Sad Park
When a few friends of mine and myself walked into Bar Le Ritz, the space was fairly occupied by a handful of people there for the upcoming show. Sad Park shortly made their way on stage and started their set right on time.
Right from the beginning, I was impressed. I can’t really pinpoint exactly what I was expecting as an opener for Cheekface, but a pop-punk emo band wasn’t what I was thinking. It didn’t matter, though, because Sad Park’s incredible talent as musicians and their emotional lyrics proved perfect to get the night started.
Lead singer and guitarist Graham Steele let the crowd know he’s thankful that they came early to see them play and expressed great gratitude towards Cheekface for the opportunity to tour outside of the USA. He said that playing in Montreal was the band’s first time ever playing a show in Canada, and of course, the room gave a warm greeting to Sad Park after learning so.
They continued their set with a really great range of their released tracks, along with one unreleased song. Watching each member play with expertise, and how they danced along to the music they were playing all made me really appreciate their stage presence. It’s always such a pleasure seeing bands like Sad Park perform so seamlessly together.
Cheekface
Although there was a big difference in genre from opener to headliner, the transition was seamless for the crowd of Cheekface fans in Bar Le Ritz. As soon as they started to play their first setlist track, Eternity
Leave, the audience lovingly sang along to the lyrics in the same talking style tone that Greg Kats sings in. Just like their song style, the show was fun and cheerful, full of humour, yet my friends and I would occasionally turn to one another and say, “This song makes me want to cry.”
At first glance, Cheekface might not be all that impressive to everyone. The talk-singing has put off a few people I know, but the lyrics are relatable and catchy. Underneath the humour and upbeat sound are clever lyrics describing confusion, depression, frustration, any symptom that one might experience from day-to-day life.
Despite the meaning of these songs, the fun guitar solos and bouncy feel in each melody moved the crowd to dance as if no one else was in the venue. The members of Cheekface did their fair share of dancing as well, showing playfulness in their stage presence.
The show was so much fun, with just the right amount of energy flowing through the room. The setlist had a large variety of songs, such as The Fringe, Pledge Drive, and I Feel So Weird!
I was also surprised by how crowd interactive the show was, like how Featured Singer doubled as a Cha Cha dance session, with Greg Kats leading the crowd. Or for songs like “Listen to Your Heart.” “No.” and Next to Me (Yo Guy Version), the crowd knew each cue to shout out a word or phrase towards Kats as he sang.
Toward the end of their set, Kats took a moment to express to the crowd his gratitude for everyone’s attendance and how happy it makes him and his fellow members of Cheekface to be able to play their first Canadian show here in Montreal. Lots of firsts tonight!
He continues on by saying how honoured he feels to play this first show at a venue like Le Ritz. “Spaces like this one are very special to the community, and a special city like Montreal relies on spaces like this.” He explains. “I realize Montreal is a busy city with lots to do, and with anything else you could be up to on a Friday night, you decided to come here. So, thank you for that.” The crowd cheers as they take in his thanks and continue to finish their set.
After the show, my friends and I waited in line with pretty much everyone else at the show for the merch line, which had the members of Cheekface handing out their band’s merch. They were all very sweet and genuine people, making conversation with everyone that walked up to say hi or buy a shirt. It was a really nice way to end the show, getting to speak with the people behind it all. For Cheekface’s first show in both Montreal and Canada, I’d say it was a real success. I’ve been singing their setlist to myself since it ended, finding myself thinking of certain moments that struck me or made me laugh.
I’m sure they’ll be back again, which is good news for anyone who missed their show at Bar Le Ritz. I’m glad I was there for the fun, and I’ll definitely be there for their next visit.
Jamie Siddall
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