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The 2022 Gem and Mineral Show

Countless tables can be found with handmaid jewlery made out of all kinds of differnt rocks. Kaitlynn Rodney/ The Concordian

Hobbyists and collectors flocked to Montreal’s Palais des congrès for the 61st annual Gem and Mineral Show show.

Between Oct. 28-30, the Palais des congrès was the host for the 61st annual Gem and Mineral Show.

This event was hosted by the Montreal Gem and Mineral club.

A brief history

Founding members Dick Britton and Ernest Windisch met at The McGill’s Redpath Museum in 1957.

The rock and mineral display caught the attention of both Britton and Windisch. They bonded over their shared interest in mineral collecting and brought up the idea of forming an official club.

The club was eventually created on Feb. 14, 1957 at Britton’s home, and it has been growing ever since.

The club’s active board of directors were present on-site for this year’s show and were very gracious to serve as our guide. 

Constance Guignard, the vice president of the club, met up with The Concordian and explained how the show works and what her own role in the club is.

“I do volunteer work here, and we organize this show every year and use it as our fundraiser. We’re making a comeback after three years. We missed 2020, we missed 2021, so now we are coming back,” Guignard said.

Guignard made an interesting statement about all the different things one could do with gems and minerals that not a lot of people might know about. 

“People can sculpt with the gems and minerals. At our club, you know, sometimes people will buy big rocks. We have saws so that people can cut big slabs and do whatever they want with them,” Guignard said.

Walking around the show, one could see all the dealers and vendors present on site. It was easy to get lost in the things to see, touch and learn about. 

One interesting kiosk featured a coconut geode visitors could look at and have cracked on-site. The vendors guaranteed a hollow crystal centre.

Another interesting booth allowed visitors to get forever bracelets welded onto their wrists.

Our Community Editor went through with getting the forever bracelet, and spoke with Ash Charania, the owner of Rainbow Minerals. 

“Forever bracelets is a trend that just hit Canada. In the past in the US, there have been lineups outside the boutiques for people that want to get this. It always takes a while to get to Canada but it’s finally here. It’s really new so no one really understands it yet,” Charania said. 

The look of the bracelet is very dainty and wearers can barely feel it against their skin. The bracelets are custom-measured to the wrist, and visitors can choose between sterling silver, gold, and rose gold for the metal.

While most of the vendors on-site were experienced Gem and Mineral show-goers, this year’s edition was a first for some.

The owner of Petite Plume, Chloé Strum-Thibault, expressed her thoughts about her first time at the show. 

“There are so many beautiful things to see that I feel that my eyes hurt. I already spent a lot of money and I know I am going to spend more,” Thibault joked. 

Thibault takes inspiration for her jewelry creations from growing trees. Over the pandemic she was truly able to take her inspiration and turn it into her business.

The Gem and Mineral Show not only provided shoppers with gems and minerals from all over the world, but also gave them valuable insights to use towards their hobby.

Photographs by Kaitlynn Rodney/THE CONCORDIAN

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PHOTO GALLERY: Allan Rayman at MTelus

Photo by Cecilia Piga

Allan Rayman at MTelus on November 29th, 2019.

Photos by Cecilia Piga

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Alex Cameron goes where the genius is

Photo by Guillaume Knobloch

An interview with Australia’s next best star

Alex Cameron is feeling good.

In fact, he says he’s in the best position he’s ever been in. The Australian singer has fallen in love with Jemima Kirke, an English artist and actress who greatly inspires his songs, most notably on his newly released, love-centred album, Miami Memory. His team has just cleared a few years’ worth of debt and can finally afford to pay their rent while living comfortably. Most impressive of all, Cameron is on track to play over 100 shows on tour in 2019.

“We tour our fucking asses off and people come to our shows,” said Cameron. “What we do is a reputation thing. We have a reputation for putting on hot shows and writing songs that, though they are very specific, people find a way to latch onto them and it becomes broad reaching once the ideas spread through conversation. We got no problems, man. We’re feeling good. Are you feeling good?”

The eccentric frontman asks me the question as he sits backstage at the Fairmount Theatre before his show on Nov. 16, alongside his saxophonist and business partner, Roy Molloy. 

Cameron is comfortable as he finishes his sound check, sporting a pair of black track pants, slicked jet black hair, his Miami Memory merchandise necklace and a retro City Ford Sydney Roosters jersey to commemorate his hometown. Molloy opts for a more done-up look as he sits alongside us in a black corduroy suit with a bag of Sour Patch watermelon candies in hand.

Photo by Guillaume Knobloch

Cameron’s earlier projects, Jumping the Shark and Forced Witness, touch upon themes of loneliness and distress as a failed musician. However, those days may be over, ever since Cameron was contacted by Brandon Flowers, lead singer of The Killers. 

He says that Flowers, whom he has previously labelled as one of the best songwriters of our generation, stumbled across his music on the internet and asked him and Molloy to assist him in writing The Killers’ 2017 album, Wonderful Wonderful. Flowers later took them onboard the album’s tour as a support act and returned the favour with songwriting credits on Cameron’s Forced Witness. The Killers have since announced a forthcoming album, Imploding the Mirage, which Cameron says he may have a hand in as well.

“I think what that whole experience gave us was a lot of information and a lot of guidance about the industry and what it means to be a performer, and what it means to have your music actually impact people,” said Cameron. “There’s a good lesson in there.”

Despite the insight that Cameron and Molloy may have received from connecting with Flowers, they don’t expect their music to peak at the top of the charts – at least not in the foreseeable future.

“I think that pop music is driven by the kids and the kids will always want something new,” said Cameron. “I think that popular music, generally speaking, is consumed by people who are like, between the ages of eight and 15. So when you’re writing a pop song and you’re getting all those sales and making all those hits, it’s because kids love it. If you want to talk about why our music isn’t at the top of the charts, it’s because our music is explicitly for adults. And that’s a different kind of ball game.”

“What we’re doing isn’t for 14-year-olds,” said Molloy.

The duo says that their art is reserved for an older audience because of certain lyrics riddled with mature content that includes explicit sexual references and a certain song with homophobic slurs. 

While it is certainly not for radio, Cameron is in no way homophobic. His slurs are sung ironically as his lyrics address him being called gay for the makeup he wears and the way he dresses. Later that evening on stage, Cameron saves “Marlon Brando” for the encore and assures the crowd that it’s normal for them to question their sexuality while discovering who they are.

Cameron carried that same feisty energy with him on stage throughout the whole show. His stage presence was compelling and his dance moves contagious. Many artists could certainly take tips from an Alex Cameron performance.

While Cameron may be considered new to the music industry, his influence is certainly felt by many established and aspiring musicians alike.

“I feel like we’ve presented some ideas that were definitely ours that other people are accessing,” said Cameron. “But I also feel like once you put something out there into the world, you’re putting it into a melting pot to be shared. If you don’t want to be ripped off, just don’t release anything.”

Cameron may be inspiring artists that likely fall into the rock or indie category, but he doesn’t think that certain music thrives because of the genre that they’re boxed into.

“Ultimately, I don’t think it’s a genre thing,” said Cameron. “I don’t think it’s about

‘why is rock not at the top? Why is rap at the top? Why is pop music not at the top?’ Ultimately, it’s about where the spirit is, and where the energy is – where the genius is.”

Photos by Guillaume Knobloch

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Music

Clairo’s anthems are as soft as lullabies

Graphic by @sundaeghost

A slight audio mishap wasn’t enough to discourage the crowd

Monday, Nov. 18, was not a pleasant evening. It was cold, the promise of freezing rain lingering in the air. Clairo’s stage at Corona Theatre was set with a carpeted platform and a crescent-moon-like semi-circle structure.

I first came to know Clairo sometime last year, my little sister (so little, she’s 18) showed me her favourite song, “Flaming Hot Cheetos.” It’s a vibe. I wouldn’t describe Clairo’s music as “flaming hot,” it’s more so sleepy, kinda moody, almost sullen, and very pastel.

I expected her performance to be bit dancey. It wasn’t. My sister said it was as though Clairo was frightened of the crowd and absolutely did not want to be touched by anyone, under any circumstances. Cotton candy clouds projected on her crescent moon, Clairo’s anthems are as soft as lullabies.

Fans handed Clairo a box of crackers, she considered it, seemingly reading the ingredients. My sister whispered to me, “oh my god, those are veggie thins!” We used to eat those crackers with chicken noodle soup at my grandmother’s house.

Apparently Clairo discovered a straw in the box, disgusted, she returned it to the crowd. I was distracted by a loud pop, followed by a couple more loud pops.

The people in the crowd kept on, despite the sound mishap, shouting compliments and swaying. Eager for her attention, someone threw a single rose on stage, she barely noticed it. But my heart lies with Clairo’s guitarist, Hayley Briasco (aka Kim Tee), who was jamming, dancing and really feeling herself in her small corner of the stage. She really kept up group morale.

Throughout the night, cheesy sunsets, landscapes, seascapes, waves, desert, mountains, alps and a worm burrowing into sand took turns filling the crescent moon behind the performers. Maps of the world, smushed together, all continents one, only to break apart. An outline of the United States, California underwater… softly sinister topics sprinkled between the natural beauty. An honest, dark humour shared by all millenials and Gen-Z’s when facing our uncertain futures. 

Clairo is, like her music, timid, caring, calm, and quite reserved; her lyrics melting in with the melody. She put forth a new, currently untitled song, created on tour in Oregon. She sang alone on stage, with her guitar, without her band. I was disappointed I couldn’t keep watching Kim Tee wiggle.

I never say your name

But I wrote these chords with you in mind

I’ve met you on the benches

Of places where I know we can still hide

Sometimes it’s hard

‘Cause I just wanna call you and cry

I can’t help but wonder who she’s singing about, who hurt her? Immunity is the artist’s first polished album, with angsty, emotional and romantic tracks. The album seems to manifest immunity from other people’s bullshit, from staring gazes and pointed fingers at queer couples in small towns.

The artist closed off the night with the viral Youtube video that gained her fame in 2017, “Pretty Girl,” a lo-fi track captured the eyes of millions of viewers. The video projected on stage, her 18-year-old self wearing cat eye glasses, her hair in pigtails, lip synching and dancing to her song while seated in her bed. 

Ending on a warm, happy note, orange flowers in the background, Clairo wrapped the audience in a warm hug before sending them off into the cold.

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

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Music

Saint Jhn puts on a fun, but unremarkable show

Photo by Derek Campbell

The Brooklyn rapper hit the stage in Montreal for the second time in as many years, on his “Ghetto Lenny’s Ignorant Forever” tour

After performing at Osheaga shortly after the release of his debut album, Collection One, Saint Jhn returned to Montreal a year later for the promotion of his latest full-length project, Ghetto Lenny Love Songs.

The concert at L’Astral was exactly what you’d expect from an artist who balances bass-heavy trap bangers and melodic R&B leaning tunes. Near riots occurred when Saint Jhn performed hits like “Roses” and “All I Want is a Yacht.”

The visuals on loop behind the auto-crooner reflected the cult-like aesthetic that Saint JHN evokes in his music and album artwork. Both Collection One and Ghetto Lenny Love Songs have a cross spread across the cover and might fool someone into thinking that Saint Jhn is a Christian rapper.

He really isn’t.

His songs focus on the club life he lives in Brooklyn, filled with drugs, sex, and any other topic that you’d find on a trap album. While the subject matter can get repetitive, Saint Jhn’s lively performance kept it from being a boring concert. After all, how many trap concerts can you go to before they all seem the same?

At times, Saint Jhn skipped words to see if the crowd would continue to rap his lyrics and while they did, it was muffled and unintelligible. It wasn’t that the crowd wasn’t into it, it was that they were so drunk that rapping coherently was quite a difficult task.

While Saint Jhn’s power came from his bangers, he proved that his voice could hold up to the high standards he set for himself with the album versions of his songs.

“I Can Fvcking Tell,” “Trophies,” and “High School Reunion” put his voice on the forefront and with the help of some reverb and a little autotune, he never went off key or lost energy. The crowd drunkenly mumbled along, at least proving to Saint Jhn that his fans knew his songs, sober or not.

Most of the songs he performed were deep cuts from his Ghetto Lenny Love Songs, but he also performed all of the big numbers that jump started his career, towards the end of the concert. After a lively performance of “Anything Can Happen,” Saint Jhn jumped into the crowd, made his way to the middle and asked everyone to form a circle around him.

He asked, or rather demanded, that the crowd keep making a larger circle so that everyone could mosh around him, while he played his biggest single from the summer, “Trap.” 

Following that mess, Saint Jhn went back on stage and ended the concert with a prayer that had too many white people in the crowd usher a word they were in no position to say.

Sure the concert was a standard trap affair, but at least Saint Jhn knew how to entertain.

Photo by Derek Campbell

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El Dorado concert movie review

Shakira - El Dorado

Shakira, you truly are the golden one

It’s no secret that we all have – whether we like it or not – a favourite musician we dub a guilty pleasure. No matter how music savvy we claim to be, there is that one rapper, pop icon, or country singer we grew up listening to, and cannot for the life of us let go of.

In my case, it’s a 5’2 Colombian icon, who goes by the name Shakira. When I was nine years old, I would hide in my room and replay the quintessential song of the 2000s, “Whenever, Wherever” with its iconic music video to replicate Shakira’s exact moves. My dream was to attend one of her concerts and watch her front-and-centre.

So when she announced her El Dorado world tour, I was over the moon. Finally! My childhood dreams would come true … until they didn’t.

Life got in the way, and I was not able to attend any of her shows, be it the Montreal concert, or the one she had in Lebanon. Imagine my frustration, knowing I could have been present at both shows, only to attend neither. Eff my life, eh?

Luckily, this woman goes above and beyond for her art and her fans. On Nov. 13, a one-night-only screening of her world tour was shown worldwide, and I had the greatest pleasure of attending it.

The thing that always fascinated me about Shakira was her voice. I’ve come across a lot of people either criticizing it for being “weird,” or making fun of it because she sounded like a goat. I would quote them directly, but we’re no longer friends, for obvious reasons. 

Shakira has what is called a coloratura contralto, a “unique and versatile vocal styling that incorporates a yodelling-like technique as well as Arabic influences,” as described in divadevotee.com. Convenient, if you think about it, considering she is half-Lebanese.

The thing is, before I knew what any of this technical talk meant, I always used to draw comparisons between her voice and belly dancing. It astounded me how – similar to the undulating of her hips when dancing – the uneven sounds she would make when singing (and I don’t mean this in a bad way) would take me on some sort of trip. Weirdly, whenever I would listen to her music, I would find myself “riding a wave.”

In El Dorado, the fans are shown the many sides of this pop-culture icon. Shakira is, in every sense, a devoted artist. Although the concert seems to have an effortless, party-like atmosphere, the movie shows that behind-the-scenes, the singer has calculated every bit of detail, from the smallest false note to the ethereal lighting, to make sure her fans come out of the concert hall satisfied. A committed performer in every form, Shakira is not one to take her craft lightly. 

Some would remember that various concert dates were postponed due to her falling ill and losing her voice. She describes this period of her life in the movie as “one of the hardest things she’s ever had to go through.” She also stated that her voice defines who she is, and to lose that would mean to lose herself. Luckily, all worked out for the best, and nothing derailed her from putting on an amazing show.

Vibrant, colourful, fun, and transcendental, Shakira’s concert is the embodiment of who she truly is as an artist, and warrants the name “The Golden One.” 

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Daniel Caesar shows off his pipes on CASE STUDY 01 tour

Daniel Caesar is loved.

At least that’s what the crowd at Place Bell yelled to him at every opportune lull throughout the crooner’s set last Tuesday night.

Despite some trying to ‘cancel’ the singer in the earlier part of 2019 for his defense of controversial comments made against African-Americans, Caesar had no problem drawing in a massive audience on the first snowfall of the season. Fresh off the summer release of his second studio album, CASE STUDY 01, the Ontario native was back in Laval on his tour of the same name.

The R&B artist rose in popularity following the positive reception surrounding his debut studio album, Freudian, that was nominated in the Best R&B Album category at the 2018 Grammy Awards. The album also featured his nominated singles “Get You” featuring Kali Uchis and “Best Part” featuring H.E.R.

The show’s set was simplistic, with a full band playing behind a pair of transparent curtains and two vocalists on either side of Caesar. The visuals featured juxtaposed videos of aesthetics pertinent to the songs being played, like strippers pole dancing to “Who Hurt You?” and a dancing Kali Uchis for her “Get You” feature.

Caesar played most of his new album – one more experimental in nature than the gospel-centric Freudian. This allowed him to show off his vocal range that was raw at its core and was accompanied by little, if any, of his own backing track vocals – a breath of fresh air as a concert-goer in a hip hop and R&B era that seems to be dominated by lip-syncing and laziness on stage.

Three songs in, Caesar brought out fellow Torontonian Sean Leon. The crowd’s initial reaction was weak, perhaps not recognizing the guest on-stage. Yet, once the two dove into their collaboration track “RESTORE THE FEELING,” the audience piped up and clapped for the stranger in front of them.  Leon thanked the crowd for his first performance in Montreal and the two artists gave each other a loving embrace before Leon exited the stage.

Caesar’s trifecta of “OPEN UP,” “Who Hurt You?” and “ARE YOU OK?” truly highlighted his voice and musical capabilities. The latter did not have any accompanying background instruments – only Caesar and his guitar. He frequently rotated between acoustic ballads and R&B melodies throughout.

The most well-received songs were undoubtedly those from his first album, whether this was due to the fact that they are the best in Caesar’s catalogue or that the crowd was reminiscing on the previous times he’s performed in Montreal over the last few years. The highlight was undoubtedly “Best Part,” of which the audience took over the whole first two and a half verses before Caesar even stepped towards the microphone.

Caesar finished off the night with “SUPERSTITION,” a personal favourite on the album and the perfect closer for an intimate night. After thanking the crowd for a lovely evening and wishing them a safe drive home in the snow, the chants brought him back on stage for one more song. Caesar ended with “Japanese Denim,” one of the first singles from his impressive repertoire and left attendees reminded of his earlier catalogue before the breakthrough success.

Photo by @Villedepluie

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Toro y Moi truly emits inner and outer peace

Photo by Cecilia Piga

 

Toro y Moi takes me back to my years in high school: playing Tame Impala, MGMT and Toro y Moi in the yearbook room, lying on the grass with our heads in a circle, feeling whole with the world and one with my friends… yeah, I did that.

On Nov. 5 at Corona Theatre, Chaz Bear, aka Toro y Moi, aka Chazwick Bradley Bundick, brought this back.

Bear, who changed his name four years ago when he married Samantha Beardsley, feels fresh, composed and genuinely happy; he emits a gentleness. He sings, his eyes squint, a smile spreads across his face. Moving across the stage in a dance that feels characteristic of Childish Gambino.

Blissful. Real. Truly himself, in love with his music; a joy that rubbed off on the crowd.

His band members feel very Portland – I’ve never been to Portland, any Portland, but that’s the vibe – complete with long shaggy hair, blundstones, thick socks, button down shirts and reusable canteen bottles. Bear wore an Everlane-esque get-up, mod wide-leg blue pants (not jeans), a black jacket, and a black mock neck, which he kept on the entire time – a rarity on stage. Performers usually strip halfway into the third song.

Photo by Cecilia Piga

The stage glows with simple, pleasing colours: pinks and purples, blues and greens, yellows, oranges, peaches… the instruments highlighted with bits of fluorescent orange tape scrawled with “TORO E MWA,” a translucent drum set of the same colour. His crisp lyrics linger, echoing not only in the theatre, but mashed up in my mind days after the show. 

You saved my life, I don’t want to be alone, I want somebody, I don’t have time for this weather… Die for my love… For a second I forgot who I was, I thought I was over you … now I don’t know who I am … I feel weak, uhuh… 

On Oct. 29, Toro y Moi released “Soul Trash,” a 30-minute long art film by the same name of a mixed tape released in January of last year. The duo moves away from simple lo-fi musician status and into the world of pure artistry. Sixteen minutes in, the film pauses to watch Bear, wearing a bucket hat, eat chips.

“I see two of you, I see one of me,” he says, pointing to the viewer, a photographer taking pictures of his reflection, I imagine. The whole thing is pretty obscure.

As though Bear was given a paintbrush, needle and thread to collage together this masterpiece, his new album, Outer Peace, feels authentic, not as laboured or crafted as I felt in some of his older albums. Now the poster child of chillwave, his music crosses boundaries, feeling very 70s indie pop with a sprinkle of some classic T-Pain autotune.

Outer Peace speaks to finding satisfaction, oneness and peace out in the world, rather than just within. Whether in blending genres, dance, work or just being present in a social environment… there’s no one way to find that.

 

Photos by Cecilia Piga

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Black Midi make it look easy

Photo by Cecilia Piga

Black Midi impress with their musical chops, leaving the crowd wanting more

“I just want to get the energy right,” said Brooklyn-based MC Fat Tony as he waved a stick of burning Palo Santo around the stage. Standing on the monitor he engaged the crowd and took them on the journey which was his set. His hands flew back and forth from his laptop to his turntable, to one of the two microphones he was using, employing his incredible MC abilities as he showed the diversity of his music.

The Houston native flew through his songs, some of which sampled music from many different genres – from fast-paced punk to Texas country and 80s pop. Shortly after performing a song about his decision to eat healthy, Fat Tony left the stage to the cheers of the satisfied audience.

Casually strolling onto stage, Black Midi picked up their instruments and immediately thrashed away while the pink and blue lights strobed over the energized crowd. For a band of twenty-somethings, the complexity and musical prowess of Black Midi is mind-blowing and sets an extremely high precedent for other bands. Based out of London, England, Black Midi were formed while the members attended Brit School, the school responsible for celebrated alumni Adele, Amy Winehouse, and Tom Holland, to name a few. 

Photo by Cecilia Piga

The Mercury Prize-nominated band wasted no time and controlled the stage as they performed “Near DT, MI.” Bassist Cameron Picton recited the sparse lyrics while the band played softly; the audience anticipating the next change. A quick pause, and the wall of sound began as they wailed on their instruments and the bassist screamed into his microphone, while a young man climbed onto the stage and perfectly timed his stage-dive. Guitarist and lead vocalist Geordie Greep prowled the stage as he sized up the audience, his hands flying over the fretboard and strings.

After a quick finish to the song, Black Midi diverged into what they do best: jamming. Drummer Morgan Simpson held the gaze of the other band members while they read each other for signals of where they would be headed next. The intense instrumental blended seamlessly into “Speedway,” the second track off their debut album Schlagenheim.

Their musical abilities were on full display; particularly Simpson’s drumming. In 2014 he was awarded the “Young Drummer of the Year” award, and it was clear that night that it was well earned. His hands flew across the set, often so fast that they appeared blurred. When lead singer Greep wasn’t gracing the crowd with his unique croon, he was directing the band using his arms, to indicate where the dynamics of the music should go next – arms up for louder and arms down for quieter. 

Lead guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin resembled a young Jonny Greenwood as he bent over his guitar and shredded the ear-drums of the audience with his fast and powerful strums.

Black Midi took the crowd through the better part of Schlagenheim, filling the rest of the set with instrumentals and their 2019 single “Talking Heads.” It would appear that Fat Tony’s energy cleansing technique did its job. The energy was just right, and Black Midi performed as well as expected, leaving the crowd chanting for more.

 

Photos by Cecilia Piga

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Queer pop icon King Princess brings the thunder live on tour

3.KingPrincess. 10.29.2019.LaurenceB.D

King Princess redefines angry queer pop at MTELUS

Drag queens, young queer couples heavily making out, bitter and angry love ballads; this is what defines a typical King Princess concert.

Even though the LGBTQ+ icon performed at Corona Theatre only months ago in May and later in August for Osheaga 2019, she returned to Montreal on Oct. 29, just days after the release of her debut album, Cheap Queen, on Oct. 25.

The night began with a special performance by local Montreal drag queen Denim Pussy, who wooed the crowd with their stage presence to the beat of Charli XCX’s “Vroom Vroom.”

The drag portion itself was enough for audience members to agree with the commonly-used phrase, ‘We are here, and we are queer,’ referring to those in the LGBTQ+ community. Indeed, we were all in the right place.

“All my pain becomes songs for the gays,” KP slurred, with a cold beer in one hand and her trademark green electric guitar hanging from her shoulder; a giddy smile plastered on her face.

She started off her set on the piano with “Isabel’s Moment,” a slow interlude-turned-intro track for the purpose of the concert, right before she jumped into “Tough on Myself.”

As soon as audience members heard the low guitar strums of the more sensual track, there was a shift in atmosphere at the venue. I’m not just referring to the young couples eating each other’s faces like it was the end of the world. No, rather I’m talking about the message Mikaela Straus, a.k.a. the “King” herself had for fans: “Listen to the album, bitch! It’s f*cking good!”

After a melodic transition from “Useless Phrases” into the title track, “Cheap Queen,” the tone was set for the singer to express the string of emotions behind most of the songs from the album. It was pretty clear that the performer was, for a lack of better words, bitter and angry towards her ex-lover.

“It’s fine guys. I’m better now.”

Could’ve fooled me KP.

Photo by Laurence B.D.

After the way she delivered performances for songs like “Talia,” “Trust Nobody,” and “You Destroyed My Heart,” it seemed like the artist was projecting the heaviness within the lyrics. The dim lighting, angry guitar solos and head-banging beats definitely said otherwise.

Nice try KP, but you aren’t fooling anybody with songs like these. If anything, your Sagittarius was emanating more than ever before.

If the title of the song “Pussy Is God” doesn’t scream dramatic enough, then rest assured, because its performance brings it to life. A stand-alone single released in late 2018, the anthem was a hit moreso live on tour.

“1950,” the song that launched KP’s career to stardom, began with a few off-beat conundrums, showing audience members that anything can happen during live performances.

“So, Montreal, who wants to hit my back?” she snickered as she addressed the crowd.

With “Hit the Back,” a lively and electric performance full of shuffling light effects and colorful flashes, the audience was jumping and dancing, even fist-bumping the air to close off the concert with a loud and energetic ambiance.

All’s well that ends well. A foot-stomping encore as demanded by the crowd brought the singer back on stage to deliver a finale with Cheap Queen’s closing track, “If You Think It’s Love,” and a performance of her unreleased track “Ohio” as a little homage to fans.

One thing is for certain: King Princess knows how to keep her audience on their toes. Judging from the attendees’ enthusiasm, Montreal is looking forward to her inevitably epic return.

 

Photos by Laurence B.D.

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Why Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours will be the one and only for my ears – always

Graphic by @sundaeghost

On their 50th anniversary tour, the band demonstrates that even though time goes by, the shared love and music is everlasting

“If music be the food of love, play on” – that’s how Shakespeare wrote it. If Fleetwood Mac was a meal, I could eat it everyday (and most of the time I do). My alarm went off at 6.30 a.m. this Wednesday, and I got myself ready for an opportunity I’ve wanted for the last five years: a night with Fleetwood Mac. Unfortunately, the band’s 50th anniversary tour didn’t pass through Montreal, so I got on a bus to Quebec City in the early hours to experience what has been the soundtrack to most of my young adult life.

Fleetwood Mac is the ultimate symbol of an intense, deep and heartbreaking relationship told through music. From their early beginnings with British Blues in the 60s, to their careless and hardrocking tracks in the late 90s, they have showed us how inseparable music and the turbulent excitement of love are.

About five years ago I was at a place in my life filled with doubt, changes and my first proper heartbreak, and that was when I discovered the 1977 album Rumours. I have been madly in love with their tender and honest sound ever since. Best rebound ever.

Not only is Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours one of the greatest tales of love in music history (it was a product made in a time where the band members struggled with divorces and crossover-affairs, all while they consumed huge amounts of cocaine), it is also a stroke of genius in musical terms. 

The tonal soundscapes consist of cosmic electric guitar riffs balances with the calm Americana-inspired acoustic and soul-lifting harmonies with the melodic bass humming underneath. It’s all held together by Fleetwood’s rhythm-superiority on the drums, where fills are being poured over this musical unicum as a cherry on top. Rumours topped the US Billboard 200 for 31 weeks in a row after its release in 1977, and marked Fleetwood Mac as one of the most inspirational music groups of the 20th century (last year they were announced as Person of the Year by MusiCares, the charity arm of The Recording Academy).

But a lot has happened since 1977 – the ever-changing group dynamic was not only shown on the production of Rumours, but has been an ongoing issue ever since. Fleetwood Mac has had no less than 18 different members, with the only permanent one being the founder, Mick Fleetwood. The rotation and shift of members has was caused by drug abuse, affairs, dramatic fights and firings, where the latest was the layoff to vocalist Lindsey Buckingham due to artistic disagreements. Therefore, I was extremely excited to see if the ever-changing band could give me the same nerve-wrecking sensation as the 50 year-old LP I have on my shelf back at home.

Twenty minutes after the show began, the group known to be history’s greatest soap opera band appeared on stage, and the memorable bass drum from “The Chain” surrounded us all in one joined heartbeat. My heart was (once again) stolen, and like the rest of the crowd, I got carried away for two hours in the musical universe that is Fleetwood Mac. New Zealand singer Neil Finn is the replacement for Buckingham. Even though he didn’t have the exact same tonal finesse, he still did a pretty good job (you know how it is embracing the flaws of your loved ones).

While hearing Stevie Nicks singing about disappointment and heartbreak on “Dreams” (an ode to fuckboys before the term was even invented) or experiencing the 10-minute long drum solo by Mick Fleetwood – where his characteristic eyeballs looked as if they could pop out of his head anytime – I lost sense of time and place, and everything came together in one big cosmos.

So, was Fleetwood Mac just as sharp, energetic and passionate as they were on Rumours? I think the show was as good as it gets, despite the stamp all of the members have achieved from the vanity of life (especially one as musicians). 

“We love doing this every night,” was the final words of the night from drummer Fleetwood. That’s the thing about true love – no matter how many times you spend doing the exact same thing and the exact same routines, you can feel the magic and anticipation just as strong as you did on first sight (or listen).

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

Categories
Music

Part concert, part book tour: Canadian Twins Tegan and Sara put on a unique show at the Corona Theatre

Photo by Susan Moss.

Most artists releasing their ninth album might feel the need to forget the early awkward days when no one would pay attention to them, but Tegan and Sara do not see their messy, formative years that way at all. The twins have embraced and celebrated their roots through the release of their new album,  Hey, I’m Just Like You, and first memoir,  High School.

The Corona really felt like a theatre last Wednesday, as Tegan and Sara brought their Hey, I’m Just Like You tour to the city. They had set up chairs on the ground and had ushers in the alleys directing everyone to their purchased seats, already hinting this would not be your typical concert. The stage was simply decorated in two halves: a keyboard and guitar amps on the right, and stools and a bookcase on the left with about a dozen journals on it.

By 8:10 p.m. everyone had found their seats.  As the lights went down, Tegan came out, and began reading the first memoir excerpt: a vivid childhood memory about her sister’s night terrors. Afterwards she revealed how she had only recently found out it was her and not Sara who this story was actually about, and wondered aloud how many of her memories were really her own.

Tegan made her way over to the right side of the stage as the LED lights illuminated the keyboard and amps. Sara joined her sister for their first acoustic performance of the title track “Hey, I’m Just Like You.”  This sequence would repeat itself throughout the night: memoir excerpts from each sister, followed by a song with a similar theme. Every few tracks, archive footage of them in their highschool bedrooms would show up on screen, with Tegan or Sara narrating or cracking jokes over it.

Even the smallest cough could have been heard over the acoustic tracks and readings, yet the crowd was totally silent except when time to cheer.  They were laughing just as much as they were tearing up, as the chapters covered everything from their first kisses, water beds, and acid trips (“don’t do drugs kids,” they giggled. “It was the 90s.”), to bad reviews, internalized homophobia, and the fear of how coming out would ruin their careers.

The tracks from the new album worked with just the two of them on stage, and made up half the setlist. With just guitars and keys, it sounded like polished versions of the original demos, and let the lyrics and storytelling shine.  Songs covering the feelings of fearing the future, and messy first relationships like “Hello, I’m Right Here” and “I’ll Be Back Someday” felt like two teenage girls wrote them in their bedrooms. Unfortunately the singles from previous albums they incorporated onto the setlist like “Closer” and “I Was a Fool” left me missing the live drums and band they usually tour with.

After two hours and upon reaching the end of the memoir, Tegan and Sara wished us a wonderful night, summarizing their show as an invitation to “visit [our] younger selves more often and be more compassionate to them.”  While it is tough to define exactly what this show was, and I still hope to get the chance to see them in concert with the band one day, they really do have something special, raw and vulnerable on their hands.

 

Photo by Susan Moss

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