Darlene Shrugg | Milk Lines | Hand Cream at the Sala Rossa

Show: Darlene Shrugg + Milk Lines + Hand Cream
Venue: Sala Rossa, Montreal
Date: Sunday, April 12th, 2015

The weather changed that day. Arrived home from an afternoon spent outside with friend C. Didn't want it to end but exhaustion took the best of me. Went to bed for a nap and woke up destabilized. Was I late for work? Nope. I was late for a concert.

Usually don't mind going alone. Always end up talking to strangers but my last experience wasn't that great. The guy thought I was weird (I am weird a bit). Therefore wanted to bring a friend along. So much so I even contacted an ex (oopsy daisy).

Almost didn't go, couldn't find anybody. What made me change my mind? This song:



Milk Lines was the second set of the evening. Didn't know much about the other bands. Arrived in an almost empty venue. Hand Cream had started already. I don't like pitchiness. Wish it didn't bother me that much. Would be enjoying shows better. The lead singer, Meghan Merrigan I believe, was pitchy and the songs were not that great. My friend JP (he knows an ex member of the band) mentioned to me the next day they're aiming to sound more pop these days. He sent me an old youtube of theirs. It is quite beautiful and nothing like what I heard Sunday.

When Milk Lines steps on stage I decide to leave my spot by the bar and join the small crowd up front. I dance as much as can be possible while holding a beer. Emily Clarke is a bit pitchy unfortunately but when Jeff Clarke joins in it really sounds good. After the set I approach him and ask him about the merchandise. None for sale at the time unfortunately. I also mention Porter Wagoner and that's when, for a second, his eyes light up.

Darlene Shrugg sound check.

The third set starts, Darlene Shrugg, they do not dethrone Milk Lines. Not bad. Not pitchy. But not my type of music. The songs do sound better though when Slim Twig is behind the mic.



I leave before the end of the last song to go downstairs where the Sala Rosa bar is. My favorite place to go after shows at that venue. There I write down my last thoughts on the night and there I'm thinking, am I really that weird?

Tyvek (and Gashrat) at the Vitrola

Show: Tyvek + Gashrat + Les Temps Liquides + Crosss + Cheap Wig
Venue: Vitrola, Montreal
Date: Friday, April 10th, 2015

WTF man. Five bands set to perform in one evening? When it was Tyvek's turn I was half asleep. Organized by Suoni Per Il Popolo Festival, I really do believe they booked too many bands in one night. Would've been happy had it been only Tyvek, Gashrat and Crosss.

A blurry picture

I absolutely love Gashrat! But I'll start from the beginning. First band : Cheap Wig. Ok music. A bit repetitive. Girl's voice acceptable except when she screams. Often she left the stage to join the crowd. That is always nice. Not my kind of music. My friend JP's opinion on the first set? Doesn't like the singer.

Cheap Wig

Second band. Crosss. Singer has interesting voice. Good music. I've seen them before live. Didn't appreciate them the first time but now they're kind of growing on me. There were some technical problems though. Mic didn't work well. Drummer is cute but had a t-shirt with a drawing of a persian cat and "Child Abuse" written below. I have a persian cat. Didn't like his t-shirt. My friend V's opinion on the second set? The songs are too repetitive.

Crosss

My cat Princess

Third Band. Les Temps Liquides. No. Just no. Didn't like it. Friends JP, V and M didn't like it either.

Fourth Band. Gashrat. LOOOOOVE them. There are only a few Montreal bands that I happily follow. I will not miss an opportunity to see them again in concert.

A girl band. All of them play different instruments and you'll see them switching from one song to the other. Authentic and original sound. I can't say anything bad about them. Didn't think to ask what my friends thought of Gashrat.

Gashrat

While waiting for Tyvek to step on stage, kind of fell asleep on my chair. The guru I drank earlier just didn't do the thing. I believe they started playing around 1:30 in the morning. Tyvek is good. I like the singer's voice. Not the first time I see them in concert. Not the last.



That's pretty much all I can say because I left after only a few songs. My bed was needed (and Princess was waiting for me).

Twin Shadow | Lolawolf

Show: Twin Shadow + Lolawolf
Venue: Café Campus, Montréal
Date: Saturday, April 4th, 2015

I’d like to warn you first, this blog post really isn’t about music. Sorry. Too busy having fun. I take notes on my iPhone usually. Didn’t happen this evening.

Lolawolf

V and I arrive early. We don’t want to miss Lolawolf, the opening act. No regrets because it ends up being good. A bunch of great beats. Didn’t know what to expect, the singer being Lenny Kravitz’ daughter. Soon I realize she does her own thing regardless of who her dad is and I find that cool.

While Lolawolf is playing I bump into a Journal Voir ex colleague. Tells me Twin Shadow is at the merch table. She’d like to have her picture taken with him but couldn’t dare ask him. I make the move, I take a pic of them, and while we’re at it I ask him to sign the rare vinyl I just bought. I feel a bit uncomfortable but hey I won’t let that limit me.

Soon afterwards I realise a guy is giving me the I know you look. I approach him. Turns out I don’t know him. Just thought I was cute. I ask a selfie of him and I. Been doing this for more than a week now. Selfies with strangers. Subsequently send them to my friend K (a student with a shit load of work) to show her she’s missing out on a good night. The guy, a Parisian, is my seventh. V and I end up spending the evening with him.

Twin Shadow

Twin Shadow walks on stage and all is good. The crowd starts dancing to his music. The sound isn’t great but hey! Who’s taking notes?

Twin Shadow and Zoë Kravitz

Zoë Kravitz later joins him for a song. Heck, a few fans from the crowd might as well join him on stage too. They all give him a kiss on the cheek. Don’t know if he appreciated that since the encore was a bit short.

Twin Shadow with fan

The concert is over but not the night. Spring is coming. Or maybe we’ll just skip it and go directly to summer.

Choses Sauvages - Lancement Japanese Jazz

Show: Choses Sauvages (+ Osismi + Crabe)
Venue: Coop Katacombes, Montreal
Date: Saturday, March 28th, 2015

Being in my mid-thirties, I felt a bit out of place at the Choses Sauvages concert. A younger crowd. Everybody is so happy. As if the hardship of life hasn't touched them yet. The way I see it, the difference between the youth (a big chunk of it anyways) and older generations is optimism. A belief they can change society for the better. It's a good thing they're present and active. Maybe someday something will change. Wish all generations had drive like that.

Arrived at the Coop Katacombes while Crabe was doing a soundcheck. The place wasn't packed yet. Crabe is a two piece band. Voice, guitar and drums. Good and loud. They do as they please. If only their songs didn't all sound the same. I'd say the drummer's excellent skill is what differentiates a track from an other.





Later came Choses Sauvages in shiny clothing. The four piece band (+1 extra that night I believe) make extremely well crafted pieces. Here's one from Japanese Jazz.




In English as well as in French, the songs work best when Félix Bélisle sings lead. He did forget the lyrics a few times though. Bad Nylon joins them later. The female hip hop singers are just as impressive. The crowd starts waving their hands in the air. Don't remember ever seeing that in a small venue. «Vous êtes des estis de malades»* screams Félix Bélisle at some point.

Choses Sauvages with some strings

Choses Sauvages finishes with a No Doubt song. "Hella Good". Love the bass.

Show poster done by Pony

The evening brings me back in time when we were the ones doing the strikes for access to a better education.

There was simply something in the air that night.




* You are fucking sick

Illustration I did for the newspaper edition

Julien Sagot au Quai des Brumes

Show: Julien Sagot
Venue: Quai des Brumes, Montréal
Date: Wednesday, March 18th, 2015

My morning started with an unfortunate bang. Ran into my ex. We work in the same building. Made me feel like shit. Maybe he felt worse. Also, work was difficult that day. Many beginner's mistakes. My colleague and my boss helped me out correct those mistakes. Still, I finished late. Black IPA afterwards at a bar near work to look back on the events of the day. That pint wasn't enough though. A live act was needed. Had a ticket to go see Julien Sagot at the Quai des Brumes thankfully.

I shouldn't feel guilty for breaking up with him. He's the one to blame.

Julien Sagot and his band. Weirdos playing weird music (except maybe for the drummer). And it was great. Heard good things about him but never listened to his songs.

Arrived as he was doing a sound check. The place was already packed. Didn't encounter any friends. Just waited for Mr Sagot to start while sipping my second IPA. From the start he tried to have us sing along with him but to no avail, "Je fais des refrains niaiseux pour que vous puissiez chanter!"*. The music is great. The odder the better. There isn't much variety in his voice, would've liked to hear him scream a bit. Live that is. On tape it all sounds good. A lady singer (been looking everywhere for her name) accompanied him on voice and that made a big difference.

At some point during the show he asked the third row to undress. Was he serious? I don't know. Last spring Connan Mockasin asked the crowd to undress and the girls in the first rows did end up dancing in their bras. But that's another story.

He succeeded, on the last song, in having us sing along. He let go of his mic and and walked among the crowd to incite us. As the show ended, met someone I knew. Exhausted, I exchanged a few words and left. Although excellent, the show didn't give me any respite from the events of the day. I wish it had.



* I make stupid choruses so you can sing along to them!

Tops | She-Devils

Show: Tops + She-Devils
Venue: Bar le "Ritz" PDB
Date: Friday, March 20th, 2105

I don't have a septum piercing but I do wear patterned socks. Even so, didn't feel like I fit in. Many young people as seen on Nightlife.ca's event photos. Where style is very important. Those event photos separate Montrealer's into two classes. The ones that are photographed (the cool ones) and the ones that aren't (the nobodies). All this was running through my mind as I was waiting for my friend to show up. She found a ticket online for the sold out show but forgot it. Had to head back home and get it.

She-Devils was good. A mixture of rock and roll and gothic played by a two piece band. Audrey Ann on voice and Kyle on everything else. A remixer I guess you would say? He is what makes the music effective. Love what he creates. On the other hand Audrey Ann is pitchy. Being pitchy is a tough thing. Sometimes it works. Sometimes not so much. She looked nervous also. The reason maybe it didn't feel right.

She has a certain presence on stage though. My friend V, a concert photographer on her free time, didn't wait long before getting her camera out.

She-Devils taken with my iphone.

Started getting warm at the Ritz. A perfect temperature for the next to come on stage: Tops. A summertime ideal. Easygoing and fun to dance to.

Jane Penny's voice is amazing. You'd be tempted to think a voice like that is only heard best when recorded. You're wrong. Just as good live.

my Iphone. Tops.

By the end of the show. We were at the back of the venue. Not as many septum piercings there. V got approached by a guy. More like he started hugging her out of the blue. She immediately told him to fuck off.

Woke up next morning with a bad headache. Only took 3 beers. Maybe I'm getting too old for this shit.

Fleece | Whitewash | Third Child

Show: Fleece + Whitewash + Third Child
Venue: Club Lambi
Date: Saturday, March 14, 2015


A friend whom I admire for her good taste rsvp'd on the facebook event page. This is how I came to know about the event. Was curious. Checked out a band by listening to one of their songs. Enjoyed it. Don't like to spend Saturdays alone at home. Thought I might as well go.




Had I done more research I would've learned about the first band on the bill. Third Child. Very weird music but not weird in a good way. Weird in a "I'm better than you because I believe in God" way.

A post from Third Child facebook page. I think this says it all.

The thing is, I love gospel music so it's not necessarily the subject matter that bothers me. It's the poor lyrics and not so good music.



If you want to be really entertained. Third Child has a page where he explains those lyrics. He managed a way to incorporate his thoughts on Archie Comics and James Bond in "Six Disasters".

I should've left as soon as I entered the club. The crowd was extremely young. Underage I would think but is that legal? Seemed they arrived by way of a school bus from some faraway christian commune. They had the time of their lives. Scary.

Third Child in concert.

Then it was Whitewash's turn on stage but all I wanted to do was leave. I don't think even Jack White could've kept me there.

I walked back home in heavy snow listening to Timber Timbre thinking Taylor Kirk could make good christian music if he wanted to. Talent changes everything.

I heart Timber Timbre.