From the very moment my friends and I walked into La Sala Rossa on a beautiful Tuesday evening, I instantly knew we were in for a fantastic night. Strawberry Gothcake, a local electronic artist, was already up on stage for their set, inviting everyone in attendance to let loose and start dancing.
Strawberry Gothcake is established in Montreal’s rave scene, frequently hosting events that are a ton of fun and filled with exhilarating music. They also released a compilation last year called CAKE!
Their fast-paced, rhythmic beats get your blood pumping fast, and their set properly solidified the mood for the rest of the night. My ears were pleased, people were moving around to the various rhythms, the vibe was excellent. Strawberry Gothcake is an excellent opener for a show like that night—a true treat for all that arrived early.
The second performers of the night were a three-piece experimental pop group called Los3r. They kept up the high energy already put into place by Strawberry Gothcake. Their high-pitched and satisfying beats encouraged the crowd to keep on moving, jumping, and dancing along while they sang/screamed melancholic lyrics into autotuned microphones.
Their set was really sick and a lot of fun. Their presence on stage was electrifying, and their energy certainly rubbed off on the growing audience. They brought my excitement for the headliner right up—a job well done.
Finally, it was high time for what everyone in attendance was waiting for. The iconic Alice Longyu Gao quickly got their set started after we all watched in anticipation as she, along with her crew, set up their MIDI controllers, a white sheet for projected visuals, and their signature pink harp. The very second that the intro to “<3 Korean Girls” started up, the place blew up into one big party.
Her energy was incredibly engaging throughout the entirety of her performance. They had choreography, they had charisma, and her passion for her craft was evident from the beginning.
Alice easily connected with her audience. They had intimate moments with a few people, singing into their headset while holding people’s hands, sharing prolonged eye contact, and smiling in approval as a venue filled with their fans danced as hard as they could.
Her setlist was filled with incredible tracks from her album Assembling Symbols Into My Own Poetry, released in late October 2024. Songs like “Message Received,” “Detective Alice,” and “Clingy,” all of which are sure to make you dance like crazy.
Their lyrics are real and campy. She’s funny and relatable, all while singing about topics such as romantic attachments, existential dread in our modern world, their own experiences dealing with fatphobia while growing up in China, and the frustration that comes with living in a heterosexual society as a queer person.
Her delivery and vocal range is incredible as well. Songs like “Make U 3 Me” and “Hëłlœ Kįttÿ” are prime examples of their capabilities. They’ll go from this cutesy pop singing to complete distortion, straining their voice and screaming to amplify the emotion behind her words.
All this thought put into her lyrics is wrapped up beautifully in a weighted blanket of highly experimental electronic beats. She honestly exceeds genre, but they’ve been described before as hyperpop. She uses so many different elements in her productions that end up tying together beautifully, especially when performing live.
Their use of a MIDI controller while screaming at the top of their lungs fully moved me, and the vulnerability they showed while slowing down a song by plucking the strings on their harp just had me in awe. Alice Longyu Gao is a fully fledged star!
Alice’s set was so gratifying to witness—not only for the insane music, but because of how much she spoke to us in the crowd. They made a point multiple times to thank their audience for showing up and expressed how happy they are to be able to connect with their community around the world. Their charm and personality filled the room so easily. I could honestly listen to her talk for hours. She’s well spoken, funny, and open, and says the first thing that comes to her mind.
About halfway through their set, Alice’s headset mic was having some difficulties, and even after they made some jokes and dug through their purse for some spare batteries, their vocals would still cut out every now and again. Honestly though, it barely even mattered to me. She had so much energy throughout her performance that I don’t think it mattered to anyone—we were all just ecstatic to be witnessing her genius.
As their set was coming to an end, Alice made it clear that they were absolutely not going to be doing an encore. “I hate encores! I don’t need to do an encore, because I’m giving you this! And this! And also this!” she exclaimed while running to the various equipment she’d been playing with the entire show. The audience laughed with her.
They then told their audience that they are a “one-woman show,” explaining that they created all their visuals with Photoshop. That they’ve been clicking the projector remote to show the next slide, and they choreograph their own dances for their live performances. “My shows are very DIY, so I don’t do encores!” they said, and honestly, I fully agree with them. They don’t need an encore! Their performance is jam-packed with stimulation in the best way possible.
At last, the time came for the last song of her set. She made sure to leave with a bang, ensuring that her audience was left off on a high note with an energetic performance of “Lesbians <3.” After dancing and laughing along with Alice Longyu Gao for the night, I can confidently say that I’m all for everything they do with their experimental productions. They continue to expand with various collaborations and extravagant elements that truly make them stand out to me. If Alice Longyu Gao is in town for a show or a DJ set again, you can bet that I’ll be there!
Review – Jamie Siddall
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