with hits like “N’y pense plus” and “D O D O,” a pretty fast come-up in the international music scene considering that his first studio album NYXIA, came out in 2019. 

The show on the Place Bell stage started with a high-energy performance by the artist and his female backup dancers, also known as the “OG wifeys,” with great choreography and dance breakdowns from all of them. 

Dance was a big part of the show, with Tayc making sure his fans could show off their moves by having some of them get up on stage to dance to his song “P A S C O M M E Ç A.” 

Tayc has been associated with the rise in popularity of French afro-beat, or has he calls it “afro-love”, a mix of afro-beat sounds that usually come out of Nigeria, paired with French love-song lyrics.

In my opinion, Tayc could have sung a little bit more, as he left a lot of the singing to the audience that knew all his lyrics by heart and sang at the top of their lungs.

If someone had a tight budget for concerts this year, I would’ve suggested only attending the Tayc official after-party. The tickets were $60, compared to the concert tickets ranging from $50 to hundreds of dollars. Plus, you were guaranteed to be close to the performer. 

The official after-party took place at Le Salon Richmond 1861. Located in Griffintown, the venue is an old church whose inside is converted to a party room with a bar and a small stage. The after-party started around 10:00 p.m. where a DJ was already present to get the party started. 

It wasn’t until around 1:00 a.m.that Tayc showed up when he played almost the same set as the one in concert. This time, however, he was just a couple of feet from the public in a beautiful historic monument. 

Tayc stayed almost until 2:00 am, performing his biggest hits, after which the DJ kept the party going.

A day full of afro-love was what Tayc gave to Montrealers, with everyone singing all of his heartbreak songs loudly. 

Graphic by James Fay

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Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: Blink Twice by Arkells

It was to great anticipation that Arkells released their album Blink Twice on Sept. 23. Hailing from Hamilton, Ontario, the Indie band first released their Blink Once LP last year. On their blog, they said that the album was “about resilience. It’s about grieving with loss and fall outs and finding your way back.” 

The last track of Blink Once, “Last Night I Heard ‘Em Sing (Outro)” leads right into Blink Twice’s first track “Reckoning” where the opening lyric goes “Last night, I heard ‘em laughing.” 

Blink Twice uses a lot of synth, coming off as more poppy than indie, though they don’t lose their soul in the mix, which is something that a lot of indie bands lack once they get into a comfortable spot (I’m looking at you Maroon 5 and Coldplay). 

There were a lot of songs on this album that I appreciated on an emotional level. 

The first one has to be “Past Life” because it was a breath of fresh air from the previous track “Reckoning.” Arkells frontman Max Kerman and Cold War Kids frontman Nathan Willett sing this song together.

It feels like an ’80s driving song that mentions Bob Dylan’s son Jakob Dylan from The Wallflowers. My favourite part is when Willett sings “I was born an old soul, / I feel like Bob Dylan’s son, / Always in the shadows.” At first I thought it was a diss to the junior Dylan but in fact Willett has expressed his appreciation for Bob Dylan and his son.

Another track that was on repeat for me was “Miracle” for its grittiness that stood out from the other tracks. Honestly, it felt like the lovechild of Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys) and Paul McCartney, which was an even bigger incentive for me to keep repeating it. 

My least favorite song is “Dance With You” with Cœur de pirate and Aly & AJ because it sounded way too processed for the band, even if it had an emphasized groovy funk line. Too poppy for my taste, sorry Arkells.

Besides the aforementioned features, there are many other artists in this LP: pop duo Tegan and Sara, Wesley Schultz of The Lumineers, Joel Plaskett, Jake Clemons and Lights.   

Do I like the new Arkells? Yes, with an asterisk. While they kept to their roots, there were some songs that could have been less processed, pop oriented and quantized. Could be better. 

Trial Track: Past Life (Feat. Cold War Kids)

Rating: 6.5/10       

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Concert Reviews Music

Concert Review: The Paper Kites at Théâtre Fairmount

The Paper Kites playing at Théâtre Fairmount. Captured by Saro Hartounian for The Concordian

The Australian folk group banded with the Hudson native to create an intimate night for their Montreal fans

Matt Holubowski opened the show with nothing but reverb and delay on his guitar. The Hudson native lulled the crowd with his Rufus Wainwright-esque voice over the flowing hammer-ons and pull-offs that echoed. It was his unique way of playing finger-style. 

After the first two songs “St. Clarity” and “Revelator Eyes”, he chatted with the crowd and engaged in banter with a few folks which is always appreciated by the fans. The last thing anyone wants is a Whitney Houston situation where the artist comes up on stage, sings their set without interacting with the crowd and leaves. 

Holubowski ended his setlist with “Exhale/Inhale,” which involved using the shimmer effect on his guitar which makes the reverb “shimmer.” It was a wonderful way to end the set, and it felt like the audience was underwater. 

The Paper Kites opened after a 20-minute intermission with their song “St Clarity.” Fifteen seconds into the song, a girl near me fainted and they took her to safety. The crowd was waiting with bated breath as they wondered what the next song would be: it was “Revelator Eyes.” Guitarist David Powys really liked using a David Gilmour tone, probably using a big muff pedal to boot. 

After three songs they thanked their fans for coming in to see them and went on to play “Climb On Your Tears” which prompted a lot of couples to slow dance; it was a nice atmosphere indeed. 

The singer Sam Bently recounted a story about playing in a pub called The Roadhouse in a small Australian town where no one knew who they were. They played an unreleased song out of the album that they wrote called “Green Valleys.”

Halfway through the set, the singers Bentley and Cristina Lacy sang a duo of “For All You Give.” My favourite song out of the setlist was “Bloom.” To be fair, it is their most popular song; unfortunately, the singer couldn’t sing it in the original key because it was an old release so they had to change the key. 

For the next song, “By My Side,” they asked the crowd to sing the chorus with them, and sing they did. Voices filled every crevice of the Fairmount Theatre, and probably all the way down to the marché PA downstairs. The eruption of clapping and whooping probably scared the employees. 

They ended their main set with “Electric Indigo” and the crowd immediately started to chant the encore song (Olé Olé). 

Their encore setlist, comprised of “Featherstone,” “A Gathering on 57th,” and finally “Give Me Your Fire, Give Me Your Rain.” The latter was easily the loudest song in the entire setlist with that intro guitar strum. Sure enough, the song also ended in a long-ending finale with a roar from the crowd. This concert made me feel different towards the end, because I’m usually riled up when I get out of a show, but The Paper Kites were too intimate and soft for that. If they are ever in town again I highly recommend you check them out.   

Photo by Saro Hartounian

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Interview Music

Quebecois singer-songwriter Elliot Maginot is taking the province by storm with his indie music  

Elliot Maginot playing at Outremont theatre. Photo by Auréa Gamboa

The Concordian sat down for an interview with the musician between a sound check and his biggest headliner at Outremont Theatre

Elliot Maginot, whose real name is Gabriel Hélie-Harvey, has been slowly winning over the hearts of la belle province since his first EP was posted to MySpace in 2013.

He calls himself a “contemplative soul” and is always looking to explore new sounds and avenues with each album release. His songs combine different musical instruments, sometimes including a saxophone, a cello, two guitars, a keyboard, a drum-set and backing vocals all playing together.

After discovering the guitar early on, Maginot dipped his feet in the musical universe as a teenager and doesn’t plan on leaving it.

Although he writes and sings his songs entirely in English, the artist is a dedicated Québécois francophone through and through.

His album Young/Old/Everything.In.Between which released in 2014 propelled him into the spotlight. He quickly joined the lineups for important cultural scenes, like the Montreal Jazz Fest or the Festival d’été de Québec.

Staying in his comfort zone

Although he was not raised religious, Maginot often writes songs with Christian influences. “Holy Father,” “Holy Water” and “Dead Church” are only a few of the songs where the singer uses spiritual vocabulary.

“I guess I am fascinated by the symbolism because it’s so unknown to me. It’s cathartic to sing ‘hallelujah.’ When I sing ‘holy’ I just want to raise my hands,” he said.

One tradition he and his band members share is to dress up in Christmas sweaters in mid-July — right when the heatwave peaks — and write a yearly holiday song.

“I do like Christmas, but it started more as a running gag and now it’s become tradition. It’s a way to return to the studio mid-album. It’s a song we’ll never play live so it’s less pressure and the recording sessions are lighter.”

Future possibilities

Having two previous Gala GAMIQ nominations under his belt, Maginot certainly hopes to win an award in the near future “just to have it at home so [he] can use the statue as a paperweight.” He is currently nominated for two categories in the upcoming Gala de l’ADISQ.

He’s currently working on his next album, in which he hopes to include more collaborations with other artists. As he put it, “My creative bubble is very closed and airtight. I feel intimidated. I’d like to sit down and write something with another artist.”

With every new project comes the goal of exploring new sounds and ideas. Keeping a consistent aesthetic without repeating himself is a challenge Maginot takes on with each new creation.

The singer is currently touring across Quebec promoting his latest album, Easy Morning. On Sept. 16 he passed by Montreal, playing in the Outremont Theatre. It was his biggest show as a headliner.

With a full house, the show offered an intimate performance, with Elliot and eight accompanying musicians delivering a touching rendition of his work. 

Picture by Auréa Gamboa

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Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS – Patient Number 9 by Ozzy Osbourne

The heavy metal icon is back and better than ever, and this time he brought friends

September 9 saw the release of metal veteran Ozzy Osbourne’s latest album Patient Number 9. It is the thirteenth studio album in Osbourne’s portfolio which is quite an impressive feat, especially considering his recent health issues.

Besides getting diagnosed with COVID-19 in April, he underwent a major neck surgery in June which brought concern to his family and fans, despite his recovery. While his health hasn’t stopped him from performing suitably on Patient Number 9, the whole theme of the LP centers on life and death. Mortality has certainly struck a chord within Osbourne, making him a far cry from the man who used to snort ants and bite heads off of birds for fun. 

The album boasts a motley of features that are just as big as Ozzy in the music industry. Musicians like Eric Clapton, Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, Black Label Society’s Zakk Wylde, and last but not least, Ozzy’s former Black Sabbath bandmate from Tony Iommi. 

It was also quite emotional to see that the late Taylor Hawkins had tracked drums for a couple of songs, like “God Only Knows” along with Metallica’s Robert Trujillo on bass.    

There are quite a few memorable songs from this LP: “Parasite” with Zakk Wylde on guitar was quite a funky and upbeat song for Ozzy’s songwriting tastes. The sixteenth-beat tambourine shakes were oddly reminiscent of Fall Out Boy, and even Britpop bands like Oasis and Republica. 

McCready was featured on “Immortal” which happens to be my favourite track. The mixture of grunge guitar chugging along with hard rock bass from Guns ‘n’ Roses Duff McKagan and funk rock drums from Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith created a best of both worlds track for my ears.      

For a heavy metal artist, this latest release is heavily produced. The rhythm feels almost as if it is quantized (the process of moving notes in a music software to the exact time signature to make a beat sound perfectly in time) — so certain songs like “Parasite” sounded way too digital and processed for my liking. 

Regardless of the musicality, several songs on the album didn’t feel like they were to Ozzy’s liking. Then again, you could just chalk it up to the evolution of a musician’s songwriting process!     

Trial track: “Immortal” (feat. Mike McCready)

Rating: 8/10

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Music On Repeat

On Repeat: summer edition

Our Music Editors share what they’ve been listening to over the summer.

Guillaume Laberge, Music Editor

Summer 2022 saw the birth of countless projects, some more memorable than others. Regardless, here are the songs I have been obsessed with for the past four months — hopefully you’ll discover something new here.

“Count Me Out” – Kendrick Lamar

Of the many songs I could have chosen from Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, “Count Me Out” is the one that stuck with me the most. There are so many layers and tempo switches to this track that it makes you sit on the edge of your seat for its entire duration.

“Bad Habit” – Steve Lacy

Whether it was on TikTok or on the radio, this song was inescapable over the summer, and for good reason. With “Bad Habit,” Steve Lacy crafted an indie pop anthem that contains arguably the catchiest chorus of the year.

“Big Ass Bracelet” – Westside Gunn

The Flygod himself dropped perhaps the underground rap song of the year with “Big Ass Bracelet.” The soul sample used in the track is so mesmerising that it took me at least ten listens to realize that he was saying something over this angelic drumless instrumental.

Honourable mentions

“Sugar/Tzu” – black midi

“Me Porto Bonito” – Bad Bunny

“Survivors Guilt” – Joey Bada$$

“Sticky” – Drake

“Chop (Nouvelle École)” – Fresh

Saro Hartounian, Assistant Music Editor

This summer brought about the release of many fantastic albums and singles (the new Kendrick record comes to mind), and I am pleased to showcase my favourite songs that were on repeat during my vacation to Gaspésie and Québec City!

“Auntie Diaries” – Kendrick Lamar

This song moved me to tears. Honestly. Regardless of the heavy topic it explores, I would play this during late summer nights where the pad synths would envelop my room. If you haven’t checked out this song I highly recommend it for the lyrics and the crescendo up until the very end.  

“hydrogen” – Sirintip  

Sirintip did not disappoint with her new single! The acid drum machine over ethereal jazzy vocals. There’s at least three tracks for her voice: two panning left and right and one in the background whispering a response from the former two. I know this is an oxymoron but hear me out… think “upbeat lounge.” 

“Magenta Mountain” – King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

This song off King Gizzard’s Omnium Gatherum album was a must-listen through the summer months, especially for long drives. The Minimoog’s bass paired with the oriental melody gives off the feeling of a monastery way up in the mountains. Shangri-La, anyone?

Honorable mentions

“Tippa My Tongue” – Red Hot Chili Peppers

“Welcome To Hell” – black midi 

“Shotgun” – Soccer Mommy 

“Complacency” – Tide Rider

“La Rivière” – Pomme

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Concert Reviews Music

Concert Review: Rema at Beachclub

Nigerian artist Rema brought the afrorave fusion to Montrealers this past Saturday at Beachclub.

Beachclub was host to many talented artists and festivals this summer, such as Afro Beach, Tiësto, The Chainsmokers and many others. On Sept. 10, one of the youngest and newest international sensation in the afrobeat genre, Rema, performed in Pointe-Calumet. 

Situated approximately 30 to 45 minutes away from Montreal, Beachclub is known to be a summer destination hot spot for many music lovers over the years, with events promising local and international artists in a tropical-like environment. The location offers festival elements such as food and drink stands, as well as the possibility to enjoy the concert from the pool located onsite.

The event began at noon under beautiful sunny weather, where a DJ was already present to start the party right away. Afrobeat songs soon filled the place, and Hatitian and French-speaking African classics got the crowd excited. Additionally, social media comedy sensation, Tai, appeared later that afternoon sporting the beloved oversized suit his social media persona wears as he made the crowd dance.

After a couple hours of partying, fans knew Rema was about to come out when the DJ started playing his signature catchphrase: “Another banger,” a line that the young artist used for the first time when opening for his debut song “Dumebi.” “It takes a lot of confidence to say ‘another banger’ in a debut track,” said Rema in a tweet the year of his debut. 

At only 22 years old, Rema is one of the youngest successful afrobeat acts to come out of Nigeria since Burna Boy and Wizkid, with whom he also shared a nomination for Best New International act back at the 2020 BET awards.

Rema started his set by teasing the crowd with the first notes of one of his most famous singles: “Soundgasm.” The song would only be played later when the chorus tore the metaphorical roof off the place

The young artist’s most popular songs were all played one after the other; “Dumebi,” “Beamer,” “Calm Down,” “Ginger Me,” “Woman,” “Corny,” and many more, proving that Rema’s unique tone of voice comes out even better in his live performances. His overall positive attitude could also be felt throughout the day, as the crowd continuously danced through the entirety of the event without stopping: “At a Rema concert you dance!” said the artist. “You did not pay all this money to not have a party,” Rema added. 

The stage presence, charisma and confidence of the Nigerian artist were palpable throughout his performance, a nice contrast with his attitude towards the end of the show when the DJ pointed out that Rema would be in the building for the rest of the event.

A truly enjoyable day is what Rema brought to Montrealers. His afro-fusion, or new-wave afrobeat as he calls it, in contrast with the relaxing ambience of the beach made it an event not to miss. “Montreal feels like home,” the artist added.

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Music

Civil House’s latest release, “Shivers,” redefines the band’s sound

Pictured: Paul Laventure (left), bassist of Civil House, with Concordia students and brothers Dean (middle) and Aris Dadidis (right) in 2019. Photo by Alyssa Vasilev

Civil House is an indie pop band from Montreal made up of three best friends. Dean Dadidis, lead singer/guitarist and Aris Dadidis, the bassist, are brothers both studying at Concordia. At the same time, the drummer, Paul Laventure, is a childhood friend who moved to the U.S to study.

The three formed a band shortly after discovering their passion for music while jamming out every Sunday at church. 

While the group started with a harder sound akin to alternative rock, as seen in their first few songs like “Not Holding on” and “The Moment,” they now have slowly transitioned to a softer pop sound.

Their latest song, “Shivers,” is reflective of the music they’re going to produce. The song was written and produced by Dean, toying with elements of indie pop while adding soft and sparkling guitar notes to highlight the undertones of nostalgia.

“Shivers” is not your typical cliché love song. The song is about seeing someone you love or  used to love. Even though you know you can’t go back, it’s better for you to move on. The unmistakable feeling of love is still there.

While first love and first heartbreak can be brutal, the song emphasizes the feeling of being in love and reminiscing the good and old memories. “Shivers” is about remembering and holding on to that exciting, happy, and good feeling of being in love while forgetting about the hurt that follows the breakup. 

The song is not limited to personal experience. Dean explains his goal to reach people through music. 

“When I write something, it reignites an experience through the song, and when someone listens to that, and relates to it, there’s just an invisible connection,” he explained. 

Though not everyone can relate to the experience of being in love, this song is still worth listening to. “Shivers” stuck to me because I felt that “magical feeling” and experienced many emotions while listening to the song.

Moving forward, the band hopes to make more music together. Despite the distance between them, the band is still united. 

“They’ll always be in my life. We might get together and just produce a whole album when we can,” said Dean.  

You can listen to “Shivers” and more of Civil House’s music on their Spotify page.

For more content and information, follow @civilhouse.music on Instagram.

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Music

Osheaga 2022: Artists to watch

This fifteenth edition of Osheaga is bound to be exciting

With Osheaga finally returning to its total capacity after two years, one of the world’s best music festivals is welcoming artists from different corners of the music industry to perform over a three day span.Since it’s physically impossible to divide myself across six stages with over 100 artists set to perform, who should I watch? My name is Guillaume and I’ll be your guide, helping you experience the best possible shows to have an amazing weekend.

Friday

Friday starts off the festival on a pretty strong note with a string of interesting names, especially in the pop and indie fields. Artists such as Pink Pantheress, Ashe, and Charli XCX all put their own unique spin on today’s pop music and are a must-see if you’re into pop. As for indie, Gus Dapperton, Dominic Fike, and French Canadian band, Les Louanges could all satisfy indie lovers on Friday. Coming off the release of their latest record WE, Montreal’s legendary alternative rock band Arcade Fire is in town headlining on Friday,  making it definitely a show not to miss. Sleeper sets of the day include trap producer and singer Pi’erre Bourne and Punk band Turnstile.

Saturday

Saturday is looking to be the most promising day, with heavy names in hip hop and a profusion of other cool artists. Fans of the genre are going to get spoiled with artists such as Slowthai, Freddie Gibbs, BIA, and Saturday’s headliner, Future. Saturday is also another strong day in the indie field with performers such as Toronto’s Luna Li, Montreal’s Men I Trust, and none other than Mitski. Other must-sees include Hyperpop duo 100 Gecs and Nigerian superstar Burna Boy. The sleeper pick of the day is U.K rapper, Slowthai.

Sunday 

Sunday might not have the most stacked lineup, but you will definitely be able to find quality performances. Sunday’s headliner include pop star Dua Lipa, who is solely worth the cost alone, and is almost guaranteed to deliver an incredible show. Sunday also has a couple of popular names in the music industry, such as Machine Gun Kelly, Glass Animals, and Alan Walker. Rapper Cordae, singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus and punk-rock band IDLES are amongst other talented musicians performing on Sunday. The Sleeper show of the day is the Australian Genesis Owusu who is a must-watch.

Now that Osheaga has returned back to its full form , it’s safe to say that everyone is as excited as ever to see a plethora of  talented artists hit the stage in Montreal. With perfect weather announced over the weekend, these next three days are going to be incredible for music lovers.

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