Category: Music

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Music

Montreal’s music venues and its people

The exterior of the Beanfield Theatre. Photo by Tabéa Benlakehal / The Concordian

Check out Concordia students’ favourite music venues and their backstory!

From arenas to theatres, all the way to bar settings, Montreal is abundant in locations for artists to perform their latest projects. Montreal fans are one solid pack of passionate beings and always wish for their favourite artists to pass by when on tour. 

Compared to our neighbours in the States, Canada doesn’t see as many visits from artists. Nonetheless, Montreal has been a hub for music lovers and everyone can find their ideal cocoon to experience live music and its communities. Some locals—and in our case, Concordia students—shared with us their favourite and not-so-favourite venues when it comes to experiencing live shows.

Whether speaking to local Concordia students or international students, it was no surprise to hear how much people love attending concerts right here in Montreal. The biggest takeaway from these conversations was that the majority of folks prefer a smaller venue. 

Le Petit Campus is one of the city’s underrated locations—as many people I talked to expressed—despite its intimacy and great sound quality. This space is part of the larger Le Café Campus, which can turn into a bar,  nightclub, live show theatre, or even a workspace. 

Le Petit Campus is widely loved because it brings out a special and closer bond between the artist on stage and the crowd versus a huge arena like the Bell Centre. As Tourisme Montréal states, the multi-purpose arena “is a prime venue for entertainment and sports events” and can host over 21,000 fans. 

Place Bell, a venue open since 2017, also turns out to be a people’s favourite due to its ambiance giving the perfect blend of a large arena and theatre experience. People from outside Montreal—notably Laval—genuinely appreciate having a venue hosting bigger artists closer to them. Folks enjoy the larger community aspect of meeting others and hanging out after the show. 

A venue that is well-loved by most is the Corona Theatre, now called the Beanfield Theatre. Named after the Beanfield Metroconnect telecommunications company in Toronto, it recently became a partner of this performance hall this summer. Almost unchanged since 1912, the theatre’s excellent architecture has helped it gather a lot of popularity such as with its painting ceiling and red brocade curtains. This change and new partnership, according to Le Devoir, “demonstrates Beanfield’s commitment to the community and cultural landscape of Montreal.” The Corona Theatre neon sign will however stay in place and even be illuminated again! 


Visit The Concordian’s podcast to hear more of our interviews with students and to know more about their picks!

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Music

Narcy speaks about the shift in music consumption

Carleen Loney @shloneys / The Concordian

The artist and professor shares his views on the “lower attention span” of the matter.

Yassin Alsalman, also known by his stage name “Narcy,” has been engaged in the life of a professor at the university level since 2013. Being an artist as well as a teacher on music and its all-around artistry at Concordia—especially the world of hip-hop—he holds concrete awareness and knowledge of the industry. 

Narcy shared his thoughts on how potentially drastic music consumption has changed. Whether regarding the internet or real-life professional scenarios, the multimedia artist, actor, and journalist answered questions about the potential benefits and issues of a shift in the intentions of music consumers and the business. 

The modern way of an album rollout, with respect to the many different ways of release, promotion periods, etc., has obviously not stayed the same as a process. The increase of the power of the internet as a means to discover and connect with music has been reinforced in new ways. 

TikTok, for example, has been making new or established artists feel the need to include their projects on the platform to strengthen engagement and stay relevant. The app has been a way for artists to push their popularity and the success of a song behind a certain trend and has even kick-started careers. For instance, Doja Cat and Jack Harlow wouldn’t necessarily be where they are now without TikTok. But is it for the better or worse? 

Having made multiple albums over the past 20 years, Narcy definitely thinks the process of conceptualizing an album for instance has changed, “both on a consumption and a production level.” Furthermore, “people now have the uber mentality around when, how and where to receive and consume music so there is definitely a major shift in how we, as artists, have to think,” he says. Narcy’s take here is all about what artists crave out of their respective careers. 

He, personally, has always approached his music “from the model of merchandise, experience, and physical/tangible work” while consciously leaning less on the internet. Certain artists, notably from the younger generation, can tend to lean heavier on the digital side and some like The Alchemist, Narcy remarked, create brand experiences. Then there are those “that lean heavily on the digital side so I think it has a lot to do with how much you lean into the commercial and industry side vs. the artistic side of music making” he adds. 

In Narcy’s circle and extended world, music interaction used to be rooted in reading liner notes, being blown away by art, and having to research the artist profusely. Today’s convenience has drastically affected this aspect of the music experience. “The immediate access and the disposability of music on DSPs [Demand-Side Platforms] and other platforms makes the music experience different and less etched in their daily experience,” he said.

Being a father and interacting with university students, Narcy has witnessed music consumption being adopted diversely by different generations. On the one hand, the greater accessibility to production can allow “kids to dabble in production at such a young age and figure out their creative direction.” On the other hand, Narcy fears that music is no longer being retained. Narcy explains, “I have memories attached to music and nostalgia that pulls me back to certain places and times in my life.” 

In the Montreal music scene, a “swinging pendulum between digital and physical art” is predominantly present. According to Narcy, it is undeniable to acknowledge producers in the city who keep that organic and digging mentality around making beats and music while there are artists with more of a taste for electronic sounds is undeniable. Today, both are embedded in the music scene making Montreal “a breeding ground for art”, no matter the medium of consumption, he states. We can agree, no one can argue with that. 

Categories
Music

How Far Will You Go?

Carleen Loney/The Concordian @shloneys

Concordia students share the lengths they have gone to attend the year’s biggest concerts.

This summer, pop superstars took the world by storm by concurrently embarking on international tours. With Taylor Swift and The Weeknd breaking records every week, their concerts have been flooding social media feeds for months.

However, none of these tours included any stops in Montreal. For Concordia students, this meant catching these shows would have been impossible without travelling considerably long distances. The Concordian spoke with some of the students who went the extra mile (thousands, even) to see these shows and asked about their experiences.

7000 kilometres for Harry Styles

After Harry Styles’ 2021 Montreal show was cancelled, second-year psychology student Samantha Vizzi decided she had finally had enough: “I took this opportunity to see him as many times as I could,” Vizzi said. Since last summer, she has put in 27 hours and 7700 kilometres of travel by bus, train, and flight to catch Love on Tour three times. Harry Styles waved at her on her birthday during his New York show, and she attended the tour’s final show in Italy.

Maria Luisa Velez, a second-year communications student, also caught Love on Tour last year in New York, flying in from Colombia. She explains that sometimes, travelling for a show is the easier solution: “They don’t do tours there [certain cities] or they only have a few dates available, which makes it harder to get tickets.”

5,500 kilometres for Beyoncé’s RENAISSANCE World Tour

Alexandre Jevans Silva —also in his second year in communications— credits his home country France with helping him secure tickets to see Beyoncé in Paris: “I would not have been able to get Club Renaissance tickets anywhere else” In France, Ticketmaster uses a first-come, first-serve system instead of verified fan presales. His €500 seats in Paris cost $1000 CAD in Toronto. He especially cherishes having made the trip home due to the “special feeling of wanting to see your city represent and be the loudest” (or for Beyoncé, the quietest).

The Eras Tour: turning dreams into reality

Daniela Orrego-Grosso, a first-year economics student, is seeing Taylor Swift in Toronto next fall alongside her cousin, who is joining her all the way from Peru. The two share childhood memories of listening to Swift’s albums and dancing together. “My cousin didn’t hesitate to come, even if it meant lots of paperwork to get a Canadian Visa.”

For these students, travelling was not an obstacle, but rather an opportunity to create more memories beyond the shows.

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Music Quickspins

QUICKSPINS: Travis Scott – UTOPIA

The ASTROWORLD follow-up is filled with psychedelic hip-hop that is ambitious, eclectic, and exciting.

UTOPIA’s opener “HYAENA” begins with a robotic vocal sample that is both inviting and confusing. What follows is Travis Scott dominating over a knocking drum break and an addictive harpsichord loop, making for a song that is frantic yet exciting. The track is unlike most of Scott’s existing catalogue, and even sticks out from what follows on the album.

UTOPIA stands out due to its unique instrumental palette, one that spans different subgenres, sounds, and moods. You can find standard hip-hop/trap production on cuts like “MELTDOWN,” “I KNOW ?,” and “TOPIA TWINS.” “SIRENS” contains triumphant drums reminiscent of Brazilian funk, while “DELRESTO (ECHOES),” “LOOOVE,” and “K-POP” are danceable tracks influenced by house music, dancehall, and Afrobeats. 

The production on the album also features synth passages (courtesy of Mike Dean), beat switches, and melodic intricacies that elevate the tracks and allow them to evolve as they progress. Key examples are the beat switch-up on “THANK GOD” and the glimmering synths after the hook on “FE!N.” 

Kanye West’s influence is another instrumental force behind the album’s sound. Scott’s flows on “MODERN JAM” are reminiscent of Yeezus cuts “On Sight” and “I Am a God,” whereas the instrumental and delivery on “CIRCUS MAXIMUS” are similar to “Black Skinhead.” Meanwhile, “THANK GOD,” “GOD’S COUNTRY,” and “TELEKINESIS” are finished versions of demos recorded during the 2020-21 sessions for Ye’s Donda album. 

UTOPIA also features noteworthy tracks characterized by an ambient and mellow sound like “TELEKINESIS” and “MY EYES.”. The latter is a standout that begins with a slow, lullaby-like tune before accelerating into a starry trap beat so ethereal it could be the Rainbow Road theme. The track also showcases Scott’s ability to give captivating performances, as he croons softly in the first half and raps with a nonstop, speedy delivery for over a minute once the beat switches. 

For most of his rapping on the album, Scott finds pockets within the instrumentals that complement the beats and sticks to them, resulting in verses and hooks that are engaging and easy to follow. “I KNOW ?” and “TOPIA TWINS” are a back-to-back offering of catchy, earworm choruses—some of the record’s best.

Much like its predecessors, UTOPIA has a hefty list of features. Standouts include Playboi Carti debuting a new deep voice on “FE!N,” Teezo Touchdown’s bold and eccentric belting on “MODERN JAM,” and SZA’s angelic entrance onto the already heavenly “TELEKINESIS.” 

Travis Scott has brought on everyone from A-listers to newcomers and underground legends, including the likes of Drake, Beyoncé, The Weeknd, 21 Savage, Bad Bunny, Future, Westside Gunn, Rob49, Yung Lean, and more into one lineup. With all the features hidden before release, the first listen comes as a pleasant surprise. 

With UTOPIA, Travis Scott defies the expectations of what this ideal reality can be, delivering an album filled with dark, varied production, stylistic switch-ups, and high-profile surprise guests hiding around every corner. It is fitting that the outro “TILL FURTHER NOTICE” is a perfect marriage of these elements: verses from Travis Scott and 21 Savage, a dark Metro Boomin beat, and a haunting James Blake feature creating a beautifully eerie, atmospheric, and star-studded track.

Trial Track: “MY EYES”

Score: 8/10

Categories
Festival Review Music

My first experience at a Music Festival in Europe

TABÉA BENLAKEHAL/The Concordian

After booking my escapade in Europe this summer to mainly visit family, I stumbled upon the lineup for the twentieth edition of Primavera Sound (PS) taking place in Barcelona, Spain. The music festival’s main weekend took place from June 1 until June 3 which perfectly fit at the start of my trip. 

I try to attend at least one big music event each year, especially during the summertime, hence I felt no hesitation before booking the three-day-long festival, being fully aware that I’d be going solo to an event starting only two days after landing in a country I had never stepped foot in. 

One of the decisive factors for me was the lineup. It included artists I had been listening to for years, and even the artists had become very fond of quite recently. The festival started at 4 p.m. and the last sets finished at 6 a.m., following the same schedule every day.  Being relatively sleep deprived is one thing, but standing up for the majority of those 14 hours while constantly hearing music through humongous speakers is another— and it’s not for the faint of heart. 

My most memorable performance was by NxWorries, the duo made out of record producer Knxwledge and recording artist Anderson .Paak.  I was near the barricades and got the chance to get on the stage during one of my favourite songs off their 2016 album Yes Lawd! titled “Link Up.” 

It was pretty surreal but for some reason I wasn’t nervous at all. I had an absolute blast dancing with everyone and singing whilst interacting with the crowd. The most unexpected interaction happened when I was in the food court at 3 a.m. on the third day, and a stranger came up to me because she had recognized me from the show. She then airdropped me footage from the performance… the world is too small sometimes. 

Definitive highlights from other performances I attended started with the musical duo Jockstrap’s energetic and experimental set. Georgia Ellery pulling out a violin to play on top of the track “Concrete Over Water” was too awesome of a sight before Taylor Skye pulled out a water blaster to the crowd. Moments after, a remix of the theme song from the show Succession played. Despite the song having nothing to do with the band, the crowd got ecstatic due to its extreme popularity. 

Kendrick Lamar — also a headliner at Osheaga — had everyone shouting his name and lyrics even before the large-scaled canvas unveiled behind him. This impressive painted backdrop accompanied Lamar throughout the coverage of his music catalogue from Section.80 up until Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. His cousin Baby Keem also hopped on stage to perform their infamous “Family Ties” and other tracks, making the energy even hotter than the actual fire rising up by the stage.

Singer and rapper Channel Tres’ performance was overflowing with grooviness, made even better with witty and calculated dance moves. Listening to his song “6am” almost at 6 a.m. was so much fun to say the least, and he couldn’t believe people were still out and about for his set at that time. JPEGMAFIA, an American artist that’s collaborated with Tres, made a similar comment about how ridiculous and awesome it was to play at 4 a.m. the next day. 

It isn’t surprising that American artists aren’t used to PS’s different schedule. Osheaga, for instance, ended around 10:30 p.m. — just about the time some folks at PS Barcelona would start showing up. The earlier curfew of cities in North America completely shifts the magnitude that a music festival could ever become, counting less artists to begin with. 

Seeing Rosalía perform her album Motomami in her hometown was also very special. She rallied a wide variety of fans (the Spanish ones being more than passionate and not letting anyone squeeze their way in any closer).

Talking about the audience, it seemed like the entirety of Europe came to Barcelona for this weekend. Locals as well as Canadians and Americans were in attendance so I heard an extensive range of languages when passing by foreigners. 

The Concordian’s Assistant Music Editor and fellow student, Stefano Rebuli, attended this year’s sixteenth edition of Osheaga and recalls there being a lot of traffic from stage to stage. Getting around between the two main stages was tricky due to clashing crowds entering and exiting between two consecutive performances. 

“It left everyone packed and nearly caused a crowd crush between Kim Petras and Kendrick Lamar’s sets on Sunday. Everyone tried to get forward, but nobody was allowed in for a good 30+ minutes,” Rebuli said. As for PS, the crowds seemed to always be mobile which made getting in and exiting smooth. Getting home after the shows is another story— whether it be Montréal or Barcelona, the metro is a hot spot for waiting and waiting behind a stagnant crowd.

The security at Osheaga could have been “much more rigorous” according to Rebuli. His friend had a glasses case which was left unchecked, which means he probably could’ve snuck anything inside. PS’s security also let me in quite easily, with a filled water bottle in my pocket which they didn’t check. 

Moving on to some numbers, PS in Barcelona held 16 stages whereas Osheaga counts 5 across its site. Both are near the water, but PS is impressive with its clear views of the sea. In terms of prices, however, it’s expected that the food or beverages aren’t affordable at any festival.

I brought some granola bars to keep my food purchases low but on my second night I had to have actual food so I ended up spending about $15 for a burger. Osheaga charged $13.75 for a poutine, tax included (taxes not being something to consider in Spain was pleasant at least). For beer however, I spent about $7 for a regular sized cup at PS, whereas Osheaga charged around $10.  

From an artist cancelling their set last minute to discovering a new favourite song at a random show you decided to check out, music festivals are a chance to fully immerse yourself with passionate people all day— or all night. Whether in my own city or overseas, music in a festival setting has proved itself to be a driving force for a boisterous time.

Categories
Interview Music

DJ PØPTRT is taking over

Courtesy photo by Casey Flanigan

Meet the Concordia student playing Quebec’s biggest festivals.

Hailing from Kahnawà:ke, DJ PØPTRT (real name Kiana Cross) is an Indigenous DJ and second-year communications studies student. She is coming off a loaded summer which included performances at Montreal’s Club Unity and some of Quebec’s biggest festivals such as the Festival d’été du Québec, the International Balloon Festival, and Piknic Électronik. 

One of the festivals that the DJ performed in was Festival d’été du Québec (FEQ), and she looks back at the experience with nothing but admiration. She also played at the International Balloon Festival and PIknic Électronik, the latter being the biggest crowd she has ever gathered. “I was so focused on transitions and playing music that when I finally looked up to see thousands of people it was surreal,” she recalled.

DJ PØPTRT describes her style as “nostalgic sounds from the classic ‘90s rave scene in a more contemporary vibe.” She incorporates aspects of her Indigenous culture into her music and hopes to “see the world, to tour,; to connect with people and share an insight on who I [Cross] am and my culture.”

The rising artist also got candid about the sacrifices involved in balancing a DJ career with being a full-time student: “It was hard. I remember having a job during the day, a class in the afternoon, and I would DJ until 3 a.m. […]I’m trying to add the human aspect of being kind to myself and healthy, combining both so I can have longevity with this lifestyle.”

A Mohawk artist, Cross shared her feelings about receiving support from Quebec festivals and organizations, given Canada’s negative history with its Indigenous populations.

 “It’s interesting to be in this time, especially as a female Indigenous artist. When people reach out, it’s hard to decipher if they’re simply trying to appease by making it seem like they’re supporting an Indigenous person,” she said.  While she is grateful for the environment she’s in, DJ PØPTRT finds that “there is a lot of work to be done,” and aims to address Indigenous issues and decolonize the music scene.

As an artist who manages all aspects of her career by herself, including graphic designing and business management, Cross has also played gigs in Ottawa and New Brunswick. She now plans to make a breakthrough in Europe following her increasing popularity in Canada. “I’m already making connections and seeing where I want to go,” she told The Concordian.

Be sure to catch DJ PØPTRT’s upcoming show at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa this September, which she describes as having “original music and visuals— a sample of what’s next.”

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Music

Best-loved summer songs from our staff

Carleen Loney/The Concordian @shloneys

Check out The Concordian’s music picks from this summertime! 

Summertime is notorious for celebration across the board and for a lot of us, it is an opportunity to travel outside of our year-long cocoon of a city. It involves new soundscapes to accompany us through places we’re heading to and in the midst of discovering them, it reminds us of people we’ve carved new relationships with or even briefly encountered. Music is a natural attachment through and through, acting like a time capsule to specific feelings and slices of life. Whether you spent your entire day at the beach in some European town, stayed in your neighbourhood to run important errands, or hung out at a park in Montreal with your friends, I’m sure we all had music in some proximity this season. Here is a list from some of our staff members sharing a piece of how music came into their summer window and what it means to them— and potentially you.

Dalia Nardolillo – Editor-in-Chief“Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa (2023)
This is going to sound super corny but this song was the highlight of my summer. I worked at Lush this past summer and we recently released the Barbie collection. My coworker Michel blasted this song throughout the store and we would just have a party in the middle of the day. It was the best time I’ve ever spent at a summer job.
Lucas Marsh – Managing Editor“I’m Just Ken: from the Barbie Soundtrack” by Ryan Gosling (2023)
Sticking with the Barbie Theme, if there is one song that I will associate this summer with it’s gotta be “I’m just Ken.” I got to see the premier of the Barbie movie while I was in Athens. When we got to the part in the movie when this song started to play, a group of elderly Greek men sitting around me started to sway and dance in their seats, overcome by the song. 
Mackenzie Sanche – Copy Editor“New Perspective” by Noah Kahan (2023)
This was my go-to song this summer for long windows-down drives on a beautiful sunny day. I love the feeling of freedom it gives me to process nostalgia, how fast time goes and how things change, while also accepting that it’s a good thing.
Carleen Loney – Graphics Editor“Self Care” by Mïrändä (2021)
An absolute bop! Poppy, vibrant, and sweet, this song is all about slowing down the pace of your life. For me, my summer was a weird blend of high-stress-constantly-busy-workaholic-central so I needed a reminder to take a breath and just lay in the sun. Never feel bad about taking care of yourself!!
Casey Kiss – Opinions Editor“Timeless (Taylor’s version) (From the vault)” by Taylor Swift (2023)
As a big Taylor Swift fan, I kept up with her tour, album announcements and releases this summer. This was also the first album release my boyfriend got to experience with me and listening to this one got me a little teary-eyed. Itinstantly became a new favourite.
Emma Megelas – Co-News Editor“Summer of ‘69” by Bryan Adams (1984)
I traveled to Ogunquit, Maine this summer as I’ve done every year since I was young. My mom went there for the first time when she was my age and every time we’d hear this song on the radio, it reminded her of summers in Ogunquit. She dragged me down the rabbit hole of 80s songs and I got hooked on this one from the start. Now every time I think about Ogunquit, I play this song.
Stefano Rebuli – Assistant Music Editor “Sprinter” by Dave & Central Cee (2023)
From the moment this song dropped on June 1, I loved it and had it on loop for hours. I left for the UK a month later and the song was in constant rotation throughout my trip (both rappers are British). It not only played during the day at Wireless Festival, but I also got to see Central Cee perform it at Osheaga, which further cemented it as my song of the summer.
Tabéa Benlakehal – Music Editor “Sasaci Pererê” by Jorge Ben (1986)
One of my core moments was spending time with my Brazilian friend in Portugal and notably exchanging with the big Brazilian community there. I am very fond of Brazilian funk (also called funk carioca from its emergence within the favelas in Rio) and MPB so I overplayed the genre a lot— especially this song shared to me by um brasileiro at a hostel. 
Categories
Music Quickspins

 QUICKSPINS: Plastic Eternity – Mudhoney

 One of Seattle’s greats proves they’ve still got it.

Mudhoney, one of Seattle’s last alternative strongholds from the late ’80s/’90s, just released a concept album entitled Plastic Eternity on what they most like to talk about in their album: issues like pollution and fascist ideologies, and the political commentary that comes with it.

Plastic Eternity marks their 15th studio LP, which is no mean feat, especially for bands from that era. Clearly, vocalist Mark Arm still has serious topics to tackle in their songs. He starts off the album by yelling “Everyone tells me it’s nice to have me back,” which is completely true for those who love the ’90s. 

Staying true to the name, the album starts off with “Souvenir of My Trip,” which sounds like quite the trip. If you got Curtis Mayfield bongo funk and Dry Cell nu metal together in a studio, that’s what the instrumental sounds like on the second track. Then add Mark Arm’s psychonaut, spacey vocals and you have “Almost Everything” it takes to make a psychedelic song that even Hunter S. Thompson would appreciate. In fact, I think he would play this entire album on repeat. 

The instrumental in “Cascades of Crap” puts you in the middle of a desert. A Mad Max-esque desert, to be precise. The lyrics, however, depict the social satire that Gen Z wants. They are their own political commentators in this concept album. 

One of my favorite songs from this album was “Plasticity.” I mainly enjoyed the intro with the vocoder, that was followed by guitars and synths galore. The whole song consists of the singer naming plastic objects, not unlike Kanye in “All of the Lights.” Another song that I appreciated a lot was “Flush the Fascists,” because it’s another song whose title and lyrics feed into the political commentary that Arm sets as a solid precedent. The song depicts the band’s desire to rid society of fascists, or rather “flush ‘em down.” This is very much solidified when Arm describes them as “teeth that are rotten to the core,” needing to be pulled out.   

The song “Severed Dreams in the Sleeper Cell,” especially the chorus, sounds like a satirical answer to Rage Against The Machine’s “Wake Up,” which was coincidently used in the movie “The Matrix.” Where Zack de la Rocha (RATM vocalist) belts “WAKE UP,” Arm sings “We don’t wanna wake up now,” attempting to convey the message that people don’t want to get out of their day-to-day rat race.

Also, move over Justin Timberlake, Mudhoney is here. Where “Cry Me a River” is a tale depicting Timberlake’s unsuccessful relationship with Britney Spears, the Mudhoney track “Cry Me An Atmospheric River” boasts a manic Arm taking the persona of the weather on Earth who cares not “what happens to humans.” 

While the album isn’t bad, I feel like there is a quantity-over-quality issue here. Songs like “Human Stock Capital” and “Tom Herman’s Hermits” could’ve been killed off the tracklist and put in a vault for B-side releases. 

The other songs, such as “Flush the Fascists” and “Move Under,” give a hint of what the band feels towards our society. Yes, it is true that you can’t go into too much detail when singing about a pressing topic. However, the runtime of Mudhoney’s songs on this record are shorter in comparison to other alternative bands, and even compared to their own older hits like “Touch Me I’m Sick” and “Suck You Dry.” Overall, listen to your discretion if you want to hear old ’90s Seattle drug-infested-port-city mavericks rage against our society.   

Trial Track: “Almost Everything”

Score: 6.5/10

Categories
Concert Reviews Music

Festival Review: FungeonFest 2023

Graphic by James Fay @jamesfaydraws

 “A safe space and the place to be.”

On March 18 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., the underground (literally!) hidden gem in Mile End, The Fungeon held its first-ever festival, appropriately named Fungeon Fest. The DIY festival delivered 12 hours of indie/indie-rock performances from various bands, like Toronto’s John’s Cottage and Montreal’s Hole in Heaven, among many others.

Leading down to the fabled stage in the basement stood a room next door, decorated ceiling-to-tile with the various bands’ merch booths on one side and on the other, handmade art from talented independent sellers such as Muskoka’s lovable mother-and-son duo The Hippie Pocket, or Montreal’s Low Life High Road, and others. 

Due to the occasion, the customary basement-reserved venue was flowing through the entire apartment. It started with the regular lively gaggle of strangers and friends alike, smoking, talking, and laughing outside the back door, moving to the ticket setup in the kitchen and the temporarily empty living room, bathed in soft pink lighting along with host Morleigh Mo Ida Smith’s spellbinding visual art. The magic then moved into the previously mentioned art and band merch seller’s room, and then finally to the illusive star of the show, the basement. 

With a handwritten setlist crowning the entrance, the underground venue glowed. Multi Coloured Christmas lights on one pillar, twinkling fairy lights on the other, bright blue light projections in the corner, dining chairs neatly lining the back wall, and even more decorative art pieces graced the concrete walls of the unfinished room. As the night went on, more and more festival-goers passed through this local haven. The crowd consisted of city locals, non-locals, artists and art enthusiasts of all ages, genders, sub-cultures and walks of life. Everyone stood present under the basement’s tapestry-adorned ceiling. They were watching, listening, and occasionally headbanging to the earnest music of the artists in front of them. By 10:30 p.m., the night was coming to a close, and one last performance remained: The Fungeon’s very own host and owner Joe Cassis. 

Cassis moved to Montreal from his hometown of London, Ontario six years ago. He moved into The Fungeon’s address a few years later with his ex-fiancé and her two children. The Fungeon had come to life through the now-separated couple’s desire to remain in the local music scene while still staying at home with the children. Eventually, The Fungeon as we know it formally opened its basement doors for the first time on June 18, 2022, and has been making a melodious name for itself ever since.  Cassis describes the venue as a “safe space for people to f—ing play” and a beacon for others to make their own statements.  

Before beginning his set, Cassis gave a very humble thank you to the crowd that had gathered in his warm and welcoming basement. He then gave a deeply captivating performance of unplugged, raw, self-written songs, with the exception of “Everybody’s Talkin’” by Harry Nilsson which was performed in honour of his late father.

When detailing the Fungeon Fest, Cassis recounted crying in the arms of John’s Cottage lead singer Max, as they performed one of their more emotional songs. “That’s the thing about these bands being so genuine to themselves is that they have the potential to save people’s lives and the lives they’ll save the most is the kids,” he explained. “That’s what these bands are perpetuating. That it’s a safe space and the place to be.”

Graphic by James Fay @jamesfaydraws

Categories
Interview Music

Enter: Sons of Rice

Ram Sleibi is one-half of the duo Sons of Rice, with Bob Mood.

Sons of Rice sit down to talk about their latest album Guts To Skin

The music scene, especially Montreal’s music scene, needs more iconic and theatrical groups. What does this mean? Think about it: in the past decade, besides Arcade Fire, Half Moon Run, and (maybe?) The Damn Truth, we haven’t had anything of their caliber rise from this diverse and multicultural city.  

Sons of Rice is a duo that is trying to stake its ground in Montreal’s music scene. Enter Ram Sleibi and Bob Mood. Sleimi, who grew up with parents who are actors, stated, “I’ve always been passionate about filmmaking as a source of expression, but my priorities changed when I met a guitar player [Mood] who became my best friend. They met in high school at sec. three [grade nine], in the music room on the first day of term.   

In July of last year, they released their debut album Guts To Skin. Topping off at a short 26 and a half minutes, it seems a bit small for an LP, but don’t let it fool you, for quality is more prevalent here than quantity. According to Sleibi, the umbrella theme for the album is “Identity.” “Under the identity umbrella falls many themes: expression, diaspora, community, death, nationalism, and culture,” he said.    

Their writing process is “all over the place,” said Sleibi. When they first came together as Sons of Rice, they would tumble over lyrics, melodies, and chords while in the same room. Their process has changed drastically now, where Sleibi is in the producer chair. 

“Lyrics are equally written by Mood and I depending on the songs, and the melodies are also a collective effort,” he said. In terms of guitar, Mood is the man for that and Sleibi does the rest (bass, piano, synths, drums). This is due to them getting separated due to immigration issues on Mood’s side. 

Sleibi grew up in Damascus, Syria, while Mood was raised in Saidon, Lebanon. Consequently, the duo brings a touch of their Middle Eastern upbringing into their music.  

“We both have a natural sense to how we implement our Levantine Arab culture into our current music.” said Sleibi. 

When asked about their easiest song to write, Sleibi immediately replied, “Our ego trip ‘Suns of Rise.’” The reason for it was that the core of the track is a loop of a song from Asmahan, a famous Syrian singer. Contrasting with that, their hardest songs to write were “Come Happy Time,” “The Flame,” and “Chase Me Back.”

Unlike many artists, when asked about their influences, Sons of Rice don’t let other musicians/groups get in the way of their songwriting. “I’m mostly influenced by films, stories and people I know in real life,” said Sleibi. However, they do love ’90s/2000s rap and hip hop, Levantine Arab music and rock groups like Twenty One Pilots, Pearl Jam, and Jack White. 

The title of the album Guts To Skin is a lyric in their song “Suns of Rise.” The full line is “Guts to skin is not enough,” which tells the audience that they, as a duo, are not done with just one album. 

“It is not going to be enough for us to express what we feel, and we are also aware that it won’t be enough for the listener to fully trust us into becoming his or her new favourite band.”  

This album is what Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers was to Kendrick Lamar: therapeutic. “We’re human,” said Sleibi: “We think and we must express to share how what we think makes us feel to achieve a sense of relation between people that in return could achieve a state of peace.” 

As a final note, the future for Sons of Rice is working on a second album, but their main objective now is to “offer a term [Sons of Rice] that can give people who use [it] a sense of belonging to one another, a term of unity.” 

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Concert Reviews Music

HEAD: Concert Review: Sophia Radisch, The Space Wizards, and Steve Creep at Petit Campus

Triple threat bill hits Petit Campus

Last Friday, Petit Campus showcased three bands with different energies. If you got to the show in between acts it wouldn’t look like it, but once the bands got on the floor it was packed!

Steve Creep and The Wildcards opened the show, and they were tight. It was their first concert ever, let alone playing for the first time at Petit Campus! They had the energy of a band that was able to show their confidence onstage and prove that they were ready for this show. 

The Space Wizards came on next. They are a Montreal-native trio that mainly dabble in heavy blues and rock. It was their first show in ages, and they performed spectacularly. 

The trio has a sound that incorporates a dark, octave tone with drums that produce crash-heavy waves, filling the venue up. I remember watching them perform “Fill My Cup” pre-COVID and they were all the more tight, which is saying something. After the song, frontman Will said “My wah pedal was extra wah today, and that’s okay.”

In my opinion, the most memorable songs were “Mind In Tatters,” “Tonight,” and “On The Loose,” which sounded like a fight just broke out between the Greasers and the Socs and I loved it. The intro for “Tonight” came straight out of a porno, and the chorus’ line “let’s get down tonight” pushed that thought into my head each time they would sing it.

The last band that stormed the stage was Sophia Radisch, who walked onstage to shouts and screams from the crowd. She performed with tight and explosive session musicians: Zack Sarkissian on guitar, Sandro Ferraro on bass, and Justin Piedimonte on drums.

Radisch’s vocals are like the love child of Melissa Etheridge and Sinéad O’Connor. She employed that raspy voice of hers over the heavy chugs of Sarkissian’s guitar and the gritty Stingray bass of Ferraro. Piedimonte supplied the group with metal-influenced drumming that was off the board. 

The sixth and most memorable song on their setlist was “Ignite,” which featured a guitar change from Sarkissian. When they started to play, it “ignited” my memory, taking me back to when I was listening to songs from the band Our Lady Peace and The Smashing Pumpkins. It was eerily reminiscent of their song “Soma,” because they’re both littered with similar suspended chords, notably the verses. Guitarist Sarkissian laid in the licks and solos as a call and response to Radisch’s lyrics.

Overall, these bands added their own type of fuel to fire up the crowd. Quite frankly, you should have been there to see it. 

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Concert Reviews Music

HEAD: Concert Review: Static-X with Dope, Mushroomhead, Fear Factory and Cultus Black at MTELUS

Static-X performing at MTELUS

 Nu metal is so back. 

Static-X are back on the road again, celebrating the 20th anniversary of their album Machine. The California group, formed in 1994, is accompanied by a stacked lineup composed of Dope, Mushroomhead, Fear Factory and Cultus Black. It’s just a big old happy nu metal family reunion! 

On the night of March 23, MTELUS was packed with nu-metallers, a sea of Korn hoodies and Static-X t-shirts pouring out the doors and onto the street. It’s been a while since a show like this happened, a show akin to the notorious Family Values Tours of the ’90s. I wasn’t surprised at the turnout, especially considering the show had to switch venues because of popular demand and capacity. Oh man, there are a lot of nu-metallers in Montreal. For once I’m not the only one!

Cultus Black opened the night, proclaiming to be “new around here.” For a new act, their set was really impressive, and I wished I’d been in the crowd to conjure up some more hype for them. Sometimes a crowd just won’t move during an opening band’s set and it absolutely sucks to watch. The band, however, did not disappoint. Their cover of “Negative Creep” by Nirvana was such a pleasant surprise. 

Dope, boasting their new album Blood Money Part Zer0, jumped right into their set without wasting much time. I was just as excited to see them as I was for Static-X, thrilled to finally get to hear the song “Die MF Die” live. I think their set was my favourite besides the headliner. 

Now, I’d never really gotten into Mushroomhead despite their steez in nu-metal circles, but they were great to see live. No need to rehash old Slipknot vs. Mushroomhead fan wars. Their stage presence is incredible, I really wish MTELUS’ stage was big enough for a band of that size and magnitude. They had quite the handful of set decorations and it just looked so cramped together. 

Fear Factory marked their return to the stage on this tour since their vocalist change in 2020. I was pretty pumped to see them back in action, and even more pumped to see them play “Zero Signal” off the Mortal Kombat soundtrack. 

Finally, Static-X dominated the stage with classics like “Push It”, “Cannibal”, “Wisconsin Death Trip”, and my personal favourite, “I’m With Stupid”. Towards the end of their set, they took a minute to dedicate “Cold” to Wayne Static, the original Static-X frontman who passed away in 2014. 

Overall the show was a blast, and I think the crowd was probably the only downside for the most part (not really the moving and shaking type, eh?). Yet another piece of nu-metal history in the making, this show couldn’t have come at a better time because… face it, nu-metal is so back.

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