Automatic playing at Les Foufounes Électriques ESTHER MORAND/The Concordian
Automatic: fighting capitalism through looped synths
Automatic performed on Oct. 19 at Les Foufounes Éléctriques, and the show was everything their devout fans were expecting. The trio is composed of Izzy Glaudini, lead vocalist and synth player, Halle Saxon for bass and vocals, and Lola Dompé for drums and vocals.
“We started in Los Angeles, and we’re all big music fans, we weren’t really close friends, but we all thought we were cool. The best way to start a band is to meet cool people, so that’s what we did,” Glaudini told The Concordian.
Automatic’s genre skims between retro and techno-pop, sometimes touching upon apocalyptic futuristic sounds thanks to the lead’s synth. Their lyrics and music videos satirize our current society, with the irony of standing by while capitalism breaks everything as the climate crisis ravages on.
Post-punk Montreal band La Sécurité opened for them. La Sécurité offered a similar genre in sound and in style. Both bands had taken care to form a retro aesthetic with neat sunglasses, pastel-coloured clothes, and a general irreproachable sense of icon.
Automatic seemed very focused with their instruments, looking up rarely, moving their bodies only slowly when it resonated naturally with the rhythm, not forcibly. They seemed almost aloof to the crowd in front of them, focused entirely on the music they were playing.
Automatic sequentially had an even pace all throughout their performance. They wanted the audience to perceive the style they had meticulously chosen. They captured the room’s attention with their futuristic keyboard, vocals, and synth sounds. The bass carried most of the songs.
“We have a minimal style. We’ve never had any guitars, we wanted to make it sound different to a lot of the bands that are going around.” Glaudini noted the importance of having the audience’s attention lead to the sound of the bassist.
When the show was done, the crowd echoed in applause. Instead of retreating backstage, the trio decided to instead join the crowd amongst their friends. This was both funny and humbling. On stage, musicians are often retracted from their humanity, seen as idol-like figures. Their stepping down from the stage at the end of the show almost shyly universalized us as all human and capable of commonality.
La Sécurité and Automatic’s music is available on BandCamp.
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.
Everyone sat up in anticipation as the opening group CHAI walked on stage of the Corona Theatre on Feb. 13. Four Japanese musicians with elaborate pigtails and matching pink outfits marched out to cheers from the audience as electronic music blared. CHAI burst into their set with high energy and choreographed dance moves. Their incredibly endearing stage banter and antics quickly won over the crowd. Lead singer Mana endeared herself even further by engaging the crowd in a monologue about body complexes and learning to accept yourself.
CHAI
After a short while, Chicago-based folk supergroup Whitney took to the stage as their intricate lighting set-up gleamed and “I Couldn’t Say It To Your Face” by disco-cellist Arthur Russell played. They assumed their positions and began their strong set with “Polly” from their first LP, Light Upon the Lake. Led by ex-members of the Smith Westerns and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Whitney’s soul-tinged folk-rock is the listening equivalent to a walk through a park on a sunny day. Their first album propelled them to the top of festival headlines and their second and most recent record, Forever Turned Around, solidified them as a top-tier indie act.
Though the songs are written by singer/drummer Julien Ehrlich and guitarist Max Kakacek, the live set consists of seven members, some swapping instruments to suit the needs of the song. Forever Turned Around is a slightly more melancholic album compared to their first, and that is not a criticism. Their songs contain the same signature gorgeous melodies and arrangements that have earned Whitney comparisons to Bon Iver and The Band. With fewer upbeat tracks, their sophomore effort exhibits growth and maturity in their songwriting and arrangements.
This growth is apparent in their new live set. Moving up from small, packed venues to large, packed theaters, Whitney has surpassed their status as indie darlings to bonafide indie rock stars. Ehrlich’s arms flew around the drum kit as he sang sweet and sorrowful lyrics—the audience sang along while Kakacek’s George Harrison-esque guitar licks added to the beautiful swell of the band’s sound.
Julien Ehrlich on drums.
Towards the end of the set, Ehrlich came clean and stated that “it’s 2020, we need be more upfront with each other” as he informed the audience of the brief break the band would take instead of the classic game of disappearing off stage only to reappear to the stomping and clapping of the audience. Whitney’s set was heavy on songs from their first album, but the audience’s favourite was “Giving Up” from the band’s most recent one.
Before their last song, a cover of Dolly Parton’s “Gonna Hurry (As Slow As I Can)”, Ehrlich placed his hand over his heart and thanked the audience for a particularly emotional evening. The audience returned the sentiment with a standing ovation, ensuring that Whitney felt the love.
Brockhampton standing in formation in front of overzealous fans of all ages. Photo by Immanuel Matthews
Brockhampton call themselves the best boy band since One Direction—and they very well might be
The L.A.-based alternative hip hop collective Brockhampton performed for a sold-out crowd at the Corona Theatre on Feb. 6. Montreal was the 15th stop on the group’s Love Your Parents Tour, following the release of their third studio album, Saturation 3, in December 2017.
As the crowd filled the dimly lit venue, fans sporting orange jumpsuits and blue face paint—a look made famous by the group—hurried to find spots closest to the stage.
Brockhampton is an independent collective of 20-somethings who met on an Internet forum. The 14 musicians and visual artists, who hail everywhere from Texas to Ireland, performed a wild show. With eight Brockhampton members on stage at all times, a lack of energy or stage presence were the last things on anyone’s mind.
Performing hit tracks from their last three studio albums, like “Gold,” “Gummy” and “Zipper,” fans had a variety of old and new songs to listen for and jam to. The self-proclaimed boy band had the crowd jumping for the entirety of their 90-minute set, with rap-R&B-jazz influenced, genre-swirling music.
Towards the end of their performance, after wrapping up a song, Brockhampton took a moment to address the crowd.
“Everyone with orange jumpsuits or blue faces, come on stage,” invited the group’s de facto leader, Kevin Abstract.
Less than five minutes later, more than 15 fans had been pulled up on stage by security and filled the space behind the group. As the last call was made for costumed concertgoers, Brockhampton began a bass-rumbling performance of “Star” from their second album, Saturation 2.
The “internet’s first boy band,” as the group refers to itself, has continued to build a sizable buzz in the last year, and there is no doubt among music critics and fans alike that Brockhampton will soon to be a household name.
Washington MC’s laid-back attitude counterbalanced his fast-paced flow
For those who do not know him, Goldlink, also known as D’anthony Carlos, is a rapper out of DMV, a district located in Washington, D.C. He made waves with his debut mixtape God Complex and has since been one of the freshest voices in music right now. Ecstatic, funky and charismatic, Goldlink is part of futuristic bounce, a genre that intertwines soul fusion, R&B and hip hop viscerally through the infectious energy of its fans.
April + Vista playing songs from their EP Note to self. Photo by Kirubel Mehari
The show started off with a performance by music duo, April and Vista, who delivered a soulful performance that resonated through the crowd. Defined as pioneers of the stresswave genre, they brought a sound that is both soothing and raw. April’s voice has a powerful and invigorating tone, and used this to her advantage. Before performing her last song, she asked the crowd an important question that sounded more like an affirmation:
“Do y’all know that you can do anything the fuck y’all want? If you put your mind to it, you can do anything,” she said.
April’s passionate persona shined through her performance that night, alongside Vista on the keyboards. Songs such as “Beasts” and “Daggers” were perfect for setting a chill and vibrant vibe for the night ahead.
Masego swaying the crowd with his smooth jazz house trap style. Photo by Kirubel Mehari
Masego made an appearance with his trusted saxophone named Sacha. Known for his unique blend of styles such as jazz, house and trap music, he performed his new singles, “Tadow” and “Navajo.” The crowd was pleased beyond measure, as he played songs from his own tracklist as well as classics such as “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson. During his “Billie Jean” performance, as an hommage, Masego showed up with a similar red leather jacket from the late pop star. Spontaneous and versatile, Masego then created his own freestyle with a MIDI controller at the request of the crowd. The freestyle track garnered a positive reaction from the audience, as they sang along to Masego’s passionate refrain. Enthusiasm filled the room throughout his performance, leaving the crowd ready to welcome GoldLink.
GoldLink performing his hit track, “Crew” to his fans. Photo by Kirubel Mehari
The crowd’s energy peaked at it’s highest level as GoldLink took center stage. His laid-back and cool attitude provided a nice counterbalance to his rhythmic and fast-paced flow. The hip hop artist opened up his act with his track, “Some Girl,” which caught the undivided attention of all the ladies at the show. Fast-forwarding to GoldLink’s “Kakamoe Freestyle,” his performance made it obvious why the 24 year-old artist is becoming an imminent figure within the culture of hip hop. He had the audience in the palm of his hands, as they chanted his lyrics word by word. Afterwards, much to the crowd’s pleasure, Masego returned to the stage with GoldLink to perform a duet called “Late Night.”
Towards the end of the show, the experience became a thrilling one, with everyone in the room shouting for an encore and constantly making noise to show their love and support to the young rapper. GoldLink returned the appreciation by thanking his fans once again and performing his hit song, “Crew,” twice in a row.
Adele had Montrealers captivated by her beautiful voice and speeches during her two sold-out shows
Adele emerged from the floor of the secondary stage at the Bell Centre on Friday night, to say hello to Montreal for her first night of two sold-out shows.
Before appearing, her voice teased the audience with a breathless, “hello, it’s me,” and she dove into the first single from her album, 25. Following the fitting salutation from the song “Hello,” images of Montreal’s skyline glided behind Adele as she changed the words of “Hometown Glory” to, “your hometown”.
For the rest of the show, in between live renditions of her power-house songs, the singer-songwriter brought the audience back down to earth with humble monologues. She teased that she loves to talk, and the two hours of the show would comprise of telling stories about her songs and singing about her ex-boyfriends.
Adele managed to keep a Bell Centre show intimate, as if she were still playing at one of her previously small venue shows in Montreal, by interacting with fans. She stopped to sing “Happy Birthday” to one, invited a group of moms on stage to meet her and stopped to take selfies with fans. She graced the audience not only with her voice but with her bewitching laugh, hilarious honesty and true appreciation for her fans.
With no costume changes or fancy theatrics, Adele added to the intimacy by playing an acoustic set midway through the show. The set began with two musicians from her 20-piece band for, “A Million Years Ago.” As the set went on, more musicians were brought out for “Don’t You Remember” and her version of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love.”
The set list wrapped up with “Someone Like You,” as a turning point for intensity of the show and as Adele explained, a turning point in her career. When the last ballad was sung, Adele retreated back into the floor where she emerged and the Bell Centre roared until she reappeared shimmering in her gown at the front stage for an encore.
Her two-song encore ended with the smash hit from her album 21, “Rolling in the Deep,” closing the show with an explosion of crisp white confetti.
On what Adele said she thought was day 87 or 89 of her 109-day tour, she admitted to being somewhat unorthodox in the height of her career. She promised that she would disappear again after this tour to live a normal life with her son. But, she assured the audience that it was the only way for her to get inspired to write more music.
You ought to have been at Ought’s POP Montreal performance by Jessica Romera
POP Montreal International Music Festival kicked off this past Wednesday for its 13th edition. Bringing in big names like Against Me!, Sheryl Crow, and Ronnie Spector, the festival also boasted an impressive array of lesser known acts and local talent. For the Sept.18 Thursday night slot, some friends and I decided to check out Montreal based garage-rock quartet, Ought, playing at the iconic Rialto Theatre. Heading down to the Piccolo showroom in the theatre’s basement, you got the sense that the space was unfinished, likely because the theatre has been undergoing renovations for the last little while. Old movie posters adorned the bar area while the main room was sparsely decorated with nothing but a few tables bordering most of the walls. The stage was a slightly elevated platform against a brick wall, giving the room a grungy, yet endearing quality, much like the night’s headlining act themselves.
Press photo courtesy of POP Montreal.
At 9:30 p.m., American noise-rock veteran, Carla Bozulich, took the stage and played nearly one hour of what can only be described as something beyond the realms of experimental and alternative rock. She began her set with several minutes of guitar reverb and feedback scratching through the speakers, while the percussionist and synth board player added their own particular noise elements. With some technical glitches, Bozulich chastised her guitar, yelling “FUCKER,” adding that she was trying out a new technique, and promised it would sound really good once she got it to work properly. Meanwhile, the keyboardist took advantage of the brief pause to take a bite out of the red apple he had been snacking on earlier in the evening. Break over, the trio got right back to their set characterized mainly by a slew of slow and sludgy guitar playing, with percussion and synth to match, cutting quite nicely to fast and chaotic strumming.
Towards the end of her 50 minute set, Bozulich introduced a “special guest”; a man dressed head to toe in black who begun to play what appeared to be some kind of variation of a flute alongside the other musicians on stage. The percussionist grabbed the saw that was by her drums the entire time, and began to play with it. Playing with the tool emitted a sound that was sweet and subdued; a nice contrast to her high energy drum playing.
The crowd was immersed in darkness, with only a red light splashed against those on stage and the brick wall behind it. The atmosphere was spooky and borderline occult; the combination of slow, ethereal instrumentation and dim lighting had my friends and I feeling like we were taking part in an occult summoning, but we were intrigued nonetheless. After performing her last song, Bozulich thanked the crowd, announced she had a few hand made t-shirts for sale, and exited the stage.
Behind schedule, the growing restlessness of the packed room was soon washed away when the night’s main attraction stepped on stage. Fronted by Tim Beeler, Ought dove right into the title track from their debut LP, More Than Any Other Day. Beeler exuded showmanship, engaging with the crowd by tossing out adlib lyrics about grocery shopping and other mundane daily tasks. But there’s nothing mundane about Ought’s specific breed of post-punk, and at times, art-rock sound. The band’s arrangement (Beeler on vocals and guitar, Matt May on keys, Tim Keen on drums and Ben Stidworthy on bass), is probably the only thing traditional about these guys.
Ought slowed down the pace after several high-intensity songs only to pick it directly back up in the bass heavy, Talking Heads-esque track “Habit”. With a simple purple light highlighting the guys on stage, the crowd picked up on their energy and formed a small makeshift moshpit in the middle of the room for some of the louder songs. The pit’s rambunctiousness spilled over into the rest of the crowd, with the entire room grooved and moved to the remainder of the hour long set. Humble and sweaty, the hometown boys smiled and thanked POP Montreal and the equally sweaty audience for an awesome and rowdy night, and headed out to prepare for the rest of their tour.
Timbre Timbre chills Metropolis with their haunting songs by Jessica Romera
September is in full swing and the weather has already turned from bright, sunny and warm, to grey, dark and chilly, the latter providing the perfect backdrop to Timber Timbre’s Friday night POP Montreal show at Metropolis. On tour promoting their latest album, the Polaris Music Prize short-listed Hot Dreams, Timber Timbre enlisted the help of Toronto band Tasseomancy.
The sister duo provided vocals, acoustic guitar, and were backed by a keyboardist and percussionist. Dressed in Victorian style clothes, Tasseomancy’s sound was equally as eerie and mysterious as their attire. Most of the songs in their 45 minute set were consistently slow-paced and dreamy, but many of them built-up momentum, gaining speed and starry eyed admiration from the crowd just in time for the night’s headliners.
Press photo courtesy of POP Montreal.
Timber Timbre emerged onto the stage, blanketed in dim lighting. A purple neon sign emblazoned with the words “Hot Dreams” remained flickering above the band. Steady, rhythmic drumming followed their entrance, and they opened the set with “Grand Canyon” off their latest album. Diving headfirst into “Beat The Drum Slowly,” guitarist and frontman Taylor Kirk’s disembodied vocals seemed even more ghostly in a live setting; the reverb from his words getting under your skin and staying deep in your bones.
The eerie keyboard interludes between songs sounded almost like dripping water, or something from a movie soundtrack. Pulling mostly from Hot Dreams, Timber Timbre played “Lonesome Hunter” and “Black Water,” favourites off Creep On Creepin’ On. Despite being known for their haunting and subdued folk sound, the group seemed to beam off energy on stage, more so than any studio version of their songs.
Calling on the crowd to get up and slow dance, a disco ball was released during their latest album’s title track, illuminating brightly the dark Metropolis hall. Towards the later half of the song, a saxophonist joined them on stage, adding a soulful sensuality to the set, which segwayed smoothly into the crowd pleasing Timber Timbre classics “Magic Arrow” and “Bad Ritual.”
Exiting the stage, the room immediately cried out for an encore. Obeying, Kirk promptly returned for several songs. Playing alone save for his electric guitar, Kirk was engulfed in murky red lighting. Several moments would pass where Kirk would pause from singing, refrain from strumming and all you could hear through the dense, dead silence was the faint static from the amplifier, spreading a chill throughout the room.
The rest of the band filed back on stage for the final few encore songs. Having played mostly from their new album, Timber Timbre won favour with the crowd by ending their hour and a half set with the always sinister sounding, “Trouble Comes Knocking”, leaving us haunted, dreamy, and deeply satisfied.
Ty Segall tore-up Club Soda better than any other POP Montreal show. by Mia Pearson
“The show sold out in 2 days!” said an excited Ty Segall fan as he lined-up outside Club Soda, along with other music-nerd early birds, and your music editor. That’d make sense — Segall got the crowd to jostle, jump, and gel their hair with glitter on his Sept. 20 show with POP Montreal. Segall’s been going through a glitter phase — his press photos show his eyes bedazzled with glimmering rhinestones and his lips lit-up with shiny blue glowing lipstick.
But before the main event that tore-up the club, Montreal-bred group The Nymphets took to the stage and played some tunes that threw back to early Pixies. They had charisma and sass, and their drummer, Johanna Heldebro, was totally badass, but their mic sound wasn’t great. They enthusiastically played their surfer punk-pop songs. The early crowd, made-up majorly of fresh-out-of-highschool young guys, ate it up.
Press photo courtesy of POP Montreal.
Later, La Luz lulled us into their sunny sea-side tunes with guitar riffs that could have been written by The Doors back in Venice in the 60s. The four-piece comprised only of women sang and danced to their catchy tunes while their skirts gave them a girly silhouette under the stage lights. The drummer made some particularly cool and quick drum ticks, mixed with the keys and guitars putting out fluid melodies and licks up front. Frontwoman Shana Cleveland had huge curly hair that seemed to bob to the beat. Finally, the group ended their set with a wave to the eager audience and skipped off stage.
Then, Segall fans gulped down their beers, tied their hair nice and tight, and cheered when Segall appeared. He was the messiah of the night — wearing all white clothing and loose-fit pants with little stars stuck-on the seams. Immediately, the bruise-inducing mosh-pit began. Kids banged their heads in all directions, literally letting-off steam and figuratively raising the roof. When Segall played the first notes of his new song, “Feel”, off the album Manipulator, the crowd didn’t stop for a beat. Thrashing and feet-tapping ensued while Segall and his band played the rapid and trace-like low beats of “feel.”
As gangly boys and girls dove from the stage and surfed on hands and heads, the band violently strummed-out the chords to more Manipulator songs, as well as old favorites. One fan enthusiastically requested that the band play the track “Girlfriend” off the album, Melted. Once the song ended, the same guy yelled “play it again!” Segall did not play it again. He did, however, start another song, stepping into the crowd while simultaneously playing guitar. His legs were supported by the people below, and in that moment, he was not unlike a blonde Jesus walking on water. His music is so good and his talent for writing rock songs so evident that he is almost like a god. It does take some special music, though, to pack Club Soda to the rims.
For all of those who didn’t catch Ty Segall — shame on you.
The band was adored by the crowd and mirrored that energy right back at them
On Sept. 2, at the ever-popular Metropolis Theatre, Baltimore’s own Future Islands returned to Montreal on their tour for their fourth full-length album, titled Singles. Regular Montreal music fixture, Dan Boeckner, opened the show with his new band, Operators– their debut EP, EP1, was recently released.
Playing Metropolis for the first time ever, lead vocalist for Future Islands, Sam Herring, announced, “We moved [venues] hoping to fill out the space.” The crowd in Metropolis clearly proved this was no problem and that the fan base had grown immensely since Future Islands’ first Montreal show six years before.
Photo by Oneida Crawford
As they opened with their peppy “Back in the Tall Grass,” there was an immediate burst of energy and a liveliness emanating from the stage. Although stating he had been battling throat issues for the past several weeks, Herring sounded more powerful than ever; his growling vocals igniting the crowd. Known for his charismatic stage presence, he became more active and theatrical as the set went on. In one instant his hips were gyrating on stage and then he passionately pounded his chest with his fist like a king of the jungle. In the next song, he would change the pace and sink down to the ground. Rising from the floor, he slowly gazed upwards. While still singing, the musician appeared to have tears streaming down his face – but that could have been sweat – it was difficult to tell. Either way, Herring, along with his bandmates, consistently demonstrated pure passion for their music.
The set mixed both old and new tracks, including past favourites like “Before the Bridge” and “Tin Man” to the crowd’s delight. Then, from the more recent Singles came the hit “Seasons (Waiting on you)” which prompted a surprise cameo from Win Butler, lead singer of Arcade Fire. A few missed greats from Singles were “Doves” and “Like the Moon,” but overall the selected tracks melded together for an outstanding show.
Just before the last song of the set, Herring yelled, “This is it, baby! Let’s have some fucking fun!” He returned to the stage – after a quick shirt change – for a four song encore. Enticing the band to deliver an encore required much foot stomping and commotion from the crowd. The band played an audience requested oldie, “Beach Foam.” Described as the first song ever written by Future Islands back in 2006, before they even had a band name, “Beach Foam” brought back waves of nostalgia, particularly for those who were long time followers of the band. For the finale, Herring wished everyone sweet dreams, and they played the beautiful soft track “Little Dreamer” to wrap things up.
With the profuse gratitude and appreciation directed towards the Montreal fans from this fabulous band, it is only right to finish off by expressing the sincerest thank you to Future Islands.
POP Montreal’s free show featuring A Tribe Called Red attracted many bystanders and livened-up otherwise dull Wednesday night
On Aug. 27, POP Montreal and Monster Energy presented a free concert at Place Emilie-Gamelin, right outside the Berri-UQAM metro station on Ste. Catherine Street. The concert, starting at 4 p.m. and lasting roughly six hours, featured an all Canadian line up including Pierre Kwenders, AroarA, and ended with the First Nations DJ trio, A Tribe Called Red. The culturally diverse mini-festival included hip-hop, indie and electro/dance music that seemed to fit together nicely and create a relaxing yet beat-filled atmosphere.
The night began slowly with a light drizzle of rain, but as the sun went down the assorted crowd seemed to grow with both fans and curious bystanders, some of whom would appear to be there only for their favorite Juno award winning DJ crew, A Tribe Called Red (for Breakthrough Group of the Year, 2014). The band consists of DJ NDN (Anishnabe), Bear Witness (Cayuga) and DJ Shub (Cayuga), all originating from Ottawa, Ontario. Their sound can be best described as the artists put it themselves: ‘Pow Wow Step’, a hybrid genre of traditional Native chanting and drumming and puts it up against the head bobbing beats of modern dance, electronica, and dubstep. The culturally dense and spiritually deep sound that is unique to the trio was heard through fan favorites such as “Red Skinned Girl”, written and performed by Northern Cree and remixed by A Tribe Called Red and “Electric Pow Wow Drum”. The group is often associated with activism. Their lyrics bring attention to the many issues and discrimination that First Nations people face. One of their songs from their self-titled album called “Woodcarver” is a mosaic of news reports highlighting the injustice of police brutality against indigenous people.
One of the biggest attractions of the performance was the hoop dancer dressed in traditional attire that would come out and perform on stage, doing handstands and flipping as the trio mixed their records. What seemed to attract most of the crowd was the Tribe’s uniquely Native sounding take on club music, which their studio recordings emphasized a lot more than the live show did. This became obvious through the crowds reactions to their favorite songs, which focused on chants and drum beats, whereas the mood seemed to calm down when the group sounded more like regular club music. They played remixes of pop song such as Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” and the “Cantina song” from Star Wars.
Despite the small hiccups of relaxation, the people kept the rave-like atmosphere up for the whole night The performance seemed to really bring the ethnically diverse audience together through redefining club dance music by adding a new cultural dimension.
Overall it was great night–a free and memorable way to end the summer.
Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz tour came to the Bell Centre this past Saturday night to take over Montreal, at least for any girl in their tweens, teens or twenties.
The screams started in the line outside the Bell Centre before you could even enter the building, and they only got increasingly louder as the night progressed. Thousands of girls in crop tops, spandex and pleather swarmed into the arena smiling, squealing and “literally dying.”
Opening up the show was Swedish pop duo, Icona Pop. Dressed in futuristic looking outfits reminiscent of Milla Jovovich’s character Leeloo in the movie The Fifth Element, they pumped up the ‘smilers’ (Miley fans) with their fantastic energy. Dancing, jumping and rolling all around the stage, the duo opened with their hit “All Night,” finished with their first hit “I Love It” and even played a plastic kazoo somewhere in between.
More than 17,000 people packed the Bell Centre for Miley Cyrus on Saturday night.
After a short intermission, the room went black and screams louder than any you’ve ever heard in your entire life pierced your eardrums and took over the arena. It was time: Miley Cyrus was going to be on stage in a matter of mere moments.
A huge projection of Cyrus’ face including her rolling eyes rose from the floor, then her projected mouth opened and let out a huge tongue-shaped slide. As the tongue descended anticipation silenced the screamers, but when Cyrus began to slide down, the screams got louder than what I had imagined to be humanly possible.
Opening with her song “SMS (Bangerz),” Cyrus danced with a flock of fuzzy animal mascots and back-up dancers of all shapes and sizes while ‘90s inspired cartoons lit up the backdrop.
Her props included a gold truck, a giant bed, a monstrous owl and a huge, jumbo hot dog that descended from the ceiling; which of course Cyrus got on and rode while it floated all around the stage.
The concert also had a twerkfest, a kiss-cam during her song “Adore You” which scoured the audience and encouraged friends, couples and strangers to make out, and a grandma sitting front-row who threw her gigantic bra at Cyrus.
While some parts of the concert were expected, like her obscure bodysuits, sticking out her tongue or her endorsement of marijuana, there were many highlights fans were not expecting.
Cyrus showed her passion for entertainment and her dedication to her fans by singing many extra songs and really engaging as much as possible with her audience. Cyrus covered and performed “Jolene” by Dolly Parton, “The Scientist” by Coldplay, “Summertime Sadness” by Lana Del Rey and also brought out a few of her older songs.
Finishing off her set with “We Can’t Stop” and “Wrecking Ball,” the two biggest singles off the album thus far, Cyrus only left fans begging and screaming for more. As some of the crowd started to exit the stadium, a row of eight girls wearing matching white crop tops, jean shorts, pig buns and red lipstick warned the other concert-goers: “IT’S NOT DONE YET!”
Cyrus appeared for her final act dressed in an American flag bodysuit, a blonde wig and white leather cowboy boots with a matching hat. Every tween, teen and twenty-something knew it was time for “Party in the USA.”
Only weeks after releasing their second studio album, Mind Over Matter, in January, California-based band Young the Giant hit the road. As expected, the quintet stopped by their drummer François Comtois’ hometown, to the pleasure of their Montreal fans, who filled up Métropolis to the brim on March 6.
The opening act was the shy but oh so talented Australian singer-songwriter, James Keogh, better known as Vance Joy. Accompanied by three musicians, guitar around the neck, Vance Joy warmed up the numerous rosy cheeks still getting in the room with a romantic and sunny cocktail of folk-infused guitar playing. Hypnotized by his other-end-of-the-world accent, the crowd warmly welcomed each of his songs. The young man eventually gave up his guitar for the ukulele, his signature instrument, to perform “Play With Fire.” After expressing his profound gratitude for being part of Young the Giant’s tour, Vance Joy ended his set with the certified triple platinum and very jovial tune, “Riptide.”
After waiting for what seemed like forever, Metropolis’ lights went down as Young the Giant’s members discreetly entered onto the stage and played “Slow Dive.” Continuing with their most recent album, the band played “Anagram” then dropped “It’s About Time,” first single off of Mind Over Matter. Not surprisingly, François saluted Montreal folks in the language of Molière, before digging into their eponymous album with “I Got.”
Sprinkled with frontman Sameer Gadhia’s funky dance moves, some cowbell and tambourine here and there, the energy of the party on stage translated into the audience. The energy was pumping out at every corner of the room, and the mob had no choice but to sing along, jump and raise their arms high up.
Photo by Sabrina Giancioppi
As a pause to a pretty intense first half, lead singer Gadhia presented the atmospheric ballad “Firelight,” a “song [that] is about letting go,” said Gadhia. It was a moment of great emotion, blessed by Gadhia’s powerfully warm voice.
The band left the stage after “Crystallized,” the second single off their latest album. As is the case every time a wonderful band disappears before an encore, fans expressed their love by chanting “Ole Ole,” clapping their hands, and stomping their feet. Visibly, Young the Giant couldn’t resist the seismic admiration, and came back to perform “Apartment.”
What followed is probably one of the most important highlights of the night. Yes, Young the Giant had a surprise for us Montrealers:
“We actually never played it in front of an audience. François will sing,” said Sameer.
The die-hard fans guessed right: their local, beloved drummer would borrow from Belgian sensation Stromae with a cover of “Formidable,” as they had done previously a few weeks earlier on a Dutch radio station.
The boys went on with the pop-ish Mind Over Matter and landed a final, crowd-favourite bomb, “My Body,” satisfying the souls who wanted more. Bodies literally went wild, as many aficionados tried their hand at crowd surfing; Gadhia himself strolled down the stage. The entire encore was quite a spectacle and concluded the nearly two-hour performance on a blissful note.
Undoubtedly a successful night, Gadhia confessed: “Montreal, I’ll tell you something… and no, I don’t say this every night: you guys are BY FAR the best audience”. There is no wonder every head in the room thought: “But guys, you make it so easy. C’est vous qui êtes formidables”.
The Bell Centre was booming with radioactivity this past Monday as Las Vegas native rockers Imagine Dragons lit up the stadium during their Night Visions tour.
Photo by Nathalie Laflamme
Concertgoers were treated to two opening acts, The X Ambassadors and kiwi indie band The Naked and Famous.
The Naked and Famous had the crowd moving with their hits “Girls Like You” and “Young Blood.” It felt like a cool and breezy summer night at the Bell Centre, and the flower crowns were out and about to prove it.
Brooklyn based newcomers The X Ambassadors really got the crowd excited. Their unique sound, contagious energy, and catchy lyrics definitely stuck with you long after the show had ended.
Imagine Dragons burst onto the scene, opening with an instrumental lead into their song “Fallen.” The stage looked like a set out of Sleepy Hollow: with bare ridden trees that cast shadows as the light hit them, and a large round screen that projected various photos of nature, and also of the crowd and band themselves. In quirky Imagine Dragons style, they even let loose giant balloons filled with confetti during the set, and who doesn’t love giant balloons?
With its infamous drumming and chirpy intro, the crowd roared and took the lead when fan favorite “It’s Time” began to play. Fans of all ages were seen dancing and laughing along. While concerts at the Bell Centre aren’t the most intimate, the crowd was as great as ever, singing loudly in unison with the band, much to Imagine Dragons’ own surprise and awe. By the time they got to Radioactive it wasn’t even noticeable that lead singer Dan Reynolds had not started singing yet, as the fans took control of the song.
Fan interaction was great despite the large space, with Reynolds leaving the stage and making his way around the ground floor, and even courageously diving into the crowd.
The mood grew a bit more thoughtful as the band dedicated a song to Tyler Robinson, a 17-year-old fan who recently lost his battle to cancer. Fans came together and shined the flash on their smart phones as the Bell Centre grew eerily quiet, nothing but the sound of Reynolds’ voice filled the arena, thousands of little white lights swaying side to side.
Imagine Dragons take risks with their set, straying away from their songs and allowing for long guitar riffs, giving each member their time in the spotlight. Fans may also appreciate the large drums on stage. It adds to the bands style, however it could easily be overdone.
The mixed audience proved that there was something for everyone. Even a little surprise for fans of classic rock, as the band played a cover of Rush’s “Tom Sawyer.” Reynolds told the crowd how the band had grown up on their parents music, listening to a lot of Led Zeppelin, and Rush, which they were excited to play for a Canadian crowd.
After ending with an explosive audience collaboration of “Radioactive,” the band came on scene once again for an encore of one song, “Nothing Left to Say.” Sporting Habs jerseys, of course.
Overall, the setlist was no surprise, as the band is still rather new to the scene, Night Visions being their only album. However, they managed to use their musical talent and charisma to keep it fresh and exciting.
Imagine Dragons is a powerhouse of a band who definitely know how to command a crowd. Montrealers have fallen under their spell, and I have a feeling this one is going to be hard to shake off.
