Sitting down to reflect on 070 Shake‘s Montreal stop of her Petrichor tour, I threw on her latest album (the tour’s namesake), and wow. If her music didn’t get me into my feels before, listening now and being able to bring myself back to those moments adds a whole other depth to it.
As stoked as I was to see Dani perform, I also have to shout out the openers: Johan Lenox and Bryant Barnes. Johan had already taken the stage when I arrived, and as someone who wasn’t familiar with his music, I was surprised but intrigued by his experimental sound. If you were also there and some elements felt familiar, it’s likely from his collaborations with 070—both have been featured in each other’s work (vocals and production).
These similarities are present but definitely subsidiary; Lenox’s music is an eclectic and unique mash-up of hip-hop, trap, and classical music. The performance was largely a product of live mixes building off of each other, so I was surprised in the best way to see him introduce local string musicians as support.
Surprising in a completely different way, Bryant Barnes’ reception upon taking the stage made me feel completely out of touch with the pop scene. This lover boy had quite the fan base in attendance, and they sure made themselves known. I was waiting for the rest of his band to join him on stage, but he started and ended his set as the only one on stage.
He mentioned being new to the industry (he’s recently blown up on TikTok and performed on A COLOURS SHOW last fall), and I appreciated the simplicity of his performance. Emotion-filled vocals taking centre stage, the music took on a cinematic quality—something that should be on a playlist titled “my life is a movie.” Intermissions featured some candid conversations with the crowd that were short but charming, and they made the concert that much more intimate (to his fans’ obvious delight).
Contrasting with both of the openers, 070 Shake‘s entrance was dark, dramatic, and captivating. The gorgeous stage production featured a backlit silhouette with her band barely perceptible, and even up in the mezzanine, I felt immediately immersed in the show. We often praise artists for sounding exactly like their recordings, but this performance was taking that one step further. Watching her, every visual aspect looked the way I felt; every detail felt planned in a way that allowed you to experience the lyrics as she would. Throughout the show, she rarely strayed from the original sequence of the album, the familiarity emphasizing our connection to these deep-feel ballads. I can absolutely respect this decision—she composed it in a particular way, generating a particular experience, and it worked.
070 Shake has a sound that is incredibly niche and, in my opinion, completely underrated. Both her music and stage presence indicate an unapologetic artist. Her fearlessness to be different and forge her own path in the industry speaks to her integrity. Simultaneously intense and understated, she walks the line between the two with precision. This creativity is exactly what draws us to her music, and she acknowledged this during the show, thanking the audience for “letting me make whatever kind of music I want to make, even if it’s not the most popular or what is on the radio.”
I hope it was a shared experience, but I left MTELUS feeling seen—by 070 Shake, by her lyrics, and by those who surrounded me. She shared how we live in a digital world, how special it is to be there together, and I couldn’t agree more. Her music can feel dark and heavy, but being a part of an audience who relates equally to her art adds a certain comfort. Her popularity is rising, and as much as I love to see her music reaching a wider audience, it’s bittersweet knowing she might not be able to play such a small venue again. When she’s back in town, I won’t miss it, but I’ll be dreaming about tonight.
Set List:
- SIN
- Elephant
- Pieces of You
- Vagabond
- Into Your Garden
- What’s Wrong with Me
- Black Dress
- Skin and Bones
- Natural Habitat
- Medicine
- Violent Crimes
- History
- Winter Baby/New Jersey Blues
- Cocoon
- Blue Velvet
- Blood on Your Hands
- Never Let Us Fade
- Love
- Honey
Review – Lauren Maddock
Photos – Daphne Miller
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