Tag: Metropolis

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Porter Robinson & Madeon at Metropolis

The electronic dance DJs are in Montreal for their Shelter Live Tour

DJs Porter Robinson and Madeon (Hugo Leclercq) will be in Montreal for their Shelter Live Tour on Nov. 14 at Metropolis. The tour follows the release of their 2016 collaborative song, “Shelter.” “We wanted to be able to celebrate at least 10 years of knowing each other, our discography and this collaborative song, ‘Shelter,’” said Robinson.

Robinson specializes in electro house, dubstep and synthpop sounds, while Leclercq focuses more on electro pop and nu-disco, adding a definite European electro sound to his beats. The Shelter Live Tour is about the two complementing each other’s music and adding new spins to original songs. By switching between songs from each artist, they incorporate remixes and samples of each other’s work. “We both kind of came from the DJ world, and I think we pretty much completely threw that aside in our respective albums,” said Robinson.

The two electronic dance music producers have created a live music experience that is more dynamic than the usual EDM-techno feel. Both DJs will be multi-tasking during their performance by singing and playing various instruments simultaneously. The Shelter Live Tour is more than just an electronic show of their most recent albums, Robinson’s Worlds and Leclercq’s Adventure.

As a companion to the song “Shelter,” Robinson released an animated short film reminiscent of Japanese anime. Robinson has great interest in producing anime, since his love for electronic music started with his early passion for video games. He said the visuals for the live show will be more abstract than his character-based film. There will be flashing, colourful lights following the beats of the music, as both DJs dance energetically along with the rhythm.

The two friends met through an online forum when they were teenagers. Robinson hails from the U.S. and Leclercq is from France. The common interest they shared was music production, a passion they each developed during their teenage years. “We think about music pretty similarly but we don’t have an overlapping taste,” said Leclercq. “I think Porter is more trance music and I’m really into more soulful songwriting.” While their individual sounds differs, the duo said their similar musical mindsets create a space for complementary creation and new musical directions.

“It’s a much larger scale than anything I’ve done before,” said Leclercq, referring to the 38 shows of their North American tour. As a French native, Montreal will be a special stop on the tour trail for Leclercq. “I’m super excited,” he said. “I’m gonna get on the mic and speak in French, and Porter will not understand.”

Montreal is a musical epicenter for young, up-and-coming artists just like Robinson and Leclercq when they first got into music as teenagers. “The tools are very available for making music and for sharing it, and so many more people are making music, which is wonderful,” said Leclercq. “I would encourage people to find what’s unique about their tastes and explore that, and try not to be too influenced by everything they hear around them.”

Porter Robinson and Madeon will be performing at Metropolis on Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. A few tickets are still available online, with prices ranging from $34 to $92.

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Music

Majid Jordan: Musical Geniuses at Métropolis

Canadian R&B duo kick off their tour in Montreal

At 10 p.m. on September 30, the atmosphere at Métropolis quickly changed from rowdy to almost dreamlike, when Jordan Ullman walked on stage. It seemed surreal as the record producer glanced at the crowd with a smile and made his way to the keyboard, where he began producing sounds that enthralled the crowd. The smell of marijuana suddenly wafted through the large room and people started cheering and pushing forward. Majid Al Maskati appeared on stage and immediately began to sing, leaving the audience intrigued by his powerful, yet soft voice.

The Toronto based R&B duo came to Montreal for the second time this year. Al Maskati is originally from Bahrain and Ullman is from Toronto. The group formed in 2011 and released their EP titled Afterhours on Soundcloud under the pseudonym Good People, according to their official website. They got signed to OVO Sound in 2013, a record label co-founded by rapper Drake. They’re well known for featuring on Drake’s hit track, “Hold On, We’re Going Home” from his album Nothing Was the Same.

The group performed songs from their EP A Place Like This, and from their album Majid Jordan. When he began to perform “A Place Like This,” Al Maskati transformed from a soulful singer into a performer. He belted out powerful notes that aren’t on the usual track, a pleasant surprise for those who haven’t heard him live before. He danced and nodded his head along to the hypnotizing beat.  Ullman intensely bobbed his shoulders and created the strong sound behind the masterpiece.

Al Maskati took every opportunity to point at fans when he sang, and it seemed that his goal was to ensure that everyone sang along. He addressed the crowd numerous times and said in French, “Montreal! ça va?” “We wanted to come here to kick off our tour because we knew you’d all sing along to this next song,” Al Maskati said to the crowd, before diving into their hit song “Her.”

Candid shot of Majid Al Maskati in movement. Photo by Sania Malik

When Al Maskati later pointed towards Ullman with a smile, the crowd cheered. We began to chant Ullman’s name and the duo shared a smile and laughed, like they had their own inside joke. Soon, we were all chanting Al Maskati’s name and clapping for the talented group. Crowd favorites were: “Something About You,” “Small Talk,” and “My Love.” They also performed “Summer’s Over Interlude,” off of Drake’s album Views. Al Maskati exuded confidence as he caressed the microphone stand and swayed on stage.

The duo ended the show with “King City.” As Al Maskati sang, “you’re so damn special, but I better say goodbye to you,” he waved goodbye and slowly backed away. The song ended and Al Maskati and Ullman walked off stage with one last wave at the crowd. Everyone immediately began chanting “encore!” The duo came back on stage to perform “Learn From Each Other.” to which Al Maskati’s vigorous enthusiasm excited everyone as he yelled, “Montreal! How are you doing tonight?”

The song ended with Al Maskati pointing to the crowd and to Ullman, saying “I can only learn from you.” Ullman smiled and walked towards Al Maskati and as they hugged, Al Maskati said, “Montreal, thank you so much for starting us off right on our tour.”

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Music

Ben Howard melts hearts in Montreal

Photo courtesy of Victoria McInnis.

Ben Howard, the UK’s as-of-yet hidden gem, played a soul-shattering concert at Metropolis Sunday night. Before Ben Howard took the stage, Louisiana native Gill Landry warmed up the crowd with his sweet melodies and charming southern drawl.

Cheers echoed throughout the venue as Howard and his band took to the stage. A lone yellow spotlight graced the background and mist obscured most of the stage. Howard opened up the show with a new song and followed it with one of my personal favorites, “Black Flies.” He played songs from his debut album Every Kingdom, delivering unforgettable performances of hits like “Only Love” and “Old Pine.” Songs like “Wolves” and “Diamonds” incited heavy audience participation.

The show felt like a private, intense jam session; almost giving the audience an all-access pass to raw, uncut musical brilliance. Howard attempted to converse with the audience in French, but he confessed that his French was quite “abysmal.”

As the band left the stage, an explosive demand for an encore erupted. Shrieks and stubborn foot-stomping called them back to the stage, delivering what was the best performance of the night. Howard started playing “Depth Over Distance,” and soulfully crooning “darling, I’d go blind for you” as he played his guitar, wowing the audience with clawhammer technique. He concluded the evening with “The Fear,” leaving the crowd satisfied and anticipating his next visit to Montreal.

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News

Hundreds mourn the death of Denis Blanchette

Photo by writer,
Photo by writer.

Hundreds gathered to honour Denis Blanchette at a candlelight vigil and makeshift memorial outside Metropolis last Wednesday night.

As Premier-designate Pauline Marois gave her victory speech during the Parti Québécois rally on Tuesday, Sept. 4, Blanchette was shot at close range outside the building.

Those in attendance at the vigil were invited to share their thoughts and feelings and to remember the 48-year-old lighting technician at a microphone set-up in front of the venue. Many speeches called for harmony and peace, as well as tougher gun laws.

Friends and colleagues tearfully remembered Blanchette as a hard-working man, a loving father and a good friend.

One colleague, who was only identified as Marie-Jo, told the crowd that Blanchette’s death was not a political statement.

“This has nothing to do with politics,” shouted Marie-Jo. “The man who killed him is mentally ill.”

“We’ll overcome this together,” she added before stepping away from the microphone.

Former Coalition large de l’Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois attended the vigil to show his support for the victim’s family.

“It was very shocking,” Nadeau-Dubois said of the tragic end to election night. “We’ve talked a lot about violence in the past few months in Quebec but this was real violence. It’s possible to debate the strike, it’s possible to debate on what a protest should be, but there’s no debate to be had on the events that happened last night – it’s just total horror,” he said.

Concordia University marketing graduate Kim Belair was on Ste-Catherine St. when the shooting occurred. Belair said it was strange for her because her mother was present for the Concordia University massacre in 1992 and her cousin experienced the Dawson College shooting in 2006.

“I like to think that everyone involved, no matter what language they speak, would be able to look at that [shooting] as not representing an opinion but as representing mindless violence,” explained Belair with regards to the gunman’s words about an English uprising during his arrest.

“I optimistically think that no one would ever take his words or his intentions as representative of anything.”

A second victim, Dave Courage, survived the shooting but suffered severe injuries.

An official civic funeral for Blanchette was held on Monday, Sept. 10.

With files from Kalina Laframboise.

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Music

90’s Rockers The Offspring still “Pretty Fly” decades later

Pop-punk veterans The Offspring filled the Metropolis to capacity on Sept. 4, playing the first of a pair of concerts in Montreal. After openers The BCASA’S and Dead Sara got the crowd fired up, the California Quad opened with “Hurting as One,” the first of 21 songs in their set. Playing for just under an hour-and-a-half, the band downplayed interaction with the crowd and focused on the music, playing a mix of old and new, including six songs of their latest album Days Go By.

Photo by writer.

23 years after their initial release, the band showed that their popularity transcends age, with fans of all generations flocking to the mosh pit. With the booze flowing and every sense of the term “personal space” gone, the crowd got rowdy at times with beer and sweat flying left, right and center.
While most of the show was a fast-paced burst of energy, the band also took it down a notch playing “Kristy, Are You Doing Okay?,” a song that frontman Dexter Holland wrote as an apology to a girl from his childhood.
Notable hits such as “Come out and Play” and “Dividing by Zero” were definite crowd-pleasers while newer songs, surprisingly, seemed to garner equal enthusiasm.
Ending the main set with “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)” and “The Kids Aren’t Alright” from 1998’s Americana, the band came back on stage for a three-song encore finishing the night off with the ever-popular “Self Esteem.”

 

Edit: The Offspring had originally scheduled their second show at the Metropolis but due to unforeseen events, it was moved to The Olympia.

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Music

If practice makes perfect, The Weeknd could use a little work

The Weeknd is a newcomer in the R&B music industry; his debut mixtape House of Balloons recently celebrated its one-year anniversary. Hype surrounding the Toronto artist is almost unbelievable considering his lack of stage experience and radio play. Regardless, Montreal was pumped up and ready for his sold out show Friday night at Metropolis.
Abel Tesfaye is the real name of the man behind the mysterious digital albums, which are available for free on his website. He’s received praise from Pitchfork and Rolling Stone, and House of Balloons was nominated for a 2011 Polaris Music Prize. The Weeknd is known for his crooning soprano voice, which hits falsetto notes effortlessly. The real question was whether his live performance could live up to his studio material.
Approximately 2,000 people filled the venue. The doors opened at 6 p.m., but unfortunately for those standing, an average DJ mixed tracks until 9 p.m. The audience was sedated with boredom, yet still anticipated the show.
Once the DJ left the stage, the energy immediately picked up. The lights dimmed, excited shrieks vibrated throughout the room, and cell phones flew into the air, preparing to document the 22-year-old’s first steps on the stage.
Opening with “High For This,” one of his better-known songs, was a wise choice. Backed by a three-piece band, The Weeknd swayed and jumped around the stage in an attempt to win over the crowd. For an artist who has performed live very little, his effort to engage the audience was valiant, but lacked practice.
Another song that stood out in his performance was “The Zone.” His fans sang along passionately, watching black and white images of nearly naked women projected on a screen behind him.
For the song titled “Montreal,” The Weeknd aimed the mic at the audience, encouraging them to keep singing along.
His set list featured songs from all three of his mixtapes. His voice proved to be genuine, and not enhanced with studio effects. But too often, he sang incomplete sentences or avoided the lyrics altogether. However, his effort at Michael Jackson-like dancing across the stage compensated for his vocals many times.
When the beat for “The Morning” started, the crowd went insane. He also sang “The Fall,” “House Of Balloons/Glass Table Girls,” and “Loft Music.” After his performance, which didn’t seem to last as long as a typical concert, he came back out for an encore: an acoustic performance of “Wicked Games.”
The Weeknd will be back in Montreal for Osheaga in August, after a European tour and performing at Coachella. Hopefully the young artist will develop a better stage presence between now and this summer and will return to Montreal with even more hysteria than before.

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Music

The ties that bind the Sam Roberts Band

The Sam Roberts Band played a show in Montreal February 10, 2012.
The Sam Roberts Band played a show in Montreal February 10, 2012.

The ripples in the plastic beer cups were reminiscent of the scene in Jurassic Park where tremors within a single glass of water forewarn the arrival of the T-Rex. The only difference here was that these vibrations were brought on by melodies coupled with an intricate, pounding mix of instruments that held a different meaning, one where music has the power to touch everything.
The Sam Roberts Band played a hometown show at Metropolis on Feb.10 that was energetic, wistful and enchanting all at once.
Launching with “I Feel You,” a single off their newest album Collider (2011), the blues inspired song immediately engaged the crowd.
The two-hour concert was a harmony of various styles and emotions, old and new songs, and a balance between light and dark.
The Sam Roberts Band has a knack for penning music that is layered with contrast. From heartfelt ballads like “With a Bullet” to psychedelic songs like “No Sleep,” layered with undertones of blues in “Detroit ’67,” the band showcased their diverse talents.
Of course the band took to playing some of their more cheerful songs, like “Fixed to Ruin” and “Don’t Walk Away Eileen.” Moreover, the entire crowd joined in with songs like “Where Have All The Good People Gone?” and “Brother Down,” the song that made them famous 10 years ago. The booming chorus added to the sparkling lights and electric atmosphere.
The intimate venue sparked a warm connection between the audience and the band. Lead guitarist Dave Nugent, bassist James Hall, drummer Josh Trager, keyboardist Eric Fares and guest saxophone player Chet Doxas accompanied frontman Sam Roberts.
Sometimes, though, the softness of the keyboard and saxophone were lost on the crowd, which was a shame because it rounded out the 21-song setlist nicely.
There is something to be said about a local show by a Canadian group that has come so far in the last decade. The Montreal mention within their lyrics and the ability to address the crowd in French and English is special within its own right, but the band clearly adores its hometown. Roberts greeted his fans several times throughout the night, with special mentions of his family, friends and even the waiting staff. By the end, the show gave off the equally comforting and eerie feeling that the crowd and the band had grown together, united by the music and the city.

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