Show: Red Mass + Corridor + New Swears
Venue: Quai des Brumes, Montreal
Date: Friday, August 14th, 2015
V and I had no intentions in staying out late that evening. We were by the bar at the Sala Rosa when JP texted us. He's at the Quai des Brumes waiting for the show to start. We join him without a single doubtful moment. The event is to celebrate Analogue Addiction's two year anniversary.
Three band's play that evening but only one of them caught my attention: Corridor. It's loud with great guitar harmonies to describe it bluntly. Couldn't understand what was sang but wasn't really bothered by that. As if the music as a whole made it ok for the voice to be buried in sound.
Corridor
As for the two other bands, I got a bit bored. Sorry.
I can't help but compare the New Swears to The Black Lips, only the latter is better. It's a tough thing to avoid comparison when you sound so much like another band. Good performers they are though.
The New Swears. photo credit: JP
With Red Mass, I don't think I should say anything bad considering it's Roy Vucino's band. Maybe I'm shooting myself in the foot. Only it feels like they could really rock the place but something's stopping them.
Was at the bar drinking my whisky by the end of the show, sometimes talking to strangers, sometimes not. Took a pic of someone's T (with his permission of course). Apparently the T-shirt is from an 80's horror movie where people are transformed into pastel colours.
The only reason this is online is I truly think you should get to know Corridor.
Show: Father John Misty + Future Islands + The War on Drugs + Philip Selway + Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Venue: Parc Jean Drapeau, Montreal
Date: Sunday, August 2nd, 2015
Wanted to watch Gary Clark Jr perform but fell asleep in bed. Arrived at the end of his set, around 3:30pm. Oh well, I'll just have to go to Burlington (Vermont) at some point to catch a performance of his.
The two main stages are next to each other. Therefore one set finishes and the other one starts. A long fence dividing one floor from the other. V and I were waiting by one of those stages for Father John Misty to start. We weren't there only for him though. The War on Drugs was set to perform on that same stage.
Father John Misty is his usual self. You love him or you don't. Actually, if you enjoy his music enough, everything else is unimportant. I savored his latest album, I Love You Honeybear. One of the best love albums ever. Refreshing lyrics on the subject. (Leonard Cohen is, of course, unbeatable).
"I'd ask you how you are doing but I don't really care". Typical Father John Misty. On "Chateau Lobby 4 (in C for two virgins)" the crowd starts chanting with him. He is loved. "How's everybody over there waiting for the band to go on?" he later asks the neighboring crowd. "Bored in the USA" starts, "Sorry for those whose ecstasy just kicked in" he says before requesting the crowd to fist pump.
Was too busy taking a picture to fist pump.
Not only do we fist pump to the slow beat of the song but many of us are chanting the lyrics. Osheaga is full of Americans. I miss home all of a sudden. I miss Montreal.*
Father John Misty ends and Future Islands starts next door. Never attended a show of theirs. Will definitely not miss the next one in Montreal. Lead singer Samuel T. Herring has heart. So much heart. Quite moving.
Following Future Islands, the band I've been waiting for steps on stage. The War on Drugs. It's not a show. Only music. Good music. Unfortunately there were some sound problems on sax. Still, I close my eyes and I let myself get carried away. We were up front. Easier to be in awe there among the mélomane's.
The War on Drugs
We head out to another area of the festival once TWOD leave the stage. Smaller crowds and bigger trees. Our favorite turf. We're both disappointed with the lineup though (with some exceptions). Felt as if Osheaga has ceased trying to attract Montrealers.
The rest of the evening is a bit of a deception.
Philip Selway made me feel uncomfortable 'cause he was kind of pitchy. I won't add anything else.
Alex Ebert from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros also made me uneasy. I like their songs but lead singer Alex Ebert gives himself a fake persona in my opinion. A "guru wannabe" as V would say. With a rough voice that evening, he ends a song abruptly saying "That's shit" and invites a paraplegic to come on stage. "Ça y est, c'est un guérisseur maintenant"** declares V. I didn't know how to feel. Was he using the paraplegic for show? By the end we were all moved in spite of that. V, the most sceptical of all, had tears in her eyes (she won't admit to that though).
Emotional moment?
Happy for the guy.
We stay at Osheaga for only a few alt-J songs. Freak Heat Waves was playing at the Bar Ritz PDB. Intended on watching them perform but as soon I leave I know this won't happen. End up going to bed. That's life.
xx China
Father John Misty filming himself with a fan's camera
Shit happens. Or maybe it's just the drugs.
See you next year. Maybe.
photo: Véronique Côté
*I'd just like to add that I have nothing against Americans (most of the time). Am myself half American. ** Fuck that. He's a healer now?
Show: Seoul + Diana + Un Blonde
Venue: Théâtre Fairmount, Montreal
Date: Thursday, July 30th, 2015
Arrived there too early, nothing new. I should've learned my lesson by now. Came to see Un Blondewhich was scheduled to play at 9pm. When they do set foot on stage, around 9:30pm, my friend V is nowhere to be seen or heard. I get concerned. I figure she fell asleep in bed or got kidnapped by a bad dude. Turns out I was wrong. She arrives alive and well 15 minutes later. Gotta learn to chill man (her words).
Un Blonde is great. On some songs you think there's no rhythm but oops! You've been fooled. It's there. You just have to be patient. The music is experimental but accessible. I don't know how Jean-Sebastien Audet does it. I think he might be a perfectionist.
Only one problem though. He's quite theatrical. Being over-dramatic on stage might turn people off. Still it's quite a show to watch.
Un Blonde
The second set is ok. Actually there's nothing wrong. Diana is good. Only 80's pop music just doesn't do it to me anymore. I like it raw.
The singer has good stage presence. She looks uncomfortable but also saying f**k you with her body language. Good control on her voice. There was a saxophone. V has aversions to those (with some exceptions). Ça "scrap un peu la patente" she says.
As Seoul steps on stage, am completely exhausted and have a hard time paying attention to the performance. Sorry guys. All I can say is that their ultra clear special edition vinyl is quite a beauty. Never seen a vinyl that transparent. Buy it if you are at all interested in that kind of stuff.
Walked back home, bought a Red Bull in order to stay awake and write this post. Usually I wake early in the morning to write. Wanted to try something different. Didn't work though. Still fell asleep.
Ok. By. I've got to get to work. Bills to pay you know.
Show: Django Django + Vesuvio Solo
Venue: Le National, Montreal
Date: Sunday, July 26th, 2015
First set started early, 8pm. Arrived on time. Shouldn't have. Wasn't really impressed with Vesuvio Solo. Am being nice because was actually suffering watching them play. Couldn't chat with my friend, she hadn't planned on arriving until 9pm.
Why didn't I enjoy the first set? It's not my type of music. Not their fault. I love pop music when something new is brought to the mix. Not the case this time.
The connection with the crowd was missing. Wonder if they were enjoying it. Having said that, the singer's pitch was good.
Won't add anything more since after a couple of songs I left Le National for le Cheval Blanc. A bar a few blocs away from the venue. The bartenders are cute. Chatted with a stranger at the bar. Stéphane "Sex au Bureau" as his friend named him. Didn't ask any further details about that.
I find V back at Le National for the main set. Wary at first since I don't know anything about Django Django and they had an image of a large naked man full of muscles in the background. Took me only 5 minutes to start dancing to the beat of the music. They're good.
Django Django
Actually they're wiz kids with instruments. The drummer even starts playing with a cardboard box. It sounds amazing. V told me she previously saw them at the Petit Campus. A heck of a party apparently. At Le National the crowd is just as alive. Good crowds change everything. Vincent Neff, the singer, asked us to sit down, we sat down. He asked us to wave our hands left and right, we waved our hands left and right. Not all musicians have that power. Reminds me of when Connan Mockasin proposed we remove our shirts. (The rest is history).
Waving hands
Unfortunately the show ended at 10:30pm with only one encore. Kind of short guys.
Show: Crosss + New Fries + Phern
Venue: Bar le Ritz PDB
Date: Friday July, 24th, 2015
Of course I was exhausted that evening. Nothing new. Am bothered more easily when in need of sleep. Was riding the metro and a large guy stood directly in front of me. His sweaty back to my face with barely any space in between. I was bothered. Decided it would be smart of me to purchase some coffee once outside. Arrive there around 9:30pm ish. The crowd consists of a dozen people and Phern is doing the sound check. It happens.
Phern
photo: Véronique Côté
They start. They are the reason I'm there. Not that I don't like Crosss but I've seen them twice already. Don't know anything about New Fries. My friend V and I both agree, Phern is good. I've previously mentioned I don't like pitchiness, but sometimes it adds to the music. What is the Velvet Underground without that out of pitch sound right? It worked in this case. I would describe their sound as uncomfortable nonchalant pop music. In a good way.
Next is New Fries. A band from Toronto. Where Phern gives us a good discomfort with pitchiness, New Fries gives us some good discomfort with changing beats.
The singer Anni Spadafora exudes coolness and the bass played by Tim Fagan adds something interesting to the mix. At some point the drummer Jenny Gitman let out a scream. The band understood what was going on. They looked at her, started over.
Drummer Jenny Gitman
photo: Véronique Côté
By the end of the set, Anni Spadafora had decided to continuously play one note on her guitar. Lost interest then. Tim Fagan whispered something in Jenny Gitman's ear. Everything changed. The drummer concluded the song. The set was over.
Singer+guitarist Anni Spadafora
photo: Véronique Côté
The final set. Crosss. The music is odd. To be more precise, I find that the singer Andy March emanates, with his voice, the weirdness inside him. The drummer Kris Bowering plays as if he's angry, gets it all out through his instrument. The bass player had some problem with the wires. Took a few minutes before Andy March resolved the problem. From then on (should I say this?), it looked like she was making love to her bass.
Drummer Kris Bowering
photo: Véronique Côté
The show ended. Most were leaving. V and I talked nonsense while she drank her last beer. Kept telling me I was high maintenance. I don't get it. I think she might be kidding. We buy merch. I would've loved something from Phern but you don't always get what you want. V bought the most beautiful Crosss t-shirt and their vinyl which, apparently, is hard to find. The cover of that vinyl is quite gorgeous.
I walk back home eager to wake up the next morning and write this post. I haven't written on my blog in two weeks. I feel a bit rusted through. I realize now, life is not great without it. See you at the next event.
Show: Metz + USA out of Vietnam + Night Squirts
Venue: Piccolo Rialto
Date: Friday, July 10th, 2015
Metz
This is another post where I'll include snippets of my life. If this bothers you, don't read it. Metz is unapologetic, I'll be unapologetic too.
Had a tinder date after my 3pm to 11pm shift on Wednesday. Left after one beer. "Well that's that" I told him as I was drinking my last sip. The date was awful. Walked home and cancelled my tinder account. The guy was condescending and looked nothing like he did on his pictures. Told me my blog was photographs and drawings only. Well fuck it. If that's what it is.
Moved around non stop the last few days. Thursday: 3pm to 11pm shift. Friday: 10am to 6pm shift then supper and 30 minute nap before working on my front porch. Had decided to use the most resistant paint out there, also the most toxic. Finished around 9:30pm. Arrive home and realize I have an allergic reaction. Red spots on skin. Take a shower to wash off any paint residue. Had I been wise, I would've gone to bed. But hey... Am not.
At the Piccolo maybe 20 minutes before the main act. Not in time for the two previous bands. It's unfortunate. Enjoy opening acts. Buy the Metz poster. Not signed or numbered. Find the artist. Ask him to sign it. Turns out he made only 50 copies and had intended to have them numbered. He simply forgot. I like my posters at least signed.
Had planned on getting shit-faced that evening. Stopped after three beers. Listening to Metz was plenty enough to have a good time.
When someone asks me what type of music I like. This is not it. If you ask me what bands I like, this is it. So raw. Minimal to no melodies. Uncompromising. You just want to scream with them. Loved how the rhythm on drums changed constantly. Loved the steadfast vocals. Exactly what I needed.
Walked back home with a smile on my face and weight off my shoulders. Thank you Metz.
Show: Pokey Lafarge
Venue: Club Soda, Mtl
Date: Saturday, July 4th, 2015
Didn't expect to be at the Club Soda on that 4th of July. Had wanted to attend but knew I needed to cut my expenses. Turns out my boss had bought a pair of tickets he couldn't use, gave them to me. We both have something in common, my boss and I, we'll remember forever last year's Pokey Lafarge's performance at the Petit Campus. The magical Petit Campus.
Had the brilliant idea to go to the public library before attending the show. A backpack full of Billy Collins poem's. A bit cumbersome I tell you. My friend C who reminded me that it has been four years since she's been at a concert, texted me earlier in the afternoon to ask me what would be the room temperature. I've never been asked that and didn't know what to answer. Told her I like to be in the first rows for the full experience. It unnerved her a bit. Reminded her she wasn't tall and that being in the first rows of a Pokey Lafarge concert is not the same experience as being in a rock concert. Don't worry, you'll enjoy it C.
Listening to an album and watching a live performance are two different experiences, especially when it comes to Mr Lafarge. You don't know his music until you've seen him and his band perform live. The solos during the live performances are electrifying. And Pokey welcomes you to this experience. He has indeed a great connection with the crowd. Can't help myself but to post the Petit Campus live performance again (did so on a previous post for rreverb.com).
Of course there was no walk in the crowd at the Club Soda. The venue, although great, is not the Petit Campus. Hesitated last year to buy a M Ward ticket at the Corona until learning of the event being moved to the Petit Campus. Jeez was I excited to watch him perform there!
OK. Back to Pokey. A great performance (in spite of the size of the venue). The harmonicist Ryan Koenig is excellent of course and C made a sex joke of course. We were standing next to Adam Hoskins the guitar player that evening. Never really payed him much attention before. He's got great skills. It's a tough thing I think to play solos with a gypsy swing guitar. Especially when playing among musicians with imposing instruments. The guitar isn't loud. He had fun though and is indeed very talented (like all the other members of the band). Even did the duckwalk. Don't have any photographs of the band regrettably. Felt so uncomfortable taking pictures, I kept it to the minimum. In fact, with one exception, nobody in the first rows had their camera out.
In spite of the crowd having a blast, it was coming to an end. At some point, as Pokey Lafarge was whispering the lyrics to "Something in the Water", you could here them tapping the feet on the floor. This song, he told us, might as well have been about Montreal women. There was only one encore that evening. Milk & Bone were booked later that night at the same venue. Nothing could be done to change that. My friends had bought tickets for Milk & Bone, was suppose to join them but thought Pokey Lafarge was the perfect way to end the day. Or almost. Decided to stop at McKibbins for some sweet potato fries and a cup of joe.
