I might be new to Montreal, but the soft sounds of Monday night’s opener, Phoebe Go, immediately put me at ease amidst a crowd of unfamiliar faces. It’s not an understatement to say that the audience was entranced by the Aussie’s gentle voice and intimate lyrics. Call me a softy, but it definitely made me want to sway in someone’s arms. Romantic and vulnerable, Phoebe seemed to be in her own world up on stage. It might just be the upcoming holiday, but it seemed like she had someone in particular on her mind while serenading the crowd.
While I was overanalyzing, there was nothing truly complicated about her performance. The simplicity of her set truly showcased her vocals; she even teased the crowd by saying, “Now I’m gonna do one without the band. That’s a joke because I don’t have a band” – don’t worry Phoebe, we all got it.
Briston Maroney’s entrance pulled me out of that daydream, and as soon as I saw his skateboard shoes and blue curls, I knew I was in for a good time. He broke out his guitar and the energy of the crowd exploded in the best way possible – we could have been a group of kids experiencing live music for the first time, with smiles plastered on our faces. Their indie rock sound definitely channelled that “I’m on top of the world and anything is possible” feeling. I wasn’t planning to feel so euphoric on a Monday night, but the stoke is always welcome. The band was equally undeniably stoked. It’s always refreshing to see artists not take themselves so seriously (or seriously at all) and truly have fun on stage.
Don’t get me wrong though, Briston Maroney has felt things. Scattered between upbeat, happy-go-lucky rock tunes, Briston and the gang tugged at our heartstrings with some sweet, sweet memoirs of heartbreak and growing up. The raw emotion that came through in his songs made me see him briefly in a different light. This is a guy who cares, but that big heart has been torn UP. Again, am I overanalyzing? Maybe, but ‘tis the season to project your own love life onto strangers, after all.
One moment from this show that’s going to stay with me for a while is the pure joy I saw around me looking out over the crowd. Usually, my 5’2 frame gets squished as soon as people start jumping, but this was one of the most respectful, wholesome groups of concert-goers I’ve been alongside in a long time. Credit is due to these awesome performers though; the energy and passion put into every single song were contagious. A part of me hopes they left a little bit of that energy behind because I’m going to be humming these songs for a while and smiling every time I do.
Set List:
- Body
- Small Talk
- Chaos Party
- Fool’s Gold
- Breathe
- Sunburn Fades
- Sunshine
- Sink;Swim
- Under My Skin
- Paradise
- Caroline
- Spring
- June
- Sinkin’
- I’ve Been Waiting
- Freaking Out on the Interstate
Review – Lauren Maddock
Photos – Daphne Miller
