Disq
MTelus was filled to the brim with people anticipating this show to begin. As the lights went down, a sweet mashup of “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath and “Get Out The Way” by Ludacris blared through the speakers, making one hell of an introduction for Diaq to take the stage.
They got off to a real strong start, showing Montreal exactly what they’re made of and the talents they hold. This five-piece band played beautifully together, interacting with one another and clearly having a lot of fun.
Each song they performed alternated singers; everyone save for their drummer shared their voice, giving each song a different feeling and presence. I really enjoyed it; being a fan of Disq myself, I was impressed with how well they played live.
They had told the crowd that they’re a band from Wisconsin, and it’s their first time playing in Montreal. Hopefully, they come back for their own headlining show; I know I’d definitely be there.
Alvvays
Cheering filled the venue as the members of Alvvays walked on stage, taking their respective positions and getting ready to give an incredible show. And hell, did they deliver. Starting off their set with “Pharmacist,” Alvvays made it clear that their set was going to blow people away.
They played in perfect sync together, keeping up with one another with ease. Sweet little visuals played in the background, the style and theme changing with each song, ranging from home videos to animated doodles.
Molly Rankin’s vocals sounded exactly as they do in the recording. It was honestly incredible and sounded much better than I would expect for a usual show. Her voice was soft and sweet, captivating everyone in attendance as they sang along with her.
No matter what visual was playing in the background, I couldn’t dare tear my eyes away from Molly Rankin. She made those high notes look easy. She and the rest of the band fully owned the stage, guiding the crowd through pretty much every emotion possible.
It’s always really sweet to hear the crowd sing along to their favourite songs, and it’s even sweeter to hear the entire venue chime in during an artist’s most popular song. The moment the first notes to “Archie, Marry Me” played, everyone’s voices got considerably louder, making for a special moment during Alvvays’ set.
Their setlist flowed through all three of their albums, and although they played quite a few songs, the time passed by so quickly. Before I knew it, the set was over, and every member of Alvvays left the stage.
Of course, after lots of cheering and stomping, Alvvays stepped back on stage for a few more songs, giving a really fun encore and leaving their fans in Montreal feeling warm on that cold night.
Review – Jamie Siddall
Photos – Steve Gerrard
